During the pandemic, a chick named Iniko became an ambassador for conservation from her redwood nest.
Scientific research
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Winter without snow is coming
Parts of the Mountain West could be nearly snowless for years at a time in just a few decades.
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Where are Alaska’s snowy owls?
The birds serve as an alarm bell for the repercussions of environmental change.
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Salmon need better infrastructure, too
Aging culverts block salmon migration between freshwater streams and the Pacific Ocean.
Posted inDecember 1, 2021: Visions of Wildness
How heat waves warp ecosystems
After the Northwest ‘heat dome’ this summer, scientists look for signs of ecological ruin — or resilience.
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How New Mexico chiles ended up on the space station
A NASA mission to harvest Hatch green chiles in space just might help farmers on earth adapt their growing methods.
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Ozone pollution is on the rise in the West
Wildfires, oil and gas drilling, vehicle emissions, and climate change all combine to create more days with unhealthy levels of the colorless, odorless gas.
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‘A ticking time bomb for a mass die-off’
Recent grazing decisions continue to risk Southwest Colorado’s bighorns.
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Visualizing the aquifers that straddle the U.S.-Mexico border
For the first time, scientists have mapped out the groundwater the two countries share.
Posted inNovember 1, 2021: The Radioactive Waste Next Door
Why fire experts are hopeful
Wildfire scientists dispel common misconceptions about forest management, detailing what needs to change and why it’s urgent.
Posted inNovember 1, 2021: The Radioactive Waste Next Door
The winnowing of winter
As the climate crisis worsens, what will happen to snow?
Posted inNovember 1, 2021: The Radioactive Waste Next Door
Alaska Native villages band together to keep the Yukon River’s wild salmon afloat
‘As a unified voice, we are unstoppable — and we can manage the river better.’
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Wildfire smoke pushes migrating birds hundreds of miles out of their way
‘I was glued to my computer for days, trying to figure out what these birds were doing, because it was so clearly, obviously, not normal.’
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7 statistics that illuminate the housing crisis
Headwaters Economics shines a light on record-breaking costs in the West.
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Just how fat are the fat bears?
Katmai National Park and Preserve’s famous bears from Fat Bear Week are helping provide some answers.
Posted inOctober 1, 2021: In The Graces of Grasses
Behind the wire with a fence ecologist
How researchers are using science and data to help wildlife.
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‘Deadbeat dams’ and their impact on cold-water ecosystems
As California mulls water storage, a new study adds nuance to cold-water conservation.
Posted inSeptember 1, 2021: Where Wolves May Tread
Why have gray wolves failed to gain a foothold in Colorado?
The Green River Corridor, a pathway from Wyoming to Colorado, highlights the political and physical barriers wolves face.
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Anxiety and hope in wildfire-prone Oregon
How might we live in the reality of our climate?
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Fire season is getting longer
A new study finds that ‘fire weather’ days have increased, a trajectory expected to continue.