Tilcayo cat New species of animals and plants continue to be found and catalogued around the globe. Yet, it's been more than a century since the last new species of cat has been discovered. Until now. In the depths of Bolivia's Yungas cloud forest lives the tilcayo cat (Leopardus tilcayo) , a gorgeously spotted cat the size of a small house cat. It was likely known to the people native to this remote region. Now the world has one more species of wild feline to admire, tr

Every three days, someone is killed for defending nature. In 2025, watchdog group Global Witness documented 124 such deaths worldwide, a toll that is likely but a fraction of the total because repression and armed conflict make many killings impossible to document. The victims include Indigenous People, small-scale farmers, and community organizers who peacefully protect forests, farmlands, waterways, and natural ecosystems from harm. The perpetrators of environme

Enacted in 2001 with broad bipartisan support, the Roadless Area Conservation Rule protects 45 million acres of national forest lands across the US. Now the Trump admistration proposes to rescind this rule and open these wildlands to road building, logging, mining, and other commercial uses. Until September 21, the public can comment on this proposed action to deep six a bedrock conservation measure before a final decision is made. In my April 2 blog post this year, I

It's been said that forests are the lungs of the planet. Saving the Earth's tropical and temperate forests is an essential element in...