"The State of the Birds" 2014 report found that red knots (above) and other shorebirds are among the most threatened groups in the U.S. More than half of U.S. shorebird species are on the report's Watch List — species that are currently endangered or at risk. Gerrit Vyn/The Smithsonian Institution hide caption
A Baltimore oriole perches near apple blossoms in Mendota Heights, Minn. Universal Images Group via Getty Images hide caption
Opponents of Michigan fish farms say there is no room for them in the lakes because of sport fishing and other recreational activities. sfgamchick/Flickr hide caption
Off the coast of Southern California, a crowd watches a blue whale rise to the surface earlier this summer. A new study says the population of blue whales off the West Coast is close to historic levels. Nick Ut/AP hide caption
Chicks in the Perdue hatchery in Salisbury, Md. The company says an increasing number of its chickens are now raised using "no antibiotics, ever." Dan Charles/NPR hide caption
A box of chicken eggs painted to look like marbled murrelet eggs. The eggs contain a chemical that induces vomiting. Scientists are trying to teach the endangered bird's predator, a type of jay, to avoid murrelet eggs. Lauren Sommer/KQED hide caption
Across Washington State, hydroelectric dams are blocking salmon as they migrate to their spawning grounds. Enter the salmon cannon. Ingrid Taylar/Flickr hide caption
Florida Gov. Rick Scott helps release a 30-pound green sea turtle in the Gulf of Mexico in Marathon, Fla., in 2012. The governor is making environmental protection part of his re-election campaign. Andy Newman/AP/Florida Keys News Bureau hide caption
Smoke billows from Mount Tavurvur after an eruption in Kokopo, east New Britain, Papua New Guinea, on Friday. The eruption has caused some nearby residents to be evacuated and some flights to be rerouted. Jason Tassell/AP hide caption
Patrick Roy's company, Coastal Rental Equipment, used to rent these large pumps to offshore divers who work for oil and natural gas drillers. After the BP oil spill, when the government introduced a moratorium on drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, the Patterson, La., business suffered losses and eventually shut down. Jeff Brady/NPR hide caption
New Yorkers can take city-run classes to learn how to make their homes and businesses less attractive to these guys. Ludovic Bertron/Flickr hide caption
Big brown bats like this one are relatively common in urban areas, sometimes roosting in buildings. Contrary to popular belief, bats rarely carry rabies and are not rodents. They belong to the order Chiroptera, which means "hand-wing." Courtesy of Robert Marquis hide caption
The granulated surface of the lake bed known as the Racetrack is a favorite destination for tourists — and for scientists who want to investigate trails left by the meandering stones. Momatiuk - Eastcott/Corbis hide caption
An earlier spring in Montana's Glacier National Park means full waterfalls at first — but much drier summers. Robert Glusic/Corbis hide caption
Unifi makes Repreve, a thread that comes from plastic waste bottles and leftover polyester scraps, at its Yadkinville, N.C., facility. Courtesy of Unifi hide caption
An orange showing signs of "citrus greening" this spring in Fort Pierce, Fla. Joe Raedle/Getty Images hide caption
A kids healthy snacks display at Giant Eagle. Courtesy of Giant Eagle hide caption
A view of a road closure to the Vattnajokull glacier, the site of the Bardarbunga volcano under the Dyngjujokull ice cap in Iceland, on Sunday. Scientists had worried that the volcano might spew steam and ash, but say now that it appears to have quieted. Vilhelm Gunnarsson/ Fretabladid/EPA/Landov hide caption
