The Secret Lives of Horseshoe Crabs

Every year, horseshoe crabs emerge from the depths for one reason and one reason only: sex.

Marah Hardt

The Battles of Song Sparrows: How a Scientific Outsider Changed How We Study Birds

Margaret Morse Nice lacked a formal academic position but her work on the territoriality of song sparrows changed ornithology.

Joe Smith

Ginseng Digging: Local Traditions and Global Markets for Appalachia’s Medicinal Plants

Ginseng: a medicinal root with a long tradition of harvesting in Appalachia. But can the plant withstand the demands of a global market? Hal Herring takes a personal look at the plants, the place and the people that make up the history of ginseng digging.

Hal Herring

Nature Books Have Never Been This Fun: 6 Great Summer Reads

Looking for a fun read this summer? Here are 6 nature books as entertaining as any bestseller.

Matthew L. Miller

Headhunters, Poaching, & Arson: Community Conservation in the Arnavons

After a 40-year history punctuated by arson, conflict, and poaching, conservation efforts in the Arnavon Islands are yielding a glimmer of hope for hawksbills sea turtles. Now, Conservancy scientists are working with local communities to make these critical islands the first site in the Solomon Island’s protected area network.

Justine E. Hausheer

Restoring an Ancient Nursery for Atlantic Sturgeon

Atlantic sturgeon were once so plentiful that during their spring spawning runs they would upset boats on the Delaware River. Today, scientists are working to bring this ancient fish back from the brink.

Randy Edwards

6 Great New Books for the Fish Nerd’s Library

Looking for something more than the usual fish story? We have you covered with books on gars, sturgeons, freshwater tropical fish and more.

Matthew L. Miller

Unraveling the Mystery of the Western Sycamores that Weren’t

The problem? As trees in some of their restoration sites grew to maturity, they didn’t look like the native western sycamores the scientists were sure they had planted.

Cara Cannon Byington

7 Resources for Natural History Nerds

Want to identify that feather you found on a hike? Or find out what kind of tracks a hermit crab leaves along a beach? These links can help you do that, and more.

Cara Cannon Byington

White Deer: Understanding a Common Animal of Uncommon Color

For millennia, people have regarded white deer with a mix of reverence, superstition and scientific misinformation. And it continues to this day. What’s the real story of these ghost-like animals?

Matthew L. Miller

Holiday Treat: What’s the Difference Between Reindeer and Caribou?

Take a look at the natural history of one of our most popular holiday symbols: the reindeer.

Ronnie Drever

Recovery: The Return of Native Fish, Victims of Bucket Biology

Restoring arctic char; they are rarely seen, even by anglers; they are furless, featherless and cold. But they are wildlife – ice-age relicts as important to our nation as California condors.

Ted Williams