Nature
Archive
A brilliant adaptation of Kon-Tiki brings the legend of Thor Heyerdahl to the masses
Mountaineer Garrett Madison has summited Everest with 28 clients in the last four years and is one of the world's top expedition guides. He shares his first update of the Everest 2013 season from Base Camp.
In 2003, Dan Bigley lost his sight when a grizzly mauled him on Alaska's Russian River. Ten years later, he's back outside, working to give his children the outdoor life that he almost lost.
The climate activist was released yesterday after being incarcerated for 21 months
We may never know how 21-year-old rafter Kaitlin Kenney died on the Colorado River, but we will never forget why she went
While a federal agency works to remove the grizzly bear from the endangered species list, opening the population to hunting, conservationists worry
I want to hike part of the Appalachian Trail with my 16-year-old son this summer. We plan to go for a week. What are the best stretches for a trip like this?
Mined, dammed, and sucked dry: The annual list of of the country's most endangered waterways is out—and it isn't pretty.
When the Florida Wildlife Commission offered $1,500 for the most Burmese Pythons caught in the Everglades in a month, they had no idea that almost 1,600 would-be wranglers and a cabal of journalists would flock to the cypress swamps for what turned out to be more of a reality-TV audition than a good ole-fashioned bounty hunt. Now that the dust has settled, what
The ponies that carried Genghis Khan’s warriors are small, tough, and skittish as hell, making the prospect of riding them for 1,000 kilometers seem downright insane. American cowboy Will Grant couldn’t resist, so he entered the Mongol Derby—the longest, hardest horse race in the world—determined not just to finish but to win.
Two American climbers started the Centro de Escalada Urbana with a vision: to give kids from one of Rio de Janeiro’s poorest neighborhoods a leg up by teaching them to climb the cliffs near their home. Before they were done, they would blaze new routes up Rio’s granite walls, weather the death of a friend, and see the social order of one of Brazil's biggest slums turned upside down.
In 1966, a group of gravediggers in West Virginia reported seeing a flying humanoid figure with glowing red eyes. A year later, a nearby bridge collapsed, killing 46 people. Coincidence? Probably, but who knows.
The new country of South Sudan is blessed with oil, water, and a safari bonanza: one of the largest, most stunning animal migrations on earth. But without roads, laws, or infrastructure, can Africa’s youngest state turn potential into stabilizing profit? Patrick Symmes joins the adventure.
Three whitewater guides, one wooden dory, and the Colorado River, swollen by record snowmelt and raging with a fury that boatmen hadn't seen since the days of John Wesley Powell. From Kevin Fedarko's epic new book, The Emerald Mile, the incredible story of the fastest, wildest trip ever attempted through the Grand Canyon.
Travel to these destinations for tons of open space—and it's all yours
Sending your kids to camp may not be the best way to keep them active in the warm months
Take a page out of new books from Pollan, William McDonough, and Michael Braungart
Katie Heaney fell off a horse. Years later, she got back on. You can decide whether or not this works as a metaphor for something else.
Tomorrow, on World Water Day, a new start-up is launching a program that aims to raise $1 billion to improve clean water infrastructure by convincing resorts around the world to stop importing plastic bottles
One minute, you're checking a yardage marker for your buddy, and the next, you're being eaten by a golf course
Using source-to-sea boat trips and an ultramarathon, Rivers for Change is trying to cast rivers as arteries, not just playgrounds
Katie Arnold's meditation on training for a 50-mile race
Huston just left the country for his expedition to Ellesmere Island
Desertification is out of control, but there may be a way to stop it
Kristofor Lofgren, sustainable seafood expert and founder of Portland, Oregon's Bamboo Sushi, talks about his business and the seafood industry
Go see the New York Historical Society's exhibition of John James Audubon's "Audubon's Aviary" or go buy the book. Do it now.
Belize has world-famous diving and wild rainforests. This lodge has the menu to match.
The first of a new Adventure Ethics feature wherein we profile those whose work places them at the intersection of adventure and environmental issues
Rachel Dickinson boards a sailboat with ornithologists for a 10-hour voyage to the most remote island in the Falklands, which is home to more than half a million birds
In short: they clean up a lot of poop
Metallic mining in Wisconsin used to be tightly regulated. Mining Bill SB 1, signed into law by Scott Walker on Monday, is changing that.
They had only seen five percent of it when Rick and Liz Weber knew they had to buy the land and establish what would become the most prominent climbing property in the Eastern United States. But as the couple ages, they don't know how long they can keep footing the bills.
Gravel riding has exploded over the past few years. Frank Bures tries to figure out where it's going—and if that even matters.
Where can I find a cheap private island?
Axie Navas takes a look at a new sport that's figuring out its place—on the snow and in the air
Tourists must do their part to be a responsible addition to the ecotourism equation. Here's how.
The Patagonia founder dishes on environmental activism and the outdoor apparel industry at a sustainable business conference in San Francisco
Katie Heaney tries to figure out the difference between "shriveled dead thing" and chupacabra
Brian Blickenstaff went to a not-quite-top-tier bobsled competition, and he found a bunch of people with a lot more in common than matching helmets
Hunting is making a comeback by tapping a new crowd of athletic locavores, and that means big business for performance-minded gear companies
Ken Chase created a company that provides luxury tours for American conservatives. It's—this is important—not a place for angry Cambridge democrats. Also: "angry Cambridge democrat" is really redundant.
Denim. American denim.
Bill Bradley lost his job in December, and he hasn't stopped running since. The funny thing: he's not alone.
Greg and Julie Welch thought they were taking their regular, annual trip, paddling through the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota. Then the fire came.
Costa rica is basically one giant, overrun eco-resort, right? Not here.
There is no explicit definition of ocean or marine wilderness anywhere in the world, but there are about a dozen generally-agreed-upon places in the United States where you can—and should—see it
Did Katie Heaney actually go dogsledding? It seems like it—or this whole thing is just an extremely detailed fever dream.
As rising waters lap at endangered species' heels, the most effective responses are likely found outside the scope of that landmark legislation
Direct impacts rarely end well. Every year, collisions with wildlife result in 1.5 million crashes, 200 deaths, and $1 billion in vehicle damage. Here are five tips to stay safe.
In this chapter from Animal Wise, the latest book from journalist Virginia Morell, the author visits renowned scientist Dr. Irene Pepperberg to explore cognition in parrots, specifically, Alex the African Grey
Though its funding ends next year, the Transit in Parks program is seeking solutions to congested parks and opening federal lands to non-motorized travel
In 1900, Chicagoans remade their city’s namesake river. Then they let it go to hell.
Hollywood sticks it to the energy establishment with the new Matt Damon and John Krasinski film
Jim Harrison's new book, made up of two longer stories, is a fascinating read about the way we navigate rivers and life
Jason Diamond talks with Michael Kiser, the founder of a site that, well, hunts for good beer
Will a pilot program meant to find a second life for pre-owned apparel and footwear get off the ground?
Travis Winn, a 29-year-old river guide based in Kunming, is working to bring people from China’s growing cities out to see the last remaining wild river in the country and, in doing so, martial their support for protecting it from a series of proposed dams
With Jewell, the CEO and president of REI, at the helm of the Department of the Interior, could the industry finally find its green mojo?
When an unidentified hunter took out an alpha wolf that has long been a favorite of park tourists and an important part of ongoing research, he unwittingly drew many once-casual observers into a contentious battle between wildlife management, scientists, and hunting advocates
Katie Heaney goes looking for the dead in Minnesota's (possibly haunted) St. James Hotel
When the Bounty went down during Hurricane Sandy, millions watched on TV as the Coast Guard rescued 14 survivors—but couldn’t save the captain and one of his crew. A huge question lingered in the aftermath: what was this vessel—a leaking replica built in 1960 for the film Mutiny on the Bounty—doing in the eye of the storm?
Or, why you just need to disconnect every once in a while
Seven years after Hurricane Katrina, animal advocates faced their greatest challenge yet—but a combination of technological advances, coordination, and legislation made all the difference
Problem: Stress, temper tantrums, teething, nighttime waking, worry, and overscheduled days. Solution: To spend some time sleeping—and living—outdoors, away from digital distractions, at least once a month.
Eric Nusbaum went to a bullfight in Mexico City, and, among other things, he realized Ernest Hemingway was totally wrong
The Abominable Snowman is just a legend. Or is it? We break down the history of the Himalayas' most famous monster, from ancient legends to Russia's yeti museum.
Cats are being blamed for killing billions of birds and small mammals in the United States every year, but off-leash, free-roaming, and feral dogs are responsible for a fair bit of damage to wildlife, too
I’ve always wanted to watch the Northern Lights over the night sky. Where’s the best place to go see them?
Want to know what domestic bliss looks like? A rundown cabin with no electricity on the edge of rain-soaked Alaskan wilderness.
Photo: Spatial Information Design Lab The Spatial Information Design Lab at Columbia University has built an informative and easy-to-use…
In which Katie Heaney discovers the Fountain of Youth, sort of
What an ostrich sounds like. What an ostrich chick in an egg sounds like. Photo: Shutterstock You might know what an…
Everyone had one, and now no one does. Jason Diamond isn't alone in fondly remembering the heyday of the Volvo station wagon.