‘Shortsighted’ cuts could eliminate bird banding program, federal bee research and much more.
Scientific research
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Meet LA’s detective for dead marine mammals
A day in the life of a scientist studying the aftermath of the city’s deadly algal blooms.
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See what trail cams captured about Borderlands wildlife
Alongside stunning footage, scientists found that the border wall deters wildlife.
Posted inJuly 2025: Seeds as Sustenance
Western states step up to save their wetlands
The West’s vital wetlands are in trouble — but states are working to safeguard them.
Posted inJuly 2025: Seeds as Sustenance
Politics and science can mix
The time for trying to remain neutral has passed.
Posted inJuly 2025: Seeds as Sustenance
Necesitamos científicos-activistas
La política y la ciencia pueden mezclarse.
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What Sonoran Desert fungi are teaching scientists
The understudied mycorrhizal fungi are vital to ecosystems and may prove critical to the survival of fragile deserts stressed by climate change.
Posted inJune 2025: The Promised Land
As Trump comes after research, Forest Service scientists keep working
Scientists describe how they’re preparing for the upcoming field season despite the challenges.
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USGS’ biological research arm could vanish
Trump is on a multipronged mission to eliminate a science agency that conservationists, toxicologists, universities and more call irreplaceable.
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Trump asks Congress to cut at the heart of the West
The White House wants to alter life for U.S. hunters, anglers, RVers, off-road-vehicle drivers, backpackers, birdwatchers and hikers.
Posted inJuly 2025: Seeds as Sustenance
Searching for sparrows in the Sky Islands
Grassland restoration in Sonora, Mexico, helps to conserve North America’s bird life.
Posted inMay 2025: The Art of the Cruise
The hidden costs of wolf conservation
‘Pay for presence’ aims to compensate ranchers for predator-related losses, but Western states might not be able to afford it.
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NOAA issues critical drought warnings during cuts to agency
The embattled agency continues to disseminate crucial updates in a hostile political environment.
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Cutting ‘boots-on-the-ground, getting-it-done stuff’ could harm the West’s fish and wildlife for decades
The research co-ops funded by Congress each year since 1960 provide substantial returns for taxpayers.
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Turkey vultures in California are testing positive for rat poison
Despite statewide restrictions on the deadly poisons, new research shows they’re still infiltrating the food web.
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Audio: The trill of hummingbirds adapting
Scientists find that Western birds are changing their behavior alongside the climate.
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Life lessons from a coastal wolf pack
In Alaska, a biologist and her family learn how quickly these iconic predators can change the menu — and bend the rules.
Posted inFebruary 2025: Immigrant Stories
Bringing black abalone back from the brink
To save the species, researchers translocated the endangered California mollusk.
Posted inFebruary 2025: Immigrant Stories
Orcas à la mode, totally tubular sea pickles and bloodthirsty squirrels
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inJanuary 2025: The West's Most Wanted
Why the West needs prairie dogs
They’re among the region’s most despised species, but some tribes, researchers and landowners are racing to save them.