Simone Scully

Growing up in Indonesia, Farwiza Farhan always loved the ocean. It's why she decided to study marine biology. But the more she learned, the more she realized that it wasn't enough to work in the ocean. She needed to protect it. "I see the ocean…

Climate change and natural weather disasters can profoundly affect our mental health. We strive to share insights based on diverse experiences without stigma or shame. This is a powerful voice. It was early March 2018. My husband was checking the…

Electric vehicles are no longer lofty, futuristic goals—they're here and they're growing in popularity. There are currently more than 650,000 battery-powered and hybrid electric cars on the road in California alone and that number is only expected to…

On December 4, 2017, the Thomas Fire — the largest wildfires in California’s modern history — broke out, scorching 282,000 acres of land in the Los Padres National Forest and across Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Barely a month later and before…

Every year, people around the world buy millions of real Christmas trees to decorate their homes over the holidays. But that's not bad news, as most experts agree that buying a real tree is the more eco-friendly option, because as trees grow, they…

As the lead technician in a Virology lab, Sarah Horak had always loved her work in science. Her job didn’t actually allow her to be out in the field very much though, which was disappointing, as she and her husband, Justin, both loved the outdoors…

In the late afternoon on May 31st, 2013, a massive supercell thunderstorm formed southwest of El Reno, Oklahoma. “It was really ominous from the beginning, before the storm had even formed a tornado,” remembers Jana Houser, a storm chaser from that…

In late October 2007, ongoing drought, low humidity, warm weather and strong Santa Ana winds over 50 mph had much of Southern California on high alert: Conditions were primed for wildfires. “We knew the weather was bad,” remembers Kevin Crawford.…

Since COVID-19 was identified in December 2019, it has spread around the world, wreaking havoc on our daily lives. As of July 6, 2020, there have been over 11.5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported across 216 countries and territories. Over…

Halloween night in Churchill, Manitoba looks a little bit different from anywhere else. A helicopter flies over the town, looking for dangerous creatures with a spotlight. Community volunteers and firefighters are posted around the perimeter, doing…

When California native Cathy Sandeen first came to the University of Alaska, Anchorage to interview for her job as chancellor, she was given a great introduction to the city: “I’m walking around one of the facilities and there goes a moose, just…

On a quiet hike in Yellowstone National Park, some lucky visitors might get to hear an amazing sound: the howl of a gray wolf. They might even get to spot one of these beautiful animals darting across the landscape. In fact, today, the chances of…

Approximately six miles off the coast of Southern Florida and stretching 360 miles from Miami to Dry Tortugas National Park is North America’s only living coral barrier reef. This Florida reef tract is home to over 50 species of coral, over 150…

Mother Nature is full of surprises every changing season. Check out these amazing phenomena you can only see during the summer months, from the midnight sun to tree-climbing goats. 1. Brown Bears at Brooks Falls, Katmai National Park Inhabited by…

When you think of a “great” mom, certain qualities like patience, dedication and love likely come to mind. After all, those are the qualities that, as humans, we value in our own mothers. But humans aren’t the only “super moms” on this planet. In…

New York harbor was once the oyster capital of the world. In fact, what lobsters mean to Maine today, oysters meant to New York just a few centuries ago. Archeologists have found middens — ancient piles of shells — dating back to 6950 B.C, suggesting…

Nothing reveals the beauty of the changing seasons more than the arrival of fall. But Mother Nature has more in store than apple picking season and fall foliage. Do more than your typical leaf peeping and check out these incredible natural phenomena…

Stay on target It was a late afternoon in Indonesia’s Ujung Kulon National Park when Dr. Robin Moore, a conservation biologist and photographer with Global Wildlife Conservation, and his colleague heard a loud crash to their right. There was no doubt…

Five years ago, when marine research scientist Abby Barrows looked through her microscope at a local water sample, she saw a bunch of multicolored pieces of plastic. These strands of plastic were less than 5 millimeters in length — smaller than the…

When faced with the tremendous impact of climate change and man-made activities damaging the environment, it can sometimes feel as if there isn’t anything that one person can do to really make a difference because so much is outside our…