Category: Essays

gemma clucas on Georgia island collects poop with an albatross; Seabird Research on Climate Change Impacts and Conservation

Penguins, Puffins, and the Science of Seabird Scat

Erin Hassett speaks with Dr. Gemma Clucas, a researcher at Cornell University who analyzes the poop of penguins and other seabirds to reveal deteriorating ocean health and changing fish population ecology. Dr. Clucas and fellow researchers travel to remote locations to collect the poop from common terns, penguins, puffins, and other seabirds.

A lone, scraggly tabby cat sits on an urban street, with rumpled fur and a clipped left ear.

What Community Cats Can Teach Us about Multispecies Care

Community cats lead diverse multispecies lives outside of human care, but they should still be valued. Kuhelika Ghosh explores how human stewards can engage in forms of “non-kin” care to help them thrive in their outdoor environments.

Two persons wearing neon orange vest kneeling in front of a defaced painting hanging on the wall

The Art of Climate Protest

Jayme Collins explains how a new generation of climate activists draw from histories of protest art to reveal the ties between the art world and fossil fuel capitalism.

A single Sarus crane with neck high and wings outstretched, standing in a wetland field.

Love versus Legality in Indian Crane Conservation

Authors Dipti Arora & Astha Chaudhary investigate how politics, media, and affective relationships complexly shape human-crane encounters in India—with positive and negative consequences for both species.

Is the Outdoor Recreation Boom Too Good to Be True?

The outdoor recreation economy (ORE) is where land, labor, and leisure collide. Mara MacDonell explores the complexities and complications behind the apparent rise of ORE, including housing insecurity, economic inequality, and environmental degradation.

an artwork showing a red building on the left, and a yellow wild animal on the right.

The City Through More-Than-Human Eyes

Indian artist Jagannath Panda is known for his play imagination of urban life. Sreyashi Ray explores how it uses rich textiles and figures to highlight the intersection of human and other-than-human issues that resonate with viewers from all around the world.

A brown-color bear catches a fish while with its mouth while standing in a river

Reveling in the Gluttony and Glee of Fat Bear Week

Once a fringe event, Fat Bear Week has recently come to the attention of mainstream media. Margaret McGuirk argues that this seemingly frivolous program in fact gives us an opportunity to revel in a queered view of nature.