Close-up of a cicada

Can You Hear It? The Cicadas Are Back

After 17 years quietly developing under the soil, 3 species of periodical cicadas emerged this summer. How do these insects coordinate?
Several overlapping Purple Starfish

The “Keystone Species” Concept That Transformed Ecology

Dr. Robert Paine's "keystone species" concept was a profound discovery that changed the field of ecology forever.
Colored illustration of blueberries

The Delicious Origins of the Domesticated Blueberry

Frederick Coville and Elizabeth White, two strangers, domesticated the blueberry together. They valued beauty and worked to support local communities.
Two bowls of blueberries on a blue bench

What Makes Blueberries Superfoods?

Summer is here and with it comes Cyanococcus Vaccinium, otherwise known as the blueberry. These little fruits are ...
Cecil the Lion

No, Trophy Hunting Won’t Protect Wildlife

Killing wildlife to save it isn't a viable strategy. We can create diverse, self-sustaining ecosystems without trophy hunting.
Black and white illustration of three dung beetles surrounding a mound

The Amazingly Complex World of Insect Navigation

Dung beetles, ants, and other insects navigate in mysterious ways.
Male bronze-winged jacana

A Father’s Day Shout Out to Animal Dads

This Father's Day, consider some of the busiest, quirkiest, and hardest working dads around—animal dads like the the jacana, Darwin's frog, and seahorse.
European Starlings

What If We Had All the Birds from Shakespeare in Central Park?

According to birding lore, two of America's most invasive bird species were introduced by a misguided Shakespeare fan named Eugene Schieffelin.
A bison beside a lake in Yellowstone National Park

How Not to Approach Wildlife in Yellowstone National Park

National parks like Yellowstone are great places to get close to nature, but tourists shouldn't forget that they are also important refuges for wildlife.
Science jars of formalin and fish

What Lies Beneath the Museum?

Paradoxically, museum specimens of long-dead animals may offer us the keys to protecting live ones.