biodiversity

4 Must-See Wild & Scenic Rivers in the U.S.

4 Must-See Wild & Scenic Rivers in the U.S.

In 1968, the U.S. government passed the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, designating the first eight free-flowing rivers as protected — the Rio Grande, Rogue, Clearwater, St. Croix, Eleven Point, Idaho’s Salmon and Wolf Rivers. Today, there are 226 wild and scenic rivers and streams covering more than 13,4000 miles in the national Wild and […]

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    Newborn Southern Resident Orca Whale Spotted in Puget Sound

    Newborn Southern Resident Orca Whale Spotted in Puget Sound

    A new baby orca whale was spotted recently in Washington State’s Puget Sound with the southern resident orca whales’ J pod, reported The Seattle Times. According to researchers, the calf is likely only a few days old. Brad Hanson, a wildlife biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told The Seattle Times that the […]

    Birding 101: Everything You Need to Know

    Birding 101: Everything You Need to Know

    Quick Key Facts What Is ‘Birding’? Birding is the act of observing and identifying birds in the wild as a form of recreation. This can range from taking note of all the birds who visit a backyard feeder, or traveling across the country to try to see more U.S. bird species than anyone else in […]

    Biden Administration Moves to Protect Old Growth Forests From Logging

    Biden Administration Moves to Protect Old Growth Forests From Logging

    The Biden administration has announced a proposal to conserve and restore old-growth trees in United States national forests. If adopted, the proposal would expand logging restrictions as part of an executive order issued on Earth Day 2022 to safeguard national forests. The protections would be a natural remedy for tackling the effects of climate change, […]

    44,000 Species Are Threatened With Extinction, IUCN Reports

    44,000 Species Are Threatened With Extinction, IUCN Reports

    According to the latest report from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), about 44,016 species are threatened with extinction. This comprises about 28% of the 157,190 species listed in the IUCN Red List. About 7,000 of the more than 44,000 threatened species are at risk due to climate change, Yale Environment 260 reported. […]

    Tropical Forests 101: Everything You Need to Know

    Tropical Forests 101: Everything You Need to Know

    Quick Key Facts What Are ‘Tropical Forests’? Tropical forests are rich ecosystems located in tropical zones surrounding the equator. They have a dense upper canopy of broad-leafed trees and an astonishingly diverse array of animal and plant life. These forests pack an enormous amount of biodiversity into the six percent of the planet’s land surface […]

    Brazil and Colombia Destroy Illegal Gold Mines in Amazon Rainforest

    Brazil and Colombia Destroy Illegal Gold Mines in Amazon Rainforest

    Brazil and Colombia have blown up 19 illegal gold mining operations in the Amazon rainforest. Colombia’s armed forces said the mines were producing about $1.5 million worth of the rare metal every month and polluting the rainforest’s rivers with mercury, reported the BBC and Reuters. The unlawful activity was producing 50.71 pounds of gold a […]