Audio: Listen to the Earth breathing
Blowholes are more common than you think.
Could building on public land address the housing crisis?
The West has a plethora of land and a shortage of houses. Some are wondering if a solution lies within.
A new law seeks to tame mineral extraction at the Great Salt Lake
The new limits may represent a shift in Utah’s cozy relationship with industry.
Disaster disparities in the West
The risk of climate catastrophe is complex, but people of color often face ‘unnatural hazards.’
Underground seed banks hold promise for ecological restoration
Indigenous science is using natural regeneration to restore Western ecosystems.
An ode to lesbians who showed the way
The photography series ‘Hidden Once, Hidden Twice’ highlights women who serve as a model for others.
The dangers of PFAS — and of downplaying their ubiquity
Even well-meaning officials often provide inadequate or misleading information, putting communities at higher risk.
Saving the Pacific lamprey
Documenting populations of the ancient fish is a step toward ensuring their survival.
The desert’s Radical Faeries
How a gathering of gay men in the Sonoran Desert started a worldwide movement rooted in nature.
Issei poetry between the world wars
The rich history of Japanese-language literature challenges assumptions about what counts as U.S. art.
Nocturne
A poem by Geri Doran.
‘We have been here and are still here’
#iamthewest: Giving voice to the people that make up communities in the region.
Killer kitties, no-drama llamas and a brand-new arachnid
Mishaps and mayhem from around the region.
The value of awe
Being dumbstruck by the beautiful complexity of nature is good for you.
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The West in Perspective
In This Issue
March 2024: Fertile Ground
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed during difficult times, but HCN’s March issue finds good reason to hope. Our two feature stories highlight the resilience of both human relationships and damaged ecosystems, with a photo essay about the lessons learned from older lesbian couples, and a…
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Water
The good, the bad and the ugly of the state legislative season
Wild ice: A training ground for rural skaters
Gov. Newsom releases new plan to save California salmon
Wildlife
How the Colville Tribes are restoring traditional lands and wildlife
Fund conservation as you drive
Fire is driving animals’ evolution
Public Lands
How states make money off tribal lands
What happened to the Great American Outdoors Act?
Biden plan will earmark millions of acres of public land for solar development
Indigenous Affairs
Can affordable housing for Indigenous communities work?
How solar geoengineering is clouding issues of tribal consent
Washington’s solar permitting leaves tribal resources vulnerable to corporations
Communities
Is it cowboy poetry if it’s not written by a cowboy?
How a small town with limited resources is planning for climate change
A bear hunt illuminates the complexities of a marriage
Books
During climate chaos, a witness and champion of the West
How kung-fu heroes can grow our climate consciousness
The epic history of the Endangered Species Act
In the News
(Re)name that bird! Now’s your chance
The American Ornithological Society is renaming dozens of birds and wants the public’s help.