Every Cat Counts: Conserving Ocelots on the Border

In South Texas, ocelots cling to a precarious existence. How do these spotted cats survive against a backdrop of lost habitat, roads and now a border fence? Can conservation efforts help?

Matthew L. Miller

Nilgai: Blue Antelope of the Anthropocene

Once the nilgai roamed expansive Indian plains as it avoided stalking tigers. A creature of wilderness. Today, you're more likely to find it in sprawling cities, or galloping along a Gulf Coast seashore. A creature of the Anthropocene.

Matthew L. Miller

CSI Channel Islands: Can the Island Scrub-jay Help to Think about Climate Change?

Solving the mystery of Santa Rosa's island scrub-jays could refine thinking on how to manage vulnerable species under climate change.

Marty Downs

Do the Rumble-Rump with Peacock Spiders

Meet the tiny spider with one of the wildest mating displays in the animal kingdom. Jon Fisher takes you into the realm of the peacock spider and its unbelievable "dance moves."

Jon Fisher

Alligator Rescue on the Border

The alligator was trapped and destined to die a slow death: time for a rescue operation. An unexpected twist at one of the most biodiverse nature reserves in the United States, the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas.

Matthew L. Miller

10 Top National Wildlife Refuges To Explore

For the traveling naturalist, there's a lifetime of adventures to be found on national wildlife refuges. But with 560 refuges, where to start? Our blogger offers up his favorites for birds and other wildlife, from spotting tropical specialties in Texas to hiking amongst bighorn sheep in Oregon.

Matthew L. Miller

Coyote Scat and Native Plant Conservation

Cultivating native plants for conservation requires the perfect water, sunlight, nutrients and pollinators. And in at least one case, it needs coyote poop. And lots of it. A story of an observant naturalist, palm seeds and hungry coyotes in South Texas.

Matthew L. Miller

The Klepto-Octopus and Other Adventures in Coral Reef Restoration

A thieving octopus? Dolphin volunteers? Welcome to the unexpected cast of characters encountered during coral reef restoration.

Kemit-Amon Lewis

Wind Turbines and Birds: What’s the Real Story?

Cats and window collisions kill more birds, but that doesn't mean conservationists should ignore the effects of wind turbines. Blogger David Mehlman takes a look at the science, and finds significant impacts to both birds and bats.

Dave Mehlman

Coral Reefs Soften Ocean’s Fury for Millions of Coastal Dwellers

Coral reefs harbor great diversity and absorb an amazing 97% of the energy from incoming waves. Restoration is < 1/10th the cost of building more breakwaters.

Marty Downs

Northern Elephant Seals: A Dramatic Conservation Success

Northern elephant seals were declared extinct, a victim of the blubber trade. Today, you can see thousands on California beaches, and the population continues to grow. The story of a dramatic (and often unheralded) conservation success.

Matthew L. Miller

Protecting the Amargosa: From Suspicion to Support for a Desert River

Anti-environmental sentiments in rural Nevada have been in the news a lot lately. Here's a different narrative. In the Mojave Desert of remote Nevada and California, conservationists are part of the community and working to overcome suspicion to protect a vibrant river.

Matthew L. Miller