Science/Environment Feature Articles/Series

• Hookah, Shisha and Waterpipe Tobacco: Consequences for Health and Future Research Directions. Blog article for UCOP Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP). May 2023. Also read the Fact Sheet!
• An Ill Wind? Growing Recognition of Airborne Nano- and Microplastic Exposures. Feature article in Environmental Health Perspectives. April 2023.



• Our Blue Planet. Celebrating 50 Years of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Feature in Defenders of Wildlife's Magazine. Winter 2022.
• Project SUN (Stop the Use of Nicotine) . University of California Office of the President (UCOP) Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP). Also read the Fact Sheet!

  

• Youth and Flavored Tobacco Products. University of California Office of the President (UCOP) Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP). Also check out the One Pager!

• Paradox Lost? The Waning Health Advantage among the U.S. Hispanic Population. Feature article in Environmental Health Perspectives. Jan 2023.
• Beleaguered Belugas: Can Cook Inlet belugas come back from the brink? Feature in Defenders of Wildlife Magazine. Fall 2022 (Link opens full issue).
• Conservation Jewels: Expanding our National Wildlife Refuge System to safeguard America's wildlife legacy. Feature in Defenders of Wildlife Magazine. Summer 2022.
• On Target: Environmental Health Messaging That Hits the Mark. Feature article in Environmental Health Perspectives. Jul 2022.
• Clear and Present Dangers: The Health Hazards of Volcanic Eruptions. Environmental Health Perspectives. Feb 2022. "On 22 May 2021, Mount Nyiragongo spewed ash, sulfurous gases, and fiery red lava, forcing thousands of people in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the city on the volcano, to flee for their lives...."
• Battle for the Blue Bloods. "At the height of the full moon, during the highest tides of the lunar cycle, American horseshoe crabs rise from the depths of the Atlantic Ocean to spawn..."

  Read about the illegal harvesting and questionable ethics behind harvesting horseshoe crabs for medical research, at the risk of a potential collapse of the Atlantic marine ecosystem. Defenders of Wildlife Magazine. Fall 2021.

• It's Getting Hot In Here: How climate-change-related storms and fires are devastating wildlife and what we can do about it. Defenders of Wildlife Magazine. Summer 2021.

"The gigantic wall of flame engulfed massive pine and fir trees "as if they were twigs in a bonfire," wrote Peter Hess in Climate Abandoned. He described billowing clouds of smoke 10,000 feet high-so thick they blotted out the sun and turned day into night-and a sound "like the whine of a jet engine at full throttle superimposed on the thunder of Niagara Falls...."

• Defenders Launches New TV Series. Fall 2021. Featuring Jeff Corwin, Wildlife Nation airs on ABC in October, and presents powerful stories about the efforts of conservation heroes.

• Put a Mask On It! Understanding how COVID spreads. Mar 29, 2021. A feature for the Science Philanthropy Alliance's COVID-19 Basic Science Prequels Project.

  "The Skagit Valley Chorale 'exists to enrich the lives of all interested singers and concert audiences... expressing the human spirit through choral music.' By practicing for their performance at the upcoming Skagit Valley Tulip Festival, they hoped to spread joy through music. What they spread instead was [the coronavirus]..."

• A Different Kind of Storm: Natech Events in Houston's Fenceline Communities. Environmental Health Perspectives May 2021. A feature about natural-triggered technological disasters, environmental justice, and what chemical industry has done since Harvey. In a nutshell, not much.

• Safe Passage. Preserving and connecting habitat in wildlife corridors can save animal — and human — lives. Defenders of Wildlife Magazine. Spring 2021.
• In the face of a global pandemic, how can conservation efforts reduce the chance that poaching will spread disease? Ensia, University of MN Institute on the Environment. October 2020.
• The Long Game: Amid a sea of dangers, Kemp's ridley sea turtles hang on. Defenders of Wildlife Magazine. Spring 2020.



• Wristbands for Research: Using Wearable Sensors to Collect Exposure Data after Hurricane Harvey. Environmental Health Perspectives. Apr 2018.
• Advocates for Children's Health : Working Together to Reduce Harmful Environmental Exposures. Environmental Health Perspectives. Jan 2018.
• Pollinator Power: Nutrition Security Benefits of an Ecosystem Service. Environmental Health Perspectives. Aug 2015.
• The WASH Approach: Fighting Waterborne Disease in Emergency Situations. To report this story, Wendee Nicole visited two refugee settlements in Northern Uganda, Arua District's Rhino Camp and the settlements of Adjumani District. She celebrated Global Handwashing Day 2014 with dozens of young children at Rhino Camp. Environmental Health Perspectives, Jan 2015. Includes several of my images!
• The next 8 articles were researched and produced under the Mongabay Special Reporting Initiative grant I received].
• Is the Human Cost of Saving Gorillas Too High? Forest dwellers known as Pygmies were evicted when their homes became national parks a generation ago. Now they're fighting back. My feature published at Take Part on Nov 25 2014. Originally included a photo gallery of my images: Up Close & Personal with Endangered Gorillas.

• Tipping the scale: How the late Economics Nobel Laureate Elinor Ostrom could save the world's forests. Mongabay, May 29, 2014.

• Seeing the Forest for the Trees: How 'One Health' Connects Humans, Animals, and Ecosystems. Environmental Health Perspectives May 2014 cover story (my photos too!) PDF here

• Ecotopia emerging: Sustainable forests and healthy livelihoods go hand in hand. Mongabay, Jun 26, 2014.

• How Jane Goodall's legacy is alleviating poverty. CBS Smart Planet. Apr 7 2014.

• I interviewed Dr Jane Goodall for Animal Planet for her 80th birthday, Apr 3, 2014.

• 10 Reasons Why Everyone Should Love Jane Goodall! Animal Planet Celebrates Jane Goodall's 80th Birthday. Apr 3, 2014.

• Reporters Journal: The forests of Uganda. Mongabay blog. Mar 2014.

• Training New Sustainability Leaders BioScience. May 2014.
• Pig Poop Power: Scaling up waste-to-energy technology could transform the hog farming industry. Discover Magazine, Mar 2014.
• BMW's Big Bet on Carbon Fiber. How carbon-fiber technology is transforming the auto industry, starting with the uber-cool BMW i-3! Solutions Journal (Rocky Mountain Institute). Spring 2014.
• A Question for Women's Health. Chemicals in Feminine Hygiene Products and Personal Lubricants (may not be safe...). Environmental Health Perspectives. PDF version. Mar 2014.
• Meeting the Needs of the People: Fish Consumption Rates in the Pacific Northwest. Because tribal populations consume more fish and shellfish than others, they are exposed to higher levels of toxic chemicals. Environmental Health Perspectives. Dec 2013.

• Kick Back, Relax, Offset Your CO2. Earth Island Journal. Autumn 2013.

• Food from EARTH: Sustainable Farming in Action. Environmental Health Perspectives July 2013. "To report this story, Wendee visited EARTH University in March 2013, her second time there. She toured the banana plantation, banana packing plant, dairy farm, hydroponic garden, and coffee shop. She sampled [an EARTH banana] from her local Whole Foods Market." PDF Version.

• CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) and Environmental Justice: The Case of North Carolina. Hog farms are disproportionately placed in low-income, minority neighborhoods. Environmental Health Perspectives, June 2013. PDF.

• I'm Carbon Neutral. Are You? A closer look at the voluntary carbon offset market. Ensia magazine, online May 20, 2103.

• Secret Ingredients (PDF): Who knows what's in your food? (about food colorings, flavorings and other additives, many apparently unregulated by the FDA). Environmental Health Perspectives April 2013.

• Game On!: Businesses have used behavioral science to influence consumers for decades. Can it be used to save the planet? Ensia.com. Spring 2013 print issue.

• Think for Yourself: Critical thinking skills are more important than ever in today's information environment. Ensia.com. Spring 2013, online only.

• Lessons of the Elwha River: Managing Health Hazards During Dam Removal. Environmental Health Perspectives. Nov 2012. Includes 2 of my images.

• Flavors of Uncertainty: The Difference between [Science] Denial and Debate. Environmental Health Perspectives. Aug 2012. A feature that arose from my visit to the Science Denial conference in Madison, WI.

• Fish return to undammed Elwha River: First hope for salmon and trout restoration in biggest dam-removal project in US history. Nature. July 5, 2012.

• One Study, Two Paths: The Challenge of Dual-Use Research. A feature for the Jun 2012 Environmental Health Perspectives on research that can be used or good or evil -- brought to light by the recent hubbub over the avian influenza genetic engineering research.

• Nuclear Renaissance in Space. As the U.S. prepares to relaunch domestic production of plutonium-238, the space community wishes to assure the public of its safety. Are they right? Miller-McCune Mag Online (soon to be renamed Pacific Standard). Apr 6, 2012.

• The Emerging Science of BMAA: Do Cyanobacteria Contribute to Neurodegenerative Disease? Environmental Health Perspectives. March 2012.

• AWARD-WINNER! Was Lou Gehrig's ALS Caused by Tap Water? A toxic molecule found in pond scum may trigger neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and Parkinson's. Could a group of scientists, led by a botanist, hold the key to a cure? Miller-McCune (now Pacific Standard) Magazine feature Jan/Feb 2011.
  • Won the ASJA 1st place for Science/Tech/Biz article.
  • The judges called it, "science writing as it should be: sharp, clear prose that builds into a great story about an intriguing, sophisticated topic. Wendee's story stood out in a large and unusually strong field this year."

• Obesogens: An Environmental Link to Obesity. (non-PDF here). Feb 2012. Environmental Health Perspectives. (Also related news story on PFOA/C8 Lawsuit Findings)

• Texas Thirst for Water Bucks National Trend. While the rest of the U.S. is tearing down decaying dams, Texas wants some dam water. Miller-McCune magazine online. Published Aug. 4, 2011.

• Wild, Wild Wetlands in the 10th annual Water Issue of Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. I love when my name is on the cover!

• Save the Birds - With Doppler Radar. My first article in the award-winning Miller-McCune magazine, Apr/May 2011. Picked up in a blog post on the Knight Science Journalism Tracker.

• Regal Return: Desert bighorn sheep are being returned to the mountains of West Texas. Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine. Apr 2011.

• The Big Chill in the Bering Sea. If the planet is warming, how come the Bering Sea has experienced several record cold years in a row? Climate Central. Article + slideshow. Posted Mar 2, 2011.

• Can eating less meat curb climate change? A conservation-minded Texas mom assesses her contribution to climate change, one meal at a time. The Daily Climate. Jan 19, 2011.

• Rime of the Bering Sea Mariners (PDF). Feb 2011. BioScience. From albatross to zooplankton, the multidisciplinary Bering Sea Project explores how climate change is affecting this important ecosystem. This is my 2nd feature coming out of my month in the Bering Sea on an oceanographic research vessel.

• The Tiniest Catch (may require free registration to view). Marine scientists are prowling the Bering Sea to learn how climate affects minute sea creatures and the lucrative fishery that depends on them. Nature. Nov 4, 2010. Feature article based on my month-long trip in the Bering Sea (I wrote 9 live posts for Nature's Great Beyond blog also - this is the final of 9 and the rest are linked in there).

• The Forgotten Deep: The Gulf's little-seen deep-water ecosystems may bear the brunt of the BP oil spill's damage. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine, Dec 2010. Also includes a sidebar on "Texas' forgotten spill" - the 'Eagle Otome' dumped over 400,000 of crude oil off Port Arthur in January. My feature is part of a 2-feature special on the oil spill with writer Melissa Gaskill.

  

• A Kiss for a Toad: A head start project could save the endangered Houston toad. Nov 2010. Texas Parks & Wildlife Mag cover story.

• Saving Land, Saving Water. Feature for Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine's Annual July water issue on preserving land in order to save the precious water in the aquifers below.

• Attack of the Killer Fungus. Will white-nose syndrome spread to Texas bats? Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. Feb 2010.

• Silence of the Pikas. Will the American pika become the first species in the lower 48 states to be listed under the Endangered Species Act owing to global warming? BioScience Magazine. Jan 2010.

• Mimicking Mother Nature: Scientists and entrepreneurs are increasingly borrowing concepts from the natural world to help them create better, more sustainable products. National Wildlife Magazine. Dec/Jan 2010.
  
  (Image Copyright (c) National Wildlife Federation, 2009)

• Lone Parents: Virgin Birth in Sharks. BioScience Magazine/AIBS. July/Aug 2009.

• Saving Big Bird: A cyclone forced endangered cassowaries out of the rainforest and into the danger zone. Wildlife Conservation Magazine. May 2009.

  

• The Elusive Ringtail: A new study sheds light on a little-known mammal in Palo Duro Canyon. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. April 2009. View PDF version here.

• Fighting for the Firefox. National Wildlife Magazine. Feb/Mar 2009.

• Fury Over Conservationists Taking Fees from Developers. A proposed megaport and a sea-turtle nesting beach collide within the group that maintains the endangered species list (IUCN). Scientific American Magazine. Jan 2009. This PDF of the story has the full layout with a cool image of mating sea turtles. :)

• The Snake Underground. The Louisiana pine snake, like its longleaf pine habitat, may be running out of time. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. Jan 2009.

  

• Wandering Wildcats. Bobcats adapt to life in suburbia. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine Cover Story. Dec. 2008.

• Fire Beetle. Nothing embodies the magic of the outdoors more than the dancing fairy lights of fireflies.Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. Sep 2008.

• Tasmania's Devil of a Problem. The world's most famous marsupial predator may face extinction within 15 years from a contagious cancer. National Wildlife Magazine. June/July 2008.

• AWARD! Dead Zone When fertilizer-laden runoff from the Mississippi River empties into the gulf, algae thrives - and marine animals die. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. July 2008. Won 1st place (Gold) in International Regional Magazine Assoc Awards for 2008/Public Issues

  

• Expedition Shark. In April 2008, I blogged for two weeks for Discovery Channel while diving with sharks in the Coral Sea off of Australia while crews filmed the Shark Week documentary, Mysteries of the Shark Coast, and scientists conducted cutting-edge research. The first entry, Fear, about our relationship with and to sharks, is one of my faves. The rest are here.

• Cougar Country. People are seeing more mountain lions than ever in Texas. Has their population increased or are they just running out of room? Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. April 2008.

• 50 Ways to Get Kids Hooked on the Outdoors. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. Mar 2008.

• Surf's Up for These Sea Turtles. The endangered Kemp's Ridley surfaces thanks to some help from its friends. Defenders Magazine. Winter 2007.

• How to Save a Monkey. OnEarth Magazine. Fall 2007.

• Will Urban Sprawl K.O. the Koala? A wildlife hospital founded by the late 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin is helping Australia's teddy-bearish marsupial weather the threat of fragmented forest habitat. National Wildlife Magazine. June/July 2007.
  

• Sympathy for the Devil: Ideas Emerge to Save the Dying Tasmanian Devil. [PDF of piece Reproduced with permission. Copyright (c) 2007 Scientific American. Mar 07] (Text copyright (c) 2007 Wendee Holtcamp)

• Many Bayous, One River. Recently designated one of America's most endangered rivers, the San Jacinto is under attack by sand mines. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. Dec 2006.

• Planet Earth Animal Profiles for Discovery Channel I profiled 50 animals for these episodes: Mountains, Jungles, Shallow Seas, Deserts, and Forests. No longer online.

• Kissing Cousins: Breeding with their introduced relatives threatens to drive Guadalupe bass to extinction. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine, Oct. 2006.

• Paradise Lost?. Coverage of some of the world's most endangered habitats... visit before it is too late! Global Traveler Magazine, Oct. 2006.

• Teddy's Bear on the Rise. With some help from their friends, Louisiana black bears are moving up in the world. Defenders Magazine. Summer 2006.

• Muddy Waters & Sustainable Solutions Two parts in a series on sand mining in the American Rivers "Most Endangered" San Jacinto. CLEAN Houston. June and July 2006.

• Two features in the July "Wetlands" issue of Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine:
  • Delta Dawn: The young Colorado River delta is a lush breeding ground for finfish, shrimp, crab - and controversy.
    
  • Washing the Water: Wetlands at Richland Creek Wildlife Management Area act as a huge water filter, removing pollutants the natural way.
    
  • Also see a Brief History of U.S. Wetlands (scroll down past Larry McKinney's letter on the State of Wetlands).

• 50 Reasons to Get Outside. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine Mar 2006. Won 2007 Silver International Regional Mag Assoc Award

• Mt. Everest Field Guide to Animals and Medicinal Plants - Discovery Channel Online. Launched Apr 2006. I wrote the "Mt. Everest Field Guide" which has sections on Animals, Medicinal Plants, and Geology. I also wrote several Tours of Everest Animals at the Animal Planet - Jeff Corwin site.

• Aquatic Islands in a Sea of Land. Texas landowners and biologists work toward the common goal of conserving springs - and the fragile species that call them home. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine's Annual Water Issue. July 2005.

• Save the Monkeyface! Despite their funny names, freshwater mussels are important indicators of a river's overall health. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. April 2005.

• Lives of a River: Many small creatures have evolved in harmony with rivers. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine's Annual Water Issue. July 2004.

• It's Not Easy Being Green: Frogs play a key role in ecosystems, and we are just beginning to understand how they have adapted. Texas Parks & Wildlife mag. May 2004.

• Thai Elephant Rescue on AnimalPlanet.com in 3 parts:
  • Beyond Beast of Burden: Elephants in Thai Culture
  • The Sordid Underbelly of the Elephant World
  • Paper, Music, Paint: Creative Conservation

    Won North Harris Montgomery Community College District (NHMCCD) Faculty Writing Award

• A Grass-Roofs Effort. Secret gardens conserve energy and cool the air. Sierra Magazine. May/June 2001.

• Love & Death on Turtle Beach. Live Expedition in Costa Rica - 11 articles. Discovery Channel Online. Jan-Feb 1999. (Archived via the Wayback Machine - some photos unavailable)

  
  

  
  "Turtle Troubles Playa Grande, Feb. 3 -- I am feeling restless in my skin tonight, out here under the stars, surf roaring furiously. I want to do cartwheels in the sand. I want to make sand angels. I want to talk about the meaning of life. I want to know why we as a society have gotten so far from the animals we love so deeply. But no one's talking in profundities tonight."

• Snooping on Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers. National Wildlife Magazine. Apr/May 2001

• River-Hopping with the Manatee. Hooked on the Outdoors Magazine. April 2001. Photography by Matt & Wendee Holtcamp.

• Armadillo Invasion Animal Planet/Discovery Online. Oct 1999.

  
  

• Turbulence Over Clear Creek. One of SE Texas few remaining unchannelized bayous has become embroiled in a tug-of-war... Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. Feb 1999.

• It Takes a Village: Baja communities play a key role in sea turtle conservation. Animals Magazine. Nov/Dec 98. (See Photos)

• Beyond the Beach - Uncovering sea turtles' oceanic lives. California Wild Magazine. Spring 1998.

• Tampering With Eden: Exotic Plants and Animals Disturb Ecosystems. Albion Monitor. Mar 10, 1996. Named one of their "Best of 1996."

Multimedia - Blogs, Podcasts, & Radio Interviews

• Blog Articles for Defenders of Wildlife.
  • What We Can Learn from Indigenous Communities About Conservation. Oct 8, 2021. Published for Indigenous Peoples Day. "Apache and other Native American Tribes around the U.S. are leaders on countless wildlife restoration projects involving species ranging from wolves and bears to black-footed ferrets and bison." Read More!
  • Discover More About National Wildlife Refuges. Oct 12, 2021. Features 12 of the most important National Wildlife Refuges in America, from the Arctic NWR in Alaska Lower Rio Grande Vallet in Texas, these refuges are under threat in one way or another.
• More than the Sum of its Parts: The Many Benefits of Public-Private Partnerships. Science Philanthropy Alliance blog. Apr 2022.
• I was Animal Planet's Animals in the News blogger: daily in 2009, Weekly in 2010. View blogs here: Endangered Species, Reptiles, Domestic and Farm Animals, Amphibians, Documentaries, Food and Drink and Evolution (There is some overlap between the links, as some posts are linked in multiple categories). See my Animal Planet bio.
• The Wendee Nicole Report monthly blogs on Adventures in Climate Change (no longer online). Some favorites:
  • Aquarius Under Pressure: The world's only dedicated undersea marine lab -- employed by scientists Navy divers and even astronauts -- may not last much longer. July 30, 2012.
  • Saving Polar Bears, One Light Switch at a Time. Designed and led by college students, the Polar Bears on Parade energy-saving dorm competition inspires simple, powerful actions. Sep 15, 2010.
  • Time for a Sea Change: Can the oilpocalypse spur lasting change, or will it just be another environmental disaster? May 27, 2010.
  • Shrimp & Oil Really Do Mix?. Apr 30, 2010.
• I spent a month on the RV Thompson in the Bering Sea and blogged for Nature's Great Beyond blog. The scientists on board were studying how climate change affects the Bering Sea ice, and the ecosystem- including fisheries. I flew into Dutch Harbor, Unalaska - made famous by Deadliest Catch!
• Can Cassowary Poo Save the Rainforest? Discovery Channel Earth Live. August 2008.
• Expedition Shark Live podcasts - Discovery Channel Earth Live. April 2008. Accompanied my Discovery Channel Shark Week blogs.
• Kicking Consumerism. I talked with OnEarth Editor Laura Wright about my experience while writing my article, My 30 Days of Consumer Celibacy.
• Want to Be a Nature Writer? WildSide News. Oct 18. 2007.
• Evolution/Intelligent Design? A Christian Evolutionary Biologist's View. WildSide News. Dec 15, 2005.
• Married to Mowgli, With Children aired on NPR's All Things Considered on Nov 7, 2002. Scroll down til you see MOWGLI. http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/commentaries/2002/nov/

Essays

• Almost meatless: How one woman decided to change what she ate. Culinate.com Published Jun 20, 2011 (A slightly different version of the story below).

• Can eating less meat curb climate change? A conservation-minded Texas mom assesses her contribution to climate change, one meal at a time. The Daily Climate. Jan 19, 2011.

• My essay On being a woman in science, originally posted on Dr. Isis' (Isis the Scientist) Letters to our Daughters Project.

• My 30 days of Consumer Celibacy. Living Green dept. OnEarth Magazine, Summer 2007. I love this article!

• Back to Nature: What is it about simplicity and solitude that inspires writers? My New Mexico Adventures Featured in E the Environmental Magazine! Nov. 2005.

• The Joy of a Personal Blog, or Becoming a Blog Mama. SEJournal, the quarterly publication of the Society of Environmental Journalists. Spring 2006.

• The Rainforest at Warrawee: An Adventure Down Under With Colorful Australian Birds and Strangler Figs. WildBird Magazine. May 1997.

• Red River Refuge: 3 Days on Lake Texoma.Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. Oct 2011
• Walk Through the Bottomlands: 3 Days in and around Lake Jackson. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. Dec 2011.
• AOL Travel Guide to Houston-An online guide with the best attractions, hotels, restaurants, and more, as well as a history and overview of the Bayou City! (no longer online).
• German Jewel. Destination: Fredericksburg. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. Feb 2010.
• Birds Over Broadway. Destination: Granbury. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. May 2009.
• Trekking through Nepal's Grand Ridges. Travel Channel.
• 30 Cheap Trips. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. Mar 2009.
• Cruising the Galapagos with a Carbon Neutral Conscience (a PDF link). E The Environmental Magazine. Nov/Dec 2007
• Top of Texas. A roundup of the top five vantage points in the Lone Star State. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. Cover story April 2007.
• Magical Australia: A Child-Friendly Adventure Down Under. E/The Environmental Magazine. Mar/Apr 2007.
• Prickly Paradise. A former farm site, Estero Llano Grande State Park now boasts an impressive crop of wildlife. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. Feb 2007.
• The Road Less Traveled: Only intrepid explorers journey to the Amazon rain forest, but getting there and back is half the adventure. Global Traveler Magazine. Jan 2007.
• The article, 50 Reasons to Get Outside won a Silver (2nd place) Award for best reader service article at the 2007 International Regional Magazine Association (IRMA) Conference.
• Three Spring-Fed Texas Rivers: Paddle the Colorado, Llano and San Saba Rivers. Canoe & Kayak Magazine Online. Aug 2006.
• 50 Greatest Outdoor Adventures! Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. March 2006.
• Catalina by Land and Sea. Photos and Text by Wendee Holtcamp. Outdoor California Magazine. Jan/Feb 2001.
• A Moonlight Meander: Kayaking the san Jacinto River after the Sun goes down has its own special charm. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. June 2000.
• Alaska or Bust! A travelogue driving to Alaska, with interviews with WWII vets involved in the Alaska Highway wartime construction. Historic Traveler Magazine. April 1999.
• Alaska in Miniature - A Family Adventure on the Kenai Peninsula. E Magazine. Jul/Aug 1998.
• Tubing Time in Texas: The Guadalupe River/GetWetAways - AQUA Magazine - the PADI Diving Society Magazine. July 1998.
• Hostel Environment: Affordable Lodging for the Green Spirited. E Magazine. Sep/Oct 97. Reprinted in Transitions Abroad as Eco-Friendly Hostels - Sleep Green and Save!

Dept. Pieces/News Briefs

• What we know - and don't - about climate change in Africa. Ensia Magazine, Notables Blog. Feb 8, 2017.
• A Natural Symbiosis: Adventurers Collect Data for Scientists. BioScience. May 2013.
• Shark Fin Consumption May Expose People to Neurotoxic BMAA (BMAA is a compound in cyanobacteria that may biomagnify through the food web, and is linked to neurodegenerative disease. See my 2 features linked to above). Environmental Health Perspectives. May 2012.
• Islands in the Sun. Spring 2011 Momentum Magazine news brief on a new urban heat island study.
• A series of articles on urban planning and transportation for the nonprofit Houston Tomorrow.
  • No More Freeways?: Apr 11, 2011.
  • Downtown Circulators: what works? Apr 28, 2011.
  • Finding the density sweet spot for transit. April 28, 2011
  • Pollution makes workers less productive. Houston Tomorrow. May 9, 2011.
  • Downtown Circulators - What works?
• The Big Chill in the Bering Sea. If the planet is warming, how come the Bering Sea has experienced several record cold years in a row? Climate Central. Article + slideshow. Posted Mar 2, 2011.
• Putting Numbers to Nature. Fall 2010 Momentum Magazine - published by University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment.
• To Catch a Thief: Operation Game Thief helps track down two illegally captured Harris's hawks. Texas Parks & Wildlife Mag. Aug 2010.
• Brown Pelican Resurrection Texas Parks & Wildlife Mag. Apr 2010.
• Unwelcome Visitors: Invasive zebra mussels, which just arrived at Texas' doorstep, wreak havoc on ecosystems. Texas Parks & Wildlife Mag. Mar 2010.
• Blue-Green Mystery - research links cyanobacteria or blue-green algae to neurodegenerative disease. Texas Parks & Wildlife Mag. July 2009.
  
• Chicken of the Sea(World). Though it's known mainly for acrobatic marine life, SeaWorld also breeds Attwater's prairie-chickens. Texas Parks & Wildlife Mag. Jan 2009.
  
• Fixing the Plumbing. Chevron restores life to withering wetlands on the upper Texas coast. Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine. Nov 2008.
  
• Ideas by Nature: Biomimicry looks to 3.8 billion years of evolution for solutions to human problems. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. Aug 2008.
  
• Boom Time, Points of Interest Dept. Smithsonian Magazine. April 2008. "As the sun rises over the tallgrass prairie, one of the last wild Attwater's prairie chickens performs an unusual mating dance, called booming because of the low "woo woo" sounds the male emits."
  
• Godiva's Latest Ride. We know chocolate fires libidos, improves moods, and makes hearts healthy. Who knew it could fuel cars? OnEarth Magazine. Winter 2008.
  
• Beach Building. Inexpensive fences help restore sand dunes.Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine. Nov 2006.
  
• Mottled Mystery. Gators were the prime suspect, but habitat destruction may be the real culprit behind the decline of mottled ducks. Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine. Aug 2006.
  
• Candid Camera: People pay to shoot wildlife with cameras, rather than guns in Texas. E/The Environmental Magazine. May 2006.
  
• Houston's Bat Bridge. Bat coalition hopes to turn the Waugh Drive bridge into an ecotourist attraction. TPW mag, May 2006.
  
• Courting Nature. The new Houston parks director overhauls office courtyard to demonstrate benefits of native plants.TPW mag. Mar. 2006.
  
• Texas' Wildlife Action Plan.A coordinated national effort aims to prevent species from becoming endangered.Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine, Mar 2006.
  
• The Value of Houston's Trees. A new report reveals that the Bayou City has lost a lot of forest to concrete, but the remaining trees provide measurable benefits. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine, Feb 2006.
  
• Snail on the Brink. The tiny palmetto pill snail lives in an equally tiny world - within about four feet of one warm spring at Palmetto State Park. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine, Nov 2005.
  
• Ecotopia Audubon Magazine Field Notes Dept. July 2003.
  
• Why Rivers Need Forests. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. Dec 2001.
  
• A Whale of a Toxic Problem. Field Notes Dept. Audubon Magazine. Mar-Apr 1999.
  
• Battle Over Clear Creek. Audubon in Action Dept. Audubon Magazine. Jan/Feb 1999.
  
• Cows in the Forest. Twigs News Brief. American Forests Magazine. Summer 1998.
• Snap, Crackle, and Flop: Backyard Bug Zappers Don't Work. E Magazine. Jul/Aug 1998.

• Unfulfilled Promise: Pollinator Declines, Crop Deficits, and Diet-Associated Disease. Environmental Health Perspectives. Feb 2023.
• Aftershocks: Home Loss and Long-Term Health after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Environmental Health Perspectives. Aug 2022.
• Vouchers for Improving Sanitation: A Step toward Stopping Open Defecation. Environmental Health Perspectives. Jul 2022.
• Skin Protection Dilemma: Testing Detects Benzene in Some Sun Care Products. Environmental Health Perspectives. May 2022.
• Food for Thought: Exploring the Relationship between PM2.5 Exposure, Dietary Patterns, and Changes in Brain Volume. Environmental Health Perspectives. Apr 2022.
• Setting a Growth Trajectory: Household Air Pollution Exposures Before and After Birth. Environmental Health Perspectives. Mar 2022.
• It's Hot out There: Extreme Temperatures and Children's Emergency Department Visits. Environmental Health Perspectives. Feb 2022.
• Show Your Work: Increasing Engagement through Personalized Participant Report-Back. Environmental Health Perspectives Feb 2022.
• Farm to Faucet? Agricultural Waste and Private Well Contamination in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin. Environmental Health Perspectives. Nov 2021.
• Youth in Action: Local Teens Help Assess Chemical Exposures from Household Cleaning Products. Environmental Health Perspectives. Oct 2021.
• Cannabis Consumption in Dispensaries: Public Health Implications of an Emerging Practice. Environmental Health Perspectives. Aug 2021.
• Data Gold Mine: Building a National Wastewater Surveillance System. Environmental Health Perspectives. Aug 2021.
• Denser but Not Stronger? Fluoride-Induced Bone Growth and Increased Risk of Hip Fractures. Environmental Health Perspectives. July 2021.
• A Better Way to Boil: Comparing Methods of Purifying Water at Home. Environmental Health Perspectives. April 2021.
• Microplastics in Seafood: How Much Are People Eating? Environmental Health Perspectives. Mar 2021.
• Toward Better Estimates of the Cost of Climate Change Mitigation: Guidelines for Studying Potential Health Benefits. Environmental Health Perspectives. Dec 2020.
• Breaking It Down: Estimating Short-Chain PFAS Half-Lives in a Human Population. Environmental Health Perspectives. Nov 2020.
• PFAS and Miscarriage in Humans: Expanding a Sparse Evidence Base. Environmental Health Perspectives. Oct 2020.
• Heatwaves and PM2.5 PM2.5: Sometimes-Surprising Associations with Preterm Birth. Environmental Health Perspectives. Sep 2020.
• Unbalanced Burden? Potential Population-Level Health Risks and Benefits of Superfund Cleanup. Environmental Health Perspectives. Aug 2020.
• Good News for Entomophagists: Low Chemical Contamination Observed in Edible Insects. Environmental Health Perspectives. Aug 2020.
• Hot Temperatures and Suicide Risk: New Insight into a Complex Topic. July 2020.
• Potential Male and Female Reproductive Toxicants: Applying the Key Characteristics Approach. Mar. 2020.
• Smoke Alarm? Solid Fuel Use May Be a Risk Factor for Mortality and Disease. Dec 2019.
• Mitigating Climate Impacts on Athletes: Sports Guidelines May Prevent Exertional Heat Illness. Oct 2019.
• Getting the Lay of the Land: Human and Animal Evidence on Environmental Chemicals and Autism. Sep 2019.
• Comparing Fluoride Exposures in Pregnant Canadian Women: Fluoridated versus Nonfluoridated Drinking Water. Jul 2019.
• Nature and Neurodevelopment: Differences in Brain Volume by Residential Exposure to Greenness. Jun 2018.
• Not All Noise Is the Same: Fluctuations in Transportation Noise Levels and Arterial Stiffness. Jan 2018.
• Phthalates in Fast Food: A Potential Dietary Source of Exposure. Oct 2016.
• Phthalates and Childhood Body Fat: Study Finds No Evidence of Obesogenicity. Apr 2016.
• Noise and Body Fat: Uncovering New Connections. Mar 2016.
• Identifying Potential Breast Carcinogens: A New Approach. Dec 2015.
• Unexpected Activity: Evidence for Obesogenicity of a BPA Metabolite. Dec 2015.
• Time and Temperature: Changes in Heat-Related Mortality over 27 Years. Nov 2015.
• More Fat, Less Bone? Flame Retardant May Deliver a One Two Punch. Nov 2014.
• Beyond Spatial Relationships' Residential Greenness and Birth Outcomes. Oct 2014.
• Building a Solid Case: Cigarette Smoking and Epigenomic Alterations. July 2014.
• Cooking Up Indoor Air Pollution: Emissions from Natural Gas Stoves. Jan 2014.
• PFOA and Cancer in a Highly Exposed Community: New Findings from the C8 Science Panel. Nov-Dec 2013.
• An Obesogen Over time: Transgenerational impact of tributyltin. Mar 2013.
• Road Traffic Noise and Diabetes: Long-Term Exposure May Increase Disease Risk. Feb 2013.
• Evolutionary Selection for Arsenic Resistance The Case of the Atacamenos of the Andes Highlands. Jan 2013.
• A Closer Look at GE Corn Findings. Env Health Perspectives. Nov 2012.
• Are Compact Fluorescent Lights dangerous? Ultraviolet leaks from CFLs. Env Health Perspectives (PDF version). Oct 2012.
• Pattern of Clues: Evidence of Distinct DNA Methylation in Newborns of Smoking Women. Oct 2012.
• Subtle Shades of Impairment: Childhood Tetrachloroethylene Exposure May Cause Subclinical Deficits in Adult Vision Food Intake, Weight Gain, Fat Storage, and Fertility in Mice. Sep 2012.
• Long-Term Outcomes after Phthalate Exposure: Food Intake, Weight Gain, Fat Storage, and Fertility in Mice. Aug 2012.
• Glow Fish: A New Biosensor to Detect How Environmental Estrogens Affect Tissues. Environmental Health Perspectives. July 2012.
• Suspect Sweetener: Arsenic Detected in Organic Brown Rice Syrup. May 2012.
• Brain Tax: Estimating the Population-Level Impact of Environmental Chemicals on IQ Scores. Apr 2012.
• Gut Check: Do Interactions between Environmental Chemicals and Intestinal Microbiota Affect Obesity and Diabetes? Mar 2012.
• In the Same Boat: Health Risks of Limited-Contact Water Recreation Are Not Limited to Full-Contact Activities. Feb 2012.
• Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension "Probably Linked" to PFOA Contamination. Environmental Health Perspectives. Feb 2012.
• Poultry Relief? Organic Farming May Reduce Drug Resistance. Nov 2011.
• Prenatal Exposure to BPA and Sexually Selected Traits in Male Mice Sep 2011.
• Traffic Trigger. Do traffic-related stress and air pollution trigger more heart attacks than cocaine, caffeine, anger, or sex? May 2011.

• I ask Alexandra Cousteau: What would it take to create sustainable ocean fisheries? Momentum Magazine (now Ensia) Winter 2012.
• Changing Planet, Planet Health Q&A with co-author Paul Epstein, Harvard professor at Climate Central. Praised by the book's co-author Dan Ferber as "the most probing, incisive, interview that either of us have done so far."
• The Fish Wrangler: Biologist Clark Hubbs devoted his life to cataloging and protecting the state's fish species. Texas Parks & Wildlife Mag. Apr 2011.
• Larger than Life: The inimitable Edward 'Ned' Fritz changed the face of Texas conservation - and had influence nationwide. Texas Parks & Wildlife Mag. Aug 2009.
• Looking for a Few Good Men When they come home from Iraq and Afghanistan, our veterans may find themselves out of a job as well as out of uniform. Time to call Green Collar Vets. OnEarth Magazine, Frontlines. Spring 2008.
• A Snappy Comeback. Tush Hog, Ornery Turtle, and their curmudgeonly friends fight to preserve a beloved Texas landscape. OnEarth Magazine - Frontlines. Winter 2007.
• Don't Mess with the Snappers Irascible conservation veterans keep fighting for their beloved Big Thicket. Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. Dec 2007.
• Papa Stahl: With his gift for storytelling and encyclopedic knowledge of the natural world, Carmine Stahl helps bring parks and people together. Texas Parks & Wildlife Mag. Feb 2007.
• Watcher of the Herons: Profile of an octogenarian birder turned ornithologist. Animals Magazine. Sept/Oct 98.

• I wrote a short summary of the American Scientific Affiliation's First Symposium on Eating Meat and Christian Ethics from their annual conference in Naperville, IL I attended.

• Messin' With Texas Education Daily Kos blog diary about my experience at the Nov 20 State Board of Education hearings. Nov 21, 2008.

• The Fish Wars: A Battle Between Two Worldviews... Or is it? Article for the American Scientific Affiliation Website (ASA).

• Back to Eden: Students Find Inspiration in Creation Care. Article for ASA Website.

• Science as Compassion. Article for the American Scientific Affiliation (ASA).

• My testimony from the TX State Board of Education hearings. Sep. 2003. A Christian voice supporting strong evolution education. Published at the Texas Citizens for Science website.

• The Way Science Works. National Center for Science Education Newsletter. (http://www.natcenscied.org/) Sep-Dec 2003.

• Throwing Out the Baby with the Bathwater.

Professional Pubs/Corporate and NonProfit Clients

• Project SUN (Stop the Use of Nicotine) . University of California Office of the President (UCOP) Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP), Nov. 2022. Also read the Fact Sheet!

  

• Youth and Flavored Tobacco Products. University of California Office of the President (UCOP) Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP), Oct 2022. Also check out the One Pager.

• Culturally-Tailored Cessation Research: Results from recent TRDRP-funded studies. University of California Office of the President (UCOP) Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP), Aug 2022. Also check out the "How to Quit Fact Sheet.

• Houston's Regional Forest. USDA Forest Service. Authors: David J. Nowak; Peter D. Smith; Michael Merritt; John Giedraitis; Jeffrey T. Walton; Robert E. Hoehn; Jack C. Stevens; Daniel E. Crane; Mark Estes; Stephen Stetson; Charles Burditt; David Hitchcock; Wendee Holtcamp. September 2005.
• The talk I gave at the University of North Texas (UNT) Nature Writing Symposium as an invited guest speaker. April 2007. Changing the World One Story at a Time: Don't get me wrong, I do believe objectivity is an ideal to strive for, but, is it truly possible? And what are the very real drawbacks?
• Overview of Habitat Fragmentation. John Wiley & Sons Environmental Science TextBook Online Supplement. 1997.
• Authored The American College of Journalism's "Writing About Nature and the Environment" Course Text.
• Taught "How to Write About Nature and the Outdoors" Online Course for the Freelance Success Institute.
• I am interviewed as the "Nature/Outdoor" Writer in the 2001 Writer's Market! (Kirsten Holm, ed.) Pp. 594.