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Nature

  • The federally threatened plant commonly known as Tiny Tim was discovered in Oklahoma within the past few years. Now it's on the road to being removed from a federal list of endangered species.
  • It's the first app developed by Texas Parks & Wildlife, with a focus on boosting struggling pollinator populations.
  • Texas’ highway investments over the past decade are paying off, according to a report released at the end of last year. As The Texas Newsroom’s Lucio Vasquez reports, drivers are saving money and spending less time in traffic, and fewer people are dying on the road. Lubbock Lake Landmark is kicking off 90 years of discovery, for which it has events and expert lectures planned throughout the year. This Saturday at 10:30 a.m. is a Waterfowl Workshop, hosted by the South Plains Chapter of the Texas Master Naturalists.
  • The Chinati Mountains State Natural Area encompasses 39,000 acres of pristine Chihuahuan Desert landscape. Marfa Public Radio recently got a sneak peek of the new park, which is not set to formally open until 2032.
  • Every fall, West Texans look to the skies for one of nature’s most remarkable journeys: the migration of the monarch butterfly. But monarch butterfly populations are declining due to threats like habitat loss, herbicide use and climate change.
  • Lubbock Lake Landmark is a snapshot of the land before settlement, preserving archeological evidence of early-human life and the natural history of the region’s plants and animals. Through its discoveries, education, and conservation, staff with the Landmark have reintroduced native wildlife driven out of the area, and continue to explore possibilities for the land and for those who love it.
  • Americans are losing their starry views to light pollution. But some communities are make lighting decisions to help preserve night skies – while benefiting wildlife and human health.
  • A new study out of the UT-Arlington shows we not only benefit in similar ways from watching nature livestreams as we do to interacting with nature in real life but we also go on to engage better with our own species.
  • The proposal would have let landowners donate land to the refuge.
  • The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that it is withdrawing previous plans allowing the expansion of the oldest wildlife refuge in Texas. KTTZ’s Brad Burt reports on the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge and the decision. For the third week in a row, Texas has reported no new measles cases with the West Texas outbreak.
Related Content
  • Farmers are waiting longer for U.S. Department of Agriculture services. Harvest Public Media’s Macy Byars reports that more than a quarter of USDA employees have left their jobs since late 2024. More than four million Texans cast ballots in this year’s primary elections. The Texas Newsroom’s Lucio Vasquez reports Democratic turnout more than doubled compared with recent primaries and Republican turnout remained strong and consistent.
  • U.S. Customs and Border Protection this week quietly updated its "Smart Wall" map to remove two "primary border barrier system" projects in the Big Bend area, including one recently slated for Big Bend National Park. Other projects are still listed for parts of Presidio, Jeff Davis and Hudspeth counties.
  • The lesser prairie chicken, known for its flamboyant courtship dances and bulging neck pouches, has lost a majority of its population in the grasslands and brush of southwestern Kansas. But Republican lawmakers have long fought against its habitat protections.
  • Tiny shards of plastic called microplastics are all over the environment and even inside human bodies. Researchers have found a type of bioengineered algae that can clean up these pesky particles.
  • The Trump administration's federal workforce cuts shrunk U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies that inspect produce, provide conservation resources and collect data on crops and livestock. It's creating longer wait times for farmers seeking federal services and programs, people working in agriculture say.
  • After a number of states have dealt different rulings in cases raised against the company behind the herbicide Roundup, the issue is heading to the U.S. Supreme Court.
  • Nearly a year after a child died of measles in connection with the West Texas outbreak, Lubbock Public health confirmed a case in an unvaccinated resident yesterday. Public health officials are working to identify and contact those who may have been exposed. After a number of states have dealt different rulings in cases raised against the company behind the herbicide Roundup, the issue is heading to the U.S. Supreme Court. Our Charley Maranville reports the case hinges on who has the power to regulate manufacturers.
  • Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and electricity provider Xcel Energy have reached a settlement related to the 2024 wildfires in the Texas Panhandle. Our Brad Burt has more on the agreement. And as elevated fire conditions continue this week, our reporter Bishop Van Buren has an update. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is urging agribusinesses in Texas hit by the wildfires to seek financial aid. Click here for more information.
  • Border wall projects could soon move forward in the remote Big Bend region of West Texas as part of the Trump administration's sweeping "Smart Wall" plan for the entire U.S.-Mexico border, according to officials and local residents who say construction firms have started contacting people in the area about the project.
  • In 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture created a network of "climate hubs" to understand how climate change affects agriculture and forestry and help farmers adapt to more extreme and unpredictable weather. Now, the future of these hubs is uncertain.