Iran and America: A tale of two lands and the pistachio between them
The pistachios sold across the United States have a surprising history: California’s trees trace their roots to Iran. Now both regions face the same threat:…
Environment
‘It’s really taking off’: hedge revival as farmers rediscover ancient tools
Grant applications in England surge as interest grows in habitat that captures carbon and helps reduce flood riskThe ancient craft of hedge laying is experiencing…
Why unwanted fridges are piling up at recycling centres across England and Wales
Capacity has been overwhelmed by heatwaves that have pushed white goods to breaking point“In Oxfordshire, recycling centres are filling almost three articulated lorries with discarded…
They’re the sopranos of the forest, so what’s silencing the gibbons’ morning chorus?
As human development and roads increasingly fragment their habitats, a study suggests traffic noise could be altering the animals’ wake-up callDawn has broken, and the…
Country diary: Goldfinches and grasses, together in an explosion of movement | Mark Cocker
Priestcliffe Lees, Derbyshire: What a sight – and sound – it was, this huge flock of juveniles, feeding as the wind thrashed the vegetation Stands…
Benedict Cumberbatch on his Earth-saving eco film: ‘We are in the last grab of the extraction era’
From Obama’s chef to a big cat obsessive, the actor has gathered experts from all over the world for a film about how to heal…
‘Tidal wave’ of Pfas being launched to satisfy AI industry, campaigners warn
Big manufacturers planning to produce more of the forever chemicals to meet demand from datacentresPfas companies are launching a “tidal wave” of forever chemicals production…
A joyful harvest: the young Welsh farmers growing food for Birmingham
A charity in Powys provides the land while growers do the hard work, producing bumper crops for city childrenKilos and kilos of courgettes, cucumbers, tomatoes…
The bird that changed Ecuador: how a chance discovery of a rare species helped to save many more
Thirty years after a US ornithologist first sighted a jocotoco antpitta, the foundation he set up to restore biodiversity is a model for conservation globallyI…
‘Spraying should be the last option’: how farmers are exploring alternatives to pesticides
When pesticide proved no match for the insect, desperate Phyllis Nvuda tried a new way to save her infested orchardFor two decades, Phyllis Nduva, 72,…