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National Renewable Energy Lab Studies Plants In Twin Falls Solar Field

Rachel D. Cohen

October 09, 2019 |

Boise State Public Radio (KBSX) |

Radio |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Twin Falls, Idaho

Scientists are studying which plants grow best around solar panels and which pollinators are attracted to these plants. To test this, researchers are looking at species like milkweed, buckwheat, and blue flax that are growing in the partially-shaded environment near solar panels in Idaho. While there aren’t many plants growing yet, the scientists are looking to see the environmental impact solar panels can have after being installed.

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From Weed to Cash: Researchers Genetically Engineer Pennycress

Ryan Denham Sean Newgent

October 03, 2019 |

WGLT |

Radio |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Illinois

A gene editing practice called CRISPR is transforming a penny-shaped weed known as pennycress into a cover crop. This practice offers farmers a source of revenue in their off season and provides habitats for insects, as well as improved soil health.

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Saving The Planet One Drone At A Time

Julia Migné

September 03, 2019 |

Are We Europe |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Antarctica

As conservationists around the world grapple with saving endangered species, many have turned to the tech sector. Initiatives like The Zooniverse, a citizen science platform for people-powered research, are helping expand over 90 different projects. Even more, scientists have started directly collaborating with technologists to develop products, like weather-resistant cameras for capturing penguins in Antarctica, specially for their work.

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A tiny garden in Boulder is showing signs of stress from smog. The scientist behind it is thrilled.

Amanda K. Clark

August 12, 2019 |

The Colorado Sun |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Boulder, Colorado

A garden at Boulder, Colorado’s Museum of Natural History is being used to track the effects of smog and educate visitors as well. Called an “ozone garden,” this plot – and other like it around the world – shows researchers and visitors how plants are damaged by ground-level ozone levels. Beyond education, the researchers behind the ozone garden are using it to show how crops and food availability will diminish as climate change continues.

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How a small Colorado town fought the Japanese beetle and won

Tamara Chuang

July 29, 2019 |

The Colorado Sun |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Palisade, Colorado

Eradicating invasive species requires enrolling a community effort. Although quarantines and chemical treatments have not proven effective in preventing the spread of Popilia japonica, or the Japanese beetle, to farms on the US’s Front Range, the Colorado community of Palisade succeeded in eradicating the species through collective action. By combining pest control methods with a community program of reducing water use, Palisade farmers were able to push the beetles out of their farmland over the course of several years in the early 2000s.

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In an Apparent First, Genetic Genealogy Aids a Wrongful Conviction Case

Mia Armstrong

July 16, 2019 |

The Marshall Project |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Idaho

The use of genetic genealogy technology has given law enforcement the opportunity to compare DNA that people have tested personally through companies like 23andMe to DNA collected at crime scenes. Recently being used to help free people from prison who have been wrongfully convicted, the technology gives law enforcement insight as to the family tree the DNA is connected to. While showing potential, it has also raised concerns around genetic data privacy, with many companies now requiring permission from users.

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A fungus threatens survival of the only toads that live high in the Rocky Mountains

Jennifer Brown

July 09, 2019 |

The Colorado Sun |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Buena Vista, Colorado

Researchers from the University of Colorado and Colorado Parks and Wildlife are hoping the experimental antifungal bacterial baths they gave toads in the Rocky Mountains are working. A fungus called Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis has been killing amphibians around the world, but researchers think they may have found a way to stop it. In the lab, the experimental bath showed a 40% decrease in mortality, indicating promising results in the wild.

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Life After Conflict: Healing the Environmental Wounds of War

Tania Rashid Habib Battah

May 28, 2019 |

Al Jazeera |

Video |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Bangladesh

With the aftermath of conflict often focused on humanitarian crisis, international and local actors are also working to restore damage done to ecosystems. From Rohingya refugees volunteering to make sure endangered elephants can reach their grazing lands – and not destroy the refugee camps – to Lebonese seed banks being recreated to restore biodiversity, the international stage is paying closer attention to the environmental tolls of conflict.

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Termite and ventilation system

Patrick Aryee

May 20, 2019 |

BBC |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: Zimbabwe, Harare

Buildings with permeable surfaces increase energy efficiency, mimicking natural structures. In Harare, Zimbabwe, the Eastgate Centre employs methods borrowed from termite mound construction to efficiently regulate the building's temperature. By employing insights that scientists had gained by studying the airflow in termite mounds, the Centre’s architects used materials with a high thermal mass, increased surface area, and maximized ventilation.

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Probiotics help humans stay healthy. Can they benefit other animals, too?

Hannah Thomasy

May 02, 2019 |

Ensia |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Boulder, Colorado

Across the world, research is being done to figure out if probiotics – live bacteria that hold numerous health benefits – can help animals other than humans. Thus far, such treatments have yielded success in labs working with amphibians, brown bats, and coral, demonstrating that humans can help treat wildlife diseases. While the research continues to show success, many are now figuring out how to give this sort of treatment in nature and on much larger scales.

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