In New Mexico, a wildlife refuge with urban roots
This wildlife refuge is unusual for its focus not just on habitat but on serving the residents of its urban locale. As the nation grows increasingly urban, its values could become a model.
Read moreRural New Mexicans meet drought with culture of water sharing
Drought and climate change pose new challenges to New Mexico’s water supply. But a tradition of shared access – based around irrigation ditches called acequias – continues to thrive.
Read more‘This is a great story’: Whooping cranes make a comeback
Finding the right rules of engagement between people and animals is key to bringing endangered species back to healthy numbers. One corner of the Gulf Coast is trying to get it right.
Read moreCoronavirus conundrum: What do we do when nature gets crowded?
Coronavirus lockdowns have made nature even more of a refuge. So as officials consider how to adjust rules for now-crowded parks, the public’s mental well-being is a big part of the equation.
Read moreArkansas alchemy: In Hot Springs’s rebirth, a lesson for national parks
As some national parks face disengagement, decay, and financial strain, one has managed to revitalize itself in enterprising ways. What can others learn from Hot Springs National Park?
Read moreDespite natural gas boom, this Texas town is going 100% renewable
As US communities shift away from fossil fuels, cities and towns are grappling with the challenge of just how much they can rely on renewable energy. Denton, Texas, aims to show the way.
Read moreAmid drought in Texas Panhandle, farmers scratch crops from dust
With the Ogallala Aquifer in a state of “managed depletion” in many parts of Texas, farmers are adapting what they grow and how they water it. Scientists are researching new drought-resistant crops and more efficient irrigation technologies. The overall picture, however, is of a water-poor region that is only going to keep losing water. With a century of economic, political, and cultural investment in agriculture, farming in the Panhandle isn’t likely to go extinct. But as farmers scratch their way through this year’s drought, they know it will be even tougher for their children and grandchildren.
Read moreAs more Texans ‘Give a Whoop,’ hope for saving iconic cranes – and coast
Conservationists hope that the iconic birds can encourage a rare, ecologically-friendly approach to coastal development in a time of mounting human and environmental pressure on coastlines around the world.
Read moreBicycling biologist pedals 10,000 miles along the Monarch butterfly’s migration route
Wildlife biologist Sara Dykman is pedaling her way from the mountainous forests of southwestern Mexico to Canada and back, stopping at schools and wildlife centers to raise awareness about the migratory insect.
Read moreFor Sandy survivors, a desire to help Texans avoid their mistakes
Ahead of the five-year anniversary of superstorm Sandy Sunday, New Jersey volunteers were in Texas helping with disaster recovery. One nonprofit leader says, ‘New Jersey wants Texas’s recovery to be better than ours.’
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