Up-close portraits of jumping spiders, beetles, Mormon crickets and other creepy-crawlies essential to our ecosystems.
Focusing in on arthropods of the West
Posted inArticles
Scarcity and survival reign in ‘The Water Knife’
A conversation with Paolo Bacigalupi about climate fiction, the power of water and his new novel.
Posted inArticles
The fight for dirty water
On May 27, the Obama administration published a rule that restores the Clean Water Act’s intent and most of its teeth. Both had been extracted by the previous administration. This rule comes after meticulous vetting by lawyers, scientists and interested parties. Eighty-seven percent of the 1 million public comments were in favor of it. Nonetheless, […]
Posted inArticles
Senate considers legislation to help the West store and conserve water
Twelve Western states have declared drought emergencies.
Posted inArticles
I have seen the future, and it looks like Mad Max
How a post-apocalyptic action movie can help us ward off ecological disaster.
Posted inArticles
A rocket scientist saved my farm
If I tell you details about how a rocket scientist saved my farm, it would probably just distract you, even though it’s true. Equally true is the fact that almost all farms can be saved and are worth saving, despite what you read about water-wasting agriculture. Like my father and grandfather before me, I’m a […]
Posted inArticles
Ranch Diaries: Turning a mustang into a willing partner
What it’s like to start a horse who has a fear of ropes and an unhealthy sense of his own strength.
Posted inArticles
Drilling is down, driving is up in wake of low petroleum prices
Demand increases, but rig counts plummet and workers continue to get laid off.
Posted inArticles
Rants from the Hill: The adventures of Sir Rantsalot in the dead tree forest
On the virtues of cutting and burning wood.
Posted inArticles
Weather dispatch from Wrangell, Alaska: Drought in the rainforest?
As Southwest states were pummeled with rain, Southeast Alaska dries out.
Posted inArticles
Why is Montana giving its bison specialist the boot?
The state blames budget cuts as it demotes a longtime wildlife biologist.
Posted inArticles
More waterways likely protected under new EPA rule
The controversial Clean Water Act rule protects tributaries with any sign of water, no matter the flow.
Posted inArticles
The Pleistocene and the present don’t compute
March 15, 2025, For Immediate Release: “Rest assured, Pleistocene Parks Inc. is doing everything possible to recapture our escaped ice age megafauna. Please back away slowly from any African lion you encounter. Keep pets and children away from cheetahs. Do not approach camels, as they may kick, spit and bite. Unless you are in a […]
Posted inArticles
Feds move to protect birds from oil pits and power lines
Planned regulations come as many Western migratory species experience steep declines.
Posted inArticles
Northwest tribes are a growing obstacle to energy development
B.C. tribal members turned down $260K each in order to stop a gas terminal.
Posted inArticles
Wyoming acts to discourage citizen scientists
I am a longtime and enthusiastic citizen scientist. As part of various citizen-science projects, I’ve banded birds, chased tiger beetles, counted frogs, monitored archaeological sites, and documented the lifecycles of plants in my backyard. So I am particularly interested in Wyoming’s new Data Trespass Bill, passed by legislators this March. While some say the bill […]
Posted inArticles
A Yosemite gathering takes on culture, race, socioeconomics in national parks
Minorities, millennials and urbanites are less likely to visit national parks than upwardly mobile, white baby-boomers.
Posted inArticles
Missoula and the revelations of rape
Missoula, Montana, home of the University of Montana, is abuzz with debates about rape, a football culture gone to extremes, criminal prosecution or the lack thereof, and ruined reputations. You can blame Jon Krakauer, author of “Into Thin Air” and “Into the Wild,” who has now tackled the subject of sexual assault throughout the country, […]
Posted inArticles
Rains bring incomplete drought relief to parts of Southwest
Snowpack is above normal in spots, but doesn’t make up for its lack earlier in the year.
Posted inMay 25, 2015: Monument Man
Water-harvest warning
It is very sad that a man of science, Brent Cluff, believes that “water harvesting could support unlimited growth.” In “Tucson’s rain-catching revolution” (HCN, 4/27/15), rainwater harvesting is touted as a way to conserve water. It is a step in the right direction, but only a step, and it has several negative impacts. First, it allows […]