Our Daily Planet: Richard Branson's Deep Dive and Mount Everest Cleanup

Each weekday morning, OurAmazingPlanet takes the pulse of the Earth, reporting on natural phenomena and exploration news from around the globe.

Hatch Watch: Still no sign of the last of the web-celebrity baby eagles hatching. Watch all the sitting and feeding, and take a peep at the two newborns, on the nest's webcam .

Fallen Magnolia: Among the casualties of the year's worst severe weather was a 160-year-old magnolia tree at Augusta National golf course, home of the Master's Tournament. The club's famous Magnolia Lane now has 60 trees, not 61. [Related: Deadliest Storms of the Year Strike the South .]

Branson's Deep Dive: Billionaire Richard Branson -- adventurer, space explorer -- announced his plan to dive solo to some of the ocean's deepest points. [Infographic: Tallest Mountain to Deepest Ocean Trench ]

Everest Cleanup: An expedition team and a veteran Sherpa guide are on a mission to Mount Everest to pickup tons of trash.

Chewbaaka Dies: The symbol of cheetah conservation, 16-year-old Chewbaaka, has died.

Polar Bear Visitor: A Canadian man found an unusual visitor at his front door -- a huge polar bear.

Previously on Our Daily Planet: Deadly Storms and the Oldest Shipwreck of the Caribbean Our Daily Planet: Super Outbreak Anniversary and a Webcam for Chicks

Reach OurAmazingPlanet staff writer Brett Israel at bisrael@techmedianetwork.com. Follow him on Twitter @btisrael.

Brett Israel was a staff writer for Live Science with a focus on environmental issues. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from The University of Georgia, a master’s degree in journalism from New York University, and has studied doctorate-level biochemistry at Emory University.