Special Report
Planet Positive
From stories about rebounding endangered species to others about innovations that reduce our carbon footprint, these Smithsonian magazine dispatches show what's working in wildlife and environmental conservation.
It Takes a Village to Save a Frog
A community in Ghana rallies to help the Togo slippery frog, an effort that benefits their own people and other endangered wildlife
An Icelandic Town Goes All Out to Save Baby Puffins
Kids and senior citizens alike rally to rescue beloved young seabirds that have lost their bearings
Fighting Fire With Fire in California
How communities in the West are boldly setting property ablaze to reduce the impact of extreme wildfires
More Science and Conservation Coverage
In Miami, the Nation’s First Chief Heat Officer Charts a Course for Surviving on a Warming Planet
By building a broad coalition of partners across the political spectrum, the Florida metropolis is doing all that it can to keep the city cool
North Atlantic Right Whale Numbers May Be Stabilizing at Last
After a decade of decline, the latest population estimate is good news—but conservationists say we “have a long ways to go” to safeguard the marine mammals
One of Europe’s Most Endangered Birds Is Bouncing Back
Twenty years of habitat restoration has helped the once critically endangered Azores bullfinch
The Quest to Save the World’s Most Coveted Chocolate
For these ambitious scientists in the rainforests of Ecuador, helping the environment has never tasted so sweet
Scientists Cryopreserve and Revive Coral Fragments in a World First for Conservation
The new freezing technique could reinvigorate corals suffering from warming oceans—or even preserve human organs in the future
Ospreys Breed in Ireland for the First Time in More Than 200 Years
The birds were driven to local extinction in the 18th century, but the new chicks provide hope for a comeback amid reintroduction efforts
Ecuadorean Voters Reject Oil Drilling in the Amazon’s Yasuní National Park
The section of rainforest is one of the most biodiverse areas in the world and home to several Indigenous communities
New Pack of Endangered Gray Wolves Discovered in California
The pack, which consists of a mother and her four offspring, is now the state’s southernmost wolf group
Montana Youths Win Key Climate Lawsuit on Their Right to a ‘Clean and Healthful Environment’
The ruling could set a groundbreaking precedent in answering the question: Does the government need to protect its citizens from climate change?
Two Baby Condors At Pinnacles National Park Are Healthy, ‘Adorable Fluffballs’
The nestlings provide some good news for California condors, which faced a major setback from bird flu earlier this year