Elephant ecosystems, helping the blind, climate vs. weather (and lots more)

Who says 13 is an unlucky number? I've got a baker's dozen worth of new articles to share with you today, and I find myself incredibly lucky to have been able to write them.

First up, this week's two Extinction Countdown articles for Scientific American:

What Happens When Forest Elephants Are Wiped Out in an Ecosystem?

Tragedy in New Zealand: Dozens of Critically Endangered Birds Dead, Cause Unknown

In addition to those two, a version of my previous article about drones protecting rhinos appears in the March 2013 issue of the print edition of Scientific American. Check it out on newsstands now.


Next up, one of my favorite articles of the year, my latest inspiring feature for Lion magazine. (This also includes three of my photos.)

The Iris Network: Maine's Lifeline for the Visually Impaired

And now, a whole bunch of articles for Mother Nature Network, which has been keeping me busy writing about all kinds of environmental and science stories. The first one is a great profile of a young businessman making a difference:

Jonas Falk earns a healthy profit helping school kids eat well

Weather forecasters and climate science have a stormy relationship

Students solve water woes by mimicking nature

Nobel Prize belonging to late DNA pioneer Francis Crick goes on the auction block

Poisoned mice to be dropped on Guam to kill invasive snakes

An egg that monitors air quality goes online around the world

'Inocente' becomes first Kickstarter-backed movie to win on Oscar night

New online guide ranks water filter systems

Sahara dust linked to rain and snow in California


That's it this time around -- which is good, because 14 would just be too many. I have a ton more in the pipeline, so follow me on Twitter for links as they happen. 

See you next week!