Kids News - Environment Articles

Environmental scientists Shi-Mao Wu and Jiang-Yun Gao were in a rainforest in China's Yuan Province when they noticed mosquitos buzzing around some flowers. Upon looking closer, the researchers realized they were looking at a male and a female crab spider. They had come together to resemble a single flower. The male spider was disguised as the pistils and stamens, while the female looked like the flower's lighter petals....

Celebrated every April 22, Earth Day is an annual reminder of the urgent need to protect our planet. The global movement began on April 22, 1970, when US lawmaker Gaylord Nelson mobilized more than 20 million people to demonstrate support for environmental protection....

A new species of ragworm, likened to a living magic carpet, has been discovered in the methane seeps 30 miles (48 km) off the coast of Costa Rica. The rose-colored Pectinereis strickrotti (P. strickrotti) is one of 450 species found in the area since 2009. Forty-eight of them are new to science....

Every spring, many fish species migrate from the Vecht, a branch of the Rhine River, to the shallow waters of the Kromme Rijn River to spawn and reproduce. However, their journey often stops at the Weerdsluis lock in Utrecht, Netherlands. The manually operated lock, designed to maintain the canal's water levels, rarely opens in the spring months. But now, thanks to an interactive "fish doorbell," the marine animals are able to reach their destination with little or no disruption....

Earth Hour 2024 will occur on March 23 from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm local time. The event, held annually toward the end of March, encourages individuals, communities, and businesses worldwide to turn off non-essential electric lights for one hour. The voluntary rolling blackouts are also observed by landmark structures such as the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building. They remind us of the urgent need to protect our planet....

Firefighters in Texas are battling a number of wildfires in the state's northernmost area called the Panhandle. The destructive blazes have scorched over a million acres, killed thousands of cattle, and charred crops. The fires have burned over 500 structures, melted lamp posts, and split power lines in half. Two residents have been killed, four firefighters injured, and thousands evacuated....

On February 27, 2024, biologists at San Francisco's California Academy of Sciences revealed that "Mirage," its resident titan arum, or corpse flower, had bloomed. The massive plants bloom once every seven to ten years. The flowers last just one to three days and emit a pungent odor reminiscent of rotting flesh. It is no wonder that titan arums are deemed the "world's stinkiest flower."...

California's Yosemite National Park is famous for its giant, ancient sequoia trees and impressive rock formations. They include El Capitan and Half Dome. But from mid to late February, the park's main attraction is Horsetail Fall, located at the edge of the eastern side of El Capitan. During this time, the setting Sun hits the seasonal waterfall at just the right angle, creating the illusion that it is on fire....

The world's largest iceberg is on the move after being stuck to the ocean floor for 37 years. A23a stretches almost 1,500 square miles (3,885 sq. km) wide, or about three times the size of New York City and its five boroughs. The massive slab of ice weighs over one trillion tons and stands 1,313 feet (400 m) tall. For comparison, the Empire State Building measures 1,250 feet (380 m) from top to bottom....