Environmental Reporting at WNIJ
The Mississippi River Basin spans nearly half of the continental United States. Millions of residents rely on the river system for drinking water, commerce and recreation.
More than 90% of America’s agricultural exports are grown in the Mississippi River Basin, including more than three-quarters of the world’s exports in feed grains, and most of the country’s livestock. More than 70% of nitrate pollution in the Mississippi River comes from agriculture, which harms human health and aquatic life and contributes to the “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico. As the impacts of climate change become more severe, residents can expect more extreme weather, including flooding.
By making resources available on this beat, we support more complete coverage of these critical topics. As our reporters build deeper knowledge, they tap into a network of newsrooms, experts, and support that will help them tell more equitable, impactful and interconnected stories.
Harvest Public Media reports on food systems, agriculture and rural issues through a collaborative network of reporters and partner stations throughout the Midwest and Plains. Our goal is to provide in-depth and unbiased reporting on complex issues for a broad, diverse audience, often connecting the Heartland to the rest of the country. Primary topics include, but are not limited to, agribusiness, biofuels, climate change, farming and ranching, food safety, rural life and public policy.
Below you will find reporting from reporters across our collaborations.
Locally, Jess Savage reports on clean air, water, and agricultural systems in northern Illinois for WNIJ, part of the Mississippi River Basin Project and Harvest Public Media. They recently graduated from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University. Jess was awarded the Pulitzer Center Campus Consortium Fellowship, where they reported on landscape-scale ecological restoration in England and its effects on local farmers. They studied ecology at the University of Vermont as an undergraduate.
Jess focuses on access and policy related to clean air, water and agricultural systems for northern Illinois residents. This includes storytelling that gives voice traditionally underserved communities and the impact of climate change on local communities. The beat is a solutions driven approach to reporting related to efforts to improve the quality of rivers and groundwater, policies and processes in agricultural practices and food systems, and overall access to healthy living.
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Trees and shrubs are invading prairies, hurting the wildlife and making it harder to ranch. Yet it's hard to know the full extent of the problem, so Kansas State University found a way to map it out on the cheap. -
As part of the “Food Routes” series, Harvest Public Media explores three big factors that affect produce prices in the Midwest and Great Plains. -
Weeds are a challenge for every farmer. The annual Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day showcases solutions beyond herbicides. -
Several planned projects would have brought solar to communities in the Midwest and Great Plains for the first time. Others would have expanded existing efforts. Now, the projects are on hold after the Environmental Protection Agency abruptly terminated $7 billion in funding. -
State fairs are a big draw this time of year for millions of visitors. Whether it's getting a chance to pet a newborn calf, take a ride in a giant plastic ball or eat any number of fried foods, going to the fair is always an experience. -
A new law in Illinois formalizes efforts to reintroduce native keystone species like bison and beavers in the state, which advocates say will help other species recover. -
Grocery stores accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in 12 states will soon have to accommodate new exclusions to the program. Industry advocates say the changes will be expensive, especially for smaller retailers. -
Most people think of California for surfing. But surfers can be found from Wisconsin to Texas on lakes, rivers and even man-made water parks. -
Americans are losing their starry views to light pollution. But some communities are make lighting decisions to help preserve night skies – while benefiting wildlife and human health. -
Summer afternoon temperatures have cooled off in the middle of the country in recent decades. But hotter nights and winters are still driving more overall warmth in the region.
