Articles for author: Maria Faith Saligumba

Close up of a vibrant starfish on Daytona Beach with ocean waves lapping its arms.

You’re Closer to a Starfish Than a Cockroach (Seriously)

Have you ever gazed at a starfish gliding across the ocean floor and thought, “That’s basically my distant cousin!”? Probably not. Yet, as wild as it sounds, you might share more with a starfish than the common cockroach scuttling under your kitchen sink. This isn’t just a quirky fact—it’s a scientific revelation that will make ...

Adorable black-tailed prairie dog standing alert in a green grassy field.

Prairie Dog Towns and the Species That Depend on Them

Beneath the endless blue skies of North America’s grasslands, something extraordinary unfolds just below the surface. Prairie dog towns, often mistaken for simple clusters of burrowing rodents, are in fact bustling underground cities teeming with life, drama, and survival. These intricate networks of tunnels and mounds don’t just belong to the prairie dogs—they shape the ...

Indigenous Woman

Why Endangered Languages Often Hold the Key to Local Ecology

Imagine a world where the whispers of an ancient forest, the call of a rare bird, or the secrets of hidden medicinal plants could vanish forever—not because the species themselves disappear, but because the words describing them fade from memory. Every time an endangered language dies, we risk losing not just words, but centuries of ...

The Role of Zoos

The Role of Zoos in a Climate-Challenged World

Thunder cracks in the distance. Somewhere, a polar bear paces a shrinking patch of ice. Forests burn, oceans warm, and the orchestra of life quiets as species vanish at a rate never seen before. In this whirlwind of environmental upheaval, zoos—often seen as relics of the past—are stepping onto center stage with surprising urgency. No ...

A vibrant frog emerges from a pond in Grand Est, France, displaying its natural habitat.

How Some Frogs Survive Being Frozen Solid in Winter

Imagine being trapped in a block of ice, your heart stopped cold, your body as stiff as glass, and yet knowing you will wake up alive come spring. It sounds like an impossible feat—something out of a magical tale. But in the wild heart of winter, certain frogs do just that: they survive being frozen ...

black and white bird on brown tree branch during daytime

Why Woodpeckers Don’t Get Concussions

Imagine slamming your head into a tree trunk at full speed, again and again, for hours every day. The thought alone makes most people wince, anticipating the throbbing pain and damage that would surely follow. Yet, for woodpeckers, this relentless hammering is just part of daily life. These birds can strike wood at speeds of ...