Nature Traveler

05/11/2024

We’re now in fall bird migration season. Climate change, however, has made this more than a one-size-fits-all proposition: some birds are struggling, some are learning to adjust with our help, and some are figuring out new routes all on their own.

Climate change makes fall bird migrations complicated: some birds are struggling, some are learning to adjust with our help, and some have it all figured out.

29/10/2024

Why are certain animals, such as bats and owls, so deeply associated with Halloween? Today, far from fearing them, science is showing us that we can learn a lot from them about how to improve our health and quality of life.

Bats and owls are closely associated with Halloween. But today, far from fearing them, we know they can teach us a lot about improving our quality of life.

22/10/2024

Icy Antarctica and the world’s blue oceans are changing color. These color changes aren’t unprecedented, however. The planet may once have been purple.

15/10/2024

Does size matter? In nature, it’s complicated. If you’re a mammal with a big brain and a small body, it won’t matter much. If you’re a cheetah, you might be better off being medium-sized. But if you’re a sea turtle hatchling or a coral reef, being big does tip the scales in your favor.

Does size matter? In nature, the answer to that question is complicated.

08/10/2024

The climate crisis affects not just us but all the living world: where we all choose to live and how all our societies interact and operate. Understanding interspecies co-cultures will help us create climate solutions that allow all of us to thrive.

The climate crisis affects where we all choose to live and how we all interact. Understanding interspecies co-cultures will help us create viable solutions.

01/10/2024

When I took my granddaughter along on a trip to see the coastal brown bears of Alaska, I hoped she’d taste real wilderness; to connect with something big and free and natural. I wanted her to know that there are still a few places where bears can be bears

I took my granddaughter to see Alaska’s brown bears, hoping she’d taste real wilderness. I wanted her to experience a place where bears can still be bears.

24/09/2024

Americans always seem to be on the move, and it’s good for us, mentally, physically and emotionally. In fact, scientists say the best defense against aging might be travel.

Americans always seem to be on the move, and it’s good for us, mentally, physically and emotionally. In fact, the best defense against aging might be travel.

17/09/2024

To access food, wild Asian elephants demonstrate prodigious problem-solving skills—a trait they’re going to need to survive in environments that are rapidly changing due to our presence.

To access food, wild Asian elephants demonstrate prodigious problem-solving skills—a trait they’ll need to survive our increasing presence in their habitats.

10/09/2024

Alaska’s Chinitna Bay on Cook Inlet near Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is where estuaries form when rivers flowing out of the mountains meet the sea. Take a photo tour of this coastal brown bear heartland.

Near Alaska’s Lake Clark National Park on Chinitna Bay, rivers flow out of the mountains to meet the sea. Take a photo tour of this coastal brown bear habitat.

03/09/2024

What if despite our best efforts, all our conservation programs fail? Here’s a wild idea: store genetic samples of all of Earth’s current life-forms on the moon.

What if all our current conservation efforts fail? Here’s a wild idea: store genetic samples of all of Earth’s current life-forms on the moon.

27/08/2024

Water is the driving force of all nature. But human pressures—such as dam construction, climate change and large-scale irrigation—have altered the capacity of freshwater resources to regulate vital ecological processes. So, how do we make sure the Clean Water Act of 1972 isn’t gutted?

Humans have altered the capacity of freshwater resources to regulate vital ecological processes. How do we make sure the 1972 Clean Water Act isn’t gutted?

25/08/2024

Teaching was once considered a uniquely human behavior. Today, however, scientists recognize a small but diverse group of species who can act as teachers—to us.

Teaching was once considered a uniquely human behavior. Today, scientists recognize a small but diverse group of species who can act as teachers—to us.

13/08/2024

Although today they face a variety of threats, ancient kelp forests have two arrows in their quiver: sea otters and cool glacial waters.

06/08/2024

A lot of lore surrounds the ancient Easter Islanders and the “fairy circles” found in the Namibia desert. The scientific truth behind both, though, is just as wondrous.

Lots of lore surrounds the "disappearance" of ancient Easter Islanders and the “fairy circles” of Namibia. The scientific truth, though, is just as wondrous.

30/07/2024

Songs have power. The love songs of endangered Skywalker gibbons alert us to their existence, humpback whales sing louder in noisy winds but not around boat engine sounds, and birds demonstrate vocal learning and all we have in common with the songs of other animals.

Songs have power. They can lead us to find what is hidden, inspire us to explore mysteries and help us find community with the "others" whoshare our planet.

23/07/2024

From deforestation to lead poisonings, and from habitat fragmentation to the wildlife trade, the human impact on wildlife is formidable. But conserving half of the world’s land area could maintain nearly all of nature’s contributions to people and still meet biodiversity targets.

In a human-dominated world, wildlife faces hard decisions. What we do next could safeguard nature’s contributions to people—and still meet biodiversity goals.

16/07/2024

Beyond the higher temperatures, rising sea levels, and impacts on food supplies and migrations, worsening human-induced climate change is influencing mental distress among teens worldwide.

Worldwide, teens are suffering from “climate anxiety.” Luckily, there are some remedies.

09/07/2024

It’s always heartwarming to learn that two different animal species are cooperating for mutual benefit. But when one of those species is “Homo sapiens,” you can’t help but be captivated.

Knowing that we communicate and cooperate with wild animals should make us even more eager to mitigate our harmful impacts on the planet’s natural systems.