I’d planned to spend my weekend in the sun, potting flowers outdoors. But that was before the pair of crows. Out of nowhere, they had set up their base camp in our backyard.

We first discovered our feathered enemies on Friday morning. It was early, and the sound the birds made travelled through our neighborhood. I figured they’d go away soon. But, no. They were getting louder and probably annoying my neighbors nearly as much as us with the noise. I admit I got a little desperate.

Then, on Sunday afternoon, I looked out the kitchen window to see our dog Quatchi staring at something on the ground. I went to explore and found a small coal-black bird in the grass. Its eyes were milky, and it stayed perfectly still as my dog inched towards it. Only when Quatchi touched his nose to its head did it walk away. I grabbed the dog and locked him inside and came back with my camera.

It never occurred to me that the young would be hanging out on the ground, growing and gaining strength as its parents guarded it from above. The second I saw this little creature I forgave the crows.

To be honest, I’ve never been much of a bird person. I also have a healthy respect for birds, and by healthy I mean slightly fear-based. They’re basically living dinosaurs.

I wish they’d chosen another backyard. There are only so many sunny days in Seattle, and I still can’t do any gardening out there. But I’m also grateful that I got to see this little bit of nature unfold up close. It’s pretty amazing.

The experience has also reinforced my desire to create a beautiful backyard garden that attracts lots of bees, butterflies, and yes, birds. They are welcome here.

The axolotl is a unique Mexican salamander (蝾螈), but unfortunately, it is endangered. Aiming at protecting this endangered species, scientists have developed a programme called “AdoptAxolotl”.

The axolotl is known for its ability to heal itself. If an axolotl loses a leg or even part of its heart, brain, or lungs, it can regrow them. This remarkable ability has long fascinated (吸引) scientists who want to know more about how the animal does this.

There are several different species of axolotls in Mexico, and all of them are seriously endangered. The Mexican axolotl, which is the best-known, is only found naturally in Lake Xochimilco near Mexico City. Unfortunately, the number of axolotls in the lake has dropped by 99.5% in less than 20 years.

Scientists believe that there are several reasons for this decline. The most important one is that the water in the canals has become more and more polluted, which harms the axolotl’s habitat. Another reason is that invasive (入侵的) fish in the lake are eating the axolotl’s food and even their babies, which further threatens the species’ survival.

To help protect the axolotl, scientists at Mexico’s National Autonomous University (UNAM) have been working for years. Last year, they started a programme called “AdoptAxolotl” to ask people to donate money to help pay for efforts to save the species. The programme was a big hit, raising more than $26,000. The money was used to help clean up some of Xochimilco’s canals and for a programme to raise axolotls in a safe environment. This year, the scientists are trying AdoptAxolotl again. The hope is that the new programme will raise even more money than last year.

The money raised will be used to support the scientists’ work and help restore the axolotl’s natural home in the canals of Xochimilco. By protecting these amazing creatures, we can ensure their survival for future generations to enjoy.

Plastic pollution has long been a problem, but now it's gotten to a new height-literally.

Microplastics, referring to plastic fragments and particles less than 5 millimeters in diameter, have been found on Mount Qomolangma as high as 8,440 meters above sea level, just 408.86 meters below the peak of the mountain, according to a recent study published in the journal One Earth.

“These are the highest microplastics ever discovered so far, “ lead author Imogen Napper from the University of Plymouth, UK, said in a statement.

Scientists collected snow and water samples from 19 different locations from 4, 200 meters above sea level all the way up to the top of Mount Qomolangma. They found microplastics in all the water samples and part of the snow samples. The most polluted sample was from the Base Camp in Nepal, where most human activity on the mountain is concentrated. It had 79 particles of microplastics per liter of snow.

But how have these fragments made it all this way and in such a great abundance? The answer is apparent-human activities. It is climbers who bring plastic products to the mountain. Even if they don't litter, just walking for 20 minutes or opening a bottle of water can release microplastics into the environment.

Even covered in ice, the Arctic is also a victim of plastic pollution. A 2020 report published in Nature suggests that there are 2,000 to 17,000 plastic particles per cubic meter in Arctic ice cores. Experts think microplastics may be transported by air and then reach the North Pole in snowfall.

“What we don't yet fully know is the potential problems these tiny pieces of plastic could be having to ecosystems," said Christian Dunn of Bangor University , UK.

Then what can we do? “We need to start focusing on deeper technological solutions that focus on microplastics, like changing fabric design and include natural fibers instead of plastic when possible, " Napper said.