Americas

CNN founder Ted Turner’s New Mexico ranch helped save North America’s rarest large tortoise, growing its population from 30 to about 800

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CNN founder Ted Turner’s New Mexico ranch helped save North America’s rarest large tortoise, growing its population from 30 to about 800

For thousands of years, the Bolson tortoise had been missing from the grasslands of New Mexico. Then a private ranch offered the species something it had not had in generations: space to start again. What began with just 30 captive tortoises grew into a population of roughly 800 through a long-running conservation effort backed by … Read more

60 years after Dutch elm disease devastated America’s 100 million iconic trees, now scientists have infected 6,000 young elms in a radical bid to bring them back

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60 years after Dutch elm disease devastated America’s 100 million iconic trees, now scientists have infected 6,000 young elms in a radical bid to bring them back

Six decades ago, Dutch elm disease swept across the United States, killing an estimated 100 million American elms that once shaded streets, parks and college campuses from coast to coast. The fungus, carried by bark beetles, turned majestic, vase-shaped trees into dead standing skeletons and changed the look of countless towns. Now, in a bold … Read more

This 240-mile stretch on Dalton highway in Alaska with no petrol stations, restaurants or hotels is one of America’s remotest roadways that tests every driver to the limits

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This 240-mile stretch on Dalton highway in Alaska with no petrol stations, restaurants or hotels is one of America’s remotest roadways that tests every driver to the limits

Dalton Highway south of the Continental Divide in the summer. Image Credit: Bureau of Land Management The Dalton Highway cuts through some of the most remote country in the United States, running 414 miles from Livengood in northern Alaska to Deadhorse near the Arctic Ocean. Built to support construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, the road … Read more

In the early 1970s, Virginia Beach compacted 640,000 tons of garbage into a 60-foot hill; the dump became America’s first landfill park and now spans 165 acres

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In the early 1970s, Virginia Beach compacted 640,000 tons of garbage into a 60-foot hill; the dump became America’s first landfill park and now spans 165 acres

Mount Trashmore Park (Image Credit: Wikipedia) In Virginia Beach, one of the city’s most recognisable parks began with something most communities would rather hide: a mountain of garbage. According to the City of Virginia Beach, a 640,000-ton pile of garbage was converted into a 60-foot-high hill that became Mount Trashmore Park. What had once been … Read more

America’s Lake Powell reaches record low, experts warn against propping; Utah Governor says it’s not time to let the lake go

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America's Lake Powell reaches record low, experts warn against propping; Utah Governor says it's not time to let the lake go

Lake Powell reaches historic low in August Lake Powell has fallen to a record-low elevation, 20 feet lower than it was at the beginning of 2026. The decline is not unexpected as scientists have been warning against this approaching doom. Lake Powell is the second-largest man-made reservoir in the YS by totak capacity, second to … Read more

In 2002, New Mexico began one of America’s largest native-fish restoration projects; more than two decades later Rio Grande cutthroat trout had returned to 120 miles of streams

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In 2002, New Mexico began one of America’s largest native-fish restoration projects; more than two decades later Rio Grande cutthroat trout had returned to 120 miles of streams

A major conservation effort launched in 2002 has restored New Mexico’s official state fish to more than 120 miles of connected mountain streams, marking one of the largest native fish restoration projects in the United States. For more than two decades, state and federal conservation agencies have worked to remove non-native predators and restore high-altitude … Read more

In 1966, a 71-year-old woman donated nearly 100 acres of her Virginia farm and money for an amphitheatre; the land became America’s only national park dedicated to the performing arts

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In 1966, a 71-year-old woman donated nearly 100 acres of her Virginia farm and money for an amphitheatre; the land became America's only national park dedicated to the performing arts

Wolf Trap remains the only national park in the United States devoted to the performing arts, advancing the concept Shouse first put forth more than six decades ago Before it became a stage beneath the stars, Wolf Trap was simply a Virginia farm. But in the 1960s, one woman had a very different dream for … Read more

North America’s longest cable-stayed bridge is now open with a massive 853-metre crossing linking US and Canada

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North America’s longest cable-stayed bridge is now open with a massive 853-metre crossing linking US and Canada

Gordie Howe International Bridge days before its opening, July 2026. Image Credit: Wikipedia The Gordie Howe International Bridge has opened between Windsor, Ontario, and Detroit, Michigan, creating a new six-lane crossing over the Detroit River and a new link between Canada and the United States. Its 853-metre main span is the longest of any cable-stayed … Read more

Meet the General Grant Tree: The worlds second-largest tree that became Americas only living National Shrine

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Meet the General Grant Tree: The world's second-largest tree that became America's only living National Shrine

Most people who have heard of giant sequoias can usually name one tree: the General Sherman Tree. Far fewer realise that another extraordinary giant stands only a short distance away in California’s Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. The General Grant Tree does not hold the title of the world’s largest tree, yet its dimensions … Read more