Agriculture Food Production Land Conservation

How to conserve half the planet without going hungry

Top photo: Terraced rice fields in northwest Vietnam. (Shutterstock) Authors: Zia Mehrabi, University of British Columbia; Erle C. Ellis, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Navin Ramankutty, University of British Columbia Every day there are roughly 386,000 new mouths to feed, and in that same 24 hours, scientists estimate between one and 100 species will […]

Animal Behavior Animal Cognition Neurobiology

What elephants’ unique brain structures suggest about their mental abilities

Top photo: African elephant bull. Michelle Gadd/USFWS, CC BY Author: Bob Jacobs, Colorado College Conservationists have designated August 12 as World Elephant Day to raise awareness about conserving these majestic animals. Elephants have many engaging features, from their incredibly dexterous trunks to their memory abilities and complex social lives. But there is much less discussion […]

Human-Wildlife Conflict Poaching Wildlife Trafficking

In its fight against rhino poachers, India lets the dogs out

Top Photo: Canine officer Zorba from Aranyak’s K9 squad on duty during a search operation in Kaziranga National Park. Image courtesy of Aranyak. Article Author: Moushumi Basu This article originally appeared on Mongabay.com, 28, June 2018 (Republished under under Creative Commons CC BY-ND 4.0).   Since 2011, two dog squads have been deployed to help protect the greater […]

Animal Behavior Ecology in the Home Human-Wildlife Conflict

Should I kill spiders in my home? An entomologist explains why not to

Top photo: He comes in peace. Matt Bertone, CC BY-ND Author: Matt Bertone, North Carolina State University I know it may be hard to convince you, but let me try: Don’t kill the next spider you see in your home. Why? Because spiders are an important part of nature and our indoor ecosystem – as […]

Climate Change Environment

Hope and mourning in the Anthropocene: Understanding ecological grief

Top Photo: Crossing an increasingly unfamiliar landscape in Nain, Canada. By Ashlee Cunsolo. Authors: Neville Ellis, University of Western Australia and Ashlee Cunsolo, Memorial University of Newfoundland We are living in a time of extraordinary ecological loss. Not only are human actions destabilising the very conditions that sustain life, but it is also increasingly clear […]