Nature & Wildlife
The continental United States and many global regions experienced their hottest summer on record in 2026, driven by human-caused climate change and an intensifying El Nino, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Climate Report published on September 9, 2026. Average temperatures were roughly 3 degrees Fahrenheit above the 20th-century baseline.
Latin America
National Geographic called Brazil’s Pantanal “the Wild Wet,” an appropriate name for a vast area of untouched wetlands teeming with wildlife. The region harbors one of the greatest concentrations of wildlife in South America, including 159 mammal species.
Nature & Wildlife
More-than-human animals predate humans on Earth by approximately 500 million to more than 800 million years. While modern humans (Homo sapiens) have existed for only about 300,000 years, the first animal life (likely sponges) appeared in the ocean hundreds of millions of years prior to the human lineage.
Conservation
No one type of wildlife corridor benefits all animals. Overpasses, tunnels and underpasses need to be built smarter, with particular needs in mind.
Nature & Wildlife
Across the animal kingdom, mothers “of all stripes” care for their offspring, playing a vital role in nurturing and protecting them, and teaching them essential skills. They also provide comfort and security, enabling young animals to thrive and reach maturity.
Nature & Wildlife
Wild animals are not just the inhabitants of the natural world—they are its architects. That’s the exciting finding from a new study that reveals how hundreds of species have shaped the landscapes we depend on, from beavers creating entire wetlands to hippos carving drainage systems.
Conservation
Water is the driving force of all nature. And it seems to take on an added significance in summer when heatwaves roll across the nation. Water cools us and sustains us, but we are abusing it.
Conservation
The first time I learned about wetlands, I vividly remember sitting in my second-grade classroom. My teacher was showing my class some of the species that got to call this boggy, marshland “home”.
Nature & Wildlife
Ever since the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park in 1995, there has been controversy and debate about the benefits and ecosystem services that the predators have actually provided; whether it was a good idea to bring the wolves back to their ancestral home or not.
Nature & Wildlife
We still have three weeks until the end of a long and brutally hot summer. At times, it seems the only respite we can get outside during our picnics, state fair visits, outdoor music festivals and cabin-by-the-lake stays is to find some shade, most often under a tree.
Conservation
If you’ve got a wildlife and nature enthusiast on your holiday shopping list—and I’m sure you do if you’re reading this article—I have the perfect gift idea for you. It isn’t expensive, it’s beautiful, it’s easy to purchase and send, and it quite probably helps conserve your best-loved wild place and/or favorite wildlife species.
Latin America
The Pantanal is the largest wetland in South America and the largest wetland in the world that has not been substantially modified by humans. The sheer abundance of large birds, reptiles and mammals mark its importance as a huge reservoir of biodiversity.
