Science Journalism
I write about topics ranging from nano-scale computer circuits to global climate change. I tell stories that grapple with what it’s like to be human and our species’ role in the natural world. I have a Masters Degree in science writing from the Johns Hopkins University and have been working as a science journalist since 1999. Here are some of my favorite recent articles:
Kelp crisis? Decline of underwater forests raises alarms
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound, November 21, 2019
They rival tropical forests in their richness and diversity, but Puget Sound’s kelp beds have declined steeply in recent decades.
Ocean explorers delve beneath the ice
Nature Outlook: Physical Oceanography, November 13, 2019
To predict how much climate change will raise sea level, researchers are studying ice shelves — where vast expanses of ice meet the ocean.
Social networks a key to orca survival
Encyclopedia of Puget Sound, April 2, 2019
Understanding the social networks and family bonds of Puget Sound’s southern resident orcas may be critical to keeping the endangered whales from extinction.
The mystery of the missing ferns
Sierra online, August 17, 2017
A strange affliction of ferns in a Seattle city park has larger resonance for our current age of biodiversity decline.
The unexpected plus of parenting with autism
Spectrum, May 16, 2017
Having autism as a parent might seem impossibly challenging. But a generation of parents with the condition is showing that it can be an advantage — even when their child does not share the diagnosis.
Nature Outlook: Animal Health, March 29, 2017
A pathogen spread by domestic cats threatens the health of humans and livestock. Could a solution as simple as taking better care of cats help to combat the infection?
Monkey mics may solve communication mysteries
Spectrum, November 16, 2016
Tiny monkeys sporting even tinier backpacks are helping scientists understand the nuances of language and social behavior.
Talking sense: What sensory processing disorder says about autism
Spectrum, June 1, 2016
Some children are highly sensitive to sound, sight or touch, whereas others seem almost numb. Exploring the differences may offer insights into autism.
Part coyote, part wolf, part dog: Enter the coywolf
Newsweek, December 22, 2015
A new top predator roams the northeastern United States.
An unlikely wildlife rebound in Chernobyl
Anthropocene, October 6, 2015
In the three decades since the 1986 fire and explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone – 4,200 square kilometers straddling the border of Belarus and Ukraine – has become an unlikely wildlife reserve.
Killing barred owls to keep spotted owls breathing
Newsweek, May 17, 2015
The legacy of homesteading has created a curious kind of invasive species.
Zombie sponge reefs are lurking at the bottom of the sea
Nautilus, August 21, 2014
The resurrection of glass sponge reefs shows the extinction of an ecosystem doesn’t have to be eternal.
Conservation, March 8, 2013
Artists and ecological restorationists have a lot in common: both work experimentally with materials that are sometimes unpredictable.
Should Seattle really be growing goji berries and jujubes?
City Lab, April 19, 2012
The city embarks on an ambitious plan for an urban forest, with free food for all.