Two hotshots, two memoirs
A Q+A with outliers in fire.
In stressful times, what do the plants and animals have to say?
The time-honored tradition of humans looking to the natural world can help us survive difficult times.
Mass layoffs can move forward, with devastating impacts for conservation and science
‘Shortsighted’ cuts could eliminate bird banding program, federal bee research and much more.
Meet LA’s detective for dead marine mammals
A day in the life of a scientist studying the aftermath of the city’s deadly algal blooms.
See what trail cams captured about Borderlands wildlife
Alongside stunning footage, scientists found that the border wall deters wildlife.
Why isn’t agrivoltaics taking off in Arizona?
Logistical hurdles and a lack of solar incentives keep panels and plants apart.
In Sitka, Łingít fishers share herring harvests with a surprise influx of grey whales
An unprecedented whale surge in Alaska waters has changed how humans interact with a vital yaaw fishery.
When wildfire hits your doorstep
A Diné writer confronts how to offer a hand from far away as tragedy strikes on the Navajo Nation.
Beneath the blazing sun, Black Phoenix sows community
Climate change is creating a mental health crisis in Phoenix. A budding movement in the desert might solve it.
The seeds remember
Reclaiming Chinese culture through cultivation.
First came the record-setting fire. Then came the record-setting floods.
‘I don’t trust the water:’ How post-fire flooding has destabilized a rural community’s drinking water.
Western states step up to save their wetlands
The West’s vital wetlands are in trouble — but states are working to safeguard them.
Politics and science can mix
The time for trying to remain neutral has passed.
Necesitamos científicos-activistas
La política y la ciencia pueden mezclarse.
Most Popular Stories
High Country News Classifieds
- Are you looking for meaningful work that supports public lands and Colorado communities with flexible hours and the ability to work from your home office? This is an opportunity to lead a small and exciting nonprofit organization working to ensure […]
In This Issue
July 2025: Seeds as Sustenance
If our July issue doesn’t make you want to spend time in the garden, it will certainly make you hungry for fresh produce. Our visual feature introduces readers to Second Generation Seeds, a collective that preserves Asian heritage seeds, food and culture. Gardening once brought…
Receive 2 free issues of HCN
Water
Trump quits deal with Northwest tribes to restore salmon
Can fracking wastewater be reused?
USGS’ biological research arm could vanish
Wildlife
Two-headed snakes, tourist-tossing bison and one very good dog
MAGA and the developers are coming for your public lands
When we harm wolves, we harm ourselves
Public Lands
Public land sale a ‘frontal assault on tribal treaty rights’
Protests greet Western governors in Santa Fe
What Sonoran Desert fungi are teaching scientists
Indigenous Affairs
What defunding public media would mean for the West
Sea otters to get another chance in Oregon and Northern California
Class of 2025 leads the way for Indigenous graduation regalia
Communities
Amid raids in California, families struggle to locate detained workers
Indigenous filmmakers get support from Sundance
Where the garbage goes
Books
The poetic contradictions of the Borderlands
Hunting for dark nights and wishing on stars
Rebecca Nagle considers Supreme Court wins and what’s at stake for tribes under Trump
In the News
Western legislatures take on foreign land ownership
Six bills in six states propose limits on who can own land, homes and natural resources in the region.
