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Environmental Preservation

The body of a juvenile sperm whale was found on a beach in Spain's Murcia region.

Dead Sperm Whale Had 64 Pounds of Trash in Its Digestive System

The juvenile sperm whale was found in the Murcia region of Spain, and its death has spurred a local campaign to combat plastic pollution

Debris recovered from the Garbage Patch

New Research

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch Is Much Larger and Chunkier Than We Thought

A new study shows the patch is not just microplastics. Fishing gear and large pieces make up 92 percent of the trash

White-naped cranes flying above the DMZ.

How Korea’s Demilitarized Zone Became an Accidental Wildlife Paradise

Hundreds of rare animal species take shelter in the 155-mile no man’s land between North and South Korea

A de-horned rhino lies in the sand at Hoedspruit endangered species centre in South Africa. Rhinos are particularly vulnerable during wartime due to illegal trade of their horns for weapons.

New Research

The Animal Cost of War

Even low-level human conflict can drive dramatic wildlife declines

Few realize that the lovable, cotton-candy-pink amphibian is on the edge of extinction.

Future of Conservation

How to Save the Paradoxical Axolotl

Despite being a common pet and beloved cultural icon, the grinning amphibian is nearly extinct in the wild

A worker unloads pipe from a truck during construction of the southern portion of the Keystone XL pipeline.

Keystone XL Pipeline Clears Major Obstacle for Construction

The move is the latest development in the long history of the controversial pipeline

Recycling bins at the Whiteman Recycling Center in Montana.

How the 1970s Created Recycling As We Know It

People recycled before then, but for different reasons

7,500 frogs captured by smugglers were rescued from their trips to plates

Thousands of Turkish Frogs Rescued From Smugglers

A delicacy often exported to European countries, frogs are a tightly regulated commodity in the country

This NASA Landsat image shows the Mackenzie River surrounding the town of Inuvik, and the uniquely pock-marked landscape of this delta.

With Federal Funds Dwindling, Climate Scientists Turn to Unusual Partnerships to Study Methane in a Warming Arctic

As the urgency of climate change becomes tangible to those in the Arctic, federal funds are growing harder to come by

The Abajo Mountains in Bears Ears National Monument

Trending Today

Interior Secretary Recommends Shrinking Six National Monuments

The review, which has been leaked, also suggests changes in uses and/or management of several other monuments

Sunita Narain has been working for climate justice with the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment since 1982.

How an Environmental Activist Became a Pioneer for Climate Justice in India

Reducing India’s emissions will take more than science—it will take a new paradigm of de-colonialism, says Sunita Narain

In an era of rapid change, the managers of our nation's wild spaces are asking: What counts as natural anymore?

The National Parks Face a Looming Existential Crisis

Political uncertainty and a changing climate converge to forge the park system’s biggest challenge yet

We hear a lot about the over-extraction of oil, but less about the consequences of the sand trade.

New Research

The World is Running Out of Sand

The little-known exploitation of this seemingly infinite resource could wreak political and environmental havoc

For tree poachers, sometimes known as "midnight burlers," redwoods can present a lucrative opportunity for theft. New research recommends ways to deter this hard-to-trace wildlife crime.

New Research

How Forest Forensics Could Prevent the Theft of Ancient Trees

To track down timber thieves, researchers are turning to new tech and tried-and-true criminal justice techniques

Caribou herd mountain crossing in Alaska Range.

New Research

How Killing Moose Can Save Caribou

Conservation often requires difficult decisions

An environmental sample processor is lowered into Lake Erie.

Underwater Robot Labs Monitor Toxins

The labs have been deployed in Lake Erie, where blooms of toxic algae have made water undrinkable in past years.

The annual swan upping ceremony of the queen's swans on the Thames.

Europe

The Fascinating, Regal History Behind Britain’s Swans

The aristocratic bird’s has a legacy as a luxury status symbol that dates back centuries

A scuba diver swims in the coral reefs of Palau. Beneath the depths that humans can dive, natural wonder and a better understanding of our planet awaits.

Why The First Complete Map of the Ocean Floor Is Stirring Controversial Waters

Charting these watery depths could transform oceanography. It could also aid deep sea miners looking for profit

This island has been a boy's club for hundreds of years.

Trending Today

This Island Can Only Be Visited by Men

Okinoshima is officially an Unesco world heritage site—but tradition bans women from its shores

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