SHARON LEVY

Selected freelance publications:

• Clashes With Cougars. Encounters with mountain lions are far more likely to kill cats than people. National Wildlife, in press.
• Hong Kong’s Resilient Dolphins. The rare Chinese white dolphin finds ways to survive in the world’s busiest – and perhaps most polluted – harbor. National Wildlife, in press.
• Empty Nest Syndrome. A failed experiment in constructive poisoning sets back efforts to protect Hawaii’s endangered birds from invasive rats. OnEarth, Summer 2005, 26-31.
• Rekindling Native Fires. Indigenous peoples’ land management holds vital lessons for the western U.S. in a time of raging wildfires. BioScience, April 2005, 304-308.
• Die Hard. Grenada’s monkeys, survivors of centuries of inbreeding, face a new genetic bottleneck in the wake of Hurricane Ivan. Nature, March 17 2005, 268-269.
• Fires Down Under. Australian fire ecologist David Bowman finds that Aboriginal burning does more to head off the risk of catastrophic fire than any army of hi-tech firefighters. OnEarth, Winter 2005, 14-21.
• Native Incursions: Avian range expansions imperil threatened species. The barred owl and the cowbird explode out of their traditional ranges in the wake of human settlement, threatening rare forest birds. BioScience, February 2004, 94-98.
• The Antbed Parrot. A rare Australian bird needs fire to survive. Wildlife Conservation, October 2004, 38-41.
• Crabs in Space. The horseshoe crab, under threat on its native Atlantic beaches, helps NASA to protect Mars from Earthly microbes. New Scientist, March 13, 2004, 42-43.
• Protecting Yourself From Unsafe Plastics. Polycarbonate, commonly used in baby bottles and other food containers, can leach the estrogen-like chemical BPA. National Wildlife, February/March 2004, 14-15.
• Last Days of the Locust. After plaguing settlers in the American West for decades, the Rocky Mountain locust vanished forever. New Scientist, February 21, 2004, 48-49.
• A Top Dog Takes Over. Gray wolves are back in Yellowstone – and boosting the park’s biodiversity. National Wildlife, October/November 2003, 22-29.
• The Cultural Cetacean. New studies support the contentious idea that, like humans, whales and dolphins can learn and pass on local customs. National Wildlife, October/November 2003, 30-36.
• Getting the Drop on Hawaiian Invasives. Many conservationists see poisons that target invasive rats as the last, best hope for Hawaii’s endangered birds and plants. BioScience, August 2003, 694-699.
• Turbulence in the Klamath River Basin. The scientific debate over water diversions and endangered fish. BioScience, April 2003, 315-320.
• Parenting Paradox. Why do wild animals adopt? National Wildlife, August/September 2002, 52-59.
• Truth or Consequences. It’s not always the flashy male that gets the girls. Caution, and even low cunning, can be attractive too. New Scientist, June 15, 2002, 31-33.
• Mt. St. Helens. Twenty years after its eruption, the volcano disobeys the rules of ecological recovery. HMS Beagle, the BioMedNet Magazine, November 23, 2001.
• Elephant Seals. Understanding their adaptations to deep diving may help advance treatment of human ailments from sleep apnea to heart disease. HMS Beagle, the BioMedNet Magazine, September 14, 2001.
• Critters With Attitude. Salamanders, sunfish, and crickets all display personal quirks – traits that vary from one individual to the next. New Scientist, June 2, 2001, 34-37.
• Wildlife on the Hot Seat. What happens to wildlife when the earth warms? National Wildlife, August/September 2000, 20-26.
• What Makes Us Tick? All living things have internal devices that keep track of time. How do they work? National Wildlife, December/January 2000, 58-61.
• What’s Wrong With the Right Whale? Long after most hunting stopped, the species still struggles to survive. New Scientist, November 6, 1999, 38-42.
• Navigating With a Built-in Compass. Sparrows, sea turtles and whales all migrate long distances – and use a compass to find their way. National Wildlife, October/Nov 1999, 32-39.
• Building the Meanest Machine. Live coverage of the World Championship Kinetic Sculpture Race, in which human-powered works of art travel over roads, sand dunes, and water. Discovery Channel Online, May 1999.
• Death By Fire. A controversial new theory claims that human-caused fire killed off Australia’s giant wombats and kangaroos. New Scientist, May 1, 1999, 38-43.
• Owl vs. Owl. The barred owl poses a new threat to the survival of the endangered spotted owl. Natural History, March 1999, 28-32.
• Can Oiled Seabirds Be Rescued, Or Are We Just Fooling Ourselves? Dramatic attempts to rescue the wild victims of oil spills may not make a real difference. National Wildlife, February/March 1999, 70.
• Where the Sea Meets the Sky. El Nino takes a heavy toll on seabirds in the Pacific. New Scientist, October 3, 1998, 40-44.
• Paradise Lost. Live coverage of three biologists working to save endangered Hawaiian birds. Discovery Channel Online, August 31, 1998.
• Pacific Salmon Bring It All Back Home. Why forests need fish in the Pacific Northwest. BioScience, November 1997, 657-660.
• Working Wetlands. An innovative system in Arcata, California combines wastewater treatment with critical wildlife habitat. Hemispheres, December 1996, 127-132.