1300 Items Tagged

Ecosystems

Podcast: Montezuma Well

A mysterious sinkhole in Arizona has a strange world at its sandy bottom.

The Podcast Team November 14, 2023

After you die, bacteria harvest your body for the nutrients that help push daisies.

When You Die, Your Necrobiome Recycles You

An environmental microbiologist explains why an individual's death is a new lease on life for an entire ecosystem.

Jennifer DeBruyn October 16, 2023

Wisconsin's Wolf River, which flows through the Menominee Indian Reservation, where Indigenous traditions guide sustainable forestry.

In Wisconsin, the Menominee Tribe's Sustainable Forestry Is Visible From Space

The Menominee Tribe's tradition of doing "what's best for the forest" has become a global model for sustainability.

Fred Pearce September 11, 2023

Georgetown, South Carolina

Hobcaw Barony

This former hunting grounds that once attracted U.S. presidents and other luminaries. Now it’s a privately owned research reserve dedicated to environmental sciences.

Monteverde, Costa Rica

Reserva Curi Cancha

This wildlife refuge is home to more than 200 species of birds, as well as monkeys, lizards, and other wildlife.

The Chernobyl Disaster Created an Unexpected Predator Paradise

In a corner of Belarus, wolves and lynx thrive as a new and surprising ecosystem evolves in the wake of disaster.

Wojciech Mikołuszko August 30, 2023

Wild bluebells, native to the area, are thriving once more on Eoghan Daltun's land on Ireland's Beara Peninsula.

Rewilding His Corner of Ireland's Beara Peninsula Is One Man's Labor of Love

Eoghan Daltun has spent 14 years creating a showcase of native biodiversity.

Rory Carroll August 21, 2023

Fifty years ago, only four Mauritius kestrels remained alive, making the bird the world’s rarest raptor. After a labor-intensive recovery, the species’ numbers are falling again.

The World's Rarest Raptor Hangs On Thanks to an Invasive Species

The Mauritius kestrel benefits from a plant that's harming the island's ecosystem, complicating conservation efforts.

Ryan Truscott July 24, 2023

Silhouettes of bats flying around the Phoenix Bat Cave.

21 Places to Get Closer to Bats

Often misunderstood creatures, bats are vital members of their home ecosystems.

Jonathan Carey July 14, 2023

By 1994, the seaweed had died back on Mearns Rock and mussels were elbowing in.

Alaskans Have Photographed This Boulder for 33 Years

In 1990, a scientist began visually documenting Prince William Sound’s recovery from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. When funding ran out, volunteers took over.

J. Besl June 12, 2023

Podcast: Iowa Remnant Prairies

There's always more to the land than meets the eye.

The Podcast Team May 9, 2023

Podcast: The Last Wild Apple Groves

Granny Smiths and Fujis can both be traced back to Kazakhstan, where apples still grow wild.

The Podcast Team April 26, 2023

Redwoods Shouldn't Be So Tall. Here's Why They Are. | Untold Earth

This Arctic Ichthyosaur Should Not Exist

A marine reptile fossil from Svalbard challenges ideas about evolution and Earth’s greatest mass extinction.

Gemma Tarlach March 21, 2023

A 171-foot-tall white stain, left by the retreating waters of Lake Powell, looms over a lone human as he strides across a sandstone fin in the heart of Glen Canyon.

The Return of Glen Canyon

As Lake Powell's water levels continue to drop, a stunning landscape resurfaces—along with questions about the future of the Colorado River and those who depend on it.

Craig Childs March 6, 2023

Army ants, which travel in massive units, play a critical role in ecosystem health.

How a Lone Researcher Faced Down Millions of Army Ants on the March in Ecuador

Renowned entomologist Frank Nischk remembers when the determined insects tried to invade a field station.

Frank Nischk March 1, 2023

Podcast: Newtown Creek Nature Walk

One man in Brooklyn—armed with a homemade boat and an artistic vision—helped transform one of America's most polluted industrial waterways.

The Podcast Team February 21, 2023

Podcast: The Gankutsu Hotel

In Japan, a farmer's unfinished art project lies in ruins—but a dedicated duo are determined to keep his legacy alive.

The Podcast Team February 20, 2023