‘Unusual’ and weak La Niña confirmed, offers cooling respite after record El Niño

It’s official: a weak La Niña came into fruition in late December and is expected, with significant uncertainty, to last until sometime between February and April, the U. S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced.

Philippine Indigenous communities restore a mountain forest to prevent urban flooding

On the slopes of Mount Kalatungan, a protected area on the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines, rows of robusta coffee shrubs thrive alongside tropical hardwoods like lauan. The verdant mountain is enveloped in mid-afternoon fog, with a cold breeze sweeping through.

River culture is the rhythmic pulse of the Bengal Delta

Rivers, as Bengal’s nurturing mother, shaped the soul of this land and cultural landscape. The ever-flowing water and fertile sediments formed the entire Bengal region, nourishing the Indus Valley civilization to today’s Bengali civilization.

Bangladesh sees first ever rewilding of captive-bred elongated tortoises

Two species of critically endangered tortoises were reintroduced to Bangladesh’s forests last December. Six captive-bred elongated tortoises (Indotestudo elongata) were first released in Lawachara National Park in northeastern Bangladesh on Dec. 18.

Firefighters in LA blaze face same toxic exposure as 9/11 responders

Smoke from wildfire poses a host of health concerns, but when fires burn through urban areas, like the ongoing inferno in Los Angeles, U. S. , the health risks increase dramatically.

In Bangladesh, a botanist brings quick, fun lessons to social media

In the bustling city of Dhaka, Azharul Islam Khan is developing a growing community of plant enthusiasts, one video at a time. With a degree in botany from Dhaka University and a 27-year-long career in the pharmaceutical industry, 54-year-old Azharul has always had a passion for plants.

A venomous Australian spider turns out to be 3 species, not 1

The Sydney funnel-web spider, a highly venomous arachnid found crawling in and around Australia’s most populous city, was long thought to be a single species. But it’s actually three different species, a new study has found. One of these, called “Big Boy” for its unusually large size, is new to science.

Sustaining a 400-year-old Ethiopian farming tradition: Interview with elder Gehano Guchoir

KONSO, Ethiopia — Across rugged highlands, terraces crafted from stone and earth stretch over steep hillsides like giant ripples of water. They’re part of a 400-year-old agricultural system in southern Ethiopia that’s recognized as a U. N.

Plans for bauxite mine in Suriname reignite Indigenous land rights debate

Plans for a major mining project in western Suriname have sounded alarms in nearby Indigenous communities, who say that the project will destroy local ecosystems, violate their land rights and encroach on their traditional ways of life.

Safeguarding the shea nut legacy for Ugandan women

KAL AWINYA, Uganda – In rural Uganda, 34-year-old Adong Betty from Kal Awinya village shares how shea nuts sustain her family and community. Her own childhood was marked by active participation in collecting and processing shea nuts with her mother, instilling in her a deep respect for this tradition.

Should mining companies consider no-go zones where isolated Indigenous peoples live?

As the demand for critical minerals intensifies with the energy transition, the need for a rights-based approach to mining, focused on respect, is more relevant than ever.

Ogoni women restore mangroves and livelihoods in oil-rich Niger Delta

A women-led reforestation effort has planted millions of mangrove trees with a high survival rate across swamps in Nigeria’s oil-rich and severely degraded Niger Delta.

Elephants, gorillas and chimps hold out in Cameroon’s largest protected landscape

A survey has found populations of elephant, gorillas and chimpanzees in and around two national parks in southeastern Cameroon has remained relatively stable since 2016. Conservation officials have welcomed this “positive” trend but warn that various threats persist in the region.

Satellite ‘backpacks’ help keep track of parrot migration in Mexico

When James Sheppard set out to deploy tiny backpacks fitted with satellite transmitters to track endangered thick-billed parrots in 2019, doubts abounded. His colleagues were concerned it wasn’t going to work. A vendor he worked with refused to sell him the transmitters, worried it might be a futile attempt. The concerns weren’t unfounded.

‘Unusual’ and weak La Niña confirmed, offers cooling respite after record El Niño

It’s official: a weak La Niña came into fruition in late December and is expected, with significant uncertainty, to last until sometime between February and April, the U. S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced.

Philippine Indigenous communities restore a mountain forest to prevent urban flooding

On the slopes of Mount Kalatungan, a protected area on the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines, rows of robusta coffee shrubs thrive alongside tropical hardwoods like lauan. The verdant mountain is enveloped in mid-afternoon fog, with a cold breeze sweeping through.

River culture is the rhythmic pulse of the Bengal Delta

Rivers, as Bengal’s nurturing mother, shaped the soul of this land and cultural landscape. The ever-flowing water and fertile sediments formed the entire Bengal region, nourishing the Indus Valley civilization to today’s Bengali civilization.

Bangladesh sees first ever rewilding of captive-bred elongated tortoises

Two species of critically endangered tortoises were reintroduced to Bangladesh’s forests last December. Six captive-bred elongated tortoises (Indotestudo elongata) were first released in Lawachara National Park in northeastern Bangladesh on Dec. 18.

Firefighters in LA blaze face same toxic exposure as 9/11 responders

Smoke from wildfire poses a host of health concerns, but when fires burn through urban areas, like the ongoing inferno in Los Angeles, U. S. , the health risks increase dramatically.

In Bangladesh, a botanist brings quick, fun lessons to social media

In the bustling city of Dhaka, Azharul Islam Khan is developing a growing community of plant enthusiasts, one video at a time. With a degree in botany from Dhaka University and a 27-year-long career in the pharmaceutical industry, 54-year-old Azharul has always had a passion for plants.

A venomous Australian spider turns out to be 3 species, not 1

The Sydney funnel-web spider, a highly venomous arachnid found crawling in and around Australia’s most populous city, was long thought to be a single species. But it’s actually three different species, a new study has found. One of these, called “Big Boy” for its unusually large size, is new to science.

Sustaining a 400-year-old Ethiopian farming tradition: Interview with elder Gehano Guchoir

KONSO, Ethiopia — Across rugged highlands, terraces crafted from stone and earth stretch over steep hillsides like giant ripples of water. They’re part of a 400-year-old agricultural system in southern Ethiopia that’s recognized as a U. N.

Plans for bauxite mine in Suriname reignite Indigenous land rights debate

Plans for a major mining project in western Suriname have sounded alarms in nearby Indigenous communities, who say that the project will destroy local ecosystems, violate their land rights and encroach on their traditional ways of life.

Safeguarding the shea nut legacy for Ugandan women

KAL AWINYA, Uganda – In rural Uganda, 34-year-old Adong Betty from Kal Awinya village shares how shea nuts sustain her family and community. Her own childhood was marked by active participation in collecting and processing shea nuts with her mother, instilling in her a deep respect for this tradition.

Should mining companies consider no-go zones where isolated Indigenous peoples live?

As the demand for critical minerals intensifies with the energy transition, the need for a rights-based approach to mining, focused on respect, is more relevant than ever.

Ogoni women restore mangroves and livelihoods in oil-rich Niger Delta

A women-led reforestation effort has planted millions of mangrove trees with a high survival rate across swamps in Nigeria’s oil-rich and severely degraded Niger Delta.

Elephants, gorillas and chimps hold out in Cameroon’s largest protected landscape

A survey has found populations of elephant, gorillas and chimpanzees in and around two national parks in southeastern Cameroon has remained relatively stable since 2016. Conservation officials have welcomed this “positive” trend but warn that various threats persist in the region.

Satellite ‘backpacks’ help keep track of parrot migration in Mexico

When James Sheppard set out to deploy tiny backpacks fitted with satellite transmitters to track endangered thick-billed parrots in 2019, doubts abounded. His colleagues were concerned it wasn’t going to work. A vendor he worked with refused to sell him the transmitters, worried it might be a futile attempt. The concerns weren’t unfounded.