Europe
The northern lights—also known as the aurora borealis—have been around since the Earth formed an atmosphere more than four billion years ago. The dinosaurs saw them, early humans certainly gazed at them, you may have wondered at them and they will probably mesmerize your descendants, as well.
Nature & Wildlife
It’s a story too often told. Once, a predator roamed wildlands and then was relentlessly hunted to extinction or to the brink of it. In the Lower 48, the histories of bison, gray wolves, beavers, grizzly bears and whooping cranes come to mind. In Great Britain, the story includes Eurasian lynx.
Europe
Scotland’s Wild Highlands & Islands was a different Nat Hab trip for me.
News & More
It’s the day after Memorial Day, the unofficial start of the summer season. While the summer solstice is still a ways to go—June 20—after Memorial Day, vacations start and movie production companies bring out what they hope will be their “summer blockbusters.”
Travel Tips
Summer will be here before you know it. And the last thing you want to do is keep your nose to the grindstone, right? That’s why you need a summer nature break. These six adventures will provide the perfect opportunity to revel and recharge in the natural world this summer!
Travel Tales
Scotland gave me a right punch to the head. And I don’t mean metaphorically. I expected to be awed by its rugged coasts and Iron Age forts. I just didn’t anticipate the real, knock-you-down physicalness of it.
Videos
Did you know Scotland has some of the most ruggedly beautiful islands in the world?
Travel Tips
Europe was once teeming with wildlife, from the snow-capped tops of mountains to the warm beaches of the Mediterranean. The arrival of humans, agricultural production, exploitation of habitats and the introduction of invasive species have caused major losses in biodiversity.
News & More
Nature surrounds us with an amazing variety of animals, insects, birds, plants and topographic features. To refer to and distinguish the entities in this bounty, we assign them names—often two: one for common use and one, a two-parter, for scientific identification. Usually, the person credited with discovering or finding something new gets naming rights.
Nature & Wildlife
Scientists—and those of us who are polar bear enthusiasts—have long thought that polar bears started off as brown bears about 150,000 years ago, adapting to their cold environment by developing smaller ears, thicker fur and teeth ideally shaped to tear into seal flesh.
Travel Tips
Part of the pleasure of visiting new places is learning about local customs and tasting homegrown foods. Who hasn’t at least wanted to try haggis in Scotland, say, or “cod cheeks” in Newfoundland? It’s a way of immersing yourself in all that an adventure in a new land has to offer.
News & More
“Wish you were here.” It’s the archetypal message on a picture postcard, sent from a friend or family member in some far-off holiday or vacation spot. In fact, the expression has become so cliché that you can now find postcards with the sentiment already preprinted.
