Paleontologists have uncovered the oldest example of a fossilized male sex organ. The 400-million-year-old specimen belongs to an intricately preserved spider relative found in the village of Rhynie in Scotland.

A bird once revered by the ancient Egyptians is fighting back from the brink of extinction. Down to less than 50 pairs worldwide six years ago, ornithologists say northern bald ibis numbers have more than doubled thanks to an emergency conservation program in Morocco.

Illegal loggers in Borneo are moving farther into the interior of the forests, reaching a 20-year study site in Gunung Palung National Park, home to 2,500 orangutans. Orangutans are critically endangered and could go extinct in 10 to 20 years if the habitat destruction isn't halted quickly.

For four decades, Mark Angelo—river conservationist, paddler, teacher, and writer—has traveled along hundreds of waterways on six continents. Well known to Canadians as a passionate and articulate advocate for rivers, he has put together Riverworld, a special presentation that helps draw attention to 2003 as the international year of fresh water.

When a study revealed how badly wildlife and wilderness were faring in Banff National Park, Canada's Rocky Mountain jewel, business and government leaders met to search their civic souls: How to save the park without dying economically? Their solution, says TravelWatch columnist Jonathan Tourtellot, could save the Great Smokies.

A big American crocodile repeatedly lumbered into a village near Costa Rica's Tarcoles River and devoured some local dogs—not an unlikely occurrence in this region. This is just one of several "problem crocs" returning home after relocation. Researchers are testing a new GPS-cell-phone system to track the animals.

Eleven turtles equipped with satellite transmitters are on a voyage of scientific discovery. This is despite four of them swimming straight into Hurricane Isabel after setting off from North Carolina in the U.S. Having survived the ordeal, researchers say these long-distance travelers are providing crucial data about their mysterious lives at sea.

Mount Rainier provides a scenic backdrop to much of western Washington State, and more people have moved into its associated valleys. But the mountain's serene, snow-covered summit belies an ominous fact: Rainier's status as an active volcano.

The heat is on tropical glaciers, and perhaps nowhere is the phenomenon more evident than on Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro. Experts say climate change and deforestation are to blame.

One hundred miles (160 kilometers) off the Californian coast, and a mile (1,600 meters) below the surface, researchers have discovered a totally new kind of nesting site. In the dark and rocky fissures of a submarine plateau, hundreds of odd-looking fish and octopus gather to care for their eggs.

Last May, a small fishing boat plied the waters of Mossel Bay, South Africa, in pursuit of great white sharks. Scientists hooked a seven-footer, fought it until it calmed, then towed it towards the 100-foot research vessel that waited nearby. Then, they hoisted it on deck with a hydraulic lift.

Fritz Mueller knows the dedication and patience necessary for award-winning photography. After hauling heavy camera gear into backcountry, he waited out six days of rain, snow, and fog before getting the picture that won this year's Mountain Photography Competition in Canada.

A "living fossil" found only in Europe's oldest lake is facing extinction because of pollution and overfishing, scientists warn. If the Ohrid trout is to be saved, they say urgent conservation action is needed in Albania and Macedonia.

Hurricane Isabel is making its way westward across the Atlantic toward the East Coast. Few hurricanes of this magnitude have made landfall in the U.S. since records have been kept. The storm that set the standard for sheer power smashed into the Florida Keys on Labor Day Monday of 1935, killing hundreds of World War I veterans working on a Depression-era New Deal highway construction project.

Over the next decade, the Mexican government proposes to complete a chain of 27 marina-resorts encircling Baja California. The project spans thousands of miles of rugged coast, assorted national parks, five biosphere reserves, and the entire Sea of Cortés. The plan would bring tourists and jobs, but at what cost?