Tria Thalman

The tornado that struck El Reno, Oklahoma, on May 31, 2013, defined superlatives. It was the largest twister ever recorded on Earth.

California is the most populous state in America, but in between the skyscrapers and highways, patches of wilderness remain, where nature not only survives, but thrives! See how the Golden State balances the needs of its wildlife and its people, designating nearly half its land and one-sixth of its coastal waters as protected areas. Then follow the stories of the creatures that call it home, from the sidewinder rattlesnake of the Algodones Dunes to the mustangs of the Sierra Nevada mountains to the humpback whales off the coast of Monterey.