Travelling up and down the river, Alexander von Humboldt was ravished by the beauty and variety of the landscapes, flora and fauna. Today nature conservationists are battling to preserve the region's many threatened species.

The Humboldt Current along the coast of Peru is bursting with life. With its nutrient-rich water from the depths, the ocean current discovered by Humboldt is vital for a huge ecosystem. But climate change is now disrupting it.

German scientist Alexander von Humboldt was intrigued by the way of life of indigenous peoples in South America. In that spirit we visit members of the Achuar people, who live in relative isolation deep in the Amazon forest.

When Alexander von Humboldt traveled to Ecuador, he found dozens of volcanoes. The discovery prompted him to dub the area the "Avenue of the Volcanoes," and to this day, 17 of them remain active. DW went to see them.

Humboldt's Tableau Physique, shows the distribution of mountain vegetation as a function of altitude. Today scientists use the data to investigate changes due to global warming. But there are discrepancies, as Pierre Moret and his team discovered.

ESA astronaut Matthias Maurer could soon be joining a lunar mission. He's training on the Canary Island of Lanzarote, where the volcanic landscapes resemble the surface of the moon. He's also learning how to collect moon rock samples.

Urban centers are usually loud. But when do the sounds of the city become noise? And why is that a problem? DW reporter Anna Sacco went in search of answers and a bit of peace and quiet in the urban jungle.

On the Indonesian island of Sumatra, orangutans are being released into the wild. The female ape, Dora, who was raised in captivity, went to primate school at a reintroduction station, to prepare for release into the wild.

The Helios university hospital in Wuppertal is conducting a two-year study on the impact of color on health, trying to find out if the color of hospital rooms affects patients' recovery.

Latest research suggests mother's milk is tailor-made for each baby. It's all in the mix. Breastfeeding may also bring health advantages for the mother as well. Why that might be is not fully clear.