Equity Out & Back: Alison meets trailblazing trail runner Maryanna Brown From cyclocross to mountaineering, Brown considers herself an outdoor renaissance woman. Her goal is simple: to get more people like her outside. by Shirlyn J. Wong / February 7, 2025
Environment Seattle’s canopy shrinks as ordinance protects the wrong trees Since 2023, the city has classified more than 2,000 trees as “protected” — without regard to whether they ever were threatened by development. by Robert McClure / InvestigateWest / February 3, 2025
Environment Support for this article is provided by Pacific Science Center. Nick on the Rocks: Colossal batholiths collide in the Cascades The massive Golden Horn and Black Peak granite towers near Washington Pass tell a story 50 million years in the making. by Adam Brown / January 24, 2025
Environment Support for this article is provided by Pacific Science Center. Nick on the Rocks: The volcanic birth of Vancouver’s Beacon Rock Lewis and Clark were astounded by this 800-foot-tall basalt tower on their journey down the Columbia River, but didn’t know its fiery origin story. by Adam Brown / January 17, 2025
Politics A look at the Washington Legislature’s 2025 environmental agenda A plan to create a state watchdog for the oil industry was deferred, but bills on recycling, salmon and data centers could come under consideration. by John Stang / January 16, 2025
Environment Support for this article is provided by Pacific Science Center. Nick on the Rocks: Unlocking the secrets of Seattle’s lakes Why are some salty and some freshwater? A giant ice sheet carved them 16,000 years ago, creating the hills, valleys and waterways that shape the city. by Adam Brown / January 10, 2025
Environment Why wildlife officials are killing some PNW owls to save others Biologists, avian scientists and other experts explain the need for the Barred Owl Management Strategy to protect endangered northern spotted owls. by Alma Chow / January 3, 2025
Environment Support for this article is provided by Pacific Science Center. Nick on the Rocks: How massive floods landscaped a tiny WA town 3,000 years of Ice Age activity shaped Pateros in Central Washington where the Methow River meets the Columbia. by Adam Brown / January 3, 2025
Environment Climate change is helping invasive species take root in Washington Non-native plants are crowding out native ones in the Pacific Northwest and posing new challenges for the organizations that manage them. by Cassie Diamond / January 2, 2025
Investigations How did Washington spend $6.5B in federal pandemic aid? Some local governments spent their COVID relief cash on infrastructure and low-income housing while others opted for controversial police surveillance. by Brandon Block / December 31, 2024