U.S. Earth Efforts

Technicians have set out into US national parks to document the natural noises of the park, as well as ambient human noise, an audible invasion that may be stressful to wildlife.

Floods bring to mind destruction, but the ecosystems of floodplains and estuaries depend on the occasional deluge, so each year the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers times the release of large volumes of water.

Two obsolete dams are set to be dismantled in Olympic National Park, an inspirational enterprise that will restore the Elwha River's fabled salmon runs.

Six new national natural landmarks were designated by U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, helping develop a "conservation ethic for the 21st century."

Inspired by a gauntlet thrown down by the X Prize Foundation, and a million dollar incentive, the Illinois-based company Elastec has developed a revolutionary oil skimmer.

The U.S. government has issued a moratorium on grants for research on chimpanzees, an elevation for test animals which will reshape research.

The first US predator-proof fence is helping to restore Kaena Point, Hawaii, to a pristine state and proving a boon for scientists and bird-watchers.

Leading bat experts gathered at a symposium to draw a plan of action against white-nose syndrome, which has killed millions of bats and paints a bleak outlook for U.S. populations.