#nature-access

#nature-access

The authorities behind the A11 extension decided to build a series of bridges to help bats cross the road. Bats navigate by emitting high-frequency sounds and detecting their echo, and the theory was that bats speeding toward the new road would detect and follow the line of the wire bridge upward and over the road, just as they follow the line of a hedge.

Residents of Sauraha are experiencing unexpected visits from rhinos, which has led to a surge in tourism as people seek to see these large animals up close.

"The responders weren't just FEMA, it was people taking up direct collections for food, for clothing; it was a community response."

Barefoot trails exist around the world, inviting people to get closer to nature through sounds and sensations. Feeling cool mud squish between toes, stepping on pine needles and exploring meditation caves transforms a routine walk into an immersive experience.

Caine's book explores the ways of life in Chillca, a small community on the flanks of Mount Ausangate in Peru, 14,000 feet above sea level. In this village of 350 people, women are the primary pastoralists, tending to herds of alpacas, llama and sheep.

"Wildflower bloom times are tied to elevation. Some plants live in lower elevations and start to bloom earlier, whereas some native plants make their homes in high alpine meadows that are still covered in snow when the lower-elevation plants have already finished blooming."

Jessica Wallace, who has a degree in equine sciences, bought the four-acre property to have a home for her horse. She says now her mission is to provide a safe haven for at-risk animals, especially those that are older and disabled.

Joel Jackson described the Tongass as 'the most beautiful cathedral you will ever walk into,' emphasizing its importance to the Kake community and their ancestral ties to the land.

The planet's most powerful landscapes rarely announce themselves with trumpet blasts and celeb-drenched opening ceremonies. They are places shaped slowly, by water, wind and ice, and are best understood through patience rather than spectacle.

According to color psychology, this soothing shade helps decrease stress and improve focus-and travelers can reap these much-deserved benefits in lush landscapes around the world. Here are 10 of the greenest places on earth, which combine serenity with unforgettable adventures.

Wildlife populations are in decline. Recreation sites are crowded and often underfunded. Wildfires are larger, more destructive and harder to control. Climate change is reshaping natural systems, from ocean fisheries to mountain snowpacks, faster than institutions can respond. At the same time, communities are being asked to host new energy projects, transmission lines and mineral development - often without clear processes, adequate resources or trust that decisions are being made in the public interest.