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I'm a Vancouver-based writer, editor and associate producer, with a Master of Journalism from UBC.

My work has been featured on the front page of The Globe and Mail, and in CBC/Radio-Canada, The Georgia Straight, BCBusiness, Healthline, Western Living, Vancouver Magazine, Coast TV and a variety of student publications, radio stations and podcasts across the country. A full portfolio is available on the Articles page.

CBC •

New research discovers the twisty secret behind the narwhal's unusually straight tusk | CBC News

The narwhal tusk is a true oddity in the natural world. Reaching up to three metres in length, the tusk is an upper tooth that grows through the whale's lip on the left side. And it is the only mammal tusk that grows perfectly straight, with no curves. A team of international researchers believe they have figured out why it grows so straight — and the answer lies in its unique pattern of opposing spirals. “This was really the first time that we could prove that this was the case and that there w...
CBC •

Can billionaire-backed conservation avoid becoming greenwashing? | CBC News

A new $200-million US initiative backed by the Bezos Earth Fund and Leonardo DiCaprio's Re:wild promises to help recover 100 threatened species, including pink iguanas, lemurs, wild pigs and pangolins. The Phoenix Species Project could provide sustained funding for breeding programs, habitat restoration and locally led conservation work. But it also raises a broader question: Can billionaire-backed philanthropy help the environment, while improving donors' green image, despite the environmental...
CBC •

Could the history of Mars be set in stone? Meteorite discovery may offer clues to Red Planet's past | CBC News

Hiding inside a piece of an ancient meteorite that is at least 4.4 billion years old lies potential secrets to the history of Mars. The meteorite, known as NWA 8171, contains a mineral that has not been discovered in Martian material before. And it might offer clues about how the planet was formed. "The most exciting part is that we potentially have a new rock type on Mars,” said Tanya Kizovski, an assistant professor at Brock University's earth sciences department who made the discovery." We are e...
CBC •

This chef turns food waste into meals | CBC Climate Change News

When TJ Conwi started cooking, there weren't even compost bins. Everything that didn't make it into the dishes went into the garbage.

Right before the pandemic, Conwi was working as an executive chef at a major Vancouver hotel. He saw how much food was wasted and it alarmed him.

This wasn't just random carrot tops. It was crates of produce that was perfectly fine for consumption, like eggplant or tomatoes, but not quite the right shape or colour.

"It's not just your food scrap that you would throw out in the compost bin, it's actual good food," said Conwi.
CBC •

Global plastics treaty negotiations fail to reach a consensus — again | CBC News

What was supposed to be the final round of negotiations for a legally binding global treaty to end plastic pollution has failed to reach a consensus. After delegates spent 10 days in Geneva, Switzerland, trying to address plastic pollution, the session was adjourned, with no immediate plans to resume efforts to reach a treaty. The World Wildlife Fund called on ambitious states to pursue a separate deal, with the hope of getting plastics-producing nations on board later.
CBC •

One of the biggest black holes ever was discovered — with a mass of 35 billion suns | CBC News

Astronomers have discovered what they say is among the most massive black holes ever detected.The cosmic behemoth is close to the theoretical upper limit of what's possible in the universe, and is 10,000 times heavier than the black hole at the centre of our own galaxy. It's also 35 billion times as large as our sun, which makes it able to be classified as an ultramassive black hole. Carlos Roberto de Melo-Carneiro, who discovered the black hole, told CBC News it was "among the most massive black...
CBC •

After a decade of death, Canadian scientists say they've found the sea star killer | CBC News

Giant sea stars are melting away — and now scientists know why Scientists say they have found the cause behind the disease that turns vibrant, 24-armed sea stars into puddles of goo. Melanie Prentice, a research scientist at the Hakai Institute, is part of a team that has spent years investigating the cause of this disease. Their research was published on Monday in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution. "The agent is a bacteria. It's called Vibrio pectinicida," Prentice told CBC News.After a de...
CBC •

No, David Suzuki hasn't given up on the climate fight — but his battle plan is changing | CBC News

Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki made headlines last week when he said in an interview with iPolitics that humanity has lost its fight against climate change. "We're in deep trouble," Suzuki told the outlet. "I've never said this before to the media, but it's too late." Though he made it clear that he hasn't entirely given up, Suzuki says that rather than getting caught up in trying to force change through legal, political and economic systems, we now need to focus on community action.
Georgia Straight •

Maybe we *can* fight fire with fire

As another BC summer unfurls in the shadow of massive wildfire devastation, it’s easy to come to the conclusion that all fires are bad. But a growing community of forestry experts, Indigenous firekeepers, and fire specialists are advocating for controlled burns—which can actually help keep our forests safe.

Cultural burning, also called prescribed fire and intentional fire, does not damage the land, but rather allows it to grow back healthier, says Joe Gilchrist, vice-president and co-founder o
The Globe and Mail •

SFU researchers receive funding to study storing CO2 in porous rock

British Columbia’s goal of slashing greenhouse-gas emissions by 40 per cent within six years would get a boost if the many projects aimed at capturing carbon dioxide from industrial smokestacks or vacuuming it out of the sky prove to be successful. But once captured, all that CO2 still needs to be stored somewhere.

Simon Fraser University (SFU) professor Shahin Dashtgard recently received nearly $900,000 in grants from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and B.C.’s
The Ubyssey •

The Largest Herbarium in Western Canada

Linda PJ Lipsen opens her office cabinet and pulls out a file folder, containing a photo of a tiny ordinary-looking piece of moss.

It is one of almost a million specimens stored at the University of British Columbia’s herbarium, the largest herbarium in western Canada, and they each provide a uniquely important window into history and climate change patterns.

The moss is almost 200 years old, making it one of the oldest in the herbarium. Most importantly, botanists call it a type specimen...
The Ubyssey •

UBC scientists use mushrooms to help compost human waste

Researchers believe they can use mushrooms to accelerate the work of composting toilets.

Lorena Polovina and Isobel McLean have spent nearly a year tinkering in a tiny basement room at UBC on a novel way to make using the washroom more sustainable. The School of Architecture (SALA) students may not find the place inspiring, but their work has the potential to make a difference in an often-overlooked area of environmental health: waste management.

They’ve been experimenting with mycelium shells...
Georgia Straight •

Vancouver chef tackles food insecurity one meal at a time

TJ Conwi grew up surrounded by food. His grandma owned a restaurant underneath their house in Manila. He considers it part of his culture.

“Just being a Filipino, our greeting is like, ‘Did you already eat?’” he tells the Straight with a chuckle.

Conwi's connection to food didn't lead him to just becoming a chef, but also to sourcing meals for people facing food insecurity. The Vancouver-based chef is featured in The Interceptors, a new documentary following his kitchen consulting company Ono.