News & Commentary

The Lower Klamath River Will Soon Flow Freely Again

March 21, 2023 DispatchCalifornia, WestNicole Greenfield

Sparking hope for the West’s rivers and beyond, a decades-long battle leads to the world’s biggest dam removal project.

Missing for a Century, the California Condor Flies Over Yurok Ancestral Lands Again

November 9, 2022 DispatchCalifornia, WestBecca Cudmore

The Yurok Tribe is helping to restore a sacred and endangered scavenger that is vital to Indigenous cultures and Pacific Coast ecosystems alike.

Restoring the L.A. River for All Angelenos

December 26, 2019 DispatchLos AngelesJeff Turrentine

Advocates who have fought for years to bring back this beleaguered urban waterway are joining local communities of color to ensure that new development doesn’t equal displacement.

California Beckons the Gray Wolf—but Can’t Guarantee a Safe Journey There

July 8, 2019 DispatchWest, California, Oregon, WashingtonCorey Binns

The future of wolves in the West depends on collaborative cross-border commitments to protecting this icon of the wild.

L.A. Takes a Fresh Look at Recycled Water

May 13, 2019 DispatchLos AngelesLauren Evans

Facing dwindling freshwater supplies, the city is ready to stop dumping millions of gallons into the Pacific—and to follow Orange County’s lead.

The Festering Sanitation Crisis at Our Border

December 3, 2018 DispatchArizona, Mexico, CaliforniaTim Vanderpool

As the Trump administration ratchets up its rhetoric demanding billions for a wall, American communities along the Mexico border are in need of basic services, like reliable sewage treatment.

A Decade on the California Delta

September 12, 2018 DispatchCaliforniaDarcy Eveleigh

Photographer Max Whittaker shows us the many faces of the delta, including its strange and fascinating history and the challenges complicating its future.

The Warning Lights Are Flashing for California’s Once-Glorious Salton Sea

August 6, 2018 DispatchCaliforniaStarre Vartan

Since this giant salty lake in the desert lost its water supply, its bird habitat has been shrinking and more toxic dust is wafting up from its dry lake bed. Can the Salton Sea be saved?

California Is Getting Tough on Wildlife Crime

August 1, 2018 DispatchCaliforniaCorey Binns

In a new forensics lab, state agents test samples of blood, saliva, tusks, and feathers in a quest to stem the illegal trade in exotic animal parts.

California Hasn’t Come Clean About Its Water Use During the Drought

July 11, 2018 DispatchCaliforniaCorey Binns

Farms drink up a majority of the state’s water supply, but the details are murky. Most of the largest irrigation districts aren’t reporting how much water they delivered to farmers.

In California, a Rallying Cry Against Offshore Oil

May 14, 2018 DispatchCaliforniaCorey Binns

As Californians protest the Trump administration’s intent to expand drilling off the Pacific coast, some city and state officials consider new legislation to block it.

The California Case of an Antique Ivory Collector v. African Elephants

July 31, 2017 DispatchCaliforniaCorey Binns

So far, the state isn’t bowing to the demands of one man who is trying to dismantle its ivory ban.

Farming for the Birds in California’s Central Valley

May 15, 2017 DispatchCaliforniaBecca Cudmore

The land of endless vegetable rows and fruit groves is also one of our most important flyways. The birds could use some tending, too.

Holding the Line Against Trump in the Golden State

March 30, 2017 DispatchCaliforniaElizabeth Svoboda

With a new series of bills, California promises to protect the environment no matter what happens on the federal level.

The Tree Whisperer

January 27, 2017 DispatchCaliforniaElizabeth Svoboda

A Berkeley scientist is studying how climate change is affecting California’s giant sequoias, long considered dependable forest stalwarts.

To Nab Poachers, the Government Is Turning Dead Animals into Robots

April 6, 2016 DispatchCaliforniaAlisa Opar

Some of the taxidermied wildlife even poop M&Ms.

This Scientist Never Thought He’d Be Raiding Illegal Pot Farms for a Living

April 4, 2016 DispatchCaliforniaAlisa Opar

Crime, raids, destruction, and mounds of paperwork—it’s all part of the job.

California Is Finally Enjoying Some Rainfall—and So Are Its Invasive Species

March 31, 2016 DispatchCaliforniaAlisa Opar

The much-needed El Niño downpours might be helping exotic snakes, insects, and plants spread into new areas.

Frog vs. Fish

December 8, 2015 DispatchCaliforniaAlisa Opar

How cutting-edge technology may save endangered amphibians from hungry trout in Yosemite’s alpine lakes.

Fish Out of Water

April 3, 2015 DispatchCaliforniaAlisa Opar

Scary-low snowpack may spell disaster for some California wildlife and ecosystems.