March 19, 2018 - Measuring one million times less than the width of a human hair, graphene is harder than diamonds and 200 times stronger than steel. Small, strong, and flexible, it is the most conductive material on earth and has the potential to charge a cell phone in just five seconds or to upload a terabit of… Read more
March 7, 2018 - When Holly and Barry Mawby arrived on their farm in Esmond, North Dakota in 2011, they discovered windbreaks that had not been cared for in decades. They quickly realized that they were in jeopardy of losing what little protection they had from the brutal winds. Farmers are challenged by ever-… Read more
February 21, 2018 - Home to the premier restricted military airspace for unmanned aircraft system training in the western U.S., Army base Fort Huachuca supports training for personnel from the Air Force, Marine Corps, and U.S. Border Patrol. But it also serves as an example… Read more
February 5, 2018 - From 2006 through 2016, more than 100 million trees died in California due to the combined impacts of drought and bark beetles. Although tree mortality is part of… Read more
January 29, 2018 - Sustaining the nation’s forests to provide lasting benefits to the people of the United States is at the core of the USDA Forest Service’s mission, and the agency is building the tools and data to support this mission. Specifically, Forest Service scientists… Read more
January 19, 2018 - Creating forests that can adapt and survive natural disturbances like wildland fires is a core mission of the USDA Forest Service. As has been recently witnessed by millions of TV viewers across the county, forests in California need to be able to bounce back following disturbances so that… Read more
January 12, 2018 - The headwaters of the mighty Mississippi River flow through Camp Ripley, a military facility that serves as the National Guard training center for Minnesota and six surrounding states. Straddling 50 miles of the Mississippi River, the area also includes the watersheds of four major tributary… Read more
January 5, 2018 - Some people are just way ahead of their time. In the mid-20th century, when most people thought of wood as an archaic and low-tech material, Egon Glesinger foresaw the revolutionary role it would play in our future, described in his book The Coming Age of Wood. Scientists in the Northern Research… Read more
January 4, 2018 - The USDA Forest Service and … Read more
December 18, 2017 - Deborah Finch has always been drawn to streams and rivers, and particularly to the riparian woods full of songbirds, woodpeckers, salamanders, and other native plants and animals found alongside these watercourses. In her youth, Finch who is now scientist with the … Read more
December 13, 2017 - As part of the Every Kid in a Park initiative, the USDA Forest Service has partnered with the American Recreation… Read more
December 6, 2017 - “Three…two…one!” And with this countdown the journey of three thousand miles for the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from Montana’s Kootenai National Forest comes to end or just begins for those who have… Read more
December 3, 2017 - Prehistoric Indians living in the Amazon rain forest often spent their entire lives living and growing crops in one location, a feat accomplished by burning unwanted vegetation and putting the black carbon material into the soil. The resulting Terra Preta, literally meaning black earth soil, of… Read more
November 27, 2017 - For many in the D.C. area, the arrival of the towering Capitol Christmas Tree means the holiday season has begun. Every year local residents and tourists from all over the country, as well as delegations from the state that provides the tree, come to view the official lighting of what is fondly… Read more
November 27, 2017 - Decades of aggressive fire suppression have left many Western U.S. forests, like those in California, overgrown and susceptible to wildfires of increasing frequency and severity. These fires endanger lives, communities, and wildlife habitat and compromise both water and air quality. And what many… Read more
November 21, 2017 - Did you know that the wild turkey nearly triumphed over the bald eagle as the symbol of America? Yes, it’s true. Proponents as luminous as Benjamin Franklin once advocated for the turkey to be the symbol on the Great Seal of The United States. That’s all history now, but the turkey remains of… Read more
November 15, 2017 - Did you know that some plants prefer to be grown in the shade? Forest farming is an agroforestry practice used to intentionally cultivate plants, mushrooms, and other crops under the forest canopy. This practice allows landowners to… Read more
November 9, 2017 - Life on our national grasslands, some of the most distinct and treasured ecosystems in the world, depends on regrowth from buds, rather than seeds. Those endless expanses of grass exist because of plant buds, and at this time of year grasses have finished forming buds beneath the earth’s surface,… Read more
November 2, 2017 - While city living has its share of conveniences, stressors like traffic congestion, pollution, and weakened social ties threaten the health and well-being of many urban dwellers. Such factors can lead to a range of mental and physical health concerns. For example, stress is linked to negative… Read more
October 30, 2017 - Nearly 13,000 miles of river are protected in their free-flowing state under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. These rivers are recognized for their scenic, recreational, historic, or cultural values as well as being home to pristine and unique fish and wildlife habitat. There is no other such… Read more
