Michelle Nijhuis is author of Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction (W. W. Norton, 2021), a history of the modern conservation movement. She lives in Washington State.
The Forgotten Sisters Who Transformed Early American Science
The Morris sisters made significant contributions to botany and entomology, but their stories were erased from the history of early American science, both accidentally and by design.
The Mystery of Milky Seas Is Finally Being Solved
Scientists are uncovering more about an eerie phenomenon that has bewildered seafarers for centuries
Eerie Photo Proves the Existence of Milky Seas—A First
A night photograph taken from a sailboat near the island of Java validates a satellite image of a giant, glowing “milky sea”
To Conserve More Species, Act while Their Numbers Are High
On Remembrance Day for Lost Species, mourn what’s lost, but also be grateful for the species we still have
What Protecting 30 Percent of the Planet Really Means
To succeed, supporters of an ambitious new conservation target must press national governments to recognize the land rights of Indigenous people
Conservationists Use Triage to Determine Which Species to Save and Not
Like battlefield medics, conservationists are being forced to explicitly apply triage to determine which creatures to save and which to let go
Bamboo Boom: Is This Material for You?
It's not just for tiki torches anymore, but does this wood substitute really make for greener floors, clothing and other products?