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Environmental Preservation

The wrinkled Blackstone Glacier absorbs every color of the spectrum except blue, so the crevasses are a brilliant, Gatorade-like aquamarine.

Kayaking Alaska in the Exxon Valdez’ Shadow

The massive oil spill devastated the Prince William Sound shore 21 years ago; now the wildlife and vistas are making a comeback

The Gulf catastrophe will have far-reaching effects, which scientists have only begun to study.

A Crude Awakening in the Gulf of Mexico

Scientists are just beginning to grasp how profoundly oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill has devastated the region

A long-anonymous college student in New York City reflected both the gravity and zaniness of that first Earth Day protest.

An Earth Day Icon, Unmasked

The 1970 photograph became an instant environmental classic, but its subject has remained nameless until now

Nancy Knowlton is a marine biologist at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and a leading authority on coral reefs.

By the Numbers: A Marine Advisory

Scientists say the outlook for the world’s oceans is bleak—unless we stop overfishing and reduce air and water pollution

Marine ecologist Jane Lubchenco recently spoke at the Natural History Museum on restoring the bounty of the world's oceans.

Q and A: Jane Lubchenco

The marine ecologist and administrator of NOAA discusses restoring the bounty of the world’s oceans

One of only two plants worldwide that actively trap animal prey, the flytrap is at home in a surprisingly small patch of U.S. soil.

The Venus Flytrap’s Lethal Allure

Native only to the Carolinas, the carnivorous plant that draws unwitting insects to its spiky maw now faces dangers of its own

In the '80s, the challenge was to limit acid rain from power plants; now, it's to cut carbon emissions.

The Political History of Cap and Trade

How an unlikely mix of environmentalists and free-market conservatives hammered out the strategy known as cap-and-trade

Migratory animals such as elephants cover long distances over both public and private lands.

Day 2: What Can Researchers Do To Save the Savannah?

Between water shortages, erosion, and human population growth, the ecosystem and the animals of Kenya face serious risks

Tangier Island is located in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay, just south of the Maryland line.

Tangier Island and the Way of the Watermen

In the middle of the Chesapeake Bay, a culture struggles to survive as aquatic life becomes scarce

A vegetable garden and less bottled water can help turn the White House "green."

Energy Efficiency at the White House

How environmental change can begin at the president’s home

Mountain operations, like the Hobet 21 mine near Danville, West Virginia, yield one ton of coal for every 16 tons of terrain displaced.

Mining the Mountains

Explosives and machines are destroying Appalachian peaks to obtain coal. In a West Virginia town, residents and the industry fight over a mountain’s fate

Biologist Eric Forsman was delighted that a breeding pair of wild spotted owls he has studied for years did it again (their 3-week-old hatchlings on a hemlock in Oregon this past May).

The Spotted Owl’s New Nemesis

An battle between environmentalists and loggers left much of the owl’s habitat protected. Now the spotted owl faces a new threat

Still life: Fall chum

For Salmon Fishermen, It’s Fall Chum to the Rescue

For the Yup’ik people of Alaska, fall chum is the answer to a troubled fishing season and a link to the outside world

1957: A half century ago, tourists in Key West routinely caught goliath grouper (the big fish with the big mouths) and large sharks (on the dock).

Our Imperiled Oceans: Seeing Is Believing

Photographs and other historical records testify to the former abundance of the sea

The waters around the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (yellow and blueback fusiliers) hold some of the world's most pristine coral reefs

Our Imperiled Oceans: Victory at Sea

The world’s largest protected area, established this year in the remote Pacific, points the way to restoring marine ecosystems

A group of boaters make their way down the peaceful Colorado River in the Grand Canyon.

Preserving Silence in National Parks

A Battle Against Noise Aims to Save Our Natural Soundscapes

“Everybody needs beauty... places to play and pray in, where Nature may heal and cheer and give strength to body and soul alike,” wrote Muir (c. 1902).

John Muir’s Yosemite

The father of the conservation movement found his calling on a visit to the California wilderness

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Q&A - Ed Begley, Jr.

Actor and environmental activist Ed Begley, Jr. talks about living green

Bottles washed up on a beach

The Trouble with Bottled Water

Elizabeth Royte reflects on the backlash against commercializing a natural resource and responds to reader comments

Household items made of various types of plastic

Cut Your Use of Plastic, Plastic, Plastic

Recycling isn’t enough

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