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Nature

Take in the Sights and Sounds of the National Parks

Enjoy a nature break and listen to birds from America’s greatest natural wonders

National Park of American Samoa

Trending Today

This Week Is National Park Week

It’s spring, and the National Park Service wants you to visit

Lehman Cave

Cool Finds

Even Caves Need a Spring Cleaning

Volunteers removed two tons of detritus from Lehman Cave in Great Basin National Park

Wild Rogue Wilderness Area

Cool Finds

What Are the Best Wilderness Areas in America?

The Wilderness Society is putting together the “Great American Backyard Bucket List”

Bryce Canyon National Park

National Parks More Than Pay for Themselves

It turns out there are some very practical reasons to keep the parks going

A spider monkey hangs out on the back of a capybara, via Animals Sitting on Capybaras

Cool Finds

Capybaras Are Basically Nature’s Chairs

The world’s largest rodent can’t get any respect

New Research

No Two Savannas Are Exactly Alike

Which means climate change will impact them differently

Viewed from Lake Superior, ice caves on Apostle Islands.

Deep Freeze Reveals Lake Superior’s Secluded Ice Caves

For five years, the winter wonder of Lake Superior’s Apostle Islands sea caves have been hiding—but recent freezing temperatures have revealed their beauty

Moving to An Area With More Green Space Can Improve Your Mental Health for Years

A new study finds that the mental benefits of greenery are immediate and long-lasting

Freezing fog is reflected in great patterns on this Kaibab Limestone at the Grand Canyon.

This Awesome Atmospheric Anomaly Filled the Grand Canyon With Fog

Visitors to Grand Canyon National Park in recent days were treated to a special sight as a rare atmospheric behavior filled the canyon

The Dinosaur Hall was originally called the “Hall of Extinct Monsters” (seen here in a photograph from the 1930s) when the Natural History Museum opened in 1910.

About Deep Time: A Preview of the Natural History Museum’s Fossil Hall Renovation

The new Deep Time Hall will connect paleontology to modern life

East face of the Smithsonian Castle on July 4, 2010

Smithsonian Museums and the Panda Cam are Back in Business Today

After the 16-day government shutdown, visitors can once again visit the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo relaunches the panda cam

The highly anticipated acquisition of “Wankel’s Rex,” one the most complete T. rex specimens (metal cast shown above) in existence is delayed.

Due to the Shutdown, Arrival of the Natural History Museum’s T. Rex is Postponed Until Spring

The highly anticipated acquisition of one the most complete T. Rex specimens in existence is delayed

Masons climb up the sides of the Great Mosque to replaster the surface with mud.

How the City of Mud Stays Standing: Meet the Masons of Djenné, Mali

A new exhibition at Natural History explores the ancient craft in a modern world

This photo of a yellow goby appears in “Portraits of Planet Ocean: The Photography of Brian Skerry,” which opens in the Natural History Museum’s Sant Ocean Hall on Sept. 17.

New Exhibitions at the Ocean Hall Ask What You Can Do for Your Oceans

Three new exhibitions explore humans’ relationship to the ocean

Francois Huber’s movable frame hive

The Secret to the Modern Beehive is a One-Centimeter Air Gap

Beekeeping dates back to ancient Egypt. But in 1851, a Massachusetts minister invented a new hive. His secret? Something called “bee space”

Looking up into a skyscraper for bees, designed by students at the University of Buffalo

Why are Honeybees and Skyscrapers Sweet for Each Other?

It’s not just about the honey. The humble honeybee is starting to play a greater role in the design of urban living

Firefly (Photinus pyralis)

Biomimetic Design Means We’ll All Be Living A Bug’s Life

Researchers and designers looking to nature for inspiration have literally one million reasons to reveal the secrets of insects

Witness a cultural performance of Garifuna songs and drumming at the Folklife Festival Wednesday, July 3. The Garifuna are an ethnic minority in Central America with a diverse background and distinct culture and language.

Events July 2-4: Discover Genetic Coding, Experience Garifuna Culture and Watch ‘March Point’

This week, check out an exhibit on genes, witness a Central American song and dance performance and watch Native American film “March Point”

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Smithsonian Creates America’s Family Photo Album, Featuring You

Help create the ultimate album with your own memories and photographs from visiting the museums

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