News & Commentary

Poachers Beware: Cambodia’s Endangered Wildlife Has a Passionate Defender

July 21, 2016 DispatchInternationalNicole Greenfield

Nick Marx of Wildlife Alliance works hand in hand with the government to crack down on the country’s illegal animal trade.

One of America’s Great Rivers Fights for Its Life

July 5, 2016 DispatchGeorgia, Florida, AlabamaRobynne Boyd

The Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river system brings precious water to three southern states. If only they could all get along.

Who Pays for Mine Cleanup After Big Coal Goes Bankrupt?

June 22, 2016 DispatchIllinois, Indiana, Kentucky, TennesseeSusan Cosier

Peabody Energy’s recent filing could change how the country funds mining messes.

Oil Drilling and Wetlands Don’t Mix—Especially in Big Cypress

June 2, 2016 DispatchFloridaRobynne Boyd

On a national preserve at the edge of the Everglades, oil exploration is threatening fragile habitat and endangered species, from woodpeckers to panthers.

One of the Worst Places for a Pipeline? Under the Great Lakes

May 19, 2016 DispatchCanada, Michigan, WisconsinSusan Cosier

The strong, erratic currents of the Straits of Mackinac could make an oil spill disastrous for two lakes and a whole lot of coastline.

Monarchs Need Better Pit Stops on Their Epic Journeys

April 27, 2016 DispatchMidwestSusan Cosier

Projects across the Midwest are trying to bring milkweed and nectar-filled flowers back to the landscape.

His Ancestors Hunted Them—Now This Man Is on a Mission to Save Arctic Whales

April 13, 2016 DispatchArctic, AlaskaJason Bittel

As climate change and oil drilling threaten the northern seas, John Morrison is carving out biodiversity hot spots for conservation.

The Government’s Mission to Save a Fish—with Fake Floods and Helicopter Rides

April 11, 2016 DispatchWestBen Goldfarb

Within the walls of the Little Colorado Gorge, biologists are going to extremes for the endangered humpback chub.

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.

Stories from the Gulf

March 16, 2016 Dispatch

Living with the BP oil disaster.

Undersea Mining Spree: Scientists Race to Study the Southeastern Pacific Before it's Too Late

March 12, 2016 DispatchInternational, WestBrooke Jarvis

As mining interests deepen in the southeastern Pacific, researchers are racing the clock—and pushing the frontiers of science—to understand this unknown stretch of sea.

This Former Meatpacking Facility Is Now an Experiment in Sustainable Urban Ag

March 8, 2016 DispatchChicagoSusan Cosier

Come take a tour of "The Plant."

Taste the Rainbow . . . Trout?

March 1, 2016 DispatchMidwestSusan Cosier

Farming non-native fish in the Great Lakes? It might not be such a bad idea.

Seeking a Clean Bill of Health

February 18, 2016 DispatchMidwestSusan Cosier

What it takes to make the Great Lakes’ areas of concern less concerning.

Drinking In the Heavy Metal

February 8, 2016 DispatchFlint, MichiganSusan Cosier

Thanks to the Flint water crisis, the city’s kids could experience terrible, long-lasting consequences from lead exposure.

Spring Break

February 4, 2016 DispatchMontanaAlisa Opar

Bison go from seasonal outlaws to year-round residents in a large swath of Montana.

Raising the High-Water Mark

January 27, 2016 DispatchMidwestClara Chaisson

In the Midwest, “rare” floods are becoming the norm. Here’s why it’s high time we improve our flood risk estimates.

The Woman Who Loves Orcas

January 20, 2016 DispatchAlaska, WestTed Genoways

Scientist, poet, and cancer survivor Eva Saulitis says that orcas saved her life. If only she could return the favor.