I write features, articles, and essays as well as the occasional travel guide. My work has appeared in Mongabay, The Guardian, and Lonely Planet among others.

Additionally, I provide various editorial services, and develop web-based and desktop applications for non-profit, education, and research programs.

books

featured

  • Bornean orangutan declared ‘critically endangered’ as forests shrink
    The Guardian

    "This is full acknowledgement of what has been clear for a long time: orangutan conservation is failing."

    The Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) is now critically endangered according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This change means that both species of orangutan now face an “extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.”

    Read More...(external site)

  • The Globalist: Beyond Bali
    Atlas - Etihad Airways

    Five alternatives to the country's most visited isle.




    Read More...(external site)

  • How to pack light: tips from a master packer
    Lonely Planet (Best of round the world travel)

    Packing small is essential for any globe-trotter committed to embracing the chaos of travel.

    With a small pack, you can chase down your Japanese train as it unapologetically departs on time. You can squeeze in to (or on top of) the only bus to the next village in India. Or, as we learned, when your scheduled speed boat leaves while you are busy bailing your guide out of jail, small packs will allow you to cram six large Americans into a tiny fishing boat to splash your way to your deserted island bungalow in time to watch the sunset.

    Of course, packing involves deeply personal decisions. Everyone has their own ideas of comfort and style. But by following a few simple field-tested tenets of travelling small, you can shed size and weight. It might not always save your trip, but it will save your spine and your sanity.

    Read more... (external site)

  • Borneo Rallies to Reverse a Trend of Fire Destruction
    Wildfire Magazine (cover story)

    "Hello Mister! 1,000 Rupiah."

    A small boy stood in my way as I balanced my motorbike on the planks bypassing a large mud hole. I was running late. A dump-truck hauling oil palm seeds plunged into the quagmire, water splashing over its windshield as it whined up the other side. I paid the equivalent of 10 cents and spun my wheels back to the road. I was on my way to teach a short fire class in the tropical rain forest of Borneo but couldn't get there due to flooding.

    Although the annual precipitation in this part of Borneo averages between 4 to 5 meters, there are distinct wet and dry seasons. This was, obviously, still the wet season. Historically, the forests and swamps would lock in the rains like a giant sponge to ride out the dry months. Historically, fire was all but unknown. However, with recent widespread increases in land conversion, all of that is changing. Now, fire is a very real concern for those living on the edge of what is left of the forests — a concern with which they are ill-prepared and ill-equipped to deal.

    (currently unavailable online)

  • Dodging A(nother) Bullet
    Inside/Outside Magazine (cover story)

    In the competition for poster-child of the conservation movement, the condor has a hard time competing with the whale, panda bear or Bengal tiger. With its balding, wrinkly head and tendency to defecate on its own legs, the bird does not have quite the sex appeal of other endangered species. But without a doubt, a condor in flight embodies the successes and struggles that come with returning any species to its rightful place in the ecosystem.

    And slowly, the sight is becoming more common, with 141 condors now living in the wild and more potentially on the way in Arizona and California. Not bad for a bird that was placed on the endangered species list in 1967 and found only in captivity as recently as 12 years ago. But the condor’s story is far from over, and their greatest ally in their struggle, the average deer and elk hunter, does not even know they pose a threat to the bird’s survival.

    (currently unavailable online)

  • Killing the Creep
    Inside/Outside Magazine

    Over 4 million people visit Grand Canyon National Park each year. Most come to take a quick peek into the abyss, snap a few photos and maybe buy a T-shirt. But some come to kill, claiming as many as 70,000 lives a year.

    Deep in the recesses of the Inner Canyon, the battles rage. There are no embedded reporters to witness the invasion, and no medals awarded. The combatants travel in small groups in relative obscurity, taking the fight to the enemy invaders. Mostly volunteers on leave from regular jobs, the combatants are fighting for a cause they believe in, seeking no fanfare. Grants and donations finance the effort, and future funding is uncertain. Strange, considering the battle is for the life-blood of the Southwest — WATER — and time is running out.

    (currently unavailable online)

news / shorter works

Get the latest at Mongabay


editing

From science journal articles to world exhibitions, I have bludgeoned prose of various states of disrepair into something fit for human consumption.

  • Homes for Plants, Gardens for Humans:
    2008 Beijing Olympic Games World Bontanic Garden Exhibition     - exhibit

    As part of the Green Olympics commitment, the Chinese Academy of Sciences developed an exhibition of world botanic gardens highlighting the importance of plants to humans. Over 40 gardens from 25 countries submitted general information, from which I was solely responsible for developing engaging, informative, and memorable text.

    The text was incorporated into an open air exhibit consisting of 50 panels and multiple interactive displays located across from Olympic stadium.

  • journal articles

    I spend much of my time editing research papers for submission to scientific journals for both native English and non-native English speakers. All of which have been accepted for publication in peer-reviewed SCI-listed journals.