In the early 1960s, developers sold 5,850 lots for a private resort on Assateague Island; one five-day storm wiped out nearly every house and helped turn it into a national seashore
The island was protected as a National Seashore in 1965. (Picture: NPS) Assateague Island National Seashore in Maryland is known for its undeveloped beaches, wildlife and natural coastal habitats. But plans were once in place to turn large parts of…
In 1916, a Texas woman left six acres of riverbank for the public; her governor son later added 250 acres and the tiny gift helped create Texas’ first state park
Mother Neff State Park (Image Credit: Wikipedia) In 1916, a small piece of land along Texas’ Leon River became the starting point for what would eventually become the state’s first state park. Isabella Neff, known locally as Mother Neff, had long…
Meet Ni Jingchen: The 12-year-old Beijing student who posted a strange fossil online and helped reveal Asia’s first Jurassic amphibian footprint
Representative Image of a child examining ancient fossil footprints preserved in rock in Mentougou, Beijing (AI-generated image) In early 2025, 12-year-old Ni Jingchen was out exploring with his parents in Beijing’s Mentougou district when he…
The golden lion tamarin seen on a R$20 banknote nearly vanished from Brazil: Zoologist Devra Kleiman helped bring it back
Image: Left/Zoologist Devra Kleiman/Right/National Geographic The small golden lion tamarin is one of Brazil’s most recognisable animals, but its presence on the R$20 banknote represents much more than national wildlife. The species (Leontopithecus…
An Arizona baby stopped breathing during a post-office visit; former nurse Mary Schwarz performed CPR and helped restore her breathing on the way to hospital
An 8-month-old baby, Nova, is recovering in a Tucson hospital after a postal worker performed CPR and saved her life.Photo credit: Fox10 What started as an ordinary stop at a post office in Clifton, Arizona, turned into a life-or-death emergency when an…