Under the ice, the water of the Alpine lakes never freezes, and fish can survive the harshness of winter. In February, eels and other fish species are spawning, depositing the eggs that will give life to their next generations. Along fast-flowing mountain streams, ice doesn’t form, and the dipper dives in search of invertebrates, crustaceans, and other tiny prey.

As spring arrives in the mountains, the first flowers appear with the sun, and the chamois descend the slopes in search of the first few blades of fresh grass. The ravens are feeding a brood of noisy youngsters, and, high up on an unapproachable crag, Biker the eagle sits on her nest.

What a time to be learning English! Things are happening quickly in the United States and history is being made right now, so don't miss out on the words and expressions you need to know.

As the last of the winter snow melts, fresh mountain meadows are once again revealed, and the animals take their chance to feed. Glacial meltwater flows into torrents, forming streams and rivers. Brightened by rich sediment, they transport vast quantities of gravel downstream, carving new landscapes in their wake.

We keep seeing the "Black Lives Matter" slogan all around — what's it all about? Well, it's a long story. Here's part of the story in a nutshell.

Many of the world’s glaciers are melting away at an alarming rate due to the effects of global warming. There is little left to show of the once great alpine glacier, The Pasterze, that used to stretch for five kilometres on the slopes of the Grossglockner, Austria’s highest peak. But life goes in the Alps: An eagle chick is hatching from its egg. Small and vulnerable, it will depend entirely on its parents as it begins to grow and investigate its new environment.

Lots of English words can serve as nouns, verbs, or adjectives depending on the context. Sometimes even the pronunciation changes. Let's look at the slogan "Black Lives Matter" in both a grammatical and historical context.

Today, planet Earth is in a new era, the Anthroprocene. Humankind has harnessed and exploited Earth’s resources, changing its surface, devastating populations of wild animals, cutting down trillions of trees and leaving very little of what was “wild.” The enormous loss of biodiversity is not sustainable. How can we create a future in which both people and nature can thrive?

The eagle chick is growing fast and the need for food is constant. The eagles' perfect prey is the marmot, or “groundhog,” whose large fat reserves make it a tasty and nourishing meal. But these cute little mammals are watchful and wary, and have no intention of being on the eagles’ menu today!

Can planet Earth survive? Can we survive as a species? Changes in population growth could be a key factor to allowing us to prosper and live in harmony with nature once again.

In a nearby nest, another pair of eagles have managed to raise two young. But with survival at stake, the younger chick must fend off a vicious assault from its older sibling. Eagle-owls are also nesting on the mountainside. Ducks, hares, rats, hedgehogs, and even ravens make up the diet of these fierce nighttime hunters.

Things are calmer now in the Alps than two and a half million years ago, when the collision of two great continental plates forced them skywards. But even the splendid summer flowers, which bloom briefly in the high pastures, must be able to withstand a sudden outbreak of winter, cold mountain winds and a flurry of snow.

In late summer, the ibex are feeding in the high pastures, preparing for the winter ahead. The young males jostle and clash horns, testing their strength in a series of energetic show fights. As night falls, we catch glimpses of the powerful red deer, and Biker the eagle takes flight in an effort to coax her chick into the air.

Biker’s chick is strong enough, but lacks the courage to fly the nest. She must use food to tempt it into flight. The nest will then be empty, and other species can make use of its strength and secure position to raise their broods.

Chris Isaak tells the story behind shooting the iconic 1989 music video for "Wicked Game," which featured supermodel Helena Christensen. The on-screen chemistry between the two of them has made many people wonder if they were romantically involved in real life, but Isaak says it was the combination of Christensen's excellent acting and the skill of photographer/director Herb Ritts that made the video come alive.