Nature & Wildlife
Rain can be thought of as a common weather phenomenon, but it plays a vital role in keeping the Earth’s ecosystems running and our lives healthy. Whether it’s a mild drizzle or a heavy downpour, rain affects the environment, shapes landscapes and even influences our emotions. Rain, though, has some lesser-known and surprising facets.
Nature & Wildlife
“Life finds a way.” That’s a now-famous statement from Dr. Ian Malcolm, a fictional character played by actor Jeff Goldblum in the 1993 movie Jurassic Park.
Conservation
While wildfires and controlled burns (also known as prescribed burns) are both fires, they differ significantly in their impacts, management and origins. Wildfires are unplanned and unrestrained, often caused by natural events like lightning or human error—such as unattended campfires or discarded cigarettes—and they can cause extensive damage.
News & More
July 22, 2024, was the hottest day on record, according to a recent NASA analysis of global daily temperature data. And 2024 has now officially taken over the title of hottest year on record from the former titleholder, 2023.
Conservation
Drawing on her life as an Indigenous scientist, author Robin Wall Kimmerer in her now iconic 2015 book Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants intertwines the knowledge she gained during her Potawatomi upbringing with the education she later received as a scientist—specifically, a plant biologist.
News & More
Wherever you live, if you remember last summer, this probably won’t surprise you. Earth’s average surface temperature in 2022 tied with 2015 as the fifth warmest on record, according to a recent analysis by NASA.
Conservation
During this time of year, a lot of us are thinking about trees. For those who celebrate Christmas, a tree is usually the centerpiece for a family gathering around December 25. But that’s not the only time when we honor trees.
News & More
One of the great mysteries of late medieval history is why did the Norse, who had established successful settlements in southern Greenland in 985, abandon them in the early 15th century? The consensus view has long been that colder temperatures, associated with the Little Ice Age, helped make the colonies unsustainable.
Conservation
During the drought conditions in the summer of 2021, wildfires raged throughout the western U.S. For example, as of September 12, 2021, the Dixie Fire is the second-largest wildfire in California history. It might seem ironic, then, to choose this time to talk about wildfires in a positive light.
Nature & Wildlife
It’s the day after New Year’s, and we’re just entering into 2018. In Times Square last night, according to the Associated Press, it was the second-coldest New Year’s celebration on record. The temperature was only 10 degrees Fahrenheit in New York City at midnight.
News & More
My sister and I, like most sisters, share a lot in common. But we don’t always see eye to eye when it comes to politics. Yesterday, she told me that in this election year, environmental issues rank third on her list of concerns, behind that of building a strong nation and public safety.
Videos
As we reflect back on 2015, we have to admit it’s been a tough year for the world. Biodiversity is being lost, droughts continue and wars go on. But there is also much to be thankful for, as photographer Harald Albrigtsen shows us in the short video below.
