Publication Items

‘A Myriad of Voices’ Tells of Restoring a Swamp in Crisis [1]

When a pair of journalists reported on a degraded Colombian mangrove swamp, they turned to two local fishermen to help tell the story, tapping into their experience as they worked to repair the ecosystem that fed their community. In the latest Inside Story Q&A, reporter Jacobo Patiño Giraldo explains their successful use of primary source solutions journalism.

SEJ Publication Types:
Inside Story [2]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Biodiversity [4]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Justice [6]
Fish & Fisheries [7]
Forests [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
Natural Resources [10]
People & Population [11]
Water & Oceans [12]
Region:
International [13]
South America [14]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about ‘A Myriad of Voices’ Tells of Restoring a Swamp in Crisis [1]
Desperately Seeking Data? OECD Has Loads [16]

If the possibility of a politically driven dearth of data for your climate and environment reporting has you on edge, the new Reporter’s Toolbox just may have something to soothe your nerves: A data source from beyond the grasp of the Trump administration and outside the boundaries of the United States. Take a quick tour of environmental data from the OECD.

SEJ Publication Types:
Reporters Toolbox [17]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [18]
Air [19]
Biodiversity [4]
Chemicals [20]
Climate Change [21]
Energy & Fuel [22]
Environmental Studies [23]
Fish & Fisheries [7]
Health [24]
Journalism & Media [9]
Natural Resources [10]
Pollution [25]
Transportation [26]
Waste [27]
Water & Oceans [12]
Region:
National (U.S.) [28]
International [13]
Europe [29]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Desperately Seeking Data? OECD Has Loads [16]
Telling the Stories of the Silent Sentinels [30]

To many, plants are a merely green backdrop, indistinguishable and inconsequential. But, freelancer Karen Mockler says that such “plant blindness” belies an urgent need for our notice. More than a third of the world’s trees and thousands of other plant species face extinction. Their plight — and their many blessings — offer perceptive journalists a wealth of reporting and storytelling opportunities. Mockler on why to write about plants.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [31]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [18]
Air [19]
Biodiversity [4]
Climate Change [21]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Justice [6]
Environmental Politics [32]
Environmental Studies [23]
Food [33]
Forests [8]
Government [34]
Health [24]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [35]
Natural Resources [10]
Pollution [25]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [36]
Science [37]
Water & Oceans [12]
Wildlife [38]
Region:
National (U.S.) [28]
California [39]
Northwest (OR WA) [40]
Southwest (AZ NM OK TX) [41]
International [13]
Canada [42]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Telling the Stories of the Silent Sentinels [30]
Trauma Specialist Offers Ospreys As ‘Gateway Drug’ to Nature [43]

Therapist and artist Pamela Lowell spent several months observing and banding ospreys, but rather than offer the experience up as a scientific account, she turns it into a lighthearted memoir that aims to explore and explain a range of wildlife and environmental issues through art, insight and empathy. BookShelf editor Tom Henry has a review.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [44]
Topics on the Beat:
Activism [3]
Biodiversity [4]
Climate Change [21]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Studies [23]
Wildlife [38]
Region:
National (U.S.) [28]
Northeast (CT MA ME NH NJ NY RI VT) [45]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Trauma Specialist Offers Ospreys As ‘Gateway Drug’ to Nature [43]
To Give a Goldfish Agency — The Joys (and Perils) of Writing on Nonhuman Life [46]

Stories focused on nonhuman animals are a quintessential part of environmental journalism. But how writers approach these stories is evolving, in step with changing views about animal consciousness and agency. Science journalist and author Karen Pinchin explores this trend and talks about anthropomorphism, anthropodenialism, metaphors, language, writing from the perspective of animal protagonists and more.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [31]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [4]
Journalism & Media [9]
Religion, Faith and Spirituality [36]
Science [37]
Water & Oceans [12]
Wildlife [38]
Region:
National (U.S.) [28]
International [13]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about To Give a Goldfish Agency — The Joys (and Perils) of Writing on Nonhuman Life [46]
Reporting on Illegal Wildlife Trade – Story Ideas, Safety Tips and More [47]

Illicit trade in wild animals and plants is a billion-dollar global business that threatens biodiversity and human health. Endless reporting opportunities range from exposing corruption and criminal networks to debunking claims about products derived from endangered species. Journalist Rene Ebersole shares insights from her 20 years on the trail of wildlife smugglers, poachers and other environmental lawbreakers — and introduces a new nonprofit dedicated to this beat.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [31]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [4]
Consumer [48]
Economy & Business [49]
Fish & Fisheries [7]
Government [34]
Journalism & Media [9]
Laws & Regulations [35]
Wildlife [38]
Region:
National (U.S.) [28]
California [39]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [50]
International [13]
Mexico [51]
Africa [52]
Central America & the Caribbean [53]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Reporting on Illegal Wildlife Trade – Story Ideas, Safety Tips and More [47]
The Resilient Sea Turtle, Beset by Threats [54]

Sea turtles are in decline across the globe, victims of coastal development, algal blooms and, perhaps cruelest of all, plastic pollution. Marine biologist Christine Figgener, in a new book part memoir and part field guide, recounts the less than glamorous but rewarding work to spare them extinction, from arduous field work to viral video epiphanies. BookShelf editor Tom Henry reviews “My Life With Sea Turtles.”

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [44]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [4]
Climate Change [21]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Studies [23]
Fish & Fisheries [7]
Pollution [25]
Science [37]
Water & Oceans [12]
Wildlife [38]
Region:
International [13]
Central America & the Caribbean [53]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about The Resilient Sea Turtle, Beset by Threats [54]
Small Fry — How to Tell Compelling Stories About Obscure Species [55]

Getting people excited about large, charismatic wildlife is easy, but tiny, little-known or less-than-lovable species can be a tough sell. Journalists Bethany Brookshire and Douglas Main on why it’s important to include oddball organisms in your reporting and how to get audiences engaged. Pro tip: Building curiosity and caring for minor-league creatures often means being a bit self-centered.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [31]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [4]
Climate Change [21]
Environmental Health [5]
Forests [8]
Journalism & Media [9]
Science [37]
Wildlife [38]
Region:
National (U.S.) [28]
SE (AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC PR SC TN) [50]
International [13]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Small Fry — How to Tell Compelling Stories About Obscure Species [55]
Scientist Recounts Great Barrier Reef’s ‘Final Battle’ [56]

The Great Barrier Reef is one of nature’s marvels, home to a startling array of life. It’s also the victim of forces rapidly bringing about its demise, from runoff to climate change. With “In Hot Water,” scientist Paul Hardisty recounts the struggle to save this remarkable ecosystem, amid forces of capital, politics and conflicting science. The latest BookShelf review from contributor Melody Kemp.

SEJ Publication Types:
BookShelf [44]
Topics on the Beat:
Agriculture [18]
Biodiversity [4]
Chemicals [20]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Politics [32]
Fish & Fisheries [7]
Natural Resources [10]
Pollution [25]
Science [37]
Water & Oceans [12]
Region:
International [13]
Australia & Oceania [57]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Scientist Recounts Great Barrier Reef’s ‘Final Battle’ [56]
Coequal Catastrophes — Quammen on Climate Change, Extinction and Epidemics [58]

Biodiversity loss can seem like a remote and abstract problem that pales in comparison to climate worries. But award-winning author David Quammen sees them as coequal threats, along with emerging diseases, and encourages journalists to illuminate the relationships between them. His advice includes getting out of big cities to see the extinction crisis firsthand and weaving humor and hope into your writing.

SEJ Publication Types:
Features [31]
Topics on the Beat:
Biodiversity [4]
Chemicals [20]
Climate Change [21]
Environmental Health [5]
Environmental Studies [23]
Health [24]
Journalism & Media [9]
Pollution [25]
Science [37]
Wildlife [38]
Region:
National (U.S.) [28]
International [13]
Visibility:
Public [15]
- Read more about Coequal Catastrophes — Quammen on Climate Change, Extinction and Epidemics [58]

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