The Fate of the Animals: The Art of Habitat Conservation

Red leaves, but no red cardinals. Blue sky, but no blue jays. “Maybe I shouldn’t have bothered packing my camera,” I grumbled to the autumn leaves overhead. Back in my hometown for a visit, I’d hoped to photograph favorite childhood birds, but some species seemed sparser than I remembered. New construction had further reduced their … More The Fate of the Animals: The Art of Habitat Conservation

Trash or Treat? Escaping the Environmental Horrors of Halloween

I entered my office and walked straight into a cloud of bats. Cartoonish chiropterans clung to the walls. Orange crepe shrouded the doorways. A plastic mermaid skeleton with blue nylon hair dangled from the light over my desk. My grinning colleague animated a large, fuzzy spider perched on the cubicle divider. “You think that’s going … More Trash or Treat? Escaping the Environmental Horrors of Halloween

Fire and Ice: How Climate Change Impacts the El Niño Southern Oscillation

“I saw the termination dust in September,” said my colleague, nodding out the office window toward the Chugach Range. When I raised my eyebrows, he added “That’s what Alaskans call that first sprinkle of snow on the mountaintops, because it means summer is coming to an end. I’ve never seen it that early before.” I … More Fire and Ice: How Climate Change Impacts the El Niño Southern Oscillation

The Fifty-Dollar Owl: Contemplating the Cost of Conservation

My overseas work contract recently concluded, but after three years of vast Australian skies and wilderness at my doorstep, I couldn’t bear returning to the congested mid-Atlantic sprawl I’d once called home. Instead, I took a job in another remote pole: Alaska! I’ve hopped hemispheres from the Great Southern Land to the Great White North. … More The Fifty-Dollar Owl: Contemplating the Cost of Conservation

Red Reflections: A Final Australian Adventure in the Flinders Ranges

The winter solstice seemed a perfect time to reflect on the past season and welcome bright new opportunities that accompany the returning sun. But clouds lay thick as doubt over South Australia’s coastline as my plane descended into Adelaide. Local news later reported it was among the area’s wettest days on record. Rain pounded so … More Red Reflections: A Final Australian Adventure in the Flinders Ranges

The Wild Ward: Exploring Resilience With My Father

Shuddering, and the plane pulled up from its descent and fled back over the turquoise sea. Jade mountains retreated from my tiny window, as fantastical as a storybook illustration and just as unreachable.“Aren’t we turning around?” I hissed.In reply, the pilot’s voice came over the speakers.“As you can tell, the wind’s quite strong, making it … More The Wild Ward: Exploring Resilience With My Father