Take it from someone who has stood in the middle of an Ad矇lie Penguin colony, surrounded by birds perched atop rock nests and calling to mates: Penguins are loud. Theyre industrious and patient. And perhaps above all, theyre singularly focused on the task at handfinding food and raising their young.
These qualities serve penguins well, but like birds across the hemisphere, theyre being tested. This issue transports readers from Antarctica, where the scientists featured in our opening pages track the implications of shrinking sea ice, to Alaska, where the Mendenhall Glacier, or akw T宎獺ak S穩t, is in dramatic retreat. Climate change is rapidly transforming both places, and as we see in Rachel Ramirezs report, these and other ecosystems are approaching tipping points that could lead to irreversible collapse.
But we would never leave you adrift on a dwindling iceberg of hope. At the planets polar regions and everywhere in between that birds journey, people are coming together to tip the scales toward a more resilient future. In her feature story, Sarah Gilman describes a far-ranging effort, galvanized by federal agencies and their partners, to build a native seed supply capable of restoring to vibrance badly degraded U.S. lands.
And in Latin America, collaborations between conservationists and communities have swiftly spread to nine countries and millions of protected acres through Conserva Aves. Key to the initiatives success is the role of local residents in designing and implementing solutionsan approach also critical to creating safer conditions for endangered seabirds offshore.
Other collaborations in this issue are creative. They involve reframing how people see and engage with birdlife, whether thats musical artists sampling birdsong or the Reiser brothers captivating audiences through their deadpan talent for documentary. I wont spoil their latest adventure for youyoull have to check out Alisa Opars dispatchbut after watching Listers, we jumped at the chance to tag along.
Our cover creators have truly elevated working together to an art form. Read the latest installment of The Aviary to more fully grasp the duos craftsmanship: hundreds of tiny pieces of hand-painted paper painstakingly assembled into a lifelike portrait of Great Green Macaws. This species, like so many others, will benefit from Conserva Avesits outlook further aided by people appreciating it with fresh perspective.
This piece originally ran in the Spring 2026 issue. To receive our print magazine, become a member by .
