by Debra Denker
As I open my garden gate on an uncharacteristically sultry Southwest summer afternoon, I hear a growl, a thump and then scrabbling in the Russian olive tree above me. I round the corner and come face to…
Read moreby John Richardson
Many readers of Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? written by renowned Dutch primatologist and ethologist Franz de Waal would be intrigued but perhaps not surprised to learn that chimpanzees…
Read moreby Erika Zambello
Established in 1999, the Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (GB NERR) now stretches across 18,000 acres. In addition to the estuary’s salt marshes, the reserve also covers rare pine savannas,…
Read moreby Erika Zambello
Birders had their binoculars and checklists ready on May 13 for the annual Global Big Day, and I was one of them. Armed with my eBird phone app, which allows me to record when and where I see specific…
Read moreby Erika Zambello
As part of an ongoing project, Erika Zambello is visiting all National Estuarine Research Reserves in the continental United States. Established by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),…
Read moreby Jacqueline Gerson
“Dip your hand in the water!” I yelled over the crash of whitewater, and then a few seconds later, “Now try it again!”
Read moreby Georgia Woodroffe
The Too Rare to Wear campaign brings tourist and conservation groups together to end the trade of illegal tortoiseshell products. Also called turtleshell, this material comes from hawksbill sea turtles,…
Read moreby Erika Zambello, Jennifer Calkins
When Dr. Jennifer Calkins visited Reserva Monte Mojino (ReMM), the landscape captured her attention. “A cactus flower blooming next to a lush fig tree, a desert tortoise resting beneath an elegant trogon…
Read moreby Erika Zambello
Made up of over 6,000 acres along the coast of Alabama, the Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research is one of 28 sites around the country that are “protected for long-term research, water-quality monitoring,…
Read moreby Zoe Krasney, Casey Johnson
The Last Unicorn taps into a primal human instinct — the search for pure and innocent beauty. This quest has captured our attention for hundreds of years, and is perhaps the reason unicorns are ubiquitous…
Read moreby Elizabeth Forbes
First thing on Monday morning, I get into the driver’s side of the Land Cruiser, grasping the “holy sh*t” handle to hoist myself up into the seat. My field team clambers into the back; the other front…
Read moreby Erika Zambello
For those who bird on the Emerald Coast, Snowy Plovers are a relatively common sight on Okaloosa Island – once you walk away from the more crowded beach access points. Less than seven inches long and lighter…
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