Tree Rings Bear Witness to Illegal Gold Mining Operations in the Amazon, New Study Finds
Mercury concentrations in fig trees could provide useful information about mining activity in the rainforest over time
A New Satellite Will Map the Carbon Content of Rainforests From Space, and It’s Set to Launch This Month
The European Space Agency’s new probe, Biomass, will spend five years orbiting the planet and gathering radar imagery of forests across multiple continents
Being Struck by Lightning Is No Big Deal for This Tropical Tree—the Zap Even Gives It a Boost
The almendro tree may have evolved to attract lightning, which helps clear more space for it to grow, according to new research
What Happens to a Tree That Dies in a Forest?
Rotting logs turn out to be vital to forest biodiversity and recycling organic matter
Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries
These 15 Photos Capture What Makes America’s National Historic Landmarks So Iconic
See images of special attractions across the country from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest
See the Breathtaking Landscape Paintings Inspired by the Boreal Forest, From Europe to North America
Titled “Northern Lights,” a new exhibition in Switzerland showcases artworks of the taiga made between 1888 and 1937
How a Fragile Insect Living 100 Million Years Ago Becomes a Fossil
A bug, a dinosaur and a tree intersect, creating the perfect conditions for resin to capture a moment in time
The Search to Find the Remains of Homo Erectus in a Vanishing Landscape
A paleontologist journeys through Indonesia’s Riau Archipelago in search of our earliest ancestors, and uncovers how environmental devastation has erased much of the region’s history
Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries
See 15 Stunning Photos of Superb Owls to Kick Off This Year’s Super Bowl Weekend
These snapshots of the majestic bird in flight and in trees will leave your soul soaring
Melting Ice Reveals Remains of 5,900-Year-Old Trees in Wyoming, Uncovering a Long-Lost Forest
Researchers discovered more than 30 dead whitebark pine trees that were entombed in ice for millennia, representing a bygone ecosystem that could teach us about climate change
See 25 Incredible Images From the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest
Cast your vote for your favorite of the photographs, which are all contenders for the People’s Choice award, through January 29
The Ten Best Science Books of 2024
From a deep dive on a fatal space shuttle disaster to a study of a dozen iconic trees, these are our favorite titles this year
Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries
See 15 Stunning Photos of California That Showcase the Golden State’s Majestic Beauty
California offers lovely beaches, forests, deserts, mountains and more!
How a Team of Gophers Restored Mount St. Helens After Its Catastrophic Eruption With Less Than a Day of Digging
After the volcanic eruption of 1980, scientists released the burrowing rodents for only a brief time, but their activities left a remarkably enduring impact, according to a new study
Can Fungi Save This Endangered Hawaiian Tree?
By inoculating greenhouse na’u seedlings with mycorrhizal fungi, researchers hope to boost survival odds when the plants are returned to the wild
More Than One in Three Tree Species Around the Globe Are at Risk of Disappearing, New Report Finds
An assessment from the International Union for Conservation of Nature paints a grim picture of the extinction risk of the world’s trees
This Park Recreates Vincent van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night’ With a Dazzling Display of Plants, Trees and Winding Pathways
At a new park in Bosnia and Herzegovina, two dozen gardeners have spent years replicating the Dutch artist’s masterpiece using the land as their canvas
See 15 Winning Images From the Wildlife Photographer of the Year Contest
Breathtaking shots shine a light on the wonders of wildlife and the threats that human activities pose to the natural world
What 30 Years of Studying the New England Woods Reveals About the Colors of Changing Leaves
An ecologist’s long walks and detailed observations allowed him to chronicle the shifts in an iconic habitat and grow a once-overlooked branch of science
Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries
See 24 Beautiful Photos of Fall Foliage in Its Most Vibrant Colors
These highlights from the Smithsonian Photo Contest celebrate the autumn
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