Katie O'Reilly
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@Sierra_Magazine’s adventure editor, Midwest expat, & shameless crazy dog lady. Words in @TheAtlantic @bitchmedia @OutsideMagazine @RunnersWorld @Buzzfeed etc.
Articles by Katie O'Reilly
‘Harm Me Not’: Cooke City’s timeless poetic portal
Just beyond Yellowstone National Park’s remote northeast corner, an unassuming log sign blends into the backdrop of lodgepole pine and rustic cabins. A poetic artifact of unknown provenance, the “Prayer of the Woods” sign is faintly visible from the road leading into the park through its Cooke City-Silver Gate entrance.
Stamp of the Wild: Tom Murphy’s Bison Imagery Hits Mailboxes
Issued May 25, 2026, the U.S. Postal Service’s American Bison stamp features Tom Murphy’s intimate photograph of a lone American bison paired with an engraving from 1923. The USPS printed 15 million copies of the double-sized stamp, immortalizing the Livingston artist’s work. This week, iconic bison imagery began its journey beyond trailheads and park kiosks to be sold in the nearest post office.
Montana’s 2026 Fire Season: Puzzling Winter, Meet Potential Powder Keg of a Summer
Montana’s fire outlook appears less like a single headline than a nuanced pile of uneasy questions. Meteorologists point to the warm, wet winter that rearranged snow and soil across the Big Sky State. Forecasters say this swath of Northern Rockies meets “normal” fire season criteria for now, and climatologists expect El Niño conditions as early as June, with a one-in-three chance Pacific currents will amplify into “super” El Niño territory.
Bridger Pipeline is the Latest Attempt to Revive the Keystone XL “Zombie Project”
Some have nicknamed it “Keystone Light.” But this fossil fuel pipeline, if it becomes a reality, would not be small by comparison. The newly proposed expansion of the Bridger Pipeline through Montana, if approved, would transport 1,047,000 barrels of tar sands oil per day—a heavy crude that’s among the most environmentally destructive of fuels.
17 Empowering Earth Month Reads for Kids
Photo by Javier Zayas Photography/Getty Images Since 2023, when Sierra began compiling picture books we love for Earth Month, the nature-focused kid-book canon has expanded dramatically. This year we reviewed nearly 50 recent releases designed to engage children with the natural world. The latest catalogs show publishers looking to distill eco-hot-button issues into simple prose and spotlight Earth’s lesser-known marvels.
When Indigenous Knowledge and Climate Science Meet, Good Things Happen
Standing outside the visitor center for the CSKT Bison Range, on the Flathead Indian Reservation, Mike Durglo Jr. suddenly went silent. The gregarious climate coordinator for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes gazed eastward, toward the Mission Mountains, their peaks covered in snow beneath a clear blue Montana sky. “I remember going out there to visit my grandparents; my dad would speak fluent Salish,” said Durglo, whose Indigenous name translates to Standing Grizzly Bear.
Could Reclassifying Bison as Wildlife Reshape Conservation in the West?
On the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, the 200-plus resident bison are not considered livestock. Neither are they commodities, climate tools, nor charismatic megafauna poised for a splashy comeback. “They are our relatives,” says Jason Baldes, who calls Wind River home.
The Wild Revelations from a Forgotten Camera Trap
A curious mountain lion examines a trail camera that sat in a cave for 10 years. In a dark abandoned cave near Yellowstone National Park, its mouth sealed by snow much of the year, a small weatherproof wildlife camera kept watch for 10 years. Quietly, fully powered and improbably intact throughout the decade, that Reconyx Ultrafire trail camera recorded grizzly bears coming and going. Mountain lions, too, slinked by. Coyotes paused, curious to investigate smells left behind by others.
From fryer oil to fuel pumps: One biochemist's push for clean transportation in Montana Original
For the five years he was running a biodiesel plant, Dr. Jesse Therien logged countless hours driving across and into “every corner of Montana, often in the middle of winter,” in pursuit of used cooking oil from restaurants. kAm“xE H2D 2? 6IEC6>6=J 5:CEJ ;@3[” E96 |@?E2?2 AC@;64E >2?286C 7@C *6==@HDE@?6\%6E@? r=62? r:E:6D E@=5 |@F?E2:? y@FC?2= =2DE 72== 7C@> 2 3=F6E@@E9 DA62<6C :? 9:D >@E@C4J4=6 96=>6E[ H9:=6 6? C@FE6 E@ 2 D@=2C 6BF:A>6?E DE@C6 :? q@K6>2?] “qFE >J ECF4< C2? @?
10 Stewardship-Powered Presents for Anyone Who Loves Public Lands
Photo courtesy of Conscious Step Looking for a way to give a meaningful gift that supports wild places and doesn’t create unnecessary waste? These items don’t just look good wrapped in recycled paper—they funnel real support back into the places we love. Think of them as tiny acts of conservation with a bow on top: part practical, part playful, all in service of keeping public lands truly public. Because nothing says “happy holidays” like a gift that gives twice.
Eva Lighthiser: Montana teen reflects on suing the state — and now Trump — over climate
Walking up to the Montana Supreme Court Chambers during 2023’s Held v. Montana bench trial, plaintiff Eva Lighthiser was greeted each morning with an eruption of cheers from crowds of supporters descending on the Helena courthouse. “I saw that this work was something that really matters, that it’s inspiring people,” the then-17-year-old recalls.
Livingston teen reflects on suing the state — and now Trump — over climate
Walking up to the Montana Supreme Court Chambers during 2023’s Held v. Montana bench trial, plaintiff Eva Lighthiser was greeted each morning with an eruption of cheers from crowds of supporters descending on the Helena courthouse. “I saw that this work was something that really matters, that it’s inspiring people,” the then-17-year-old recalls.
12 Pet Brands That Specialize in Sustainability and a Circular Economy
Illustration by Ekaterina Goncharova/Getty Images You should be able to love your pet without participating in an unsustainable and wasteful pet economy. For generations, the animal care industry has been marked by excessive packaging, futile novelty toys, and an abundance of single-use plastic. What’s an eco-conscious pet owner to do? As a consumer, you have a lot of power to help instigate change.
A Circular Economy for Pets
In an ideal world, living sustainably wouldn’t be at odds with owning cats and dogs. Unfortunately, the commercial pet industry hasn’t always made that easy: More than 300 million pounds of plastic waste is produced by Big Pet every year, 90 percent of which ends up in landfills and oceans. When it comes to our animal companions’ food, the choices we’re given are often rife with unhealthy additives and chemicals. Their food comes with a carbon cost as well.
The State of Our Public Lands This Summer Is Anything but Sunny
We’re well into the high tourist season for visiting national parks and other public lands, when the agencies managing them—like the National Park Service (NPS), US Forest Service (USFS), and Bureau of Land Management (BLM)—rely on seasonal help to manage crowds, maintain trails, and seize opportunities to educate the masses on the etiquette and ecosystems of the great outdoors.
16 Kids’ Books That Make Science and Nature Sizzle
Photo by FatCamera/Getty Images There’s no pulling punches with kids. They can tell when grown-ups are sugarcoating things, and honestly, we haven’t exactly landed on any great G-rated versions of the climate crisis.
How to Prepare for Extreme Weather with Community-Powered Resilience
Winds soared across the meadows of my rural Montana community last January as temperatures dipped into the 20s. The winter storm created a demand for electricity that far exceeded our utility's supply. Thousands of residents were snowed in without power for hours, some for more than a day. Such power outages are likely to become more common as the climate crisis amplifies weather extremes. In 2021, a historic freeze in Texas brought rolling blackouts after gas plants shut down.
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12 Earthy Kids’ Books That’ll Help the Whole Family Fete Earth Week
Illustration by Jorm Sangsorn/iStock The most sustainable and regenerating thing you can give a kid? A book—or better yet, a whole stack of them. In some cases, they’ll behoove the whole family too. By distilling big ideas into simple, illustrated prose, children’s books provide parents and caretakers with powerful reminders of our values. They remind us of important concepts we may not have revisited in a while, and oftentimes, they reacquaint us with the marvels of life on our endangered planet.
Sierra Taxonomy | Sierra Club
How to Hit the Trail With Nothing but Amtrak and a Bicycle From Idaho to Alabama to Maine, adventure outdoors without taking a single car ride or plane trip In this story: Transit to Trails, hiking, camping, biking 4 Fun Ways to Observe Transit Equity Day Rosa Parks’s birthday has evolved into an intersectional celebration of climate, labor, and social justice causes In this story: Transit to Trails, public transit, public lands
Fishing for the First Time? Here’s How and Where to Start
Photo courtesy of the Recreational Boating & Fishing FoundationPhoto courtesy of the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation Travel Family-friendly Breathe deep and remember: It's called fishing, not catching. Many anglers daydream about the Zen-like rhythm, meditation, and technique of fly casting. For others, it’s about the thrill of the fight, or the dance to net catch.
Sierra Taxonomy | Sierra Club
The Future of Environmentally Friendly Meat Is High-Tech These new animal-product alternatives duke it out over taste, texture, and nutrition—as well as sustainability In this story: food and drink, climate change, vegetarian, vegan Pass the Boxty: Vegan Twists for a St. Patrick’s Day Feast Vegan takes on traditional Irish food and drink In this story: vegan, holidays, food and drink Plan a Plant-Based Year of the Tiger Usher in Lunar New Year with five Asian food bloggers’ fave vegan recipes...
Crane Spotting is Alive and Well in Nebraska
Hundreds of light-colored sandhill cranes on the water and mid-flight in a pink sky at dusk. | Photos by Mariah Lundgren I heard the sandhill cranes before I saw them—their haunting halloo bugle calls and gooselike honks unmistakable almost three miles away. Then, into my line of sight, hundreds of thousands of the giant birds appeared, each flock forming its own wispy calligraphy across the fiery sky.
Sierra Departments | Sierra Club
Crane Spotting is Alive and Well in Nebraska Each year, the ancient species traverses North America's distinct flyways In this story: birds, wildlife Cross Country: A Guide to Backcountry Skiing in Maine In this story: skiing, adventure, travel Where to see great bears in the Great Bear Rainforest Sierra visits a floating lodge in British Columbia, in the heart of where the wild things are In this story: grizzlies, animals, travel Yosemite's Majestic Ahwahnee Hotel The historic property...
A Parent Looks for Solace During the Pandemic
When COVID shut down her daughter's preschool in 2020, Kate Zambreno found a desire, "something approaching a mania," to teach her child about the seasons. "I think I believed that would provide her with some stability, and something to celebrate as well," Zambreno writes in her new memoir The Light Room: On Art and Care (Riverhead Books, 2023). Like many pandemic parents, Zambreno, a novelist and an academic, turned to the outdoors for solace.
Sierra Taxonomy | Sierra Club
By Wendy Becktold November 14, 2016 Climate Parents mobilizes families to fight for clean energy policies. Now the organization has joined forces with the Sierra Club.
Sierra Taxonomy | Sierra Club
ICYMI: No Scooters in Paris, No Salmon Season in California, No Protection for Coyotes & No Dubya National Park A weekly roundup for busy people In this story: wildlife, indigenous communities, coal, dirty fuels Why I Drive 5 Miles Under the Speed Limit The financial, moral, and public health case for driving like a slowpoke In this story: science, transportation, climate change, dirty fuels, lifestyle Mark Ruffalo, Real-Life Eco-Hulk?
Leaderboard - 6:00am, 28th Mar 2023 - #GreatLakes500 - powered by rise.global
Ranking of Top 500 influencers and players active on Twitter in connection with the #GreatLakes community. Weekly update day: Tuesday. The #GreatLakes500 SustMeme Twitter influencer list has been built to promote a positive dialogue and increase engagement across the largest freshwater system in the world. When conceptualised as a region including the US and Canada, the #GreatLakes represent the third largest economy in the world.
Leaderboard - 6:00am, 21st Mar 2023 - #GreatLakes500 - powered by rise.global
Ranking of Top 500 influencers and players active on Twitter in connection with the #GreatLakes community. Weekly update day: Tuesday. The #GreatLakes500 SustMeme Twitter influencer list has been built to promote a positive dialogue and increase engagement across the largest freshwater system in the world. When conceptualised as a region including the US and Canada, the #GreatLakes represent the third largest economy in the world.
Leaderboard - 5:00am, 07th Feb 2023 - #GreatLakes500 - powered by rise.global
Ranking of Top 500 influencers and players active on Twitter in connection with the #GreatLakes community. Weekly update day: Tuesday. The #GreatLakes500 SustMeme Twitter influencer list has been built to promote a positive dialogue and increase engagement across the largest freshwater system in the world. When conceptualised as a region including the US and Canada, the #GreatLakes represent the third largest economy in the world.
4 Fun Ways to Observe Transit Equity Day
In December 1955, a 42-year-old African American civil rights activist took a seat in the front of the bus on her ride home from the Montgomery, Alabama, department store where she worked as a seamstress. When the bus driver commanded her to move back—as the front 10 seats were permanently reserved for white passengers—Rosa Parks refused. Her subsequent arrest quietly set off a social revolution.
An MLK Day Monument Wish List
Beyond protecting incredible landscapes and critical habitats, the US national park system plays a crucial role in telling the story of this country and ensuring significant pieces of history and culture are preserved. But while the NPS holds immense storytelling power, fewer than a quarter of its sites acknowledge the histories of nonwhite people, movements, and cultures. Perhaps for that reason (among others), people of color are significantly underrepresented among NPS visitors.
7 NPS Spots That Celebrate Civil Rights
In honor of civil rights hero Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, all 424 National Park Service sites will waive entrance fees on Monday, January 16—marking the first fee-free day of 2023. The annually commemorated MLK Day is also the Park Service's sole official day of service, during which hundreds of volunteers across the country participate in service projects.
Leaderboard - 5:00am, 10th Jan 2023 - #GreatLakes500 - powered by rise.global
Ranking of Top 500 influencers and players active on Twitter in connection with the #GreatLakes community. Weekly update day: Tuesday. The #GreatLakes500 SustMeme Twitter influencer list has been built to promote a positive dialogue and increase engagement across the largest freshwater system in the world. When conceptualised as a region including the US and Canada, the #GreatLakes represent the third largest economy in the world.
New Year, New Me: Amazing Metamorphoses in Fish
Like clockwork, the phrase “New Year, New Me” arrives with every flip of the calendar. The phrase itself invokes ideas of dramatic personal change and transformation (and maybe even a new gym membership). But some fish species take “New Year, New Me” to a whole other level. The word metamorphosis comes from Greek and means “to change form” – you might think of a caterpillar’s dramatic change to a butterfly or a tadpole’s transformation to a frog.
Sierra Departments | Sierra Club
How to Pack a Go Bag In the Age of Climate Catastrophe, everyone needs an emergency kit next to the front door In this story: buyers' guide, climate change
Leaderboard - 5:00am, 20th Dec 2022 - #GreatLakes500 - powered by rise.global
Ranking of Top 500 influencers and players active on Twitter in connection with the #GreatLakes community. Weekly update day: Tuesday. The #GreatLakes500 SustMeme Twitter influencer list has been built to promote a positive dialogue and increase engagement across the largest freshwater system in the world. When conceptualised as a region including the US and Canada, the #GreatLakes represent the third largest economy in the world.
Sierra Departments | Sierra Club
5 Books on Queer Nature A reading list for exploring the queer side of nature fiction and nonfiction In this story: books, science, nature When Nature Speaks, What Does It Say?
Leaderboard - 5:00am, 29th Nov 2022 - #GreatLakes500 - powered by rise.global
Ranking of Top 500 influencers and players active on Twitter in connection with the #GreatLakes community. Weekly update day: Tuesday. The #GreatLakes500 SustMeme Twitter influencer list has been built to promote a positive dialogue and increase engagement across the largest freshwater system in the world. When conceptualised as a region including the US and Canada, the #GreatLakes represent the third largest economy in the world.
Over the River: Giving Fish a Lift with the Sturgeon Elevator
As the upcoming winter holiday season approaches, many of us are getting ready to embark on trips back to our hometowns. But while airports and train stations may be stressful, spare a thought for the travel tribulations of migratory fishes.
From Species Extinction with Love
Lydia Millet's latest novel, Dinosaurs (W.W. Norton, 2022), is the deceptively simple story of an Arizona man's relationship with the family living in a glass house next door. While the events are less overtly cli-fi than those in her previous book, A Children's Bible, Millet is after something similar: whether an individual can truly make a difference despite the scale of planetary destruction we face.
How to Minimize Your Pet's Carbon Paw Print
Our pets help connect us to nature. By sharing our lives with these once-wild creatures, we get more in tune with the natural world. The social and emotional sustenance we get from them makes us better Earth citizens. But we've entered a new era: Let's call it the "calculating Sparky's CO2 emissions" phase. According to one researcher, just feeding the cats and dogs of North America emits up to 64 million tons of greenhouse gases a year.
The Art of the National Parks: A Diary From 59 Parks
Journal your way through America's Best Idea You're likely familiar with striking art of the Fifty-Nine Parks print series. The WPA-style posters—based on the aesthetics of the 14 original posters created for the parks from 1938 to 1941—emblazon many a gift book and coffee mug and have been harnessed by the likes of Disney, Adobe, and SXSW. What's more, sales from these posters keep these treasures going strong by supporting the National Park Service.
14 Groovy Gifts for Green-Minded Dads
Is a dad or father figure the reason for your love for alfresco adventure? On June 19, you’ll have your chance to pay that appreciation back. Whether you’ve got a grizzled old man who can solo-survive on a mountain or a dude-like dad who just digs chilling in the backyard, we think you’ll find something fitting for him here. Be the first to try out gadgety new gear: MXXY has innovated the first pack featuring a dual-chamber hydration bladder.
How to Overcome Your Fear of the Great Outdoors
Last year, when my partner was offered a great job in Montana, I immediately agreed to relocate. We’d been living in San Francisco, where I often found myself scheming for ways to get out to the wilderness and spend more time exploring, and “Big Sky Country” had a reputation as an outdoor-lover’s paradise.
18 Gifts That’ll Make Your Mom (and Mother Nature) Smile
Sure, flowers and chocolate are nice. But for a Mother’s Day gift that will last longer than a few days, consider one that offers lasting benefits sans too much negative impact on Mother Earth. Whether the rock-star mother figures in your life are craving hard-charging backcountry adventures, juicy reads, or just some much-needed downtime, we’ve got just the gift to help her indulge in a little self-care this Mother’s Day and beyond. Here are some ideas to get you inspired.
"The Social Lives of Animals:" a Dazzling Compendium of Beasts' Sociality
Bonobos prioritize friends over food. Poison-wary rats warn their pals about too-good-to-be-true treats. African buffalo choose where to roam next via voting. Dolphins address one another by name.
Step Aside, David Attenborough-Obama’s Bringing the Soothing Zoological Success Stories Now
What happens within protected wild spaces like national parks affects all of us. So proclaims the velvet-voiced orator in Our Great National Parks, the latest big-budget nature documentary series to hit the streamiverse. That narrator, former president Barack Obama, speaks from real experience. He single-handedly protected more natural habitat than any US president in history, using the Antiquities Act 34 times to conserve more than 550 million acres of lands and waters as national monuments.
18 Female Phenoms of Nature Writing
This story has been updated from its original version, published on March 8, 2017. As with the rest of the literary canon, men have more or less dominated the sphere of American nature and environmental writing. This is perhaps due to old-fangled notions of nature experiences as uniquely male rites of passage, as well as the idea (specious though it might be) that domestic obligations preclude female writers from embarking on far-flung adventures.
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