October 19, 2026
Bumblebees Roll Balls Without a Reward. Could It Be Play?
In a laboratory study, bumblebees repeatedly rolled small wooden balls even when no food was offered. The behavior fits several…
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Nature & Animals
October 17, 2026
Prairie Strips: Small Patches of Native Habitat With Outsized Benefits on Iowa Farms
Research in Iowa found that converting a modest share of corn-and-soybean fields to prairie strips can sharply reduce soil and…
October 17, 2026
Franklinia: The Garden Tree That Outlived Its Wild Home
The Franklin tree has not been confirmed growing wild since the early 19th century. Its continued presence in gardens is…
October 17, 2026
The Smokies’ Synchronous Fireflies Turn a Mating Signal Into a Forest-Wide Light Show
In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, male fireflies flash in coordinated bursts as they search for mates. The brief display…
October 17, 2026
Hawaiian Monk Seals Are Making a Quiet Comeback
After decades of decline, Hawaiian monk seals are increasing in number. NOAA estimates about 1,600 remain, reflecting years of monitoring,…
October 17, 2026
Death Valley’s Sailing Stones: How Wind and Thin Ice Move Rocks Across a Desert
At Racetrack Playa, rocks leave long trails across a dry lakebed. Researchers finally watched the unlikely combination of water, ice…
October 17, 2026
The Cat Slow Blink: What a Small Eye Movement Can Tell Us About Feline Communication
A pair of experiments found that cats were more likely to return a person’s slow blink—and, in one test, approach…
October 17, 2026
Pando’s Aspen Clone: How Fencing Gives a Utah Forest Room to Regrow
In Utah, a vast stand of quaking aspen is also one genetic individual. Research at Pando shows how protecting young…
October 17, 2026
Lake Erie’s Water Snakes Recovered Enough to Leave the Endangered Species List
Once threatened by persecution and habitat loss, the Lake Erie watersnake rebounded after protection efforts and cooperation with island communities.
October 17, 2026
Elephants May Call One Another by Name, a Study of Their Rumbles Suggests
A study of wild African elephants in Kenya found that their calls can contain signals linked to particular listeners—and that…
October 17, 2026
The Takahē’s Return: How New Zealand Is Rebuilding a Bird Once Thought Extinct
Rediscovered in 1948 after decades without a confirmed sighting, New Zealand’s flightless takahē has passed a milestone of more than…
October 17, 2026
The Iberian Lynx’s Comeback: From 94 Animals to a Growing Wild Population
Once close to disappearing, the Iberian lynx has rebounded through captive breeding, habitat work and reintroductions. Its recovery is striking—but…
September 29, 2026
The Florida Panther: How Conservation Is Making Room for a Wild Cat
Once reduced to a small population in southern Florida, the Florida panther is benefiting from habitat protection, genetic management, and…
September 25, 2026
The Hellbender: How a Giant Salamander Is Finding a Future in American Rivers
North America’s largest salamander is helping conservationists protect the cool, rocky streams it needs to survive. Across the eastern United…
September 25, 2026
The Nēnē: How Hawaii’s Goose Came Back From the Brink
Once reduced to roughly 30 birds in the wild, Hawaii’s native goose has become one of the world’s most recognizable…
September 25, 2026
The Louisiana Black Bear: How a Bayou Bear Came Back
Once reduced to scattered pockets of habitat, Louisiana’s black bear is finding room to live again as wetlands, forests, and…
September 24, 2026
The Whooping Crane: How North America’s Tallest Bird Found a Way Back
Once reduced to just 21 known birds, the whooping crane is again moving across North America’s wetlands, guided by protected…
September 23, 2026
The Oyster Reef: How Chesapeake Bay Is Bringing Back a Living Shoreline
Across the Chesapeake Bay, scientists, watermen, volunteers, and state agencies are rebuilding oyster reefs that support wildlife, soften waves, and…
September 21, 2026
The Apache Trout: How Arizona’s White Mountains Became a Living Laboratory for Recovery
Once pushed close to extinction, Arizona’s Apache trout is benefiting from decades of careful habitat work, hatchery support and cooperation…
September 21, 2026
Arizona’s Condor Comeback: How Careful Science Is Rebuilding a Sky-Sized Presence
California condors still face enormous risks, but Arizona has become one of the most important places in the effort to…