Atmos

“You see things; and you say ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were; and I say ‘Why not?’” —George Bernard Shaw Ambition can be seen as an oily word, one sleeked in restless desire and unchecked greed. Nature complicates this idea, particularly when we think of the many marvels life has produced. That’s not to say evolution itself is ambitious; rather than operate toward a specific goal, it adapts to circumstance.

A “Save Big Bend” sign stands on the side of the highway. Several more are scattered across the Big Bend Region. Good Neighbors 10.08.26 A contingency of farmers, ranchers, law enforcement officers, environmentalists, and community members successfully stand down the federal government’s attempts to build a border wall through Texas’ famed Big Bend region.

Each week, award-winning climate journalist Miranda Green offers a look beneath the climate headlines—into how decisions are being made, why they matter, and what they reveal about this moment. Subscribe to The Understory to never miss an edition. When Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, it was considered the largest federal investment in clean energy and climate change mitigation in American history.

Episode 31 In the latest episode of The Nature Of podcast, Atmos Editor-in-Chief Willow Defebaugh speaks with conservationist and former Patagonia CEO Kris Tompkins about rewilding as a way to stay connected to the living world, even in the face of grief and loss. To never miss an episode of The Nature Of, be sure to follow here. What does it mean to rewild ourselves?

Scientists in biodiversity-rich countries are using digitized plant records to identify rare species, track ecological change, and inform what gets protected. In a small room in the University of Lagos’ Department of Botany in Nigeria, wooden cabinets stretch from floor to ceiling. Botanist Dr. George Nodza opens one and carefully pulls out a pile of folders filled with dried plant specimens. One contains Chloris pilosa Schumach, known in Hausa as kafar gauraka, or crane’s foot.

My collaboration with María Amilbia Siagama Siagama began 15 years ago, when I met her daughter in the streets of Bogotá, and continued into the mountains of Risaralda. It has been driven by curiosity, the desire to know one another, and learning to accept the opacity and misunderstandings that run through our relationship.

“My own suspicion is that the universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose.” —J. B. S. Haldane I am often asked where my love for the living world comes from. From the time I was a child, I was mesmerized by the marvelous creatures we share this planet with—especially the weird, often unloved things.

From left to right: The Lobe Rangers Matt Bormann, Zack Smith, and James Hepp stand side by side in Rockwell City. Good Neighbors 10.01.26 The Lobe Rangers are calling out what Big Ag’s dated practices are doing to profit margins, water quality, and their families’ health. This is the third edition of a six-part series, Good Neighbors, that visits six rural communities where everyday people trade culture wars for coalitions focused on protecting the planet.

Each week, award-winning climate journalist Miranda Green offers a look beneath the climate headlines—into how decisions are being made, why they matter, and what they reveal about this moment. Subscribe to The Understory to never miss an edition. Yellowstone became the country’s first national park in large part because of its natural wonders.

The winning projects of this year’s Textile Exchange Fashion Regenerated competition, in partnership with Atmos, explore the people, places, and traditions reshaping our relationship with clothing and its materials. Regeneration is among the more enviable functions of the natural world: the resprouting of limbs and leaves, the slow healing of damaged ecosystems, the act of creating something new from what already exists.