Writing
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In rewilding a pocket of pristine antelope habitat
20 Jan 2023
For nearly a decade, as the high desert sun bore down across a wide expanse of rolling hills, deep canyons and wide valleys within the remote Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge, volunteers have labored within a maze of sagebrush to remove large stretches of barbed wire fence.
Fences, despite having become…
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Methane: the ugly, bad, and the good
03 Nov 2022
Many Americans begin the morning with breakfast, usually cooked over the stove. Possibly eggs, pancakes, or toast from bread baked in the oven. Our lives take energy, whether it is the morning cup of coffee or the natural gas we use to cook our meals, the energy has to come…
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One Less Car
03 Nov 2022
One Less Car
I have pedaled the streets of Reno for almost twenty years. A lot has changed. While there are more butts on more bikes more often than when I first moved to town, the infrastructure, education, and overall riding experience in town have not come as far as…
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Fight food insecurity through urban farming
24 Oct 2022
On a recent sunny morning in Reno, Nevada, volunteers worked diligently to harvest fresh vegetables from plots of rich soil, collecting tomatoes, eggplants, and cucumbers while a few farm goats bleated behind them. The freshly harvested produce would be washed, sorted, and stored in a solar-powered refrigerator until ending up…
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The Economics of a dark sky
29 Aug 2022
Nestled in the extreme northeast corner of California is the tiny community of Cedarville. One of the few communities of Surprise Valley, which spans the border across to Nevada, is one of the darkest areas in the lower 48 states. In fact, on a moonless night, you may have trouble…
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How a Local Journalist Reported on the Dixie Fire in His Backyard
29 Aug 2022
When I shifted careers to focus on journalism, I knew I wanted to cover the environment and climate change
Long a conservationist, I wanted my reporting to focus on under-told stories. Thus my master’s thesis at the University of Nevada, Reno encompassed both of these beats through the lens of…
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The Impact of wildfires goes beyond acres burned
29 Aug 2022
https://sierranevadaally.org/2022/08/26/the-impact-of-wildfires-goes-far-beyond-acres-burned/Last summer the Caldor, Tamarack, and Dixie fires burned over 1.2 million acres across northern California and western Nevada. The impact of those three wildfires has gone far beyond acreage, adding to the already staggering suppression cost.
“It is more that we are not spending enough upfront on mitigation so…
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Are Our Sierra Nevada Towns Destined to Go Down in Flames?
13 Jul 2022
This story was originally published with both The Xylom & The Sierra Nevada Ally. Visit them to see the story’s visuals and consider supporting independent journalism.
I grew up in Quincy, California, a small, vibrant mountain community in the far north reaches of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
The area…
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Teff Gains Ground as a Dual-Income Crop
08 Jul 2022
The Ethiopian fine grain is succeeding in Nevada’s high desert.
East of the Sierra-Nevada mountain range and sandwiched between two marshes lies Fallon, a small community which brands itself the “Oasis of Nevada.” Despite the dry alkali soil, this small community bustles with growing activity in the spring, summer, and…
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New state-federal agreement aims to expand outdoor recreation while protecting environment
25 Mar 2022
New state-federal agreement aims to expand outdoor recreation while protecting environment
With more people exploring Nevada’s public lands than ever before, impacts to the landscape are on the rise. This raises concern amongst conservationists and state officials about how best to protect the environment.
Gov. Steve Sisolak on Wednesday signed…
Copyright Richard Bednarski