"The sound of an earthworm is a distinctive rasping and scrunching. Ants sound like the soothing patter of rain. A passing, tunnelling vole makes a noise like a squeaky dog’s toy repeatedly being chewed."

"After a federal court rejected their lawsuit, tribes are turning to the U.N. for help."

"San Francisco is the latest U.S. city preparing to receive a pair of pandas from China, in a continuation of Beijing’s famed “panda diplomacy.”"

"Last summer was the hottest ever recorded in the United States, and heat-related health emergencies also reached record-high levels in some parts of the country."

"Millions of people around the world will pause on Monday, at least for a moment, to mark Earth Day. It’s an annual event founded by people who hoped to stir activism to clean up and preserve a planet that is now home to some 8 billion humans and assorted trillions of other organisms."

"The Senate on Wednesday passed legislation to aid conservation efforts for migratory birds."