Lands & Waters

Biden Administration Moves to Protect the Boundary Water Wilderness From Mining

Decision marks a reversal to the Trump policy—and hopefully the happy end of this long-running conservation fight

By Conor Mihell January 29, 2022

In this story: public lands

As “Ghost Owls” Approach Literal Ghosthood, So Do We

As farms disappear, Iowa becomes less habitable for our longtime neighbor the barn owl

By Brendan Curtinrich February 2, 2022

In this story: wildlife

Extinction Is Looming. Everyone's Fighting.

New rules are coming for the lobster Industry. Will they save the right whale?

By Abe Musselman January 16, 2022

In this story: whales, oceans, endangered species

Big, beautiful whales surfacing in a deep blue ocean, with a small white boat in the distance.

Inside the Legacy of Old Ephraim and “Outlaw Animals"

Carnivores aren’t welcome in the West, but their ghosts are

By Riley Black January 12, 2022

In this story: wildlife

10 Ocean Issues You’ll Be Hearing About in 2022

From deep-sea mining to clashes over migrants, it’s shaping up to be a year of blue issues

By David Helvarg January 6, 2022

In this story: oceans

Gray Wolves Spent a Year in the Crosshairs

The animal no longer enjoys protections under the Endangered Species Act

By Juliet Grable December 28, 2021

In this story: endangered species

Just How Scientific Is Your Favorite Board Game?

Fact-checking the tabletop science game boom

By Diana Crow December 19, 2021

In this story: lifestyle, wildlife, children, science

Box for tabletop game "Evolution" with colorful cards and game pieces arrayed around it.

2021: The Year in Climate Change

It was a record-breaking year. Not in a good way.

By Christian Thorsberg December 4, 2021

In this story: climate change, international climate policy, science

Cloud of fire retardent bursting over a green-brown hilly landscape that is on fire, against a blue sky.

Meet the "Ice Bears" of the Yukon

A photographer chronicles a grizzly bear subculture

By Emma Marris December 20, 2021

In this story: endangered species, climate change, photography

A grizzly bear with icicles hanging off its fur stands in the middle of a river. The riverbank is covered in snow, and the sky behind the bear is an eerie green from the northern lights.

4 Must-Read Books for Your Fall Reading List

In moving tales of struggle and loss, these stories highlight the power of transcendence

By Jonathan Hahn , Katie O'Reilly , Heather Smith November 28, 2021

In this story: books, science, climate change, indigenous communities