Beached whales engraving

Why Do Whales Strand Themselves?

In huge pods, small groups, or as individuals, whales routinely find themselves aground or stuck in shallow water. But why do strandings happen?
Lincoln Center trees

Speaking for the Trees

David George Haskell's book The Song of the Trees: Stories From Nature's Great Connectors, explores trees' connections with various communities.
Jellyfish bloom

The Global Jellyfish Crisis in Perspective

Are the increasing jellyfish blooms in our oceans the result of global temperature changes?
Anza Borrego Desert State Park Wildflowers,CA

When the Desert Blooms

Following a winter of exceptional rain, Southern California's desert wildflowers have bloomed en masse. The event is dubbed a “super bloom.”
Frog in water

Why Did the Amphibian Cross the Road?

Why are frogs so much more at risk of getting hit by cars in the spring time? It has to do with breeding, timing, and water.
Iditarod dogs

Breaking Trail at the Iditarod, Alaska’s 1,000-Mile Dog Sled Race

Each year, Alaska hosts a 1,000-mile-long dog sled race called the Iditarod. Its founder, Joe Redington, Sr., deserves credit for preserving the sport.
Ernst Haeckel's Kunstformen der Natur depicts a horned Texas lizard

The Craziest Ways Animals Escape Their Predators

From shedding skin to making slime to shooting blood out of their eyes, these animals have defense mechanisms that are convincing, to say the least.
karst

The Incredible Unsung Karst Ecosystem

One of the world’s most incredible, yet unsung, ecosystems, karsts are home to a remarkable biological diversity.
American Pika

The World’s Cutest Mammal on the Brink

The Ili Piku, aka "Magic Rabbit," of China is endangered. But Pika populations are declining globally, not just in China.
Fairy Circles

The Weird Fairy Circles of Namibia

The deserts of Namibia are dotted with odd circular bare patches, ringed by the dry desert grasses. They're called "fairy circles." It’s a desert whodunit.