Britain sees second-best butterfly season in 16 years; people counted almost 1.4 million common butterflies and moths; painted ladies jumped by 335%, but scientists are worried
The record heat of 2026 made this summer exceptional for butterfly-watching. More than 100,000 volunteers fanned across Britain with notebooks this summer, tallying nearly 1.4 million common butterflies and day-flying moths. This was the second-best…
Scientists removed kangaroo rats from desert plots for 13 years, revealing how the rodents shape vegetation in the Chihuahuan Desert
PC: Connor Long/Wikipedia In the Chihuahuan Desert, kangaroo rats play an important role in shaping vegetation. Between 1977 and 1990, researchers excluded three kangaroo rat species from experimental plots to see how their absence affected plants and…
In 1945, Oklahoma opened a nearly 4,900-foot bridge across Lake Texoma; 81 years later a record $408 million project has begun to build its replacement while the old bridge stays open
More than eight decades after the Roosevelt Bridge first carried traffic across Lake Texoma, Oklahoma has begun work on a massive replacement project that will reshape one of the region’s most important transportation links. The Oklahoma Department of…
A former Australian miner spotted a ripple on Saturn from his backyard in 2024; two years later, he co-authored a world-first discovery of a 10-sided atmospheric wave
Recent Hubble images of Saturn reveal a 10-sided atmospheric wave at its south pole, stretching across several atmospheric layers (Image Credit: NASA) A mysterious ripple spotted on Saturn from an amateur astronomer’s backyard in Australia has…
High school teacher searching for fossils discovers four footprints later confirmed as first reported T. rex trackway, dating back 66.5 million years
Image: ABC News/ Kent Hups A high school science teacher exploring a fossil-rich region of North Dakota made a discovery that could change what scientists know about how adult Tyrannosaurus rex moved. In 2025, Kent Hups spotted unusual impressions while…
In 2013, St Agnes and Gugh began removing invasive rats brought by 18th-century shipwrecks; 12 years later, Manx shearwater breeding sites rose from 22 to a record 225
In the latest 2025 monitoring data, St Agnes and Gugh recorded 225 apparently occupied breeding sites (AOBs) for Manx shearwaters In 2013, a major conservation effort began on St Agnes and Gugh in the Isles of Scilly to remove brown rats that had been…
In 1976, Buffalo turned a 264-acre industrial dump into a nature preserve; 50 years later, its 75-acre marsh is Erie County’s largest remnant wetland and 260+ bird species have been observed
Buffalo turned a 264-acre industrial dump into a nature preserve; 50 years later, its 75-acre marsh is Erie County’s largest remnant wetland (Image Credit: Tifft Nature Preserve) A former industrial site and municipal landfill on Buffalo’s Outer Harbor…
In 1976, Minnesota residents fought plans for landfills and development along their river valley; 50 years later, the refuge they helped create protects more than 15,000 acres
Conservation challenges remain part of the conversation and the anniversary panel will examine issues facing the Minnesota River Valley, including water quality, flooding and development along the river’s bluffs. Half a century ago, a stretch of…
​A New Jersey family bought Atlantic City’s historic Steel Pier for $4.25 million in 2011; 15 years later, the 5.2-acre amusement landmark is asking $85 million, with possibilities to redevelop it
Atlantic City’s iconic Steel Pier is up for sale, offering a rare chance to buy an operating amusement park built over the Atlantic Ocean, along with the rights to extend the property much farther into the sea. The asking price is $85 million, according…
A 2,100-acre data-centre project was proposed near a Civil War battlefield park in Virginia; residents fought for years to stop it, ultimately ending the project
Henry Hill at Manassas National Battlefield Park in Prince William County Virginia A major data-centre campus planned beside a historic Civil War battlefield in Virginia has been abandoned after years of community opposition and legal challenges. The…