How a new audio technology may ward off preying seals in Whatcom Creek — Podcast by Max Owens Salmon populations are in trouble, and hungry seals aren’t helping — but Kathleen McKeegan wants to know if an underwater boombox might be the solution. McKeegan, a researcher and graduate student in the Biology Department at Western Washington University, is testing whether Targeted Acoustic Startle Technology (TAST) may limit seal predation.

With the help of Friends of Lolita and the mayor of Miami-Dade County, The Dolphin Company is bringing in a team of independent veterinarians to give Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut a comprehensive medical exam. — Story by Katie McNabb This story is a follow-up to a piece The Planet published in June 2021. Read the first story here. Fifty years ago, amid the roar of boat engines, the booming of underwater bombs and the frantic calls of orcas, seven calves were stolen from the Salish…

A look at what the Bellingham community has done to celebrate the Earth and what’s still coming up this weekend. — Story by Katie McNabb Earth Week may be wrapping up, but residents looking to work out their green thumb still have plenty of opportunities to help the planet. Over the past few days, volunteers have done habitat restoration, community art projects and stormwater discovery tours. …

After six years of fighting against their food desert status, the Birchwood neighborhood is hopeful for change. — Story by Shirley Zhou On one sunny Saturday, people gathered in an inconspicuous parking lot on the corner of West Maplewood and Northwest avenues. The lot, owned by the Industrial Credit Union, sits empty on the weekends except for the row of folding tables and coolers filled with an assortment…

Julia Lerner, Cascadia Daily News’ environmental reporter, sat down with The Planet to discuss her experiences and vision for her beat. — Story by Katie McNabb As the threat of climate change is growing more imminent, news publications are hiring environmental reporters, who cover the stories that impact the climate and those most closely tied to it. “The Planet” sat down with Cascadia Daily News’ environmental reporter, Julia Lerner, to discuss her…

As the Pinto Abalone population declines, graduate students, like Lizzie Diehl, are researching ways to increase their numbers so the species is not lost for future generations. — Podcast by Catalina Lane Catalina Lane is a senior at Western Washington University completing a double major in Environmental Education and Studio Art. She loves enjoying the outdoors, creating art and playing with her stubborn cat, Tiko.

How a Western graduate student Evan Paul is predicting peak flows in the Nooksack River to help local tribes and the salmon population. — Podcast by Augustine Vanden Brulle Augustine Vanden Brulle is a Western Washington University student who is new to environmental reporting, but they hope to channel their interest into reporting on rivers and fisheries in the future.

After years of safety concerns, a new parking lot is opening this spring at Galbraith Mountain. — Story by Olivia Palmer On most days, mountain bikers rush down Galbraith Mountain’s vast network of trails, winding through groves of evergreens and whipping around hairpin turns. For bikers like Grant Brinson, parking on the street below provokes a different adrenaline rush. Like many cyclists accessing Galbraith from the south…

How one Western Washington University student’s thesis evolved into a lesson on listening and compassion. Podcast by Olivia Palmer For her master’s thesis, Sydne Tursky is talking to people about the things that they don’t talk about. Tursky, a second-year graduate student at Western Washington University’s College of the Environment…