Rarest of the Rare

This week's four publications all covered endangered species. Three of the articles examined species that are just about as rare as they get.

First up, my two Extinction Countdown articles for Scientific American:

This Rare White Possum Could Soon Be a Ghostly Memory

Chinese Sturgeon Give Up, Stop Breeding in Polluted Yangtze River

And next, two articles for TakePart:

Should the U.S. Force These Rare Wolves Into Captivity?

Watch These Shark Finners Get Hunted Down

Beyond that, I've been working on quite a few fronts. This coming week I'll have more articles for those two publishers, and some of the stuff I have queued up for others might start to make its way into the world. I'm also researching and writing several articles that will see print in October and beyond. After six weeks off to move across the country, it feels good to be back!

Don't miss new articles as they appear -- follow me on Twitter for new headlines all week long.

Getting back into the swing of things

If you think it's hard going back to work the first day after a two-week vacation, imagine what it's like getting back after six weeks on the road. I hit the keyboard last Monday after moving across the country and the words didn't exactly flow for the first 24 hours. But I pushed on and things have really started flowing now. I wrote four articles last week and set the stage to work on a whole lot more this coming week. Heck, my editors were so happy to have me back that they inundated me with new assignments. Ah, it's good to be wanted.

Anyway, here are last week's four headlines, one for Scientific American and three for TakePart:

In Limbo Since 1991, the Oregon Spotted Frog Finally Gets Protected Status

Cruel Practices on Spanish Rabbit Fur Farms Caught on Tape

When Doves Die: Poachers Kill 209 Birds in Hunting Spree

How to Keep Endangered Sea Turtles Off the Dinner Menu

Oh, and beyond all of that, you can see me (in the background) in one of the photos in this Newsweek article about an event at the Society of Environmental Journalists conference.

Lots more coming in the days and weeks ahead. Look for links on Twitter as they go live!

Back behind the keyboard!

Hello from Portland! It's been a crazy, amazing five weeks since I last posted to this blog. The tale of our journey across the country from Maine to Oregon will have to wait for another day. It was definitely an adventure.

For now, though, let's catch you up. Although I did almost no writing over the past month, several of my articles did make their way to publication. I'll start the list with my latest "Extinction Countdown" articles for Scientific American, including an out-of-character post to mark its tenth anniversary:

10 Years of Extinction Countdown: A Lot of Good in the Face of Mass Losses

Vaquita Porpoise about to Go Extinct, Only 97 Remain

100 Years Ago Today (a brief post about the centennial of the extinction of the passenger pigeon)

Next up, my latest weird history article for Mother Nature Network:

What was Battle of the Frogs?


Changing topics completely, here's my latest careers-oriented article for Today's Engineer:

Why Copyright Still Matters to Today's Tech Pros


And finally, here's a new article for IEEE's The Institute:

Worldwide Celebrations to Mark IEEE Day


I think that's everything I had in the pipeline. But there will be lots more coming soon. I'm back behind the keyboard and I have plenty of stories to tell. Stay tuned for more links next Monday!

Killer anteaters, killed anteaters and a million-dollar challenge

Hey folks! Welcome to another Monday. This isn't a typical Monday for me. I'm officially off work and packing up the house for our big move to Oregon. The movers arrive a week from today and there's a lot to do before then.

And so, without further ado, here are the links to my articles from last week. I'll start, as I usually do, with my two "Extinction Countdown" articles for Scientific American:

All 8 Pangolin Species Being Eaten into Extinction

Nearly Extinct Mussel Gets One Last Chance at Survival


Next up, this week's poaching and wildlife articles for TakePart:

'Star Wars' Invasion of Irish Isle Stirs Bird Lovers' Ire

Uh-Oh, Now Giant Anteaters are Killing Hunters in Self-Defense


You have a million dollars' worth of reasons to read this article for IEEE's The Institute:

The Little Box Challenge: Design a Miniature Power Inverter

And finally, here are a bunch of science-related articles for Mother Nature Network and their sister site, From the Grapevine:

Why do birds sunbathe?

Eureka! Student creates free online software for genetics research

Once near extinction, rare fish swims again in Israeli river

Cloudy with a chance of cell service

The breath test that saves: Electronic nose detects lung cancer 


That's it for this week -- and probably for a couple of weeks. I still have a few articles lined up for publication throughout August, and I may still write one or two in between packing and driving across the country. I will not, however, but posting these regular Monday updates again until September. Make sure you don't miss anything: follow me on Twitter and you'll see some headlines as they appear, and maybe even a few photos from our cross-country road trip.

See you next month!

Crazy worms, cheetah selfies and more

It's T-minus 14 days until the moving truck pulls up and we officially begin our move to Portland, Oregon. I'm still writing away, though, trying to get as much done before the packing boxes overwhelm my office.

Here are this week's five new articles: two for Scientific American, two for TakePart, and one for Mother Nature Network sister site From the Grapevine:

Wild Births are Big Steps for Rare California Condors and Mexican Wolves

Somali Ostrich and 360 Other Newly Discovered Birds Added to List of Threatened Species

The Aggressive, Insatiable Asian Crazy Worm Has Invaded Wisconsin

Cheetahs Are Being Wiped Out, and Selfies Are to Blame

Universities in Connecticut and Israel team up to study clean energy


Next Monday will probably be my last weekly update here until after the move, but I will no doubt be tweeting links to any articles that go live while we're in transit. Make sure to follow me on Twitter for headlines as they happen.

Job Interviews, Mountain Gorillas and Reptile Robberies

Monday rolls around once again, and with it comes my latest list of article links. This week also marks the beginning of big changes in my publication patterns. Right now I am typing like a madman in anticipation of moving from Maine to Portland, Oregon, in three short weeks. I should have a lot of articles out over the next few weeks, then things will slow down during August as we pack, drive across the country, unpack and get settled. Then, come September, the article machine should once again kick into high gear.

But that's the future. Let's talk about the recent past. Here are my publications from this past week, starting with my latest careers article for IEEE-USA's Today's Engineer. I had a lot of fun writing this:

Tips for Effective Skype Job Interviews


Next up, two new Extinction Countdown articles for Scientific American:

Tiger Skins Are Like Fingerprints—Could That Help Stop Smugglers and Poachers?

Baby Mountain Gorillas Celebrated by 40,000 People in Rwanda


Sticking with animals (but getting a bit bleaker), here are this week's wildlife/poaching articles for TakePart:

Is This Polar Bear the World's Saddest Animal?

Reptile Robbery: Why Poachers Are Wiping Out Ontario’s Turtles


And finally, a newsy environmental article for Mother Nature Network:

EPA: Proposed Pebble Mine could destroy Alaskan salmon fishery


Well, that's it for today. Next week's list should be even longer. I have a ton of articles due this week and quite a few already in my editors' hands pending publication. Oh yeah, and I have a lot of packing to do. Lots and lots of packing...

Manatees, Milk and More

I hope you're sitting comfortably because you have more than a few of my articles to read this week. Several of these were written last week, while many finally worked their way through the publication cycle into the world.

Let's start the linkfest with my two latest "Extinction Countdown" articles for Scientific American:

Endangered Manatees Face a New Threat: Lawsuits

Why Is Namibia Killing Its Rare Desert Elephants?


Next up, my latest wildlife and poaching articles for TakePart, as well as two explainers:

The U.K.'s Unjustifiable Plan to Kill Thousands of Its Beloved Badgers

Poachers Are Killing Thousands of African Vultures to Hide Evidence of Their Crimes

How do solar panels work?

What is a carbon footprint?


My latest article for Conservation just hit the web. It's also in their summer print issue:

Non-Toxic Flame Retardants Made from Milk


Here are three new articles for Mother Nature Network and their sister site, ReThink Israel:

Photosynthesis photographed for the first time

Butterflies change travel plans as U.K. warms

5 cool new robot inventions


And finally this week, my latest careers article for IEEE's The Institute:

Noncompete Clauses: What You Should Know


This coming week should bring one or two other new items from the publication queue, as well as all of the new stuff I'll be writing this week. Make sure to follow me on Twitter for links as they happen!