Chicken production in the United States is a colossal industry controlled by a few vertically integrated companies. On a much smaller scale, it’s also heritage breeds and increasingly popular backyard flocks. As the latest avian flu outbreak makes headlines, journalist Christine Heinrichs looks at environmental reporting opportunities related to poultry pathogens, pollution and more.
"Lobster nets and pots have become such a threat to the survival of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales that the crustaceans have been “red-listed” as seafood to avoid by a major fish sustainability guide."
"A bottlenose dolphin found dead in a Florida canal this past spring tested positive for a highly virulent strain of bird flu, scientists said on Wednesday. The announcement came a week after Swedish officials reported that they had found the same type of avian influenza in a stranded porpoise."
"The ‘highly skilled environmental engineers’ can help to store precious water and rejuvenate land ravaged by climate change. Just don’t dynamite their homes."
"Bird flu has killed hundreds of wild black vultures at a Georgia sanctuary that houses more than 1,500 other animals."
"Population then exploded in what researchers say was ‘the fastest colonisation rate for an introduced mammal ever recorded’".
Rare parrots, captured in the wild and relocated to a European zoo, are at the heart of an award-winning feature that explores the role of private actors in conservation. Journalist Brendan Borrell (pictured, left) talks about the ethical concerns raised by the controversial figure at the heart of his Audubon Magazine piece, and offers advice on making the most of having an investigation scooped.
"Reintroduction of the marine mammals may restore coastal ecosystems but also threatens shellfish industries and tribal self-governance."
"The widely used weedkiller dicamba poses a previously unknown risk to honeybees, EPA said in a draft assessment of the pesticide’s potential dangers to wildlife."
"Ants can be more effective than pesticides at helping farmers produce food, according to new research. They are better at killing pests, reducing plant damage and increasing crop yields, according to the first systematic review of ants’ contributions to crop production."
Advertisement 
