-
2 months ago | 
blog.nwf.org | Braelei Hardt |Portia Bharath
National Wildlife Federation teams up with LG Electronics (LG) for an ongoing campaign to highlight vulnerable and endangered species. This February, LG’s Time Square display spotlights the monarch butterfly. The video brings to life our partnership with NBC’s The Americas, an epic 10-part nature documentary narrated by Tom Hanks, which showcases the majestic wildlife and wild places throughout North and South America, including at-risk and endangered species like the monarch butterfly.
-
Jan 24, 2025 | 
blog.nwf.org | Braelei Hardt |Portia Bharath
Imagine stepping outside on a crisp winter morning and spotting a black bear rummaging through your trash can. Snow blankets the ground, and the air is chilly—conditions we associate with bears being fast asleep in their dens. But increasingly, that’s not the case. Across North America, black bears are staying awake longer into winter or skipping hibernation altogether. So what’s going on?
-
Sep 26, 2024 | 
blog.nwf.org | Braelei Hardt |Robert Watkins |Portia Bharath
Amid the crunch of autumn leaves underfoot lies a hidden ecosystem where moths and butterflies find shelter and sustenance. While it might seem like clutter to some, this layer of fallen foliage is a lifeline for various species—including these important pollinators. Fallen leaves are more than just remnants of summer; they are essential components of ecosystems. They enrich the soil, provide habitats, and play a pivotal role in the life cycles of many insects.
-
Sep 26, 2024 | 
blog.nwf.org | Braelei Hardt |Portia Bharath
Please enjoy this short story from the perspective of an eastern red bat settling in for winter. The autumn air was crisp and full of promise. As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of gold and pink, a small figure flitted silently through the trees. This was no bird, but a bat—a solitary eastern red bat, her fur a warm reddish-brown that blended perfectly with the falling leaves around her.
-
Aug 30, 2024 | 
blog.nwf.org | Braelei Hardt |Portia Bharath
Every year, an astounding of pesticides are sprinkled across the lawns and gardens of North America. These chemicals, which originated from attempts to repurpose gases used in warfare for domestic utility, are now designed to keep our lawns lush by any means necessary. They may fulfill their promise of aesthetic perfection—but at a considerable cost.
-
May 1, 2024 | 
blog.nwf.org | Braelei Hardt |Portia Bharath
Every several years, something remarkable happens in parts of the United States: billions of cicadas emerge from the earth in a natural spectacle, bringing the sky to life with hordes of buzzing, breeding insects. This year, however, the massive emergence of all seven distinct broods—something not seen since 1803—is being overshadowed by headlines that seem ripped from a science fiction novel.
-
Apr 10, 2024 | 
blog.nwf.org | Braelei Hardt |Portia Bharath
Many envision the ‘perfect’ American lawn as a lush, uniform green carpet that covers their outdoor space. But beneath this verdant facade lies a complex social history and significant environmental dilemma. The lawns that stretch across the United States, covering an astonishing 40 million acres—an area as expansive as Colorado—embody a tradition deeply rooted in cultural status but fraught with ecological consequences.
-
Mar 28, 2024 | 
blog.nwf.org | Braelei Hardt |Danielle Korman |Lydia Sulik |Portia Bharath
As this year’s Women’s History Month comes to a close, many powerful, brave, and influential women from across history have been highlighted for their incredible contributions to society, but it’s not just humans who deserve recognition. While rare, female-dominant wildlife species play a powerful role whether they’re as big as an orca or as tiny as a black widow. No matter if it’s swimming, flying, spinning, or stampeding, learn about four species that are the true definition of girl boss.
-
Mar 7, 2024 | 
blog.nwf.org | Braelei Hardt |Robert Watkins |Samantha Hurst |Portia Bharath
It’s easy to think of winter as a time of stillness and dormancy, a period when life retreats, awaiting the thaw of spring. But for the inhabitants of the natural world, winter is not a quiet retreat; it is a dynamic arena of endurance, strategy, and adaptability. From epic migrations that span continents to the creation of biological antifreeze, join us as we explore seven of the miraculous ways in which life endures, thrives, and even flourishes amidst the frosty challenges of winter.
-
Feb 26, 2024 | 
blog.nwf.org | Braelei Hardt |Sydney Anderson |Dana Jensen McNamara
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map received its first update in over ten years, moving many gardeners up a half-zone. Those previously on the upper edge of their half-zone may have shifted, whereas lower-edge gardeners have likely remained the same. The 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map averages 30 years’ worth of extreme annual winter temperatures to predict perennial plant survival.
