Featured Work | Isobel Whitcomb

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ISOBEL WHITCOMB

Featured Work

Preventing the Next 'Fukushima'

Oil and gas operations at Portland’s CEI Hub are growing. So is the risk of a massive spill if the next “big one” hits.

Is DEET Bug Spray Harmful?

Some worry that this active ingredient is toxic. Here’s what we know about its effect on human health.

An Oregon landfill is spewing methane. Its owners want to expand.

Numerous safety violations have been detected at the fast-growing landfill.

Barred Owls Blur Lines Between Invasive Species and Refugees

As environmental change reshuffles species ranges, the distinction between invasive species and climate migrants is becoming more and more muddied.

As Coastal Habitat Shrinks, Scientists Take Inspiration from Surfing Shorebirds

Birds rest on rafts of eelgrass when they can't find a safe space to roost onshore. That behavior inspired conservationists.

How We Got Concussions So Wrong

I got a concussion. I didn’t get better. It turned out even my doctors had bought into a powerful myth.

The fish have long been at the center of a sacred way of life

Biden Administration Supports Removal of Four Dams on the Snake River

Decommissioning the dams is the first step toward restoring salmon runs and respecting Native treaties

Some vets think golden retrievers are dying younger than they used to. The answer could change how we think about dogs for good.

When Exercising Through Pain Helps Make It Better

Movement can help us tap into an “inner pharmacy” of opioids that can be more effective than pills.

The Salton Sea’s Feral Splendor

The Salton Sea has long been regarded as an apocalyptic wasteland, but it’s much more.

LGBTQ+ Kids Are Coming Out Earlier. Here’s What That Means For Their Mental Health.

Staying closeted isn’t the answer.

The PACT Act will take the burden of proof off US veterans exposed to burn pits

Nearly 300,000 veterans in America have reported exposure to pollution from burning debris.

An Ark for Amphibians

The quest to find climate-safe habitats for endangered creatures

Wildlife Needs Groundwater Too

In an arid region of Oregon, groundwater pumping imperils the “Everglades of the West”

Beaver Dams Help Wildfire-Ravaged Ecosystems Recover Long after Flames Subside

Dams mop up debris that would otherwise kill fish and other downstream wildlife, new observations suggest

This pseudoscience movement wants to wipe germs from existence

A 160-year-old rivalry, two cranky chemists, and a growing community of COVID deniers.

Sea Otters Are Reshaping the Genetics of Eelgrass Meadows

The once-imperiled marine mammal could help this vital coastal ecosystem adapt to a changing world.

Mental wellness apps are basically the Wild West of therapy

Therapy apps are booming, but mental health experts have vetted precious few.

My Doctor Told Me My Pain Was All in My Head. It Ended Up Saving Me.

After a decade of mysterious running injuries and countless specialist visits, I found a treatment centered on neuroscience.

At-Home Learning, When Home Is in Ashes

How families in one Oregon community are coping with the aftermath of a massive wildfire.

High Country News (Print)

The New York Times

Canary Media

Atmos Magazine

Audubon Magazine

Slate

Sierra Magazine (Print)

Selected for the 2024 edition of The Best American Science and Nature Writing

Sierra Magazine

Slate

Slate

Atmos Magazine

Fatherly

Popular Science

Sierra Magazine (Print)

Selected for the 2023 edition of The Best American Science and Nature Writing

Sierra Magazine

Scientific American

Popular Science

Hakai Magazine

Popular Science

Slate

The New York Times

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