Sustainability at the Smithsonian

Candid photo of Elena Terry smiling holding a white dish full of colorful beans, peppers, and corn tilted away from her.

Smithsonian American Women's History Museum

How Chef Elena Terry Revisited Heritage Seeds to Cultivate Hope

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National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

Ten Fascinating Facts About the Arapaima, the Largest Freshwater Fish in South America

A clear blue river winds through a reedy wetland, reflecting the clouds overhead. A wooden boardwalk with rails overlooks the river on the right.

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Hot, Fresh & Flooded: These Wetlands Spew Out the Most Methane

Imama

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Between Pasture and Forest: The Crusade to Protect the Jaguar in Panama

Head and shoulders photo of Denise Breitburg, a woman with glasses and shoulder-length gray hair, with forested mountains in the background.

Smithsonian Environmental Research Center

Wait, the Ocean Is Losing Oxygen? Q&A With Denise Breitburg

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Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

Centering Relationships Between People and Place: A Critical Step Towards Improving Science's Contributions to Society

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National Museum of the American Indian

Connecting Community and Collections

Sustainability News From Smithsonian Magazine

In Ecuador, a glass frog from a new species identified in 2022, Hyalinobatrachium nouns, hangs from the underside of a leaf, seen from below.

SCIENCE

The Andes’ Translucent Glass Frogs Need to Be Seen to Be Saved

A selection of the bounty from Isabella Dalla Ragione’s orchard, including apples, pears, plums, almonds, hazelnuts and grapes.

ARTS & CULTURE

Meet the Italian 'Fruit Detective' Who Investigates Centuries-Old Paintings for Clues About Produce That Has Disappeared From the Kitchen Table

Thirty-six homes—the world’s last topped with a traditional eelgrass roof—all sit here on Laeso.

INNOVATION

Could Eelgrass Be the Next Big Bio-Based Building Material?

A rendering of the 3D-printed rounded hotel rooms

SMART NEWS

Workers Just Started Building the World's First 3D-Printed Hotel in the Texas Desert

Kids cool down at an animal-themed splash pad at Zoo Miami. Mist stations also help visitors avoid overheating on sweltering days.

INNOVATION

In Miami, the Nation’s First Chief Heat Officer Charts a Course for Surviving on a Warming Planet

Climate Change News

The yellow powder is a type of compound known as a “covalent organic framework,” or COF.

SMART NEWS

This New, Yellow Powder Quickly Pulls Carbon Dioxide From the Air, and Researchers Say 'There's Nothing Like It'

A diver swims alongside the world’s largest coral colony, located in the Solomon Islands.

SMART NEWS

See Staggering Photos of the World's Largest Coral, Newly Discovered by Scientists in the Pacific Ocean

A sperm whale swims away, leaving a cloud of feces.

INNOVATION

Scientists Are Crafting Fake Whale Poop and Dumping It in the Ocean

A view of a snow-covered Mount Fuji from Fujiyoshida in Japan.

SMART NEWS

Japan's Mount Fuji Has Now Remained Snowless for the Longest Time in Its 130-Year Record

Overall, the findings of a new survey suggest Americans are more scared in general than they have been in recent history.

SMART NEWS

These Are Americans' Biggest Fears in 2024, as the Country Is 'Becoming More Afraid'

Polar bears are spending more time on land as sea ice shrinks.

SMART NEWS

Polar Bears Are Exposed to More Parasites, Viruses and Bacteria as the Arctic Heats Up

A selection of the bounty from Isabella Dalla Ragione’s orchard, including apples, pears, plums, almonds, hazelnuts and grapes.

ARTS & CULTURE

Meet the Italian 'Fruit Detective' Who Investigates Centuries-Old Paintings for Clues About Produce That Has Disappeared From the Kitchen Table