• Home
  • About
  • Writing
  • Editing

Emily Benson

  • Home
  • About
  • Writing
  • Editing
  • Menu

Long-form

Oregon’s Greater Idaho movement echoes a long history of racism in the region

Instead of fixing Oregon, the Greater Idaho movement seeks to leave it. White supremacists are on board. By Leah Sottile // High Country News, Aug 2023

‘We have fire all around us and we can’t get out’

What happened when two experienced hikers got caught in the Bolt Creek Fire. By Kylie Mohr (co-edited with McKenna Stayner) // High Country News, Aug 2023

A deadly disease stalks deer and elk. Do predators help or hurt?

In the Rockies, chronic wasting disease can devastate herds; scientists are looking for solutions. By Christine Peterson // High Country News, April 2023

When the heat is unbearable but there’s nowhere to go

How last year’s record-breaking heat wave caused misery and chaos for Washington’s incarcerated population — and why it’s set to happen all over again. By Sarah Sax (co-edited with McKenna Stayner and Aviva Shen) // High Country News, June 2022

How a rare butterfly returned

The revival of Fender’s blue illustrates the collaborative nature of survival. By Jaclyn Moyer // High Country News, Nov 2022

The mystery of mountain lions

Despite decades of research, myth and fear still surround the animals. By Sarah Gilman // High Country News, March 2020

The Gadsden flag is a symbol. But whose?

How a Revolutionary War-era flag evolved into an anti-government symbol. By Leah Sottile // High Country News, May 2020


Short-form

A mystery worm is threatening the future of Washington’s oysters

Clues from 1,000-year-old shells could reveal the parasite’s past — and portend the future. By Carly Cassella // High Country News, April 2022

Here’s what it takes to build Alaska’s highways of ice

Frozen rivers are vital transportation routes for communities outside the state’s traditional road system. By Victoria Petersen // High Country News, Jan 2023

Why investing in libraries is a climate justice issue

For vulnerable communities, libraries are increasingly becoming a refuge in times of disaster. By Sarah Sax // High Country News, Sept 2021


Essay & review

Am I an invasive species?

How COVID-19 and ‘murder hornets’ compelled a writer to rethink invasions. By Jenny Liou // High Country News, July 2020

Hunting for myself in the high Montana sagebrush

A hunter celebrates a new vision of queerness and rural culture. By SJ Keller // High Country News, Oct 2020

Cultural extraction at the edge of the abyss

Butte, Montana, doesn’t have a major art museum. Instead, it has a gigantic toxic pit. By Kathleen McLaughlin // High Country News, Jan 2022