Forests cover approximately 30% of the world’s land area, but sadly, they are disappearing at a rapid pace. From 1990 to 2016, 1.3 million square kilometers of forest were lost, according to the World Bank. [1] According to a 2015 study, 46% of the world’s trees have been destroyed since humans first began cutting down […]
Many Americans love bald eagles. After all, this symbolic bird is the national emblem of the United States and has been since 1782. The bald eagle was chosen as the national emblem for the US because they were long-lived, strong, and majestic in appearance. At the time, they were believed only to live in North […]
Over the past several years plastic has touted to have terrible effects on the environment, and for good reason. Most plastics, unlike other materials, cannot biodegrade, and this is toxic for wildlife — especially for the oceans, where so much plastic ends up. Scientists estimate about eight million metric tons of plastic land in the […]
Polar bears are an iconic creature, their white fur, and giant size is unmistakable. But humans have been taking these creatures for granted for far too long. To say that the polar bear is in trouble is a bit of an understatement. According to the IUCN red list, polar bears are considered vulnerable [1]. In […]
I love camping, but as I’ve gotten older, it’s become harder to camp due to various aches and pains involved with sleeping on anything but a nice mattress. Air mattresses are okay for a while, and sleeping pads definitely take a lot of the harshness out of sleeping on the ground, but my back often […]
Cats are one of the world’s most popular pets. Globally, it’s estimated that there are between 220 and 600 million cats. [1] It’s hard to get a count, given that many cats, possibly as many as 158 million, are strays or feral. Many cats are fortunate enough to have good homes, but sadly, that isn’t […]
More and more, the world is waking up to the reality that mushrooms can do so much more than add flavor to a dish (as delicious as they are). In recent years, researchers and innovators alike have demonstrated just how versatile mushrooms are – from mushroom-based leather [1] and even a suit made out of […]
The natural world is capable of creating some of the most dazzling, unique creatures. Every creature is unique in its own way. But once in a while, nature produces a sort of genetic crossover episode called a chimera. Chimera kittens are a single cat that is comprised of two or more different genetically distinct cells […]
Nature is truly a wonderful thing. Our world is filled with a stunningly diverse array of creatures, from tiny mice to gigantic whales. Whales in particular trigger a certain wonder in humans, so much so that whale watching has become a favorite tourist activity around the world. Recently, a humpback whale gave workers on a […]
There are countless examples of opulence and luxury demand doing significant harm to the natural world, but few are more absurd and heartbreaking than the poaching of Tibet’s rare antelopes for scarves. Tibetan antelopes considered near threatened and are being quickly wiped out due to the demand for a $20,000 luxury scarf called a shahtoosh […]
Visit a social media platform like Instagram or Facebook and search the words “off-grid” and you’ll probably find a lot of accounts talking about the benefits and drawbacks of living off the grid. People choose off-grid living to simplify their lives and to be more eco-friendly. Some do it just to prove that in a […]
100 years ago, there were more than 200,000 lions living in the wild in Africa. Today, only about 10% of them remain. Lions have disappeared from 95% of their historic range [1], and many live inside of protected animal preserves in order to protect the animals from poaching. Unfortunately, wildlife preserves don’t have a perfect […]
