2001 July – December

In Focus: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Oil Field or Sanctuary?
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Rich in caribou and in oil, Alaska's coastal plain is a hot topic in the nation's energy debate. BY JOHN G. MITCHELL Web Special To drill or not to drill? Share your thoughts with us.
Frozen Inferno; Russia's Kamchatka { Russia's Frozen Inferno}
Russia's Frozen Inferno A hardy team reveals the explosive peaks and steam- pocked glaciers of Kamchatka, land of volcanoes. BY JEREMY SCHMIDT PHOTOGRAPHS BY CARSTEN PETER
God's Square Mile: 07756 { ZipUSA: Ocean Grove: God's Square Mile in Jersey; ZipUSA: Ocean Grove, New Jersey}
ZipUSA: Ocean Grove, New Jersey Hymns and crashing waves serenade this surprisingly diverse Bible- wielding beach town. BY ANGUS PHILLIPS PHOTOGRAPHS BY AMY TOENSING
Public Lands Are Going Public { The Big Open: Going Public With the Public Lands}
Public Lands With a quarter billion acres of fragile western rangeland to ride herd on- and a stampede of off- road enthusiasts- the U. S. Bureau of Land Management struggles to live up to its name. BY JOHN G. MITCHELL PHOTOGRAPHS BY MELISSA FARLOW
Deadly Silk: The Spider's Web { Spiderwebs; Deadly Silk: Spiderwebs}
Deadly Silk Spinning complex webs of incredible strength, the versatile spider makes things sticky for unsuspecting prey. BY RICHARD CONNIFF PHOTOGRAPHS BY DARLYNE A. MURAWSKI
France's Magical Cave Art { Ice Age Masterworks: Chauvet Cave; France's Magical Ice Age Art: Chauvet Cave}
France's Magical Cave Art Brilliant scenes of animals drawn 35, 000 years ago paint a new picture of the origins of art. BY ] EAN CLOTTES
Megatransect III { End of the Line: Megatransect, Part III}
Megatransect III Blackwater swamps give way to hippos in the surf as ecologist J. Michael Fay reaches Gabon's Atlantic coast, concluding his 2, 000- mile survey of central Africa's forest treasures. BY DAVID QUAMMEN PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL NICHOLS

Hippos: An African Spring Comes Alive { Kenya's Mzima Spring; Kenya's Mzima Spring Comes Alive}
Kenya's Mzima Spring In a protected oasis of clear pools, hippos choreograph a remarkable dance of life, joined by dung- eating fish, fish- spearing birds, and contented crocodiles. ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK DEEBLE AND VICTORIA STONE
Evolution of Whales: Strange Route to the Sea { Evolution of Whales}
Evolution of Whales Earth's largest animals are sometimes born with a leg or two, a startling genetic reminder of the time, 50 million years ago, when their ancestors walked on dry land. BY DOUGLAS H. CHADWICK PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROBERT CLARK ART BY SHAWN GO
King Cobras: Deadly Idols { King Cobras: Feared, Revered}
King Cobras Capable of killing an elephant, these shy Asian forest dwellers have become entwined with some unflappable humans. ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY MATTIAS KLUM
Pyramids: Who Built Them? { The Pyramid Builders}
The Pyramid Builders An ancient city and graveyard reveal that free men and women- not slaves- toiled on the pharaohs'tombs. BY VIRGINIA MORELL PHOTOGRAPHS BY KENNETH GARRETT
Russia: Ten Years After { Russia Rising}
Russia Rising Clambering from the collapse of the U. S. S. R. , Russia has emerged a decade later with four- star restaurants, cyber- cafes, Santa Claus- and social ills. Can it speed its halting progress? BY FEN MONTAIGNE PHOTOGRAPHS BY GERD LUDWIG
Steelville, MO: The Zip in the Middle { ZipUSA: 65565: The Middle of America; ZipUSA: Steelville, Missouri}
ZipUSA: Steelville, Missouri Heart of the country, this Ozarks town gets by on what the creeks and woods offer. BY PETER DE ] ONGE PHOTOGRAPHS BY WILLIAM ALBERT ALLARD
Auroras: Heavenly Lights { Earth's Grand Light Show; Auroras: Earth's Grand Show of Lights}
Earth's Grand Light Show Splashing the sky with radiant hues, auroras can crash power grids and satellite systems even as they delight scientists and spectators with their glowing gases. BY KENNY TAYLOR