I’ve worked as a reporter for an alt-weekly; a writer for national non-profits; and as a screenwriter for HBO & CBS. I’ve taught environmental ed, journalism and nonfiction writing to both kids and adults, and have held various editorial roles for an educational magazine, an architecture magazine, an ethical fashion magazine, and several Fortune-500 companies. I edited and managed my own long-running website, and two other mid-sized sustainability news sites.
I’m now a full-time freelance science writer based in the Seattle area. I also write fiction and memoir. Below are some of my more recent selected writings. Read my full CV (including my non-wordsmith work like dog-running, ceramics, and horticulture) on this page.
Investigative Reporting
How the DNA Method That Caught the Golden State Killer Can Expose Ivory Trafficking Networks for National Geographic
Scientist Exodus from US Government for Undark
Animals and Wildlife
How does wildfire smoke affect wildlife? Here’s what we know for National Geographic
Fishers reintroduced to Washington Complete Carnivore Restoration for National Geographic
How coastal beavers are helping the salmon recovery in Washington for National Geographic
Meet the shape-shifting baby amphibians that become cannibals for Nat Geo
How wildlife bridges over highways make animals—and people—safer
for National Geographic
What Happens to Fish After a Wildfire? for Hakai Magazine
How IVF Might Bring Coral Back to the Florida Keys for The Daily Beast
Tigers and Polar Bears Get Nothing from Capitalism for Gizmodo (Earther)
The Real Bat Cave That’s Even More Fantastic Than Batman’s for CNN Travel
Technology
Assessing COVID risk and more with air quality monitors for Scientific American
Airships: New Lift Tech & Sustainability for Popular Mechanics
Meet Your Robot Caretaker for The Washington Examiner
The Future of Seattle’s Ferries is Electric for the NRDC
In Washington, a Coal-Fired Power Plant Will Put Its Money on the Sun for the NRDC
How AI Can Help Addicts Stay Sober for The Daily Beast
Technology Unlocks the Mysteries of Bird Flight for Scientific American
Medicine & Health
Anxious, Lonely or Angry? Try Dancing for the Washington Post
What makes women strong? Elemental (Medium)
Post-Traumatic Growth: With Support, Some Traumas Can Help Us Grow for CNN
Expert Advice for Mayors and Governors Help Their Cities, Towns, and States Weather the Coronavirus Epidemic for Business Insider
AI Can Predict Kidney Failure Days in Advance for Scientific American
Can 3-D Printing Produce Lung and Liver Tissue for Transplants? Scientific American
How Fake Science Saved Lives for Gizmodo
Fascinatingly Filthy, How Bad Science Saved Lives in Victorian London for Mental Floss
5 Promising Male Birth Control Methods for Mental Floss
How the Media Got Pranked Over Chocolate for MNN.com
Researchers Make New Inroads to Cure the Flu for From the Grapevine
Geology & Earth Sciences
In Utah, Industry Pounces on What Were, Not Long Ago, Our Public Lands for the NRDC
Your Climate Change Survival Plan for Medium
Ancient Shipwrecks are a Treasure Trove of Climate Data for Gizmodo (Earther)
California’s Wildfires Could Be the New Normal for Vice
Make Antarctica Green Again? for Vice
Humans Produce So Much Junk, We’re Creating a New Geologic Layer for Slate
How does Dead Sea salt form those giant cubes? for From the Grapevine
Space & Mars
What Stratospheric Life Teaches Us About Extremophiles: NASA’s Astrobiology Magazine
Panspermia: Sharing Life with Planets Next Door: for NASA’s Astrobiology Magazine
Institute of Planetary Research: NASA’s Astrobiology Magazine
Search for Water on Mars Gets Water-Enhanced Boost: NASA’s Astrobiology Magazine
The Gloves We’ll Wear on Mars for Medium
How Ancient Star Maps Gave Rise to Modern Astronomy for Gizmodo
What Kind of Suits Do Astronauts Need to Survive on the Red Planet? for Newsweek
When we go to Mars, how will we protect space life from us? for Mental Floss
Environment & Resources
Mussels Keep Watch on Pollution in Puget Sound for NRDC
The Warning Lights Are Flashing for California’s Once-Glorious Salton Sea for NRDC
Bacteria Floating 30,000 Feet Overhead Could Be Influencing the Weather for Earther
Could feeding seaweed to cows help save the climate? for Mental Floss
You Might Be Eating Plastic and Fibers with Your Fish for Mental Floss
From Plant to Cup: A Green Tea Photoessay for MNN.com
How to Fix a Leaky Faucet, on a Global Scale for From the Grapevine
Women and the Law
Texas Abortion Ban Sends Women Scrambling for Care for Business Insider
The Lifelong Consequences of Rape for Pacific Standard
Killing Your Husband to Save Yourself for Pacific Standard
Beyond Roe v. Wade: Five Other Standout Cases That Defined Abortion Rights for Vice (Broadly)
Architecture, Art, & Design
Listen to the Haunting Sounds of Antarctica’s Disintegrating Ice Sheets for Earther (Gizmodo Media Group)
The Fourth Dimension for Labocine (science film archive)
Where were the Usual Suspects in “Making a Murderer?” for Pacific Standard
Game Changers, 2015: Liam Casey for Metropolis magazine
Q&A: Paul Hawken for Metropolis magazine
All Natural (Mushroom-derived furniture) for Metropolis magazine
Ask the Experts: Garden Design (urban gardener Kari Elwell-Katzander) for New York magazine
Design vs. Art for Metropolis online
Travel & Culture
The Airship is Making a Futuristic, Luxury Comeback for Digital Trends
Why Vacations Matter for Your Health for CNN Travel
How the World is Changing for Autistic Travelers for CNN Travel
Why You Should Travel to See an Aurora and How to Do It for Lifehacker
Escape Rooms: Why People Flock to These “Tourist Traps” for CNN Travel
The Real Bat Cave That’s Even More Fantastic Than Batman’s for CNN Travel
Obama Designates First Atlantic Ocean National Monument for Conde Nast Traveler
How to Feel Like You Went on Vacation by Meditating for Conde Nast Traveler
Why You Should Roadtrip Through Mexico for Conde Nast Traveler
Looming Large: Beautiful Textiles Around the World for Conde Nast Traveler
How to Travel Well When You Have a 9-5 Job for MNN.com
7 Cultural Concepts We Don’t Have in the U.S. for MNN.com
Suzou: Everything You Want From a Visit to China for LuxuryTravel.About.com
Eco Chic Guide to Mexico City for Coco Eco magazine
Food & Drink
The Accidental Wine Expert: Professor Pierre Ly profile for Arches
What’s a Balmain Bug, and Why Do Australians Love Them? for Saveur
Why Olympians Love a High-Fat Diet (Take It with a Grain of Salt) for The Daily Beast
Italy’s Free Coffee Tradition and Other Acts of Kindness for Conde Nast Traveler
The Great Outdoors
How, and Why, to Try Running Totally Barefoot for Lifehacker
Swimming with Whale Sharks for LuxuryTravel.About.com
Giant Trees and Waterfalls in Olympic National Park for MNN.com (includes original photography)
The Hot List (best US hot springs destinations) for Martha Stewart’s Whole Living magazine
Hiking the Napali Coast of Kauaii for the Huffington Post
Smart Consumption
From Roots to Rack feature article on botanical dying for Martha Stewart’s Whole Living magazine
It’s all the Jeans article on Raleigh Denim jeans for Martha Stewart’s Whole Living magazine
Overwhelmed? Author Brigid Schulte Explains Our Cult of Busyness for MNN.com
The Minimalists Share Their Journey to a Simpler Life for MNN.com
How Often Do You Really Need to Shower? for MNN.com (linked to from partner site CNN.com)
Memoir & Essay
Lockdown Has Been a Relief for This Introvert for The Candidly
I Went Bankrupt. I Don’t Regret It. for The Candidly
I’m Childfree and Proud for The Candidly
Escape from the USA for Medium
American Literary Review: “Icewalkers” (Second Place in the ALR’s annual competition)
Marie Claire: Dating as a Childfree Woman
Starre Julia Vartan 