China is fighting desertification. More than a third of the nation’s territory is threatened by the spread of desert terrain. Scientists are turning desert into farmable land. They mix algae, moss, and lichen together and spray them on the sand. This forms what the scientists call a “cryptobiotic crust.” It…

After an unusually wet winter, California deserts have been experiencing a “super bloom.” In the valleys of Anza-Borrego, California’s largest state park, flowers such as sunflowers, poppies, evening primrose, and more are covering the Coyote Mountains foreground and badlands. Visitors from around the world come to see the rare and…