Environmental Preservation
Ski Areas Reported More Visits Than Ever This Past Winter
Heavy snowfall—particularly in the Rocky Mountains—attracted record numbers of American skiers and snowboarders
Our Sustainable Future
The latest on how climate change affects life on Earth today and on what solutions scientists, including those at the Smithsonian, are innovating
Planet Positive
From stories about rebounding species to dispatches about green innovations, <em>Smithsonian</em> magazine shares environmental practices that are working.
Take a Virtual Tour of the 'Doomsday' Seed Vault
The impressive depository carefully preserves over one million seed samples in its Arctic location
See Google Street View Images of Korean Demilitarized Zone
Established in 1953, the off-limits area has become a haven for plants and wildlife
California's 'Zombie Forests' Are Cheating Death—but Maybe Not for Long
A fifth of conifer forests in the state’s Sierra Nevada mountains are stranded in unsuitably warm conditions
Will California See a Wildflower Superbloom This Spring?
If the swaths of show-stopping poppies do appear, officials urge tourists to act responsibly
U.S. Restores Protections for Alaska’s Tongass National Forest
A new federal rule restricts road construction and logging in the country’s largest national forest
Shrinking Pollinator Populations Could Be Killing 427,000 People Per Year
New research explores the relationship between human health and crop loss due to pollination deficits around the world
These Descendants Never Forgot the Story of the Last American Slave Ship
A new Netflix documentary follows the families of the "Clotilda" captives as they grapple with how their past informs their future
A World War II Shipwreck Is Leaking Toxic Chemicals Into the North Sea
Researchers discovered nickel, copper, arsenic, explosives and chemicals found in fossil fuels at the site
The World's Tallest Tree Is Officially Off-Limits
Trespassing bushwhackers are causing significant damage to the surrounding forest
How the Clean Air Act Came to Be
A new Supreme Court ruling curbs the EPA's ability to regulate carbon pollution under the 1970 legislation
EPA Warns Against Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’ in Drinking Water
The federal agency’s new limits on drinking water contaminants take aim at synthetic substances called PFAS that are linked with health issues
What Extreme Flooding in Yellowstone Means for the National Park's Gateway Towns
These communities rely almost entirely on tourism for their existence—yet too much tourism, not to mention climate change, can destroy them
This Underwater Canyon Could Become America's Newest Marine Sanctuary
Hudson Canyon, the largest submarine canyon on the East Coast, is home to hundreds of species of fish and marine mammals
Why Do Creepy Dolls Keep Washing Up on Texas Beaches?
Ocean currents push the unsettling toys—and tons of other trash—onto state shores
Greta Thunberg Is Publishing the 'Ultimate Guide' to Climate Change
The book will feature contributions from over 100 novelists, scientists and activists
Why Yellowstone Is Selling a Park Pass for the Year 2172
The national park’s fundraising arm is offering the futuristic pass for a $1,500 donation that will help preserve and protect wildlife, natural resources
Colorado Composts Its First Human Remains
The state legalized biological decomposition of human remains, also known as 'natural reduction,' last year
