Beavers, sharks, whales and the Trump administration — our writers took on some heavy topics this past year.

Brain coral

The Revelator is more than just a news site. Every week we also publish powerful essays and op-eds from experts around the globe who contribute their knowledge and opinions about some of the most important environmental issues of the day.

Over the past year our guest writers have addressed some pretty heavy topics and shared new ideas to protect the environment, information on looming threats that deserve our attention, details about the latest scientific research, and a whole lot more. They’ve tackled the Trump administration, poachers, oil drilling, attacks on science and roadmaps to prevent species from going extinct.

Here are ten of their most thought-provoking contributions from the past year, in the order they were published:

Sold Out: Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Dinosaurs vs. Drilling: Paleontologists Join the Fight for Bears Ears

Can Wildlife Services Learn to Believe in Beavers?

Living Will Template for Critically Endangered Species

Donald Trump, Corporate Profits and the Cult of Tomorrow Morning — No, Better Yet, This Afternoon

How to Take a Bite Out of Venus Flytrap Poaching

Warming Cities, Dying Trees: Can We Keep Our Cities’ Tree-lined Streets?

What Would It Take to Save Southern Resident Killer Whales From Extinction?

Florida’s Chance to Protect Threatened Sharks

India’s ‘Vagabond Tigers’ Offer Lessons for Future Reintroductions

There’s a lot more beyond this list. For all of our experts’ recent contributions, check out our full lists of essays and op-eds.

Interested in joining the conversation? We’re always open to submissions from experts in their fields. Read our essay guidelines to find out what we’re looking for in 2019.

John R. Platt

is the editor of The Revelator. An award-winning environmental journalist, his work has appeared in Scientific American, Audubon, Motherboard, and numerous other magazines and publications. His “Extinction Countdown” column has run continuously since 2004 and has covered news and science related to more than 1,000 endangered species. He is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and the National Association of Science Writers. John lives on the outskirts of Portland, Ore., where he finds himself surrounded by animals and cartoonists.