Nature
Archive
From cork floors to wool insulation, here’s what you need to build out an environmentally responsible rig
In an excerpt from ‘In Search of Mycotopia,’ a new book about different communities exploring the multiple uses of fungi and mushrooms, the author goes foraging with William Padilla-Brown, a rising star in the mycological movement
The shrub-steppe of central Washington’s Columbia Basin is a land of rich biodiversity, vibrant communities, and poignant beauty
Here’s one way to use a flashlight that you might not have thought of
Volatile weather has created dangerous conditions for backcountry skiers and set up the West for a bad water year. With climate change exacerbating the situation, it’s time to start assuming the worst for our winters and making plans to adapt.
Last year, the American Ornithological Society accepted a proposal to rename a bird linked to a racist figure. And there's more where that came from.
As Jeff Bezos steps away from Amazon to focus his attention on initiatives like his year-old Earth Fund, it’s instructive to look at the impact of billionaire environmental philanthropy and how it could be more effective
This Maine destination is a place of rugged coastal wonders and an immersion in Down East culture
In her new book, 'Unsolaced,' the acclaimed nature writer's prose is as beautiful as always, but her analysis of global warming is disappointing
TikTok star Alexis Nikole Nelson says you don't have to live near the woods to gather your own meal. Here's how to get started.
For over a decade, TJ Watt has been shooting photos of disappearing forests in Canada's westernmost province. This striking before-and-after series may help protect what's left.
Researcher Ken Balcomb has spent more than half his life studying the iconic killer whales of Washington’s San Juan Islands and raising awareness about their struggle for survival. Now he may have run out of time.
Improvisational tunes set to the sounds of insects
An ambitious new project is based on a straightforward and very attainable goal: to help kids spend as much time outdoors as they do in front of screens
Most of us yearn for more freedom, but structure is key to performance
One of the great environmental writers of our time, he explored how we live justly with each other and with the earth
These eight titles will keep your wanderlust fired up for when it's safe to travel again
What do you do after surviving a near-death experience? Visit a dying natural wonder, of course. After his husband suffers a stroke at the age of 40, our writer plans the trip of a lifetime to the Great Barrier Reef—and discovers new meaning in the term "last-chance tourism."
In the spell of a week, a mysterious monolith appeared in the Utah desert and was subsequently removed by some slackline bros. The saga has raised more questions than answers.
Over the past two decades, eBird has become the go-to online platform for scientists and hobbyists alike to upload and share bird observations. But it has also transformed the process and etiquette of birding.
More often than not, our biggest adventures are nothing like we expect them to be—in the best of ways
Both the world-weary and stoked-on-life congregate at these wild outposts—all seeking the same euphoric joy, communality, and escapism
A socially distant competition can be just the right amount of motivation
During her college break, the author went all in on solitude—living alone on a Down East island and working for one of the area’s few female skippers. Luna Soley reflects on a time of loneliness, hard work, and natural beauty.
The pandemic has robbed kids of vital socialization with friends—and put even more emphasis on the importance of spending time with them in nature. But what happens when your child is a nonstop yakker on the trail?
Fatigue, writes our columnist, comes in two very different flavors, and fixing each requires a completely different approach
Today’s battles over climate change and fracking share a common origin: the timber wars of the Pacific Northwest
With 'The Forests of California,' naturalist and artist Obi Kaufmann aims to deepen environmental literacy. He also argues that this cataclysmic time is an opportunity.
Jeremy Jones, the king of freeriding, wants to unleash the political might of the 50 million Americans who love our natural playgrounds
In 'Two Trees Make a Forest,' environmental historian Jessica J. Lee offers a welcome disruption to the travel-memoir genre
According to Chris Watson, the man behind your favorite wildlife soundtracks, we're just becoming better listeners
What to do when you're on an outdoor adventure and disaster strikes
From a cult-favorite publisher launching a national-parks series to a Kevin Costner–narrated app, these five new releases are reinventing the traditional field guide
Chris Watson, the legendary field recordist for David Attenborough’s films, says this is a unique opportunity to discover the art and pleasure of hearing our world
Our 62 Parks Traveler explores miles of hiking trails and one of the largest remaining mixed-grass prairie ecosystems in the country at South Dakota's Wind Cave, the 21st stop on her journey to visit every U.S. national park.
This pastoral stretch of the Southern Appalachian mountains in Virginia is packed with hiking, fishing, road biking, and other adventures—if you know where to look
Grizel is using her rising social media profile to spark a more nuanced conversation on nature's power to heal
In a new era of menacing blazes, there are lessons to be learned from the people who stay and defend their properties
These recent releases feature stories of gritty heroines on journeys through threatened wild landscapes
The key is to go all out on the things you feel comfortable doing
From Alabama to Wyoming, we found the best off-grid sites for chilling out, escaping the hordes, and finding adventure
Two friends abandoned promising careers to pursue a bold adventure. It went terribly wrong—but also right.
Researchers have identified an alarming lack of books about Black children in nature. Diversifying your bookshelf can help kids find themselves in literature—and the outdoors.
A serious exploration of a topic that a lot of people don't take seriously
With stormchasing tours more popular than ever, our writer set out to discover why this risky pastime is once again taking off
This will be the best $10 you ever spend. Trust me.
Artist Jackson Stell is crafting music that captures the ecstatic feelings we have when we venture into the natural world
As RV rentals and purchases continue to skyrocket, these three startups are going beyond the basic rental scheme to be more on demand, millennial focused, and remote-work-friendly
The marine biologist wants us all to start asking a new question: What does the future look like if we get it right?
For more than three decades, Paul Knapp Jr. has taken travelers out into the Caribbean Sea to hear humpback whales. Now seismic blasts threaten to silence their songs.
Technology and hyper-anxious parents were destroying one of the last bastions of unfettered childhood long before the pandemic closed camps for the season
Creating a shelter in nature is fun, encourages creativity, and offers an emotional refuge from the pandemic
Two documentaries, 'Big Fur' and 'Stuffed,' set out to show that this sticky-fingered branch of natural history is full of beauty and wonder. Do they succeed? Our reviewer, who knows a lot more about the subject than he ought to, says yes.
With more than a hundred 11,000-foot peaks, five glaciers, and some 150 alpine lakes, Colorado's most popular park has served as an idyllic backdrop for some of our writer's bigger life moments: it's where he proposed to his wife, where his kids earned their first Junior Ranger badges, and where he said goodbye to someone special. While you'll be among 4.7 million visitors who visit every year, there's something personal to be found here.
'Going Nocturnal' gives us a glimpse of the annual hatch of a giant mayfly and the large trout that emerge at night to feed on them
In an excerpt from his forthcoming book 'Leave It As It Is,' nature writer David Gessner examines the iconic conservation legacy of Theodore Roosevelt and unpacks the perception that the national parks and monuments he created were previously untouched and empty
And it was also the most awesome experience
In a time when most of us are struggling with restricted access to the activities we love, I wanted to know if VR would help. What I found surprised me.
There are myriad arguments for and against eating roadkill. Can they all be true at the same time?
In the spirit of Thoreau and Dillard, Donovan Hohn considers the joyous and brutal aspects of the natural world
The strangest things happen at summer camp. Which is probably why we love it so much.
Are social media and selfie culture killing the outdoors? Nah... but as a visit to some overshared spots reveals, they’re challenging our notions about whether there’s a right way to appreciate nature—and who gets to do it.
Booking apps, glamping, and tricked-out Sprinter vans: over the past decade, life under the stars has been upgraded. Here's your up-to-date guide for enjoying the ultimate socially distanced weekend.
Can a lifelong tent pitcher with a penchant for roughing it learn to appreciate high-thread-count sheets and teak-floored showers in the midst of nature? Our editor agreed to suffer in the name of research to find out.
Trying to improve your sleep quality? Get back to nature.
The Senate passed the Great American Outdoors Act, 73 to 25, allocating billions to recreation
Many of us have long dismissed this gentle, approachable activity for more adrenaline-pumping forms of exercise. We've been missing out—big-time.
From a young age, the ocean provided relief from mental illness, something I've been unable to replicate with any other form of nature. It turns out, there's a science behind why some people prefer water.
I went out for a hike and forgot to put on you-know-what. When we crossed paths, was it really necessary to hit me with your self-righteous wrath?
Outdoorsy people always have the best stories about dating. Some of them are wild enough to make national headlines.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, three Chinese teams reached the top of the world
Gina Rae La Cerva's 'Feasting Wild' is a delightful culinary travel book. It's also an adjustment to the way we think about what that buzzword actually means
Spring is the ideal time to collect maple sap and boil it down to syrup. When COVID-19 hit, writer and photographer Andy Cochrane paused his travels around the country and headed home just in time to help his parents with their annual maple-syrup operation in northern Minnesota. Here's how they did it.