About 6-7 million years ago, common rosefinches – which are today found across a vast expanse of northern Eurasia and are even occasional winter visitors to the British Isles – island-hopped their way from the Russian Far East across the Pacific Ocean and arrived in the newly formed, volcanic land masses of Hawaii. There, a […]
Author: Supertrooper
Founder and Executive Editor
NWF Acts to Stop the Silence of Extinction, So Should You
The Rev. Fred Morris, then the president of the Florida Council of Churches, once observed that losing a species to extinction was akin to “tearing a page from the Book of Genesis.” I take these words and the concept of our responsibility to protect and cherish creation and all the wildlife therein very seriously. This […]
Indonesia floods were ‘extinction level’ disturbance for world’s rarest ape
The skull of a Tapanuli orangutan, caked in debris, stares out from a tomb of mud in North Sumatra, killed in catastrophic flooding that swept through Indonesia. The late November floods have been an “extinction-level disturbance” for the world’s rarest great ape, scientists have said, causing catastrophic damage to its habitat and survival prospects. Between […]
Octopuses use their arms to sense and respond to microbiomes on the seafloor
From the beginning of life on Earth, microbes, small but influential single-celled organisms, have shaped the environment that animals must adapt to in order to survive. Distinct microbial populations, known as microbiomes, inhabit nearly every surface on Earth. Now scientists have found that octopuses can detect signals from the microbiomes they encounter, revealing one of […]
VOTE for the Best Photo of the Month February 2026
Welcome to the “Best Photo of the Month” competition showcasing and celebrating the biodiversity of Planet Earth. Voting is easy and lots of fun. By popular request the number of images to be selected has been increased to six. First click an image and the slideshow will start automatically. Select the SIX images you like best […]
Springtime in Genuine Smithfield: 5 Ways to Experience the Season Like a Local
There is a specific kind of magic that settles over Smithfield when the frost finally clears from the Pagan River. Known affectionately as “Genuine Smithfield,” our town is famous for its world-class hams and Colonial history, but those who live here know that spring is when the community truly shines. As we move into 2026, […]
Olive Ridley Turtles Are Making A Hopeful Comeback In India
India’s olive ridley turtles are offering a rare moment of good news for the earth as these gentle animals show signs of a real rebound. According to reporting from NPR, years of scattered but heartfelt Conservation work along the country’s coast have helped these vulnerable turtles slowly return after decades of steep decline. Their recovery […]
‘Iconic swamp king’: San Francisco’s beloved albino alligator dies aged 30
Claude, the beloved albino alligator who called the California Academy of Sciences home for the better part of two decades, has died at age 30. The San Francisco museum announced his death on Tuesday and said that the reptile had in recent weeks received treatment for a “suspected infection”. Claude, with his unusual white scales, […]