Saving Seagrass

 Underwater seagrass meadows have disappeared around the globe. But they may be some of the easiest coastal ecosystem to restore -- and they sequester significant amounts of carbon. Read more here. 

The saga of the Mexican gray wolf

Back in March, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced it counted at least 163 Mexican gray wolves in New Mexico and Arizona. That continued an encouraging upward trend, but that same month, official authorized the killing of four of the wolves. Read more about this species and its uncertain future here. 

The Gulf of Mexico

11 things you might not know about this body of water, also known as The American Sea. Some cool facts and some alarming ones. Read it here. 

Birds, brained

 

Hundreds of millions of birds die in the U.S. every year colliding with large human-made structures, including buildings, communication towers, and wind turbines. Scientists, conservationists, and governments are working on solutions. Read more here. 

Saving mangrove forests

 Mangrove ecosystems provide habitat for a wealth of marine life, protect coastlines from storms, and store significant amounts of carbon. But rising sea levels and continued removal by humans could do them in. Read more in this piece for The Revelator. 

Saving Endangered Marine Species

Iconic ocean animals are disappearing as Earth faces a sixth major extinction event. Read about how people are working to protect them, and ways you can help in this piece from Scuba Diving. 

Remembering Grandpa's Motel

I have fond childhood memories of the roadside motel owned by my grandparents and run by my aunt and uncle near Lake Buchanan -- and of the slower, simpler times when such motels were common.

Mapping urban heat islands

Three Texas cities are part of a nationwide project this summer to map urban heat islands and help communities deal with the effects of increasing heat waves due to climate change. Read about it here. 

Bees and Diving in the Bahamas

Exuma island in the Bahamas may owe its clear waters in part to honeybees.The Exuma Foundation and Savannah Bee Co. helped bring the pollinators to the island. Read more in this article for Scubadiving.com. 

How whales avoid the bends

Beaked whales can spend two hours beneath the surface. Dolphins descend down to 1,000 feet and ­routinely make as many as 20 dives in a row to 300 feet. Research shows how these mammals avoid getting hit with decompression sickness. Read more in my piece in Scuba Diving magazine. 

John Howard Griffin, author of Black Like Me

John Howard Griffin, author of Black Like Me, was born on June 16, 1920 and died in 1980. This story in the June 2020 issue of Texas Co-op Power marked the 100th anniversary of his birth.

Impending ecosystem collapse and human disease

A growing body of research links environmental disturbance and biodiversity loss to human diseases, including those like COVID-19 caused by viruses jumping from animals to people. Read more in this piece in Texas Climate News. 

Bird blinds in state parks

Texas state parks have a lot of bird blinds, often built and maintained by volunteers. These make great spots to see an incredible variety of birds and other wildlife up close. Read more here.

Tracking wildlife for science

In this article for Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine, I look at some of the animals scientists track in the state and what they're learning from it.

From logger to rainforest champion

Amazon Nature Tours takes people exploring Brazil’s Rio Negro aboard a custom-built boat. Owner and nature enthusiast Mark Baker hasn’t always championed the rainforest’s rugged beauty. He used to cut down its trees for export. Read more here.

The Tucano, custom-built by Amazon Nature Tours, on the Rio Negro.

Crafting beer in small town Texas

Craft breweries opening in small towns across Texas offer more than tasty beer, they also provide community gathering spaces. Read about the growing movement in this piece for Texas Co-op Power Magazine.