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Conservation

The lush, rugged landscape of Japan's island of Hokkaido is a major draw for amateur photographers—but do Flickr photos really represent the most important conservation sites?

Future of Conservation

Is #Hashtagging Your Environment on Instagram Enough to Save It?

Location-based data might help pinpoint key ecosystems—or make conservation a popularity contest

Microplastics mixed in with plankton from an Arctic Ocean sample

New Research

Ocean Currents Are Sweeping Billions of Tiny Plastic Bits to the Arctic

Currents are acting like a conveyor belt for plastic, dumping the bits in pristine northern waters

An African elephant bull in a freshwater marsh in Botswana's Okavango Delta.

Almost Half of Natural World Heritage Sites Are Threatened by Criminal Activity

A WWF report found that illegal poaching, logging, and fishing impacts 45 percent of the designated locations

Sirocco, currently MIA, has helped millions connect with the island’s endangered wildlife.

Future of Conservation

Seduced By a Rare Parrot

What can conservationists learn from New Zealand’s official “spokesbird,” a YouTube celebrity who tries to mate with people’s heads?

Gentoo penguin takes on a slope near its nesting colony.

New Research

A Penguin Colony’s Rise and Fall, Recorded in Poop

A nearby volcano has decimated the gentoo colony on Ardley Island three times

Fish leave bits of DNA behind that researchers can collect.

Scientists Can Tell What Fish Live Where Based On DNA in the Water

A new study of the Hudson River estuary tracked spring migration of ocean fish by collecting water samples

Orcas Are Killed in Front of Tourists, Now Caribbean Nation Wrangles With Whaling Laws

The prime minister of St. Vincent will introduce legislation to outlaw orca hunting

New Research

New Survey Estimates Earth Has 60,065 Tree Species

Researchers from Botanic Gardens Conservation International compiled the list, finding that at least 10,000 tree species are at risk of extinction

Rhinos grazing in a South African park

Trending Today

South Africa to Legalize Domestic Rhino Horn Trade

A court ruling overturns a 2009 ban, a move that conservationists worry will increase poaching

Two large litters of cheetah cubs were born at the National Zoo's Front Royal, Virginia, facility—the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.

Future of Conservation

Two Litters of Adorable Cheetah Cubs Born in One Week

Smithsonian’s cheetah conservation program welcomes the springtime births after careful planning

Clothes moth larvae are snacking on history.

Moths Are Nibbling Away at England’s Heritage Sites

Let “Operation Clothes Moths” commence

Aww.

Future of Conservation

How Caribou Baby Monitors Could Save a Dying Species

Scientists hope camera collars with GPS will unravel a deadly mystery

This Asiatic cheetah, caught on camera in the Naybandan Wildlife Refuge in Iran, is likely one of just dozens in the region.

New Research

Poaching Isn’t the Cheetah’s Only Problem

Humans isolate the rare cats with roads and fences—which can be as devastating as hunting them outright

Mother and calm manatee, showing scrapes from a boat strike

Trending Today

Manatees Move From Endangered to Threatened

But conservationists say the species still faces significant threats

Future of Conservation

Future of Conservation

A rare Eld's deer fawn was born at the National Zoo last fall.

Future of Conservation

Take a Walk on the Bright Side at the First Smithsonian Earth Optimism Summit

As an antidote to doom and gloom, a conference on Earth Day weekend, takes a look all the good that is being done

Ladybugs stop pests from eating our food and destroying crops.

Future of Conservation

Why Small Animals Are Huge for Conservation

The tiniest of creatures keep the fabric of our world together, but are often overlooked

One of the panther kittens photographed with trail cameras north of Florida's Caloosahatchee River

Future of Conservation

Panther Kittens Spotted in Florida Give Hope for Their Species’ Survival

Trail cameras caught a mother panther trailed by two kittens

Though the single-run of Full Circle beer is long gone, the message about the importance of water conservation still stands.

San Diego Breweries Experiment With Recycled Water

Stone and Ballast Point Breweries both created beers made from highly purified waste water

Outside of the U.S., international whale capture is alive and well.

What Will It Take to End International Killer Whale Capture?

The West may have rejected whale captivity, but the painful relationship between humans and orcas is far from over

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