Alisa Opar
Alisa Opar is Earthwire's Western correspondent. She is also the articles editor at Audubon magazine, and has written for many publications about science and the environment.
The Coast Isn't Clear
A controversial firing at the California Coastal Commission has conservationists closely watching the agency that controls development along the state's shores.
California's War With Zika
Could invasive mosquitoes ignite Zika outbreaks on the West Coast?
Body Snatchers in the Chesapeake Bay
Tiny, invasive East Coast parasites are leaving hordes of the living dead in their wake.
From Seasonal Outlaws to Year-Round Residents
Montana is opening up more space outside of the national park for bison to roam.
Solving the Mysteries of Mudslides
Heavy El Niño rains could trigger mudslides in California this winter. These scientists are trying to figure out the whens and wheres.
Crab Invasions, Tropical Visitors, and Massive Marine Die-Offs: What’s Going on In the Pacific?
Mass die-offs in the Pacific are sending the emaciated bodies of seabirds, seals, and sea lions ashore from California to Alaska.
Something's Hot in the State of Denmark
An 18-year survey hints at how global warming may be changing the face of Danish bugs.
Unbearable Decisions
To kill or not to kill: How wildlife officials decide what to do with “problem bears.”
Five Things President Obama Could Do to Help the Arctic
A should-do list for the president's three-day trip to Alaska.
Smoke From Bigger, Hotter Wildfires Can Inflame Health Problems for Thousands of Miles
Wildfires may be harming the health of people who live hundreds or thousands of miles from the flames.
Seals Take Hearing Tests—and Offer Insight Into Arctic Drilling's Impact on Marine Mammals
How will Shell’s Arctic drilling affect marine mammals in the Chukchi Sea?
Californians Are Coping With Water Shortages in Some Wacky and Smart (and Desperate) Ways
As summer heat compounds four years of drought, innovation has not yet run dry.
A New Breed of Ranchers Is Restoring the Landscape and Learning to Live With Predators
This Montana cattle ranch is trying to ensure its operations benefit wildlife—and yes, that means wolves, too.
Would a High-Tech Solution—3-D Rhino Horns—Curb Poaching or Put Wild Animals at Greater Risk?
To try and curb demand for black-market rhino horn, a bioengineering start-up is making 3-D substitutes.
Western States Prepare for an 'Explosive' Wildfire Season
While there’s no crystal ball for forecasting wildfire, experts have come to expect fiercer and more frequent blazes year after year.
From Fracking to Tainted Fish, How the Trans-Pacific Partnership Could Cripple the West
The Obama administration maintains that the proposed international trade agreement would be good for the American people and the economy, but there's a reason all negotiations have been shrouded in secrecy.
Drought? Climate Change? No Sweat for These Desert-Friendly Cattle
Cattle that came over with Columbus might be better bovines for the drought-plagued West.
Lord of the Tree Rings
Benjamin Cook looks at ancient trees to forecast future droughts. His latest findings are not good news for the West.
Do You Know Where Your Seafood Comes From?
Consumers are increasingly getting to know their local fish—and fishermen—through companies that cut out the middleman.