Exploratory oil drilling off the coast of Brazil’s Amazon rainforest is reshaping life in Oiapoque, a small city in the poor state of Amapa that is receiving thousand of migrants looking for work. Newcomers are clearing forest for makeshift housing as they wait and hope for jobs that may result from the drilling being done by Petrobras, Brazil’s state oil company. While the prospect of economic opportunities is bringing hope, the impacts of unplanned urban growth in a city with already poor infrastructure are being felt. Environmental groups warn a spill could devastate fisheries and wetlands while Indigenous leaders also fear the project threatens their territory and way of life.

It might seem impossible to get away from the constant barrage of news these days. But at an urban North Carolina arboretum, people are “bathing” in nature to wash away the stress. The Sunday morning session at the J.C. Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh was led by certified forest therapy guide Shawn Ramsey. Jingling a tiny brass bell, she called her dozen or so charges to gather for meditation, breathing exercises and to commune with nature. Based on the Japanese wellness practice of Shinrin-yoku, Ramsey noted that the activity has been known to reduce stress, improve mood, lower blood pressure and boost the immune system.

Over the past decade, demand for mezcal has rapidly surged as international brands promoted its artisanal image. Mezcal comes from the agave plant, also known as maguey in Mexico. Much of it now leaves Oaxaca, which produces about 90% of Mexico’s mezcal, to be poured in bars from New York to Tokyo. Seven people who work in the mezcal industry recently spoke about what the alcohol's rapid transformation has meant for their lives, communities and land.

Production of mezcal in Mexico is booming. That is to meet growing demand of the increasingly popular spirit in the United States. The boom in production has both created opportunities for producers, particularly in the state of Oaxaca, and come with environmental costs. One study found that plantations of agave, used to make mezcal, have expanded by over 400% over the past three decades, increasingly replacing forests and farmland with a species of agave known as espadin, used in most commercial mezcal. The loss of trees and vegetation is accelerating soil erosion, reducing the land’s ability to capture carbon and recharge groundwater, creating heat islands in heavily planted areas.