Holy Water
The author on her reverence for water.
Nature
The Killer in the Pool
In February 2010, a killer whale named Tilikum dragged his SeaWorld trainer into the pool and drowned her. It was the third time the orca had been involved in a death during his 27 years in captivity. This is his story.
Dark Ecology
An essay on wielding the scythe.
Death of a Giant
Stalking bluefin tuna, the most valuable wild animal in the world.
A Death in Yellowstone
After two people are found dead in Yellowstone National Park, a team of investigators tracks down the unlikely culprit: a grizzly bear.
Fiction Pick of the Week: "Seeds"
The sprouting of seeds and an uncle's connection to his niece.
The Art of Waiting
Yearning for conception.
Ruffled Feathers
The story of a pair of murdered whooping cranes and just how difficult it is to save a endangered species.
Change Brings Struggle for This Vermont Logger
Dave Goodhouse can’t really make a living anymore. But he can’t get out either.
Mysterious American Cat
On the mountain lions of Los Angeles.
Fiction Pick of the Week: "Blossoms"
A girls' camp nature walk takes an unusual, grotesque turn.
The Man Who Loved Grizzlies
On Timothy Treadwell, who lived and died with the bears of Alaska.
Opium, Made Easy
It’s legal to buy poppy seeds in America and it’s legal to plant them—unless you’re familiar with the simple process of turning them into opium, that is. Then having poppies in your garden is a felony.
Where the Ghost Bird Sings by the Poison Springs
The author investigates the massive wildlife die-off in the Salton Sea by rafting from its tributaries in Mexico.
The Bears Who Came to Town and Would Not Go Away
A dispatch from a Russian town under siege by hungry bears.
Atchafalaya
A study of the Mississippi River, its history, and efforts by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to hold it in place.
The Man in the Woods
After a murder in the California wilderness, the search for the killer raises complicated questions about mental illness.
Best Article Crime History Science
Inhaling the Spore
A trip to the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Los Angeles.
The Man Who Recorded, Tamed and Then Sold Nature Sounds to America
How Irv Teibel pioneered the capturing and repackaging of nature’s acoustics.
Safe Passage
Checking up on an ambitious, controversial conservation initiative, 20 years later.
Pond Scum
The real Henry David Thoreau.
Climate of Doubt
The art and science (or lack thereof) of water dowsing.
The Age of Loneliness
On the decline of nature, and our wonder at it.
The More I Learn About Breast Milk, the More Amazed I Am
On the magic of mother’s milk, which changes daily to meet the baby’s needs and can even start fighting an infection before anyone knows the kid is sick.
The Man Who Loved Grizzlies
Timothy Treadwell liked to say that, “Grizzlies are misunderstood.” Then one killed him.
