Center for Environmental Journalism

Roam if you want to. Unless you’re a wild animal

Joe Arney — Tue, 21 Oct 2025 15:11:51 +0000

Roam if you want to. Unless you’re a wild animal Joe Arney Tue, 10/21/2025 - 09:11

Joe Arney

A coyote wanders through urban parkland in Chicago at night. It was a coyote in New York's Central Park that first got Hillary M. Rosner interested in how wildlife roams from place to place—and the human-made obstacles that thwart them. This coyote, which was being tracked with a radio collar, was struck by a car and killed just months after this photo was taken. Photo by Corey Arnold.

Hillary M. Rosner was a young editor with the Village Voice in the 1990s when she read about a coyote living in Central Park.

Nowadays, that’s not quite so special—the park is home to resident coyotes who prowl the improbably green space at the heart of Manhattan. But what fascinated Rosner was their improbable journey—how the animals successfully navigated the urban jungle, and why they chose to do so.

“That idea—just wondering how this coyote navigated these concrete canyons to get to the park—really stuck with me,” said Rosner (MEnvSt’06), an assistant teaching professor of journalism at the College of Communication, Media, Design and Information and associate director of its Center for Environmental Journalism. “As I got more into environmental and science journalism, the stories that most moved me were in some way about animals whose lives were changed because of human infrastructure.”

Hillary M. Rosner

That curiosity has culminated in a new book, Roam: Wild Animals and the Race to Repair Our Fractured World, out this month from Patagonia. In it, she draws upon a career of environmental journalism to share stories of the struggles animals face in overcoming human-made boundaries.

Restoring empathy

Her goal is to encourage readers to abandon a human-centered view of the world in favor of one that demonstrates our interconnectedness with the planet, while learning to view other species with empathy and compassion.

The connections she explores in the book are both literal—for example, creatures needing to get from one point to another—and more abstract, such as how animals connect to an ecosystem to affect its resilience and adaptability. “And it’s about showing how human infrastructure presents a barrier to this idea of connectivity for all these other species,” she said. The book further spells out the ecological consequences of a world where wild animals cannot roam—an inability to spread plant life, less genetic diversity—threatening species’ adaptability and survival—and the extinction of charismatic species.

If that sounds dire, Rosner will be the first to tell you there’s real urgency behind the topic. Her work took her around the world to see the obstacles humans have created for wildlife. In Kenya, as more land becomes privately owned, more fences are going up, blocking long-held migration routes. Closer to home, Donald Trump’s funding freeze has canceled wildlife crossings along U.S. highways.

“If we continue to act as though we are the only species on the planet, it’s going to become self-fulfilling.”

Hillary M. Rosner (MEnvSt’06)

“I talk about a lot of bad things that are going on, but the book is about solutions—the race to repair our fractured world,” Rosner said. “It’s about people all across the world doing incredible work and devoting their lives to reconnecting the planet for other species. And I think that is hopeful.”

Rosner’s work has appeared in some of the most influential news outlets in the country—The New York Times, National Geographic, Scientific American, The Atlantic—following her pivot to environmental reporting, which owes quite a bit to her graduate work in environmental studies at ̽��Ƶ, as well as a Ted Scripps environmental journalism fellowship.

“I took an amazing biogeography course during my Scripps fellowship, which really helped shape my thinking around this project, in terms of species movement and the role humans have in shaping that,” said Rosner, who today oversees the Scripps program as part of her work with CEJ. Her work also was influenced by fellowships from Knight Science Journalism at MIT and the National Science Foundation.

Barriers beyond borders, highways

As you might expect from someone with such curiosity for the natural world, Rosner took the most enjoyment from how much she learned about the world through her reporting. A concept she particularly enjoyed exploring was anthropogenic resistance—the invisible ways humans impede animal movement.

“For instance, you may have a physically passable route for a bear, but you have a lot of hikers who recreate in that area, so it won’t go there,” she said. “We more readily think of border walls or highways, but humans have created all sorts of hidden barriers to animal movement that we don’t often think about.”

Her book is a call to action that we need to start thinking otherwise—and quickly. A key theme in Roam is one of empathy, as she invites readers to bring a different perspective to how they, too, move through the world.

“The idea of empathy was not an idea I was thinking about when I started this project,” Rosner said. “When I look around, it’s clear to me that empathy is lacking across the board right now—but perhaps if we can learn to see other species with empathy, it will help us see one another with empathy, also.”

There’s also a more pragmatic reason to take Rosner’s work seriously. Like it or not, those same connections between wild animals and the natural world also link us to the environment.

“We must better understand and appreciate how intimately we are connected to nature,” she said. “I mean, I say it in the book: If we continue to act as though we are the only species on the planet, it’s going to become self-fulfilling. That’s not a world we’ll want to live in, or be able to live in.”

Roam is available for limited release now, and will officially be available at bookstores and online Oct. 28.

A herd of elk at their winter refuge outside Grand Teton National Park, in Wyoming. Photo by Florian Schulz.

Kenya's major highways and railways include underpasses to allow elephants to navigate human infrastructure. Photo by Richard Moller.

Joe Arney covers research and general news for the college.

A new book from a journalism professor looks at human-made barriers—visible and not—that have disrupted animal migrations and threaten our ecology.

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Wildfires, water quality, weather patterns: Scripps fellows have ambitious plans for climate reporting

Joe Arney — Thu, 26 Jun 2025 22:25:22 +0000

Wildfires, water quality, weather patterns: Scripps fellows have ambitious plans for climate reporting Joe Arney Thu, 06/26/2025 - 16:25

By Sharon Waters

The 2025-26 class of Ted Scripps Fellows in Environmental Journalism at ̽��Ƶ’s College of Communication, Media, Design and Information will explore a range of issues related to climate change, encompassing emerging infectious diseases to technology’s potential role in catching arsonists responsible for wildfires.

Part of the college’s Center for Environmental Journalism, the Scripps fellowship gives full-time journalists the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and understanding of a variety of topics, so they can more effectively report on pressing environmental issues in ways that resonate with broad audiences. Over a nine-month period, fellows attend classes, participate in weekly seminars and field trips, and meet experts as they develop independent journalistic projects related to the environment.

Established in 1993, the Scripps fellowship has been based at ̽��Ƶ since 1997, making this the 29th class to join the program as part of the university.

This year’s fellows are:

	Ben Cathey, meteorologist and environmental/science reporter, WLVT. Cathey will spend his fellowship pursuing a serialized set of news pieces on wildfires. With the Front Range as a backdrop, Cathey plans to predict weather patterns governing wildfires while studying the use of artificial intelligence and drones to spot fires and catch arsonists. Cathey has won Emmy and Edward R. Murrow awards, and his work has been honored by The Associated Press, Society of Professional Journalists and American Meteorological Society.
	Erin Douglas, climate reporter, The Boston Globe. As a Scripps fellow, Douglas will study the relationship between climate and emerging infectious diseases. At the Globe, Douglas covers climate adaptation and resilience, including rising sea levels, disaster recovery, inland flooding and water quality. She has also covered climate change for The Texas Tribune and energy and environment issues for the Houston Chronicle. Douglas’ work has been recognized by Investigative Reporters and Editors, Society of Environmental Journalists, and Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. She was part of Tribune teams honored with Murrow awards in 2022.
	Christopher Solomon, freelance journalist. A full-time freelancer since 2002, Solomon writes frequently for The New York Times. His work also has appeared in Outside Magazine, National Geographic, Wired, Travel + Leisure, Orion and other national publications. Solomon is a former staff reporter for The Seattle Times and was a contributing editor and contract writer for Outside. His work has been featured seven times in the annual Best American anthologies of notable writing from HarperCollins.
	Chris Walker, freelance journalist. During his fellowship, Walker will study corporate sustainability, with a focus on how investors, regulators and the current political climate are influencing climate actions by businesses. His environmental reporting includes stories about a Turkish town’s fight against a coal plant, rights of nature lawsuits, and climate denialism among oil and gas executives. A three-time Livingston Award finalist, Walker has been a staff writer at two alt-weeklies and an editor with 5280. His work has appeared in The Ecologist, Westword and The Lever.
	Amanda Williams, special projects editor, NPR 1A. As a fellow, Williams will explore intergenerational stories of climate change around the world, connecting family stories of environmental change to climate solutions. Williams hopes to center young people in her reporting, including her daughter, born in 2024. At NPR’s 1A, Williams manages long-term projects, including on-air series, partnerships and events, plus daily news coverage. She was a local newspaper reporter in southern Virginia and a student reporting fellow with the Pulitzer Center.

The newest class of fellows at the Center for Environmental Journalism brings experience from NPR, The New York Times, National Geographic and more.

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Dry goods

Anonymous — Sun, 29 Oct 2023 05:05:30 +0000

Dry goods Anonymous (not verified) Sat, 10/28/2023 - 23:05

By Joe Arney
Photos by RJ Sangosti

Photographer RJ Sangosti carved out a niche in environmental journalism because crime stories had a way of following him home when he was working general assignment for The Denver Post.

“I want to stop people, make them think, and elevate how we are conserving water and planning our growth in the West.
—RJ Sangosti

He’s still doing great work—but it’s still following him home.

Sangosti has been documenting the Colorado River’s decline at the Post and through other channels, including a Scripps Environmental Journalism Fellowship at ̽��Ƶ. He also has received grants from CMCI’s Water Desk to travel and hire artists to showcase his work on the river.

That support emboldened him to approach the story of a local river as a national crisis—a key goal of the Water Desk, which is dedicated to improving journalism connected to the Colorado River, especially around changes driven by climate, population and politics.

“The fellowship made me aware that journalism is not just the one big story—it’s about helping people understand and tell stories about the river,” he said.

A Gunnison native who grew up fishing and playing in the Taylor River, Sangosti hopes his work creates a visual story of the river that inspires others, including widespread sharing of his photos through the Post and, one day, a comprehensive website with photos, charts, maps—even drawings from Indigenous people who live nearby.

“I want to stop people, make them think, and elevate how we are conserving water and planning our growth in the West,” he said.

RJ Sangosti grew up on the water. Now, he’s documenting the decline of the Colorado River as a photojournalist for The Denver Post.

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̽��Ƶ Center for Environmental Journalism Welcomes 25th Class of Fellows

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 03:34:15 +0000

̽��Ƶ Center for Environmental Journalism Welcomes 25th Class of Fellows Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 08/04/2021 - 21:34

The Center for Environmental Journalism is proud to welcome its 25th class of Ted Scripps Fellows, who will spend nine months at the University of Colorado Boulder’s College of Media, Communication and Information working on long-term, in-depth journalistic projects and reflecting on critical questions.

Melissa Bailey
Sasha Chavkin
Marissa Ortega-Welch
Luke Runyon
Anna V. Smith

Learn more about the 2021-22 Class of Ted Scripps Fellows in Environmental Journalism »

The Center for Environmental Journalism is proud to welcome its 25th class of Ted Scripps Fellows, who will spend nine months at ̽��Ƶ and CMCI working on long-term, in-depth journalistic projects and reflecting on critical questions.

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̽��Ƶ Center for Environmental Journalism Welcomes New Class of Fellows

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 23:13:19 +0000

̽��Ƶ Center for Environmental Journalism Welcomes New Class of Fellows Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 07/22/2020 - 17:13

The Center for Environmental Journalism is proud to welcome its 24th class of Ted Scripps Fellows, who will spend nine months at the University of Colorado Boulder’s College of Media, Communication and Information working on long-term, in-depth journalistic projects and reflecting on critical questions.

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Faculty Now: Fall 2019

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Dec 2019 19:55:34 +0000

Faculty Now: Fall 2019 Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 12/13/2019 - 12:55

Updates from our all-star professors, researchers and innovators.

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$2.47 million gift to ̽��Ƶ bolsters support for environmental journalism

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 22:28:32 +0000

$2.47 million gift to ̽��Ƶ bolsters support for environmental journalism Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 11/01/2018 - 16:28

Photos by Tom Yulsman

The Ted Scripps Fellowships in Environmental Journalism have equipped more than 100 journalists with the knowledge and skills needed to cover the complex and multidimensional environmental issues of the day.

Scripps fellow Chris Lett examines a carnivorous plant at the CU Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Greenhouse as Tess Additon, greenhouse manager, points out the plant’s unique features. Scripps fellow Elizabeth Royte looks on.

Now, the program’s competitiveness with the nation’s top fellowship programs, and its visibility, will be enhanced even further. This is thanks to a $2.47 million gift from Cindy Scripps, who has funded the program at the University of Colorado Boulder since 1996.

“My father, Ted Scripps, was concerned about the environment before he passed,” Scripps says. “It is a passion I have carried with me throughout my life. I feel that the need for this type of program is more acute than ever before. The environment is imperiled, and journalism is under pressure, so I think it’s critically important that we continue to fight for both.”

For more than two decades, the fellowship program—housed in the College of Media, Communication and Information—has brought working journalists to campus for a full academic year. The new gift will fund the fellowships for five years, starting with the incoming 2018–19 class of fellows. Other enhancements include a pilot program to team students with fellows as research assistants.

Additon, Royte and Scripps fellow Stephen Miller examine one of the many plants at the greenhouse.

“Previous fellows’ work during and after the program has led to the preservation of public lands, government financial commitments, and even an entire investigative news network whose work has led to changes in multiple Colorado laws,” says the center’s director, Tom Yulsman. “With this generous support, we will be able to increase the stipend for fellows by more than 25 percent, helping keep the program competitive with the best such programs in the nation.”

The 2018–19 class of fellows consists of Peter Brannen, Chris Lett, Stephen R. Miller, Hillary Rosner and Elizabeth Royte. They are award-winning journalists who have written books, covered national stories for CNN, and written for national publications such as The Atlantic, National Geographic and The New York Times.

“The fellows need as many resources as possible in order to take full advantage of the opportunity offered by the program,” Scripps says. “I couldn’t imagine a better place for the fellowship program than Boulder. There are just so many resources for students and fellows, great faculty, and a very supportive environmental community.”

The Ted Scripps Fellowships in Environmental Journalism have supported more than 100 journalists covering the most complex environmental issues of the day. Thanks to a $2.47 million gift, the program will continue for years to come.

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Racing to deadline

Anonymous — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 20:51:12 +0000

Racing to deadline Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 03/21/2018 - 14:51

Zoë Rom (MJour'18)

Bundled up against the frigid wind, I gripped the handlebars of the borrowed snow machine through thick gloves and steered it out onto the icy Yukon River. I shifted my weight on the seat, careful not to let my microphone and recorder fall out of my bibs where I had tucked them away to shield against the battery-killing cold.

My camera bumped against my chest as I accelerated along the frozen waterway, speeding by the Yukon's famous white bluffs and snow-covered forests. A large chunk of jumble-ice appeared in the otherwise glassy river, causing me to swerve and re-right myself on the snow machine. A fit of spontaneous, involuntary laughter shook my entire body. Journalism is really fun.

There are a few things specific to sub-Arctic reporting that I wish I had learned in grad school: for example, the basics of snowmachine steering and how to avoid frostbite when photographing sled dogs in temperatures 40 below zero. Even that pens, which freeze, are essentially useless for writing in such conditions. Perhaps a class in creative ways to hide recording equipment in ski bibs, or a course in canine interviewing could have made me feel more fully prepared.

Then again, some things are best learned in the field.

This winter, I traveled up to Alaska to follow the Yukon Quest sled dog race, a 1,000-mile event that traverses Alaska's interior into the Canadian Yukon. I was working as a reporter for KUAC radio in Fairbanks and filed twice-daily radio reports on everything from canine care to Canada's largest cinnamon rolls.

Working with dogs was a dream.

Alaskan huskies are so sweet, intelligent and playful. The only drawback? I wasn't allowed to pet them. This required a constant exercise in self-control.

"They're athletes," one musher reminded me, "you wouldn't try to pet Ussein Bolt, would you?"

That depends, Ussein Bolt is a lot less cuddly than the average sled dog.

Reporting on the race was very much trial by fire, or well, ice. With limited radio experience, I was expected to produce two pieces a day on deadline, and find some semblance of wireless internet to file stories. I was constantly on the move, following the race from Fairbanks into the Alaskan bush, taking aircrafts smaller and shakier than my decrepit sedan into the Canadian Yukon. I chased the pack leaders for 17 days on the trail, sleeping in public schools, my truck and kind strangers' cabins.

A lot of things I learned in grad school did come in handy. File management, naming conventions and backing things up saved the day more than a couple times.

And then there were the things I could have only learned through experience: I learned how to drive a snow machine, how to ride on the back of a sled and how to make caribou tacos. I figured out how to flag down a bush plane while standing on a frozen runway and spot roadside moose while driving at night--look for the eyes. I learned a lot about mushing; the strategy behind racing, sled set-ups, canine nutrition and innovative ways to use hand warmers.

I've spent two years in my master's program learning everything from multimedia and data journalism to media law and ethics. Now, two months out from graduation, it felt like the perfect time to find out, can I do this thing I've been studying? Will I like it? Will I be good at it?

The answer came to me in a bush plane as I was crossing the border from Alaska into Canada. The wobbly bush plane skirted thrillingly close to the tops of the forested mountain ranges, buffeted slightly by the wind. It was just me and the pilot, a gruff but polite Canadian.

"So, what do you do?" he asked as we soared over the frosted pines and expansive mountain ranges.

"Nothing yet," I said, "but I think I'm going to be a journalist."

The headsets that allowed us to communicate over the dull roar of the engine crackled as he responded, "Huh, it kind of seems that's what you're doing now."

Zoë Rom is a Boulder-based writer and journalist and a second-year master’s student in the Department of Journalism at the College of Media, Communication and Information. When she's not running, she's climbing, and when she's not climbing she's cooking or eating.

Southern storyteller turned mountain-dweller, she starts every day with a cup of strong coffee and a good story. Her work has appeared in REI Co-op Journal, Discover, Rock & Ice, Trail Runner, Backpacker and Threshold.

Flagging down a bush plane in the middle of the Yukon, grad student Zoë Rom (MJour'18) discovers that in journalism, learning on the fly is half the fun.

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Wildfires

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 06:20:30 +0000

Wildfires Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 10/25/2017 - 00:20

As a journalist and a communication scholar discuss the growing issue of wildfires, they reveal there is more to firefighting than extinguishing flames.

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Journey to the top of the earth

Anonymous — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 05:06:40 +0000

Journey to the top of the earth Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 10/24/2017 - 23:06

CU and Norwegian participants in the Arctic Lenses climate journalism project navigate a glacier in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard.

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Center for Environmental Journalism

Roam if you want to. Unless you’re a wild animal

Restoring empathy

Barriers beyond borders, highways

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Wildfires, water quality, weather patterns: Scripps fellows have ambitious plans for climate reporting

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Dry goods

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̽����Ƶ Center for Environmental Journalism Welcomes 25th Class of Fellows

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̽����Ƶ Center for Environmental Journalism Welcomes New Class of Fellows

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Faculty Now: Fall 2019

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$2.47 million gift to ̽����Ƶ bolsters support for environmental journalism

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Racing to deadline

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Wildfires

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Journey to the top of the earth

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̽��Ƶ Center for Environmental Journalism Welcomes 25th Class of Fellows

̽��Ƶ Center for Environmental Journalism Welcomes New Class of Fellows

$2.47 million gift to ̽��Ƶ bolsters support for environmental journalism