African Safaris
Hartebeests—the narrow-faced, savanna-adapted and unusual-looking African antelope that are native to more than 25 African countries—are on a downhill population slide. The African Wildlife Foundation estimates that there are about 360,000 of them left in eight to 10 recognized subspecies, one of which is entirely extinct. In Kenya, particularly, hartebeest numbers are decreasing, threatening extinction.
Videos
Throughout history, philosophers have construed the universe in many ways, and one of the oldest is to see it made up by pairs of opposites. For example, art and science, good and evil, matter and motion, structure and function, and living and nonliving all exemplify this particular way of looking at the cosmos.
Videos
In the past few months, as the coronavirus has raged around the world, many of us who were sheltering-in-place have had a simple, binary choice: stay inside at home, or take a walk outside.
Conservation
Almost every aspect of life has changed dramatically since the coronavirus pandemic began months ago. Today, we are still social distancing from family and friends; learning via remote, online platforms; and attending conferences, music performances and other public events virtually. It isn’t what we wanted, and it certainly hasn’t been fun.
Travel Tales
The world that I look out upon from the window in my home office, here in Wisconsin, is pretty quiet right now. In other times, the interstate just beyond the woods that surrounds my house would be busy with fast-moving cars and semitrucks. But presently, only occasionally does the sound of any traffic reach me.
Conservation
Spreading around the world at the speed of light, COVID-19 has now infected more than 2.5 million people and killed almost 177,000. Although the virus’s origins are still a little murky, it’s highly likely that it jumped from species to species, until it hit ours. Trading diseases with wildlife isn’t new.
Videos
The original Earth Day turns 50 years old tomorrow. I have been thinking about this momentous anniversary for almost a year, now. Twelve months ago, in my Earth Day 2019 post, I had written: “Next year will see a milestone Earth Day: a 50th anniversary.
Conservation
In 2020, Karen Douthwaite, WWF’s Lead Ocean Specialist, joined Nat Hab during their climate change trip series, where travelers could learn about the threats to our planet while seeing some of its most precious wildlife. WWF regularly hosts “Ask Me Anything” or AMAs on their Instagram account, where followers can submit questions directly to experts while they are in the field.
Travel Tips
Like many of you, I suspect, I worry a lot about environmental issues: diminishing biodiversity, climate change, greenhouse gases and melting glaciers. Yet, about once a year, I book a flight.
Conservation
Each year, conservationists celebrate International Polar Bear Day by bringing attention to polar bears and the threats they face. The single largest challenge that wild polar bears face is climate change. With warmer temperatures, the sea ice is melting, reducing hunting, breeding and sleeping areas for polar bears.
Alaska
Katmai National Park is a realm of untrammeled rivers, pristine streams and clear lakes. The park and the greater Alaska Peninsula are part of the Bristol Bay Watershed, which, according to World Wildlife Fund, is the most productive salmon ecosystem in North America.
African Safaris
More than 350 types of frogs live in Madagascar, the world’s fourth largest island after Greenland, New Guinea and Borneo. The nation stretches across 226,917 square miles (approximately the size of France or Texas) off the coast of East Africa. This gives Madagascar possibly the highest frog diversity per square mile of any country in the world.
