Crossing Boundaries

"Travel by boat with ornithologists as they catalog breathtaking bird life along the banks of one of Brazil's remote rivers. You'll discover how their work is redefining diversity in Amazonia and reshaping traditional conservation boundaries by identifying new Areas of Endemism-regions that harbor species found nowhere else in the world. Explore our interactive map to follow in the scientists' footsteps and view video journals and site notes documenting the team's experiences during their expedition. You can take a look at-and listen to-the amazing birds found at each of the three study sites and learn more fun facts about each species' habits and habitats!"

"A new NASA-led study seven years in the making has confirmed that natural forests in the Amazon remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than they emit, therefore reducing global warming. This finding resolves a long-standing debate about a key component of the overall carbon balance of the Amazon basin."

Follow an osprey's migration online: "As part of a two-year research project, we have outfitted a male Osprey nesting at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge with a GPS pack in order to follow him on his local hunting trips during the summer and his yearly migrations south."

"Young Voices for the Planet is a film series featuring young people who are making a difference! They are shrinking the carbon footprint of their homes, schools and communities. You, too, can do something about global warming! As Alec Loorz says, "Kids Have Power.""

Includes some great species-specific migration and tracker maps, + Esri's wind map and others related to wildlife and natural resources

" overgrazing of native plants by deer that open up more growing space for invasive exotic plants that deer find unpalatable"

"Compare NOAA satellite imagery from before and after Hurricane Sandy and investigate damage caused by the superstorm in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Click and drag the white bar to compare historical and current imagery. You can also use the included bookmarks to explore some of the the most damaged areas. "

"Using data for 25,780 species categorized on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, we present an assessment of the status of the world's vertebrates. One-fifth of species are classified as Threatened, and we show that this figure is increasing: On average, 52 species of mammals, birds, and amphibians move one category closer to extinction each year. However, this overall pattern conceals the impact of conservation successes, and we show that the rate of deterioration would have been at least one-fifth again as much in the absence of these. Nonetheless, current conservation efforts remain insufficient to offset the main drivers of biodiversity loss in these groups: agricultural expansion, logging, overexploitation, and invasive alien species. "

What a fun article to use as a conversation starter during discussions focused on experimental design, or adaptations.

U.S. world population, current population estimates for the United States and the world, population clocks.

Maps show threats from sea level rise and storm surge to all 3000+ coastal towns, cities, counties and states in the Lower 48.

authoritative source for information on more than 70,000 plants, animals, and ecosystems of the United States and Canada. Explorer includes particularly in-depth coverage for rare and endangered species.