Essential Environment: The Science Behind the Stories

Jay H. Withgott is a science and environmental writer with a background in scientific research and teaching. He holds degrees from Yale University, the University of Arkansas, and the University of Arizona. As a researcher, he has published scientific papers on topics in ecology, evolution, animal behavior, and conservation biology in journals including Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B, Evolution, and Animal Behavior. He has taught university-level laboratory courses in ecology, ornithology, vertebrate diversity, anatomy, and general biology.

As a science writer, Jay has authored articles for a variety of journals and magazines including Science, New Scientist, BioScience, Smithsonian, Current Biology, Conservation in Practice, and Natural History. He combines his scientific expertise with his past experience as a reporter and editor for daily newspapers to make science accessible and engaging for general audiences.

Jay lives with his wife, biologist Susan Masta, in Portland, Oregon.

Scott Brennan has taught environmental science, ecology, resource policy, and journalism at Western Washington University and at Walla Walla Community College. He has also worked as a journalist, photographer, and consultant.

Scott has cultivated his expertise in environmental science and public policy by serving as Campaign Director of Alaskans for Responsible Mining, as Executive Conservation Fellow of the National Parks Conservation Association in Washington, D.C., and as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Defense Environmental Security Office at the Pentagon. When not at work, Scott is likely to be found exploring the Chugach Mountains and the Bristol Bay drainages in southwest Alaska. He lives with his wife, Angela, and their dogs Raven and Hatcher, in south central Alaska’s Chester Creek Watershed.