INSTITUTE FOR JOURNALISM & NATURAL RESOURCES

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WILDLIFE INSTITUTE:IJNR HELD A FIVE-DAY, SIX-NIGHT INSTITUTE FOR 15 JOURNALISTS, HELD MARCH 2-8, THAT EXPLORED THE ECOLOGICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA'S WILDFIRES. EXTENDED DROUGHT, OVERABUNDANT FUEL, AND AN INFLUX OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE HAVE LED TO MORE DESTRUCTIVE FIRES. STATE, FEDERAL AND LOCAL OFFICIALS ARE TRYING OUT NEW WAYS TO WORK TOGETHER AND PROTECT RESIDENTS FROM A RELENTLESS FIRE CYCLE THAT CONTINUES TO CONSUME PROPERTY AND THREATEN HUMAN LIFE. MEANWHILE, FIREFIGHTING AGENCIES CONTEND WITH A CRISIS IN FIREFIGHTER MENTAL HEALTH, A DWINDLING WORKFORCE AND COMPLICATED RESOURCE-SHARING ARRANGEMENTS. THE END RESULT IS A COMPLEX BEAT, RICH WITH STORIES FOR JOURNALISTS COVERING FIRE. THE PROGRAM BEGAN AND ENDED IN SAN DIEGO, AND TRAVELED TO LOCATIONS ACROSS SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AS PARTICIPATING JOURNALISTS MET WITH FIRE CHIEFS, SCIENTISTS, HOMEOWNERS, TRIBAL OFFICIALS, POLICYMAKERS AND MORE AS WE EXPLORED EFFORTS TO MITIGATE THE WORST IMPACTS OF FIRE AND CREATE A MORE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. REPORTING ON THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT WORKSHOP:FROM JULY 10-12, IJNR BROUGHT 15 JOURNALISTS TO CHICAGO TO EXPLORE ISSUES LIKE LEGACY POLLUTION, URBAN WATERWAYS AND PUBLIC HEALTH. CONDUCTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UPROOT PROJECT, THIS WORKSHOP WAS FOR JOURNALISTS OF COLOR INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT COVERING THE ENVIRONMENT. PARTICIPATING JOURNALISTS MET WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS, SCIENTISTS, URBAN PLANNERS, AND CITY OFFICIALS AS THEY TRAVELED AROUND THE CITY AND LEARNED ABOUT EFFORTS TO CHART A MORE SUSTAINABLE - AND JUST - FUTURE FOR CHICAGO'S 2.7 MILLION RESIDENTS, AND HOW THOSE EFFORTS TRANSLATE TO URBAN AREAS AROUND THE COUNTRY. PARTICIPANTS ALSO HEARD FROM EDUCATORS AND EDITORS ABOUT HOW TO GET STARTED IN THE ENVIRONMENT BEAT, BEST PRACTICES FOR COVERING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, AND MORE.CROWN OF THE CONTINENT INSTITUTE:NORTHWESTERN MONTANA IS KNOWN FOR ITS RUGGED LANDSCAPE PUNCTUATED BY THE REMOTE, CRAGGY PEAKS OF GLACIER NATIONAL PARK. BUT THE REGION IS ALSO HOME TO VAST TRACTS OF PUBLIC LAND WHERE SOME OF NORTH AMERICA'S MOST ICONIC CREATURES ROAM, INCLUDING GRIZZLY BEARS, WOLVES, BISON, ELK, WOLVERINES AND MOUNTAIN LIONS. WITHIN AND AROUND ALL THAT WILDERNESS IS A WORKING LANDSCAPE WHERE HUMANS NAVIGATE A WIDE RANGE OF COMPLEX ISSUES CENTRAL TO CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT CONSERVATIONS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA. IJNR BROUGHT 16 JOURNALISTS TO MONTANA IN OCTOBER, AND INTRODUCED THEM TO A WIDE RANGE OF SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS INCLUDING TRIBAL MEMBERS, ECOLOGISTS, WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES BIOLOGISTS, CLIMATE SCIENTISTS, RANCHERS, LAND MANAGERS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS WHOSE LIFE OR LIVELIHOOD IS BASED ON THE LANDSCAPE. RECRUITMENT FOR THE PROGRAM WAS CONDUCTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE INDIGENOUS JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION, AND THREE INDIGENOUS IJA MEMBERS JOINED THE COHORT. TROUBLED WATERS: THE FATE OF THE GREAT LAKES IN A SHIFTING FEDERAL LANDSCAPE WORKSHOP:THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION EARMARKED BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO MITIGATE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, IMPROVE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND BOOST RENEWABLE ENERGY THROUGHOUT THE GREAT LAKES BASIN. EXISTING PROGRAMS, ADMINISTERED BY THE EPA, NOAA, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, THE GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE, AND STATE AND LOCAL RESOURCES, HAVE BEEN IN PLACE FOR DECADES, MONITORING AIR AND WATER QUALITY, RESTORING HABITAT, AND COLLECTING DATA TO PROTECT FRESHWATER RESOURCES AND THE POPULATIONS THAT DEPEND ON THEM. NOW, HUNDREDS OF ONGOING PROJECTS WITHIN THE BASIN ARE IMPERILED BY THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S EFFORTS TO SHRINK GOVERNMENT SPENDING, JEOPARDIZING THE HEALTH OF AN ENTIRE ECOSYSTEM AND THE 30 MILLION PEOPLE WHO CALL THE GREAT LAKES HOME. IT'S A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING SITUATION THAT COULD IMPACT 10 PERCENT OF AMERICANS - AND 30 PERCENT OF CANADIANS. IJNR CONDUCTED A MULTI-DAY WORKSHOP DESIGNED TO GET JOURNALISTS OUT TO THE BASIN'S MOST POPULOUS LAKE - ERIE - TO MEET WITH SCIENTISTS, STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS, COMMUNITY ACTIVISTS AND OTHERS WHOSE WORK HAS BEEN DISRUPTED BY THE SUDDEN AND SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES IN FEDERAL FUNDING. THE PROGRAM EXPLORED THE IMPACTS THESE CHANGES ARE HAVING ON LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND WHAT THEY MEAN FOR INTERESTS ACROSS THE BASIN, FROM AGRICULTURE, TO ENERGY, TO FISHERIES AND MORE. CHESAPEAKE BAY VIRTUAL WORKSHOP:THE FOURTH CHESAPEAKE BAY AGREEMENT WAS PENNED IN 2014, AND WAS DESIGNED TO GUIDE THE RESTORATION OF THE BAY AND ITS WATERSHED. IT BECAME CLEAR THAT ITS INTENDED TARGETS WOULD NOT BE MET BY THE STATED 2025 DEADLINE, AND NOW THE NEXT ITERATION OF THE AGREEMENT HAS BEEN RELEASED. IT'S A FAMILAR REFRAIN: MULTI-STATE EFFORTS TO IMPROVE THE BAY'S WATER QUALITY AND FISHERIES BEGAN MORE THAN FOUR DECADES AGO, AND STAKEHOLDERS ARE STILL HAMMERING OUT WHAT COMES NEXT. THE CHESAPEAKE BAY IS NORTH AMERICA'S LARGEST ESTUARY. IT SITS IN A SIX-STATE WATERSHED THAT'S HOME TO LARGE-SCALE AGRICULTURE, INDUSTRY AND UNRELENTING DEVELOPMENT. BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE BAY, INVASIVE SPECIES RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT, EXACTLY, CAN EVEN BE RESTORED. MEANWHILE, THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS EXPUNGED KEY FEATURES OF THE ORIGINAL BAY AGREEMENT, INCLUDING REFERENCES TO CLIMATE CHANGE AND ANY SUGGESTIONS OF MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES. IJNR CONDUCTED A ONE-SESSION VIRTUAL WORKSHOP TO HELP JOURNALITS GET UP TO SPEED ON THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUES IMPACTING THE BAY. FIELD REPORTING GRANT: IJNR'S FIELD REPORTING GRANTS ARE INTENDED TO SUPPORT ON-THE-GROUND REPORTING PROJECTS BY INDIVIDUAL JOURNALISTS, AND COVER EXPENSES SUCH AS TRAVEL, LODGING, RESEARCH, AND SOME COMPENSATION. SPECIFIC GRANT CATEGORIES INCLUDE ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES, AS WELL AS SEVERAL GRANTS NAMED AFTER IJNR BOARD MEMBERS OR PAST ASSOCIATES, FOCUSED ON MARINE ISSUES, WILDLIFE CONSERVATION, EARLY-CAREER JOURNALISTS, AND OTHER TOPICS. IN 2025 IJNR AWARDED GRANTS TO 33 INDIVIDUALS, AND PROJECT TOPICS RANGED WIDELY: RIVER RESTORATION, CLIMATE ANXIETY, NUCLEAR WASTE/INVASIVE PYTHONS, GROUNDWATER RIGHTS, CLAMS, WILDFIRE, THE SOCIAL IMPACTS OF MINING, ZOMBIE DEER AND MANY OTHERS.