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Nature

A witness tree on Stuart's Hill loop trail in Manassas National Battlefield Park

American South

These Five “Witness Trees” Were Present At Key Moments In America’s History

These still-standing trees are a living testament to our country’s tragic past

A group of Giant South American turtles gather in this image taken in the Cantão State Park, in Tocantins, Brazil. Though this is an intensely biodiverse region—perhaps even more so than the Amazon ecosystem—it is poorly known.

Art Meets Science

Photo Competition Highlights Splendor of Earth’s Ecosystems

The winning and commended images of BMC Ecology’s fifth annual photo contest are now available online

The sport of angling ("angle" is an old work for "hook") was a popular 1600s pastime that had a number of guides written about it.

This Obscure Fishing Book is One of the Most Reprinted English Books Ever

‘The Compleat Angler’ is much more than an instruction manual on fishing. It’s a Walden-like meditation on nature and friendship

Armenia

Each Summer, These Armenian Villages Are Taken Over by Hundreds of White Storks

Villagers participate in a “Nest Neighbors” program to monitor the health of their new house guests

A red fox listening for prey under the snow in Yellowstone National Park. Noise can affect foxes and other animals that rely on their hearing when they hunt.

How Human Noise Ruins Parks for Animals and People

Even in America’s most pristine wildernesses, unwanted sound is changing landscapes

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Six Reasons Why You Need to Visit The Beaches of Fort Meyers & Sanibel This Fall

From dolphin adventures to tours of the Edison & Ford Winter Estates, don’t miss these destinations!

Images of Yosemite, like this one taken circa 1865, helped increase public appetite for the park.

Lincoln’s Signature Laid the Groundwork for the National Park System

The “Yo-Semite Valley” was made a California state park on this day in 1864, but it quickly became a national park

A carving of a wallaby, representing the Rainbow Serpent.

Australia

A Guided Tour of Australia’s Blue Mountains Follows Ancient Aboriginal Songlines

Yanna Muru’s walkabouts to sacred sites teach visitors about Darug culture

The sun may get all the attention, but our lunar lodestar helps creatures navigate the swells and tides of ocean life.

How Moonlight Sets Nature’s Rhythms

Lunar luster triggers mating orgies, guides travelers and even can even provoke magical transformations

A family practicing the art of sauntering on a Sunday in 1942 in Greenbelt, Maryland.

On World Sauntering Day, Take a Walk

It’s good for you

When Fresh Air Went Out of Fashion at Hospitals

How the hospital went from luxury resort to windowless box

iForest is an immersive sound experience located at The Wild Center in the Adirondacks.

This Forest Will Sing to You

iForest at The Wild Center combines an immersive sound experience with the lush beauty of the Adirondacks

Charles Blomfield

Cool Finds

After 130 Years, Lost Natural Wonder May Have Been Rediscovered in New Zealand

It was believed the Pink and White Terraces were destroyed in an eruption, but research suggests they are buried under ash and mud

Trending Today

Eagles Adopt—Not Attack—a Red-Tailed Hawk Chick

Bird lovers are watching with bated breath to see if the eagles will keep feeding the little guy or turn him into dinner

Screenshots from the iNaturalist app, which uses "deep learning" to automatically identify what bug—or fish, bird, or mammal—you might be looking at.

AI Plant and Animal Identification Helps Us All Be Citizen Scientists

Apps that use artificial intelligence to allow users to ID unknown specimens are making science more accessible to everyone.

Meet the Ozark hellbender, an elusive creature that has become only more so as of late.

Future of Conservation

What the Heck Is a Hellbender—And How Can We Make More of Them?

Why the Saint Louis Zoo decided to invest in this slimy, surprisingly adorable amphibian

Recent research found that fully one third of humanity can't see the Milky Way because of light pollution

Is Light Pollution Really Pollution?

As countries grow richer, light pollution gets worse–but some are fighting to change that

Qinghai Hoh Xil

Cool Finds

Three Incredible Natural Areas Nominated for the World Heritage List

Areas in Tibet, Argentina and West Africa are likely to receive international protection for their rare plants, animals and natural beauty

A cyanotype photogram from "Photographs of British Algae."

How the First Female Photographer Changed the Way the World Sees Algae

The groundbreaking photo book by Anna Atkins, a 19th-century British botanist, is going on display in the Netherlands

Torrance Coste of the Wilderness Committee illustrates the immensity of the missing Carmanah cedar in 2012.

Future of Conservation

How Thousand-Year-Old Trees Became the New Ivory

Ancient trees are disappearing from protected national forests around the world. A look inside $100 billion market for stolen wood

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