Free this Earth Day: learn how trees protect our planet and why they need our help

In this month's special issue, solutions for our troubled planet  [ ] [NGM MAY ISSUE]( [VIEW ONLINE]( [NGM MAY ISSUE]( [National Geographic]( [SAVING OUR FORESTS]( They are key to protecting the planet. Now they need our help. In this month's [special issue of National Geographic magazine]( select pieces unlocked for you this Earth Month—learn how we can save them. PHOTOGRAPH BY SUE CAG [Forests are reeling from climate change—but the future isn't lost]( Heat, drought, and bug infestations are killing trees worldwide. If we change course now, we can limit the damage. [FREE THIS MONTH]( [AN ILLUSTRATED GUIDE: How heat and drought are killing trees +]( ILLUSTRATION BY ANTOINE MAILLARD [Why all life on Earth depends on trees]( Amid trees marked for felling, a scientist spells out forests’ vital role in saving wildlife, humanity, and a warming planet. [READ MORE]( PHOTOGRAPH BY JASPER DOEST [A fragile refuge for forest elephants]( In a remote forest in Gabon, warmer nights and less rainfall may be causing trees to grow less fruit. [FREE THIS MONTH]( PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID GUTTENFELDER [4 solutions for trees and forests threatened by a hotter world]( Most important, of course, is to cut the emissions that are heating the planet. But beyond that, there are ways to help forests adapt. [FREE THIS MONTH]( PHOTOGRAPH BY ZOONAR GMBH/ALAMY [The need to save more seeds]( Plus: A pine forest accidentally escapes logging, and tree rings record earthquakes. [READ ON]( [READ MORE FROM THIS ISSUE]( PHOTOGRAPH BY KENNY HURTADO [Searching for California's mysterious albino redwood]( It’s an evergreen that’s white. It lives like a moocher and looks like a ghost. It’s a genetic marvel, wrapped in an enigma. [AN APPARITION?]( MONICA SERRANO, SCOTT ELDER [Explore one of the first forests on Earth]( Researchers in China have discovered fossils of the oldest forest ever found in Asia, a 62-acre stand dating back 365 million years. [EXPLORE NOW]( PHOTOGRAPH BY ORSOLYA HAARBERG [See Europe's remarkable old-growth forests]( A photographer ventures into the woods to document the beauty, value, and fragility of these wonderlands that are still standing tall. [SEE MORE PHOTOS]( [SHOP]( [DONATE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [TRAVEL]( [READ OUR LATEST STORIES]( [SHOP]( [DONATE]( [SUBSCRIBE]( [TRAVEL]( [FB]( [Twitter]( [IG]( {LITMUS TRACKING PIXEL}