Brianna Randall

Brianna Randall is a freelance writer based in Missoula, Montana.

All Stories by Brianna Randall

  1. Animals

    Here’s how many shark bites there were in 2023

    The chance of being bitten by a shark is still incredibly slim, according to a new report from the Florida Museum of Natural History.

  2. Life

    The Endangered Species Act is turning 50. Has it succeeded?

    After 50 years, this landmark law has kept many species alive — but few wild populations have recovered enough to come off the “endangered” list.

  3. Environment

    Landscape Explorer shows how much the American West has changed

    The online tool stitches together historical images into a map that’s helping land managers make decisions about preservation and restoration.

  4. Environment

    Dust from a shrinking Great Salt Lake may be accelerating Utah’s snowmelt

    About a quarter of the record-breaking, snow-melting dust on the Wasatch Mountains in 2022 may have come from exposed lakebed at Great Salt Lake.

  5. Animals

    This marine biologist is on a mission to save endangered rays

    Jessica Pate and the Florida Manta Project confirm that endangered mantas are mating and sicklefin devils are migrating along the East Coast.

  6. Earth

    The Great Salt Lake is shrinking. What can we do to stop it?

    A dropping lake level affects agriculture, public health and the environment — but water conservation can halt the decline.

  7. Oceans

    ‘Jet packs’ and ultrasounds could reveal secrets of pregnant whale sharks

    Only one pregnant whale shark has ever been studied. New underwater techniques using ultrasound and blood tests could change that.

  8. Animals

    Tree-climbing carnivores called fishers are back in Washington’s forests

    Thanks to a 14-year reintroduction effort, fishers, or “tree wolverines,” are once again climbing and hunting in Washington’s forests after fur trapping and habitat loss wiped them out.

  9. Plants

    Invasive grasses are taking over the American West’s sea of sagebrush

    Cheatgrass and other invasive plants are expanding rapidly in the western United States, putting more places at risk for wildfires.

  10. Ecosystems

    Simple hand-built structures can help streams survive wildfires and drought

    Building simple structures with sticks and stones — and inviting in dam-building beavers — can keep water where it’s needed to fight drought and wildfires.