Becca Dzombak
@rdzombak.bsky.social
science journalist covering climate, conservation, geology | words in New York Times, National Geographic, others | PhD in very old rocks
Read this investigation into CA's child labor:
A "climate of fear has made families more reluctant than ever to complain about unsafe working conditions, concerned that employers will retaliate. Even so, young people continue to work to help their parents pay bills and put food on the table."
A "climate of fear has made families more reluctant than ever to complain about unsafe working conditions, concerned that employers will retaliate. Even so, young people continue to work to help their parents pay bills and put food on the table."
Lax oversight, few inspections leave child farmworkers exposed to toxic pesticides
Lax oversight, few inspections leave child farmworkers exposed to toxic pesticides
Child laborers and other farmworkers in California are being exposed to toxic pesticides, in part because of splintered enforcement of safety regulations.
www.latimes.com
November 20, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Read this investigation into CA's child labor:
A "climate of fear has made families more reluctant than ever to complain about unsafe working conditions, concerned that employers will retaliate. Even so, young people continue to work to help their parents pay bills and put food on the table."
A "climate of fear has made families more reluctant than ever to complain about unsafe working conditions, concerned that employers will retaliate. Even so, young people continue to work to help their parents pay bills and put food on the table."
“It’s like a story out of ‘Game of Thrones,’” said @danielkronauer.bsky.social.
November 17, 2025 at 6:37 PM
“It’s like a story out of ‘Game of Thrones,’” said @danielkronauer.bsky.social.
It was particularly exciting because while scientists know that ant invasions and takeovers happen, the details can be murky.
That's simply because they happen mostly underground.
Now, we can see the parasitic queen sneak in, spray the real queen, and retreat while the workers swarm.
That's simply because they happen mostly underground.
Now, we can see the parasitic queen sneak in, spray the real queen, and retreat while the workers swarm.
November 17, 2025 at 6:37 PM
It was particularly exciting because while scientists know that ant invasions and takeovers happen, the details can be murky.
That's simply because they happen mostly underground.
Now, we can see the parasitic queen sneak in, spray the real queen, and retreat while the workers swarm.
That's simply because they happen mostly underground.
Now, we can see the parasitic queen sneak in, spray the real queen, and retreat while the workers swarm.
When an entomologist friend of his saw the video of Shimada's experiments with parasitic queens, he knew they needed to be published.
“I lost my words when I saw the video,” he said.
“I lost my words when I saw the video,” he said.
November 17, 2025 at 6:37 PM
When an entomologist friend of his saw the video of Shimada's experiments with parasitic queens, he knew they needed to be published.
“I lost my words when I saw the video,” he said.
“I lost my words when I saw the video,” he said.
The discovery was made by Taku Shimada. He's not a scientist, but calling him an "ant enthusiast" is putting it lightly. He raises and sells ants, studies them, searches for them in the wild, and takes gorgeous photos of them.
November 17, 2025 at 6:37 PM
The discovery was made by Taku Shimada. He's not a scientist, but calling him an "ant enthusiast" is putting it lightly. He raises and sells ants, studies them, searches for them in the wild, and takes gorgeous photos of them.
Queen-on-queen violence has been documented in ants before. But this subterfuge behavior, documented in a new @currentbiology.bsky.social study, has never before been observed and recorded.
November 17, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Queen-on-queen violence has been documented in ants before. But this subterfuge behavior, documented in a new @currentbiology.bsky.social study, has never before been observed and recorded.
The ant queen is dead. Long live the queen!
Some parasitic ant queens can sneak into other species' colonies and douse the true queen in an acid that compels the workers—her daughters—to turn against her.
After the workers kill their queen, the usurper swoops in.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/s...
Some parasitic ant queens can sneak into other species' colonies and douse the true queen in an acid that compels the workers—her daughters—to turn against her.
After the workers kill their queen, the usurper swoops in.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/s...
Parasitic Queen: Now She’s Stealing an Ant Fief
www.nytimes.com
November 17, 2025 at 6:37 PM
The ant queen is dead. Long live the queen!
Some parasitic ant queens can sneak into other species' colonies and douse the true queen in an acid that compels the workers—her daughters—to turn against her.
After the workers kill their queen, the usurper swoops in.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/s...
Some parasitic ant queens can sneak into other species' colonies and douse the true queen in an acid that compels the workers—her daughters—to turn against her.
After the workers kill their queen, the usurper swoops in.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/s...
Today in fish news: After more than 100 years away, salmon are back in the headwaters of the Klamath River. At least 140 Chinook adults are spawning, and more are coming.
But there's restoration work still to do. Some federal funding for it is delayed. @nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/c...
But there's restoration work still to do. Some federal funding for it is delayed. @nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/c...
A River Restoration in Oregon Gets Fast Results: The Salmon Swam Right Back
www.nytimes.com
October 29, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Today in fish news: After more than 100 years away, salmon are back in the headwaters of the Klamath River. At least 140 Chinook adults are spawning, and more are coming.
But there's restoration work still to do. Some federal funding for it is delayed. @nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/c...
But there's restoration work still to do. Some federal funding for it is delayed. @nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/29/c...
Diego leads a Cascadia research center. He and Greg Beroza, who runs the Southern CA Earthquake Center, said while it could be considered in hazard planning eventually, it's too soon to panic about the Cascadia-San Andreas double whammy.
"We should be preparing for the single whammy," Beroza said.
"We should be preparing for the single whammy," Beroza said.
October 23, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Diego leads a Cascadia research center. He and Greg Beroza, who runs the Southern CA Earthquake Center, said while it could be considered in hazard planning eventually, it's too soon to panic about the Cascadia-San Andreas double whammy.
"We should be preparing for the single whammy," Beroza said.
"We should be preparing for the single whammy," Beroza said.
Still, some highlighted that this is how science works. Someone presents a big idea, and the rest of the research community digs in.
"I'm glad they did this work," says geophysicist @diegosismologo.bsky.social. "It gives the rest of us a challenge. It's how the field progresses."
"I'm glad they did this work," says geophysicist @diegosismologo.bsky.social. "It gives the rest of us a challenge. It's how the field progresses."
October 23, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Still, some highlighted that this is how science works. Someone presents a big idea, and the rest of the research community digs in.
"I'm glad they did this work," says geophysicist @diegosismologo.bsky.social. "It gives the rest of us a challenge. It's how the field progresses."
"I'm glad they did this work," says geophysicist @diegosismologo.bsky.social. "It gives the rest of us a challenge. It's how the field progresses."
Outside experts worry, though, that connecting sediment cores 100 kilometers apart still has too many issues to be solid.
The cores are also difficult to date with enough precision to say how quickly quakes followed each other, if indeed the sediment records quakes in the first place.
The cores are also difficult to date with enough precision to say how quickly quakes followed each other, if indeed the sediment records quakes in the first place.
October 23, 2025 at 6:43 PM
Outside experts worry, though, that connecting sediment cores 100 kilometers apart still has too many issues to be solid.
The cores are also difficult to date with enough precision to say how quickly quakes followed each other, if indeed the sediment records quakes in the first place.
The cores are also difficult to date with enough precision to say how quickly quakes followed each other, if indeed the sediment records quakes in the first place.
He reads this as Cascadia triggering an earthquake, which changes the stresses in the Earth's uppermost layer of crust — potentially including the nearby San Andreas.
That would then trigger the San Andreas to go off, creating a particular stripe of sediment in the record.
That would then trigger the San Andreas to go off, creating a particular stripe of sediment in the record.
October 23, 2025 at 6:43 PM
He reads this as Cascadia triggering an earthquake, which changes the stresses in the Earth's uppermost layer of crust — potentially including the nearby San Andreas.
That would then trigger the San Andreas to go off, creating a particular stripe of sediment in the record.
That would then trigger the San Andreas to go off, creating a particular stripe of sediment in the record.
@goldfinger300.bsky.social has been studying this idea for decades, using cores of sediment from the seafloor to figure out when earthquakes happened in the past.
Records from Oregon and northern California seemed to match up. Mysterious stacks of sediment suggested two quakes, one after another.
Records from Oregon and northern California seemed to match up. Mysterious stacks of sediment suggested two quakes, one after another.
October 23, 2025 at 6:43 PM
@goldfinger300.bsky.social has been studying this idea for decades, using cores of sediment from the seafloor to figure out when earthquakes happened in the past.
Records from Oregon and northern California seemed to match up. Mysterious stacks of sediment suggested two quakes, one after another.
Records from Oregon and northern California seemed to match up. Mysterious stacks of sediment suggested two quakes, one after another.
I asked seven geologists what they thought of the idea.
The overall response was that it's an intriguing idea, and one worth exploring. Based on geophysics, it could be possible.
But from the evidence presented so far, saying Cascadia has for sure triggered the San Andreas is "overselling."
The overall response was that it's an intriguing idea, and one worth exploring. Based on geophysics, it could be possible.
But from the evidence presented so far, saying Cascadia has for sure triggered the San Andreas is "overselling."
October 23, 2025 at 6:43 PM
I asked seven geologists what they thought of the idea.
The overall response was that it's an intriguing idea, and one worth exploring. Based on geophysics, it could be possible.
But from the evidence presented so far, saying Cascadia has for sure triggered the San Andreas is "overselling."
The overall response was that it's an intriguing idea, and one worth exploring. Based on geophysics, it could be possible.
But from the evidence presented so far, saying Cascadia has for sure triggered the San Andreas is "overselling."
A new study argues that in the past, Cascadia quakes have triggered the San Andreas to go off, and that it could happen again.
But other experts, while recognizing that may technically be possible, want more evidence.
Read more at NatGeo:
www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...
But other experts, while recognizing that may technically be possible, want more evidence.
Read more at NatGeo:
www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...
How ‘the big one’ near Seattle could trigger an earthquake in San Francisco
Are two of the deadliest earthquake zones in North America linked? It's possible—but controversial.
www.nationalgeographic.com
October 23, 2025 at 6:43 PM
A new study argues that in the past, Cascadia quakes have triggered the San Andreas to go off, and that it could happen again.
But other experts, while recognizing that may technically be possible, want more evidence.
Read more at NatGeo:
www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...
But other experts, while recognizing that may technically be possible, want more evidence.
Read more at NatGeo:
www.nationalgeographic.com/science/arti...
The @nytimes.com climate section is profiling federal scientists who have been terminated and their work.
I spoke with tsunami expert Corina Allen, who worked to ensure tsunami alerts made it to the public. She was fired in February.
Read her story and others':
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/c...
I spoke with tsunami expert Corina Allen, who worked to ensure tsunami alerts made it to the public. She was fired in February.
Read her story and others':
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/c...
She Made Sure That Tsunami Warnings Reached the Public
www.nytimes.com
October 23, 2025 at 6:20 PM
The @nytimes.com climate section is profiling federal scientists who have been terminated and their work.
I spoke with tsunami expert Corina Allen, who worked to ensure tsunami alerts made it to the public. She was fired in February.
Read her story and others':
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/c...
I spoke with tsunami expert Corina Allen, who worked to ensure tsunami alerts made it to the public. She was fired in February.
Read her story and others':
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/23/c...
This is one of my favorite stories I've gotten to write. And it's that time of year again, when the skies in northwestern Washington are painted with squiggly black Vs of snow geese looking for a snack bar to settle down at for the winter.
Just don't get hit by poop when you're looking up at them!
Just don't get hit by poop when you're looking up at them!
Us, peering out the window: "Look, sire. The snow geese are on the move."
In honor of fall migration, we're reupping this gorgeous photo essay, with words by @rdzombak.bsky.social, about how Washington state is handling too much of a good thing. 🐦
In honor of fall migration, we're reupping this gorgeous photo essay, with words by @rdzombak.bsky.social, about how Washington state is handling too much of a good thing. 🐦
Washington’s Runaway Snow Geese - bioGraphic
Mae West said too much of a good thing is wonderful. But she’d never seen the beautiful, marauding snow geese that swoop in each fall to take over Washington State’s Skagit Valley.
www.biographic.com
October 16, 2025 at 10:37 PM
This is one of my favorite stories I've gotten to write. And it's that time of year again, when the skies in northwestern Washington are painted with squiggly black Vs of snow geese looking for a snack bar to settle down at for the winter.
Just don't get hit by poop when you're looking up at them!
Just don't get hit by poop when you're looking up at them!
But Upthegrove wants to change the system entirely. The plan proposes that revenue will eventually come from carbon credits and other to-be-purchased sites at risk of conversion to non-forest uses, like development.
He calls the timber-funding-schools model "archaic."
Read the full story on HCN!
He calls the timber-funding-schools model "archaic."
Read the full story on HCN!
September 23, 2025 at 4:47 PM
But Upthegrove wants to change the system entirely. The plan proposes that revenue will eventually come from carbon credits and other to-be-purchased sites at risk of conversion to non-forest uses, like development.
He calls the timber-funding-schools model "archaic."
Read the full story on HCN!
He calls the timber-funding-schools model "archaic."
Read the full story on HCN!
Environmental groups have applauded the initial proposal but look forward to collaboratively homing in on which stands will be conserved under the new plan.
Timber advocates and some local officials worry that removing 77k acres from harvest will shrink funding for public schools, mostly rural.
Timber advocates and some local officials worry that removing 77k acres from harvest will shrink funding for public schools, mostly rural.
September 23, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Environmental groups have applauded the initial proposal but look forward to collaboratively homing in on which stands will be conserved under the new plan.
Timber advocates and some local officials worry that removing 77k acres from harvest will shrink funding for public schools, mostly rural.
Timber advocates and some local officials worry that removing 77k acres from harvest will shrink funding for public schools, mostly rural.
Upthegrove in August proposed conserving 77,000 acres of "structurally complex forest," or older (but not 'old growth') forests with diverse tree types and ages and other plants.
How do you know you're in one?
"You just get that warm, fuzzy, green, mossy feeling,” one forest scientist said.
How do you know you're in one?
"You just get that warm, fuzzy, green, mossy feeling,” one forest scientist said.
September 23, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Upthegrove in August proposed conserving 77,000 acres of "structurally complex forest," or older (but not 'old growth') forests with diverse tree types and ages and other plants.
How do you know you're in one?
"You just get that warm, fuzzy, green, mossy feeling,” one forest scientist said.
How do you know you're in one?
"You just get that warm, fuzzy, green, mossy feeling,” one forest scientist said.
Washington state has 2.4 million acres of forest held in trust. Half of that is already conserved; the other half is harvestable timber. Revenue from timber goes largely to public schools.
But "we shouldn't be pitting children against trees," says public lands commissioner Dave Upthegrove.
But "we shouldn't be pitting children against trees," says public lands commissioner Dave Upthegrove.
September 23, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Washington state has 2.4 million acres of forest held in trust. Half of that is already conserved; the other half is harvestable timber. Revenue from timber goes largely to public schools.
But "we shouldn't be pitting children against trees," says public lands commissioner Dave Upthegrove.
But "we shouldn't be pitting children against trees," says public lands commissioner Dave Upthegrove.
Economy or environment? That's the question that plagues public land managers, and Washington's forests are not immune. 77,000 acres of ecologically important stands will be conserved, but some worry rural schools will lose out.
For @highcountrynews.org:
www.hcn.org/articles/was...
For @highcountrynews.org:
www.hcn.org/articles/was...
Washington moves to conserve its state forests - High Country News
The proposal would protect 77,000 acres of ‘structurally complex’ forests.
www.hcn.org
September 23, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Economy or environment? That's the question that plagues public land managers, and Washington's forests are not immune. 77,000 acres of ecologically important stands will be conserved, but some worry rural schools will lose out.
For @highcountrynews.org:
www.hcn.org/articles/was...
For @highcountrynews.org:
www.hcn.org/articles/was...
Check out the rest of the story to read how the state is planning for fires in western Washington!
And some good news: we finally got a summer rain today, granting firefighters a brief reprieve in the fire's spread.
app.watchduty.org/i/54759
And some good news: we finally got a summer rain today, granting firefighters a brief reprieve in the fire's spread.
app.watchduty.org/i/54759
Watch Duty - Wildfire Maps & Alerts
Real-time information about wildfire and firefighting efforts nearby
app.watchduty.org
August 6, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Check out the rest of the story to read how the state is planning for fires in western Washington!
And some good news: we finally got a summer rain today, granting firefighters a brief reprieve in the fire's spread.
app.watchduty.org/i/54759
And some good news: we finally got a summer rain today, granting firefighters a brief reprieve in the fire's spread.
app.watchduty.org/i/54759
But if conditions are just right — or just wrong — a smoldering fire can turn into a scorcher. Strong, dry winds from the east can spur fire on.
It's why firefighters keep an uneasy eye on fires than seem to be slowly growing in the Olympics. Any one, they worry, could turn into "the big one."
It's why firefighters keep an uneasy eye on fires than seem to be slowly growing in the Olympics. Any one, they worry, could turn into "the big one."
August 6, 2025 at 10:53 PM
But if conditions are just right — or just wrong — a smoldering fire can turn into a scorcher. Strong, dry winds from the east can spur fire on.
It's why firefighters keep an uneasy eye on fires than seem to be slowly growing in the Olympics. Any one, they worry, could turn into "the big one."
It's why firefighters keep an uneasy eye on fires than seem to be slowly growing in the Olympics. Any one, they worry, could turn into "the big one."
Overall, it's a recipe for more fire starts.
Many fires in wet western forests don't race along — they smolder, spreading slowly through dense, damp undergrowth. But rugged terrain and thick canopies mean those fires can be hard to fight.
Autumn rains often put them out.
Many fires in wet western forests don't race along — they smolder, spreading slowly through dense, damp undergrowth. But rugged terrain and thick canopies mean those fires can be hard to fight.
Autumn rains often put them out.
August 6, 2025 at 10:53 PM
Overall, it's a recipe for more fire starts.
Many fires in wet western forests don't race along — they smolder, spreading slowly through dense, damp undergrowth. But rugged terrain and thick canopies mean those fires can be hard to fight.
Autumn rains often put them out.
Many fires in wet western forests don't race along — they smolder, spreading slowly through dense, damp undergrowth. But rugged terrain and thick canopies mean those fires can be hard to fight.
Autumn rains often put them out.