Dispatches from a Sinking State

As the federal government quietly dismantles key scientific institutions, Holden Harris writes from the front lines of a vanishing public service. His essay highlights the human cost of defunding science and the quiet unraveling of the systems that help us understand, protect, and live with the ocean.

Conservation biologist and photographer Geena Hill shares rare photos of elusive butterflies and moths in their natural habitats, shedding light on the growing ‘insect apocalypse.’

Even as a child, CD Davidson-Hiers knew Molino was not forever. Like many rural towns in Florida, this small town in the Panhandle has, in recent years, been coveted for its suburban potential. As new development encroaches, Davidson-Hiers writes about the way of life that will be lost for the people and animals that share this rural habitat.

After 11 years of living in the state, Amanda Hagood finds herself thinking more about the consequences her own presence, and the millions of others living here, have on Florida’s ecosystems. Her fascination has morphed into gratitude and a desire to do right by Florida’s future.

One generation of land loss and displaced cultural traditions is all it takes to put a Gullah/Geechee community’s culture in jeopardy. Glenda Simmons-Jenkins describes the cultural displacement her community experienced after State Road A1A cut through her neighborhood in 1976.

N’Kwanda Jah felt called to work toward environmental sustainability before she understood the technical meaning behind the phrase. She knew the goal was to protect the environment — a mission she calls not just her responsibility, but her humble pleasure.

When she was growing up in Liberty City, Valencia Gunder heard her grandfather warn that one day their community would be in danger. Decades later, Valencia is living the prophecy her grandfather predicted as climate gentrification changes the urban landscape where she grew up.

From her grandmother Marjorie Harris Carr, who fought to protect the river, to her father, who remembers catfish that were as big as his leg. Jennifer describes her vision for the river as she takes on the mantle of her grandmother’s legacy as one of its protectors.