Summer, the time of sunshine, no school, and sitting by the pool, is often hailed as the premier season. But some prefer the cooler days of autumn, and all the coziness and spookiness that comes along with it. For those people, we have good news: Home Depot officially launched its 2024 Halloween line (complete with Skelly the 12-foot skeleton, of course). It won’t be long now before coffee shops are stocking pumpkin spice!
Blackwell School Becomes Newest National Park, Honoring “Complex” US History
Sarah M. Vasquez/National Parks Conservation Association
The United States has formally established its 430th national park: the Blackwell School in Marfa, Texas. The school was built in 1909 for Mexican and Mexican American students in order to separate them from their white peers, serving as an example of de facto segregation, meaning that which was not enforced by law. Its national park designation comes after years of advocacy from alumni. “Today, the Blackwell School is fully entrusted to the American people as a place of history, learning, and healing,” Daniel O. Hernandez, president of the Blackwell School Alliance, said in a statement. “We’re deeply grateful for all who have contributed their time and talents to this grassroots effort over the last two decades — especially our alumni, whose experiences will forever serve as the foundation for telling this story.” Upon establishing the site last Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland acknowledged the country’s “complex journey toward equality and justice.” She added: “By honoring the legacy of Blackwell School, we recognize the resilience and contributions of the Latino community in our shared history.”
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Most birds have an instinct to protect themselves from strong winds, but there’s one seabird that elects to follow hurricanes — you can think of them as the storm chasers of the avian world. Desertas petrels, which live on Portugal’s Bugio Island, have been recorded trailing cyclones for days (and hundreds of miles) at a time, per a recently published paper. Study lead Francesco Ventura told The Washington Post that researchers “nearly fell off our chairs” when reviewing the data. “It was surprising,” the biologist said. “Because I was expecting the opposite.” The birds aren’t just following hurricanes for the thrill of it, though. They’ve figured out that ocean mixing, or the process of cold, deep water merging with warm surface water, causes their preferred prey to rise to the top. Petrels seem to have mastered the system, enduring 26-foot-tall waves and 62 mph winds in pursuit of food. “I like to think about them as very, very skillful sailors,” Ventura said.
Environment
Global Map Paves the Way for Better Protection of Groundwater Reserves
Citizens of the Planet/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Scientists have known that various essential ecosystems around the globe rely on hidden groundwater reserves in order to thrive, but what they didn’t know was where such habitats are all located. So a team of researchers, led by ecohydrologist Melissa Rohde, took on the job of creating a worldwide map. It marks the first time that groundwater-dependent ecosystems in dryland regions have been mapped on a global scale, and it could inform how we protect these areas going forward. In a study published last week, the researchers shared that more than half of the ecosystems are in areas with known groundwater depletion, and only about one-fifth are currently protected. “Until now, the locations of these groundwater-dependent ecosystems have been largely unknown, hindering our ability to track impacts, establish protective policies, and implement conservation projects to protect them,” Rohde said in a news release from The Nature Conservancy. Explore the map.
In Other News
Dozens of aging bridges across 16 states will be restored or replaced thanks to $5 billion in federal funding.
Ferrari plans to unveilits first electric car next year. CEO Benedetto Vigna said the company is taking care to make it “the right way.”
Scientists are developing artificial placentas and wombs in hopes of giving premature babies higher chances of survival.
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Inspiring Story
Blazing “a brand-new life”
Many wildland firefighters in California began the work while still in prison, and found their calling in the process. “I didn’t really know … what a wildland firefighter was,” Royal Ramey, the co-founder and CEO of the Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, said of his time in a prison fire camp. “But once I got there, as time went on, I actually embraced it and I fell in love with it.”
Photo of the Day
Ryan Seacrest/X
After Pat Sajak’s final episode hosting Wheel of Fortune aired in June, Ryan Seacrest is taking over the iconic post. Seacrest shared some highlights from his first day on set last week, including the selfie seen above as well as a clip of him spinning the wheel. And for those who are already missing Sajak on screen, fear not: He’ll still be hosting the upcoming season of Celebrity Wheel of Fortune.
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