How a bison inspired me to set boundaries and just say no.
People & Places
Posted inIssues
Trotting tortoises, juggling unicyclists, ancient clothing and beer poop beer
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
Posted inApril 2026: Inside the Attack on Public Lands
What a bombing in Nevada reveals about the nation’s appetite for violence
The rise of domestic terrorism in the West.
Posted inApril 2026: Inside the Attack on Public Lands
A DNA archive critical to identifying missing migrants has itself gone missing
The database is no longer accessible after the organization that started it shut down.
Posted inArticles
Congress contemplates sweeping investigation of Native boarding schools
What the Truth and Healing Commission Bill would — and would not — do.
Posted inMarch 2026: The Uncertainty of Farming in the Colorado River Basin
‘Music brings an uplifting spiritual experience’
#iamthewest: Giving voice to the people that make up communities in the region.
Posted inMarch 2026: The Uncertainty of Farming in the Colorado River Basin
A shrinking Colorado River is forcing farms to change
From low-flow nozzles to baling hay at night, see how farmers are adapting to less water.
Posted inMarch 2026: The Uncertainty of Farming in the Colorado River Basin
A champion Iditarod musher proved that caring and trust win races
As the 2026 sled dog race kicks off, the lessons of Susan Butcher still resonate.
Posted inArticles
Badger signs: An essay from Terry Tempest Williams’ new book ‘The Glorians’
Thoughts on an elusive animal and the afterlife.
Posted inMarch 2026: The Uncertainty of Farming in the Colorado River Basin
How people are helping breeding frogs dodge cars
Meet the volunteers shuttling northern red-legged frogs across a 4-lane highway in Oregon to lay eggs.
Posted inFebruary 2026: The Recording Artists
The little-known photographer who documented a changing Okanogan, Washington
A century later, Frank Matsura’s images are still at the heart of families’ memories.
Posted inFebruary 2026: The Recording Artists
‘Rural areas are very powerful — and often underestimated’
#iamthewest: Giving voice to the people that make up communities in the region.
Posted inJanuary 2026: Deep Time in the West
How geology not only shapes the world, it shapes us
A geologist’s daughter reflects on deep time and her father’s influence.
Posted inArticles
Digging out in the Palisades Fire burn zone
Portraits of the workers shoring up a broken world.
Posted inArticles
A year after the Eaton Fire, permit delays keep Black families from returning
Once known for its trees and community, Altadena is now a test of who — and what — gets to come back after disaster.
Posted inArticles
These Americans were prosecuted for voting
In a corner of Alaska, American Samoans are facing prosecution for participating in democracy in the only country they’ve ever known.
Posted inIssues
A wilderness warrior to the core
After 40 years of service, Andy Wiessner steps off HCN’s board of directors.
Posted inJanuary 2026: Deep Time in the West
How plate tectonics revolutionized our understanding of Earth
And how scientist Tanya Atwater was at the center of it all.
Posted inDecember 2025: Wild Harvest
Winter solstice is a time for planting seeds
At the turning of a season, a writer finds a sense of possibility.
Posted inArticles
Truly grasp what Typhoon Halong did to western Alaska
This is not only a climate emergency. It is a cultural one.