In the spring and summer of 2015, graduate students Ken Rand and Celia Talbot Tobin will pursue stories on aquatic invasive species and mining waste in the Glacier National Park area of Montana and Canada. They will be mentored by Christopher Joyce, science correspondent at National Public Radio, and Ted Alvarez, executive editor at Grist and Northwest editor for Backpacker Magazine.
TEAM MEMBERS
KEN RAND: A native of Bozeman, Ken Rand spent his youth exploring the mountains, lakes, rivers and plains of Montana. Studying photography taught him to look at the world slowly and carefully, helping him to frame answers to his questions not just of the “what” in nature, but also the “why.” His goal is to tell stories that spur understanding of our world and our place within it.
CELIA TALBOT TOBIN: Celia Talbot Tobin's love for things that grow got a head start on her family's farm when she was a kid. Her eight years working as a photojournalist have taken her through mountains, deserts, rain forests, oceans, and dirty subway tunnels. She hopes to bridge what she sees as the gap in communication between the world of science and media consumers.
CHRISTOPHER JOYCE: Chris Joyce has spent a lifetime writing about science and science policy. Based in Washington, D.C., he seeks out stories across the world, including in Montana, where he’s reported on wildfire, sage grouse and hybrid trout. Joyce considers the Crown region unique in the way it acts as “the water tower of America.” As a Crown mentor, he hopes to pass on some of his skills and experiences in informing the public about how scientists interpret our world.
TED ALVAREZ: Based in Seattle, Ted Alvarez leads Grist in connecting the environment to justice, pop culture, money, science, technology and business issues. As a contributing editor to Backpacker Magazine, he also reports his own stories, on topics as varied as grizzly bears in the North Cascades and hiking in the mountains of Japan. He hopes to help a new generation of journalists tell stories of the human impact on a changing environment in big, bold ways.