Tending to Paradise A rare prairie ecosystem shaped by humans in Washington State exemplifies a shift in how conservationists envision our relationship with the natural world.

I live close to Yellow Island and have visited the surrounding San Juan Islands, but never knew about it! So great to have Emma Marris explore this gem and reveal its place in our world. The photos by @shannabaker.bsky.social, especially that hummingbird, stunning! www.biographic.com/tending-to-p...

I really wanted to make this headline "Puff Puff Pass" but sadly got voted down

Puff, puff, pass

some of our, ahem, younger editors suggested that as a headline and got voted down 😂

Pass the Pufferball - bioGraphic California sea lions and other marine mammals engage in complex play that prepares them for life, improves their well-being—and may be just plain fun.

After BBC Earth filmed juvenile male bottlenose dolphins playing catch with an inflated pufferfish, some observers speculated that the animals were intentionally getting high on tiny doses of the pufferfish's toxin. Might sea lions do the same?

www.biographic.com/pass-the-puf...

Living in the Sprawl - bioGraphic As housing developments devour open space in the western United States, can local governments stave off habitat loss?

"Across the West, farsighted local governments have begun preserving & connecting habitats through unsexy regulatory tools such as zoning, land-use codes, & comprehensive plans."

For @biographic.bsky.social, I wrote about planning (don't yawn!) for conservation.

www.biographic.com/living-in-th...

The Moon of the Palolo Worm In the Pacific Islands, communities count on the annual spawning of a species of sea worm to fill bellies, spark celebration, and shape peoples’ sense of time.

Allow me to introduce you to the palolo worm. This marine critter is known for its spectacular spawning events that happen on one single night every year, making a lasting mark on many Indigenous cultures in the southwestern Pacific. For @biographic.bsky.social: www.biographic.com/the-moon-of-...

Hybrids On The Horizon - bioGraphic Chance encounters and novel conditions have led to different species cross-breeding more often. Is it a good thing?

Scientists once held that the boundary between species was their ability to mate and make viable offspring. But hybrids, it turns out, are everywhere. Now, as geneticists gain insight into animals’ inner workings, they’re learning that the boundaries between species have always been porous.

Can Rockhoppers Survive the Next Leap? These daredevil penguins persevere in seemingly impossible places despite the challenges they face.

People tend to think of penguins as the cute, waddling protagonists of nature films. But rockhopper penguins are more like super heros--the badasses of the penguin world. Can their full-throttle athleticism help them survive a changing planet?

Can Rockhoppers Survive the Next Leap? These daredevil penguins persevere in seemingly impossible places despite the challenges they face.

People tend to think of penguins as the cute, waddling protagonists of nature films. But rockhopper penguins are more like super heros--the badasses of the penguin world. Can their full-throttle athleticism help them survive a changing planet?

gosh it's almost like biology in general is fluid and ever-changing and cannot always be neatly categorized

So thrilled to see my feature on cold-water coral research for Hakai Magazine / @biographic.bsky.social Magazine is an honorable mention in the outstanding feature writing category in the @sejorg.bsky.social awards this year. Looking forward to the conference!

Penguins become marine detectives, thanks to pollutant-detecting anklets Scientific jewelry picks up “forever chemicals” that can harm wildlife and humans

Penguins become marine detectives, thanks to pollutant-detecting anklets | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti... 🧪

It’s almost as though “species” were a convenient construct made up by humans to categorize the bewildering complexity of the natural world.

The Moon of the Palolo Worm In the Pacific Islands, communities count on the annual spawning of a species of sea worm to fill bellies, spark celebration, and shape peoples’ sense of time.

It's always a delight to work with @katarinazimmer.bsky.social, and this story checks all the boxes for me as an editor:

✅ Weird invertebrate with fascinating biology

✅ Traditional ecological knowledge that matters in the modern world

✅ Pacific Islands culture

✅ Myths and symbolism

The Moon of the Palolo Worm In the Pacific Islands, communities count on the annual spawning of a species of sea worm to fill bellies, spark celebration, and shape peoples’ sense of time.

Across the southwestern Pacific, sea worms spawn in concert at the same time each year--anchoring ecological calendars and even shaping communities' sense of time.

by @katarinazimmer.bsky.social

www.biographic.com/the-moon-of-...

The Moon of the Palolo Worm In the Pacific Islands, communities count on the annual spawning of a species of sea worm to fill bellies, spark celebration, and shape peoples’ sense of time.

Love this read about connecting to the cycle of the Palolo worm in the South Pacific, and how nature keeps time.

Hybrids On The Horizon - bioGraphic Chance encounters and novel conditions have led to different species cross-breeding more often. Is it a good thing?

Scientists once held that the boundary between species was their ability to mate and make viable offspring. But hybrids, it turns out, are everywhere. Now, as geneticists gain insight into animals’ inner workings, they’re learning that the boundaries between species have always been porous.

Welcome to the Great Bear Sea After decades of discord, Canada and First Nations are working together to build a network of marine protected areas stretching from Vancouver Island to Alaska.

Here's the @biographic.bsky.social feature in case you missed it! Featuring stellar editing by @cestmoilanglois.bsky.social and immersive photography and video by Bennett Whitnell. Thanks also to @hakai.org and @ijnr.bsky.social for the support.

Incredibly honored to see my @biographic.bsky.social feature "Welcome to the Great Bear Sea" (edited by the talented @cestmoilanglois.bsky.social) on the long list for the Environmental Reporting category of the 2026 @oneworldmedia.bsky.social awards 🙏

The Birds Who Call Us Home In springtime in North America, purple martins spread joy as they return to their nest boxes—is that enough motivation for us to ward off an avian housing crisis?

Purple martins once nested in tree cavities, but as development has made such habitat increasingly scarce, some 8.7 million birds are now almost exclusively reliant on nest boxes built and maintained by people. Fortunately, people love to care for these vibrant spring migrants.

The Fight for the Heart of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - bioGraphic One year after the Trump administration threw the EPA into chaos, former employees continue to push back—and to dream of an agency reborn.

Like other federal agencies that deal in science, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has been through the Trump administration wringer. Amidst the chaos, some former employees are trying to protect scientific integrity from future political assault.

By @madelinevo.bsky.social

The Search for the Perfect Snail Snack - bioGraphic Hawai‘i’s depleted land snails are eking out an existence in human care. Giving them a brighter future means figuring out what they actually want to eat.

The Search for the Perfect Snail Snack

Hawai‘i’s depleted land snails are eking out an existence in human care. Giving them a brighter future means figuring out what they actually want to eat.

www.biographic.com/the-search-f...

The Birds Who Call Us Home In springtime in North America, purple martins spread joy as they return to their nest boxes—is that enough motivation for us to ward off an avian housing crisis?

Purple martins once nested in tree cavities, but as development has made such habitat increasingly scarce, some 8.7 million birds are now almost exclusively reliant on nest boxes built and maintained by people. Fortunately, people love to care for these vibrant spring migrants.

one of the most interesting stories I read all month tbh

Saving Hermit Crabs by Breeding Them in the Suburbs

Gift link:

www.nytimes.com/2026/03/26/m...

Such niche work! There is still so much we don't understand on the planet, large and small. I love this kind of reporting, thank you ❤️

The Search for the Perfect Snail Snack - bioGraphic Hawai‘i’s depleted land snails are eking out an existence in human care. Giving them a brighter future means figuring out what they actually want to eat.

For the past 40 or so years, snail experts have had access to a passable manufactured snail food: a cultivated form of fungus related to air conditioner mold. Hayes equates this to french fries. “Snails eat it, but it’s not necessarily nutritionally good,” he says

www.biographic.com/the-search-f...

The Search for the Perfect Snail Snack - bioGraphic Hawai‘i’s depleted land snails are eking out an existence in human care. Giving them a brighter future means figuring out what they actually want to eat.

The Search for the Perfect Snail Snack

Hawai‘i’s depleted land snails are eking out an existence in human care. Giving them a brighter future means figuring out what they actually want to eat.

www.biographic.com/the-search-f...

‘We will not know what we lost’: Conservation fallout a year after USAID shutdown When then-U.S. president John F . Kennedy created the United States Agency for International Development in 1961, it was meant primarily to administer health and food aid around the world. In the deca...

Since the closure of USAID an estimated 834,000 people lost their lives as a result of the loss of health assistance. USAID was also one of the largest contributors to conservation ($400m annually). This week on the podcast, Michelle Nijhuis @biographic.bsky.social details the situation a year on.