Rhinos, Squirrels, Poisons and more

Another week gone by, another few thousand words typed and online. I like it.

My two Extinction Countdown articles for Scientific American covered some good news for two critically endangered species:
160 Video Cameras to Help Monitor Last 35 Javan Rhinos [This was also reprinted by the Huffington Post.]

(Oh, and you can read all of my recent articles on rhinos here.)

Critically Endangered Colombian Parrot Doubles Its Protected Habitat


Mother Nature Network kept me delightfully busy this week:
Whistleblower exposes tree poisoning in billboard industry

Is California's famous Salton Sea doomed?

#Squirrel! Craigslist founder uses social media to raise money for wildlife

Frida Kahlo's mysterious infertility diagnosed through her paintings


And here are two new "green living" blog posts for Green Hands USA:

Save an Orangutan: Don't Buy Palm Oil

Portland (Oregon and Maine) Named Two of America's Greenest Cities


This coming week will see more at SciAm and MNN. Some time this week, my latest feature for Lion magazine should be online. (I received my print copy in the mail on Saturday.) Depending on publication schedules, I'll also have three new technology features coming out this week or next. And then there's all of the other stuff I'm working on!


Make sure to follow me on Twitter for the latest links as they go live!

Blogging for Endangered Species

What's the role of journalism and blogging in conservation? The Behind the Schemes podcast asked me and I answered. Check out the half-hour interview here:

Blogging for Endangered Species - BEHIND THE SCHEMES

Dirty birds, dog-fighting controversy and publishing historians

What a wild and wacky mix of stories came out of my fingertips this week. I swear, that's the most enjoyable part of being a freelance writer: even when you work a certain beat, you really never know what stories are coming down the pike.

Let's start this week's compendium, as I usually do, with my two Extinction Countdown stories for Scientific American. I'm really happy with both of these articles, and I'll have some more interesting EC-related news to let you know about soon.

"I'm a dirty bird."

Geese May Be Helping to Spread Frog-Killing Chytrid Fungus

Threatened Philippine Hawk-Eagle Bred in Captivity for First Time


Mother Nature Network kept me busy this week, including two stories on a PR nightmare for a certain beer company:

Heineken denounces dog-fighting photo

Update: Heineken severs relationship with club that hosted illegal dog fight

Deadly citrus blight arrives in California

Most Americans now link extreme weather to climate change


Here are a few "going green" blog posts for Green Hands USA:

Damariscotta River Association Offers Classes Plus Conservation

ESL Teachers: Get Free Eco-Themed Lesson Plans

Save Plastic, Try Reusable Produce Bags


And finally this week, here's my latest feature for IEEE's The Institute newspaper:

IEEE History Center Is Busy Publishing

Make sure to stalk me on Tweeter for the links to my latest articles live and as they happen!

Rare reptiles, killer bees, small careers and the power of music

Here's the buzz on my latest articles...

This was a rare Extinction Countdown week where both stories brought good news:

Good News for Rare Amur Leopards and Tigers in Russia 

60 Rare Tuatara Reptiles Moved to Predator-Free New Zealand Island


Elsewhere, Mother Nature Network kept me busy with a wide variety of news stories:

Humane Society accuses Pennsylvania egg factory of animal cruelty

'Alive Inside': New documentary shows how music can reawaken Alzheimer's patients

Africanized bees found in Tennessee for first time [This one was reprinted by the Huffington Post.]


My latest engineering careers article appeared in IEEE's The Institute:

Nanotechnology: Big Opportunities for Those Who Think Small


And finally, three "green living" blog posts for Green Hands USA:

University of Florida Offers Adopt-A-'Swamp' Program

Iowa City Goes Paperless

Bloomberg Names Greenest Banks


I've got a busy week ahead, with two big features in the works and a few other things bouncing around. Stay tuned for the latest!

Lots of scary stuff in this week's articles

Hoo-boy. I haven't written this many scary stories since I was actively working as a horror writer.

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

Hunting of Rare, Exotic Antelopes Now Limited under New U.S. Rule

Bat-Killing Fungus Continues Deadly Spread; Death Toll Now at 7 Million


(You can find all of my articles on the bat-killing white-nose syndrome found here.)


Next up, this week's articles for Mother Nature Network, each of which was frightening in its own particular way:

Was your chicken fed caffeine, arsenic, Prozac or banned antibiotics?

Is student loan debt threatening our economic recovery?

Sushi scare: FDA and CDC investigate salmonella outbreak in 19 states


Okay, not everything I wrote last week was scary. Here's an interesting career article for IEEE-USA's Today's Engineer:

Career Focus: Computer Science PostDocs


And finally, here are two not-scary "go green" blog posts for Green Hands USA:

Help Your Local Green Businesses with a Cash Mob


Celebrate Wildflowers at Your Favorite National Parks


This coming week will see more of the same, plus two new technology features. Meanwhile, I'm working on several new features and a bunch of other stuff. Stay tuned for linkage!

Orangutans, extinct trees, dead horses and popcorn

I'm on deadline, so I'll keep my intro to this week's stories brief:

Both of this week's Extinction Countdown stories were fun to report:

2 Trees Twice Thought to Be Extinct Rediscovered in Tanzania

Ecotourism Does Not Overly Stress Orangutans, Study Finds



As always, Mother Nature Network gave me a wide range of stories to write about this week:

Senator launches investigation into PTSD treatment denials by military hospitals

Popcorn may be healthier than some fruits and vegetables

Drugged and endangered: Horse racing fatalities and injuries on the rise

Park Slope Food Co-op declines to vote on proposed boycott of Israeli products


And Green Hands USA lets me blog about good ways you can go green:

Lights Out: Celebrate Earth Hour This Weekend  [Whoops, ya missed it.]

Tufts University Students Compete While They Recycle

For Longer Battery Life, Skip LTE Phones

I turned in a new feature article on Friday, with two more due this week and a fourth getting started. Maybe a fifth if the contract comes through. But I'll be keeping up the usual articles as SA, MNN, etc, so follow me on Twitter for the links as they happen.