Green Cred

2010

One goal for 2010 is to do more writing about science and the environment, so here is a quick rundown on my background and expertise to help convince editors and etc. that I have lots to contribute!

Experience

Founding editor, Natural News Network, 2006-09.

This daily blog covering Rhode Island environmental issues attracted about 4,000 visits per month during its last year. It is currently offline while undergoing an overhaul to NNN 2.0.

Adjunct instructor, Rhode Island College Geography Dept., 1990 to present; Northeastern Online, Earth Science Dept., 2001 to present.

At RIC, I teach Intro Environmental Studies every fall, and in Summer 2009 I taught a Workshop in Environmental Education. Other courses: marine geography, earth science, and the geography of Rhode Island. In the 1990s I taught some courses for RIC at sea aboard the Tall Ship Rose. For Northeastern I teach a variety of courses from intro geology and ecology to seminars in culture & technology, and natural disasters.

Community work. I’m a member of the education advisory board for Save The Bay and for the Oliver Hazard Perry Education at Sea project, which is working to build a square-rigged sail-training ship for Rhode Island. I was a Teacher at Sea with NOAA’s Mountains in the Sea expedition in spring 2004.

Education:

I have a Master’s Degree in Geography from the University of Hawaii and a B.A. in Geography from Rhode Island College. Geographers study the interaction of cultural and natural systems. I also studied as an undergrad at the University of Rhode Island, and I spent a semester in post-grad studies at the University of Colorado. I also worked for a year and a half at the National Geographic Society in the book division, where I was an intern and then an editor on the first edition of Guide to the National Parks.

Selected Publications

“Rescuing the Reefs,” cover story for Roger Williams University Alumni Magazine, winter 2010. A look at how the cultivation of rare fish in captivity is helping to save fragile ecosystems in the wild.

“Bye, Bye, Birdies,” feature for Rhode Island Monthly, November 2009. Little-known islands in Narragansett Bay support colonies of wading birds, but their numbers seem to be in decline. I explore these islands with local scientists and introduce readers to the birds of the bay.

“Food for thought,” a profile for G, Australia’s green lifestyle magazine. Interview with philosopher Peter Singer, an Australian living in New York.

“The Bay is Their Oyster,” a story about local aquaculture in Rhode Island Monthly April 2006, won first place, business reporting, from the Rhode Island Press Association.

“Don’t Mess With Our Brook,” a story about efforts to save a local brook, in Rhode Island Monthly April 2005, won first place, reporting on science and the environment, from the Rhode Island Press Association.

Ecotravelogue, Bootsnall Travel Network. I was the original creator of this topic on the popular Bootsnall site... I think it was around 2005. I kept a blog going for six months or so but the pay was a pittance. They were nice guys but there was no clear path for making money on the project so I gave it up.