No Bad Days: The “Aquatic Cowboy” of the Ozarks Trades Money for Happiness to Dive Missouri’s Waterways
LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Missouri — My latest story – and first for Missouri Life – is a feature about Booker DeRousse, a commercial diver known as the "Aquatic Cowboy" who navigates the murky, dangerous waters of the Ozarks to recover lost treasures and repair critical infrastructure, all while choosing happiness over money. Come behind the scenes with...
Who decides what survives? Pressures on the federal Endangered Species Act continue – but states aren’t prepared to pick up the pieces.
MADISON, Wisconsin — For over 50 years, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been the nation’s most effective defense against extinction, preventing the loss of 99 percent of listed species. Without these federal safeguards, iconic American wildlife, including the bald eagle, grizzly bear, humpback whale, and peregrine falcon might exist only in memory. Yet, the ESA has...
Alaska’s Bold New Wildlife Crossing Project: My Latest Story for Sierra Magazine
KENAI PENINSULA, Alaska — My latest story – and first for Sierra – is a news feature about brand new wildlife crossings being built into a major infrastructure project on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska to help with the pervasive moose-vehicle collision problem in the region. Come behind the scenes with me. Read the full story on Sierra → A...
Inside the Fight to Save the Bali Starling: New Feature Published in Mongabay News
BALI, Indonesia — My latest story - and first for Mongabay News - is a feature about Indigenous-led conservation sparking a remarkable recovery for the critically endangered Bali starling, which was nearly lost forever in the wild. I have been reporting on this story since December, and I am so pleased to share it has been...
Quechua is a living people, not a dying language: Inside the fight to preserve and revitalize endangered Indigenous languages in the Andes
OLLANTAYTAMBO, Peru — In a rustic adobe building in the Andean mountainside, cool light filters in through small windows that look out over a misty valley below. The hut is constructed from bricks of mud mixed with straw and highland grasses. The roof is corrugated sheet steel and thatch. The clay walls are brushed white and adorned...