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

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

Logging Carbon by Trailing Loggers

Reduced Impact Logging (RIL) is good for our carbon footprint, right? Not consistently, say Conservancy scientists studying logging practices in Indonesia.

Marty Downs

The Amazing Lemming: The Rodent Behind the Snowy Owl Invasion?

Lemmings shape nearly every aspect of arctic ecosystems. Could their recent abundance also be a key factor in the snowy owl invasion occurring in the eastern United States?

Joe Smith

Science: Mangrove Forests as Incredible Carbon Stores

Based on these new findings, says Conservancy marine scientist Mark Spalding, the world should be investing a lot more in preventing mangrove loss and restoration.

Mark Spalding

How Green is Your Chainsaw?

Can a chainsaw be green? That may sound ridiculous, but in the forests of Borneo, loggers can be a critical ally in maintaining biodiversity and mitigating climate change.

Bronson Griscom

Can Forest Carbon Markets Provide for a 40,000-Year-Old Culture?

That's a key question being answered by the Conservancy and partners as they work to protect the land of the Hadza, who have hunted and lived in this region for at least 40,000 years.

Matthew L. Miller

New Study: Coastal Nature Reduces Risk from Storm Impacts for 1.3 Million U.S. Residents

Nature reduces risk from coastal storms for millions of U.S. residents and billions of dollars in property values, says a new study from scientists at the Natural Capital Project and The Nature Conservancy.

Bob Lalasz

Oceans and Climate Change: Protecting the “Invisible”

Coral bleaching, increasing storms, the loss of polar bears: many impacts of climate change are already vivid in our minds. We naturally worry about the things we can see. Huge waves and the loss of big fish and colorful corals get our attention. But what about things we can’t see, like the tiny creatures called plankton? They are also poised for dramatic changes. A recent dive in the sapphire waters of the Caribbean offers a close encounter with plankton. While most of my dive buddies hurry to reach the bottom, I linger as I usually do, pondering the “blue” and looking out for the visible and the invisible. Suddenly, clouds of tiny filaments come sharply into focus. It’s blue-green algae--Trichodesmium--a type of phytoplankton that plays an important role in these nutrient-poor waters. They essentially break gaseous nitrogen’s tough triple bond and convert it into a form other phytoplankton can feed on. What would these waters look like without them?

Vera Agostini