Exotic garden plants can wreak unexpected havoc with indigenous species and ecosystems. Originally published in National Wildlife. AMONG THE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA, few are as elegant as cedar waxwings, with their black costume-ball masks and yellow tail tips. “Whoever once gets within a good view of them and notes the exquisite coloring of the […]
A Watertight Argument
J Nichols believes we’ll better understand the value of ocean conservation if we think about our emotional connection to the sea. Originally published in Duke Magazine. ON A SUNDAY AFTERNOON THIS PAST MARCH, Wallace J. Nichols took out a cloth drawstring bag and distributed its contents: oversized glass marbles the color of a tropical sea. […]
Why the Passenger Pigeon Went Extinct
And whether it can, and should, be brought back to life a century after it disappeared. Originally published in Audubon Magazine. Reprinted in The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2015, edited by Rebecca Skloot (Mariner Books, 2015). “Men still live who, in their youth, remember pigeons; trees still live who, in their youth, were shaken by […]
Journey to Turkey
Situated in one of the world’s most important migratory bird flyways, some of Turkey’s wildest places face threats from massive construction projects. Trying to provide a better way, one visionary biologist aims to put his country on the bird. Originally published in Audubon Magazine. “This is the end of the world,” field biologist Yakup Sasmaz […]
Could California’s Salmon Make a Comeback?
After years of decline, the rich human community that depends on California’s salmon runs may at last be rebounding. Originally published in OnEarth. JON ROSENFIELD AND I BUSHWHACK through the scrubby willows that line the American River east of Sacramento. The air is crisp this October morning, and the timing of our visit should be just […]
What Do Birds Do For Us?
Some might not realize the tangible value of birds, but it would be foolish to underestimate how tough life would be without them. Originally published in Audubon Magazine. ODDS ARE, IF YOU’RE READING THIS MAGAZINE, you feel a moral and aesthetic imperative to support bird conservation. With an estimated 1,200 species facing extinction over the […]
The Tricky Academics of Eating
Martin Smith’s class poses a simple question: Should I eat fish? But answering it sends students into murky waters. Originally published in Duke Magazine. ON THE FIRST DAY OF HIS MARINE CONSERVATION course this past January, Martin Smith told his eight undergraduates that they would play a game. One student would wait in the hallway. […]
Moon Bears in Distress, All for the Love of Bile
Across China and Vietnam, thousands of endangered moon bears live locked up behind bars, where “farmers” regularly drain their gall bladders for a prized liquid. Here’s one woman’s effort to save them.
Trying to Keep Sane, One Goat at a Time
A year after the sealing of the BP oil well, Louisianans are still dealing with the emotional toll of the spill. Meet Isadore “J.J.” Creppel, a shrimper and net maker who has found his own way to cope. Produced by Barry Yeoman and Richard Ziglar for KRVS, Lafayette, Louisiana, and the Louisiana Public Broadcasting “GulfWatch” […]
200 Ailing Pelicans Change One Man’s Life
The BP spill triggered an outpouring of volunteer energy. Americans lay boom, picked up tar balls, and performed mundane tasks like answering telephones. A few transported and cleaned oiled birds. Regardless of what they did, many volunteers found themselves transformed. Meet party-photographer-turned-bird-lover Bart Siegel. Produced by Barry Yeoman and Richard Ziglar for KRVS, Lafayette, Louisiana, […]
