Rhett Ayers Butler
We live in a world grappling with complex environmental challenges. As a journalist, I’ve always believed in the power of words and stories to make a difference. Journalism is not just about reporting facts; it’s about shining a light on issues that are often hidden in the shadows. In the context of environmental crises, journalism [Continue reading]
Reflecting on the past 25 years at Mongabay, it is evident that impactful journalism can drive meaningful change. Our work has contributed to significant outcomes, from exposing trafficking of pygmy sloths in Panama to informing a state decision to convert 101,000 hectares from a logging concession to a reserve in Borneo. My go-to example of [Continue reading]
Veronika Perková recently interviewed me for her Nature Solutionaries pocast. Here is the YouTube version of the podcast: Some of the ground we covered in the podcast: Early Days of Mongabay:🌳 My decision to start the website was carefully planned rather than a risky leap, beginning as a side gig to a job with a [Continue reading]
At Mongabay, we frequently document the harm extractive industries inflict on the environment, wildlife, and communities globally. However, journalism itself can sometimes be extractive. This issue arises when journalists enter a community to report a story, gather context, and then leave. Despite the journalist’s best intentions, if the story isn’t accessible to the community in [Continue reading]
On June 8, 1999, Mongabay was officially launched. So today is officially Mongabay’s 25th birthday. Over the past several days, many people have been asked about the history of Mongabay. This an extended version: https://mongabay.cc/pazNOU Here’s a brief version: I founded Mongabay out of my love for tropical forests. The site’s initial model was based [Continue reading]
Obituaries are hard to write. But an obituary is something many people will need to write at some point in their life. And it will often be for someone deeply loved and admired. Capturing a person’s life in a short tribute is challenging. After all, how does one represent the joy a person has brought [Continue reading]
Next week marks 25 years since I founded Mongabay out of my passion for nature. I never imagined that a personal effort to raise awareness about tropical forests would evolve into a global network of dedicated journalists reporting from nature’s frontlines. It’s been incredible to see the contributions of these talented individuals making a real-world [Continue reading]
Scammers have long used my name for phishing attempts and other scams, and it seems that this practice is on the rise. If you receive an email message that puports to be from me, please verify the sender’s email address to ensure it originates from one of my known addresses, typically those associated with mongabay.com, [Continue reading]
One of my favorite aspects of running Mongabay is hearing about how our reporting has led to meaningful impacts around the world. Recently, we learned that the Matsés Native Community, the largest in Peru, terminated their agreement with the Peruvian company Get Life. This decision followed a Mongabay investigation — False claims of U.N. backing [Continue reading]
Raja Ampat, located off the northwest tip of Bird’s Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, in Indonesia’s West Papua province, is known for its biodiversity-rich marine environments. The archipelago consists of over 1,500 small islands and islets, and its waters are home to a significant number of coral and fish species. Despite its [Continue reading]
In 2023, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared 21 species officially extinct by removing them from list of species protected under the Endangered Species Act. I recently put together short obituaries for a few of the species we lost. Amidst the dense, lush undergrowth of Kauaʻi’s rainforests, where the dampness held the whispers of [Continue reading]
Tropical primary forest loss dipped 9% in 2023 to 3.7 million hectares, according to University of Maryland data released this week on World Resources Institute‘s Global Forest Watch. The decline was driven primarily by a 36% drop in Brazil, which typically accounts for the largest proportion of tropical forest loss. Forest loss in the Amazon [Continue reading]
Jane Goodall turns 90 on April 3rd. For the past few weeks, the world has been marking her birthday in a variety of ways, from a unique 90-dog salute on a beach in Carmel, California, symbolizing her life-long commitment to animal welfare, to galas in fancy ballrooms in the world’s biggest cities with global business [Continue reading]
Earlier this week I joined a panel on climate journalism organized by Climatebase for their fellowship program. One of the questions I was asked was, “What kind of coverage or content do you think is missing in climate media?“ I mentioned the importance of telling stories that resonate with target audiences. Preaching to the choir [Continue reading]
The other day, I was asked about the real-world impact of investigative reporting in the context of ocean issues. One of my favorite examples is a series of stories we published over a three-year period about Dalian Ocean Fishing, one of China’s largest tuna companies. This reporting underscores the serendipity involved in chasing a story [Continue reading]
This obituary came late. I intended to write it much earlier. Where others saw irreconcilable difference, Lafcadio Cortesi saw possibility. Indigenous leaders, corporate executives, idealistic campaigners, and skeptical bureaucrats—he moved among them not as a negotiator or emissary, but as someone who genuinely believed each had a role to play in keeping forests standing. Over [Continue reading]
High-quality data journalism serves as a powerful tool in elucidating complex environmental issues, transforming raw data into compelling narratives that illuminate the hidden stories behind the numbers. By employing rigorous data collection and analysis, journalists can uncover trends and patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed, providing a solid foundation for investigative reporting. But how do [Continue reading]
Earlier this month, I joined science fiction writer Kim Stanley Robinson for a conversation about conveying climate change and other environmental issues to the public. The virtual event took place at the University of California-San Diego’s Triton Leaders Conference 2024 and was emceed by Michael Bumbry. We discussed communicating environmental issues via news reporting and [Continue reading]
On Monday night I gave a lecture at the prize ceremony for the BBVA Foundation’s 5th Biophilia Award for Environmental Communication (English) (program). The event was held in Madrid. I was asked to speak about “Reasons for hope in the face of the global environmental crisis” and provide a text of my remarks ahead of [Continue reading]
People often inquire about Mongabay’s readership, so here’s an overview of data from last year. The attached document offers a summary of readership and story production data for Mongabay’s primary news sections in 2023, which include Mongabay-Brasil (Portuguese), Mongabay-French, Mongabay-India (English and Hindi), Mongabay-Indonesia (Bahasa Indonesia), Mongabay-Latam (Spanish), and Mongabay-News. Please note that this analysis [Continue reading]
The island nation of Madagascar is celebrated for its extraordinary biodiversity, characterized by remarkably high rates of endemicism; approximately 90% of its wildlife is unique to the island, making it an unique and irreplaceable treasure trove of biological richness. This includes a myriad of distinctive species, such as lemurs, chameleons, and a diverse range of [Continue reading]
Last week, Mongabay published a recap of the major trends in the world’s tropical rainforests for 2023. Here’s a glimpse into some of the key issues to monitor in 2024. Brazil The deforestation rate in the Brazilian Amazon has declined significantly during President Lula’s first year of his third term, following the reinstatement of various rainforest protection programs. [Continue reading]
Driven by a desire to share my book on tropical rainforests with the public for free, I established Mongabay in 1999. 25 years on, Mongabay has evolved from a website hosting my book to a comprehensive platform covering a wide range of environmental topics far beyond tropical forests. Mongabay has since evolved from a website [Continue reading]
In the emerald shadows of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a profound loss echoes through the mountains. Danilo Villafañe, an Arhuaco Indigenous leader of unwavering conviction, passed away on Christmas Day, aged 49, in a selfless act of heroism. Villafañe drowned while trying to rescue two young women from the waters where the Palomino [Continue reading]
While the data is still preliminary, it appears that deforestation declined across the tropics as a whole in 2023 due to developments in the Amazon, which has more than half the world’s remaining primary tropical forests. Sharp decline in Amazon deforestation An analysis published in December by the MAAP initiative revealed a significant decrease in deforestation. [Continue reading]