2008 January – June

Gorilla Family { Western Gorillas; In the Presence of Giants: Western Gorillas}
Kingo and his family of reclusive lowland gorillas live wild and free in the Congo Basin of central Africa. BY MARK JENKINS PHOTOGRAPHS BY IAN NICHOLS
Indonesia's Ring of Fire: Volcano Gods { Living With Volcanoes; Indonesia's Volcanoes; The Gods Must Be Restless: Living in the Shadow of Indonesia's Volcanoes}
In Indonesia, life plays out in the shadow of fiery peaks. BY ANDREW MARSHALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN STANMEYER
Mud Eruption { The Unstoppable Mud; Drowning in Mud}
A different kind of eruption wreaks havoc in East Java. BY ANDREW MARSHALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY JOHN STANMEYER
Emptied Prairie { The Emptied Prairie}
North Dakota ghost towns speak of an irreversible decline. BY CHARLES BOWDEN PHOTOGRAPHS BY EUGENE RICHARDS
Ancient Art of India { India's Ancient Art; India Temple Art; Faces of the Divine: India Temple Art}
Fifth- century painters created stunning murals in dim man- made caves. A gifted photographer brings them to light. BY TOM O' NEILL PHOTOGRAPHS BY BENOY K. BEHL
Himalaya Winter Climb { Himalaya Ice Warriors; Ice Warriors: Nanga Parbat}
A Polish climbing team takes on Pakistan's deadly Nanga Parbat. BY MARK JENKINS PHOTOGRAPHS BY TOMMY HEINRICH
Why Recycle? { Recycling: The Big Picture}
It's worth the effort to turn bottles and cans into new products. BY TOM ZELLER, JR.
High- Tech Trash
Toxic components of discarded electronics are ending up overseas. BY CHRIS CARROLL PHOTOGRAPHS BY PETER ESSICK

Designs From Nature { Biomimetics; Biomimetics: Design by Nature}
Burs on a dog's coat led to the invention of Velcro. That's an example of biomimetics- the young science of adapting designs from nature to solve modern problems. Now it may be coming of age. BY TOM MUELLER PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROBERT CLARK
Africa's Ragged Edge: Journey Into the Sahel { The Sahel; Lost in the Sahel}
The vast swath of sub- Saharan savanna is a world of unseen lines. Crossing one of them landed the writer in a Sudanese jail. BY PAUL SALOPEK PHOTOGRAPHS BY PASCAL MAITRE
Last Ride for Rickshaws? { India's Rickshaws; Kolkata Rickshaws; Last Days of the Rickshaw}
The city of Kolkata has a love- hate relationship with its rickshaws. Are they a symbol of exploitation? Or just a handy way to get around? BY CALVIN TRILLIN PHOTOGRAPHS BY AMI VITALE
Hawaii's Wild N? Pali Coast { N? Pali Coast}
Golden beaches and soaring cliffs make this rugged edge of Hawaii a paradise on Earth. But tourists and trash are taking a toll. BY JOEL K. BOURNE, JR. PHOTOGRAPHS BY DIANE COOK AND LEN JENSHEL
Chimps on the Hunt { Fongoli Chimps; Almost Human: Fongoli Chimps}
The Fongoli chimps of Senegal will break off a branch, sharpen it with their teeth, and use it to hunt bush babies. That's just one of the recent discoveries that underscore the ape- human connection. BY MARY ROACH PHOTOGRAPHS BY FRANS LANTING