Elizabeth Hewitt
Elizabeth Hewitt is a freelance journalist based in the Netherlands. She's interested in how policy-making impacts lives, and likes to write about local solutions to big problems.
As News Deserts Expand, Student Journalists Step Up
From student-staffed statehouse bureaus to papers run by journalism schools, academic-media partnerships are bolstering local coverage.
How Farmers Are Preparing for a Saltier Future
As salinity affects more cultivated land due to climate change, researchers and growers are turning to salt-tolerant crops.
A Ranch, Rewilded: The Transformation of California’s Next State Park
Floodplain restoration is one key way to make the Central Valley more resilient as climate change intensifies both flooding and drought.
An Overdose Antidote Goes Viral
Naloxone, the pocket-sized drug that can save the life of someone overdosing on opioids, is within arm’s reach in bars, libraries and vending machines.
A Tradition That Keeps Christmas Trees Alive
When a family rents a tree in a pot, they can welcome the same live evergreen into their home year after year — no chopping required.
How Tiny Wetlands in the Midwest Are Combating the Gulf of Mexico’s ‘Dead Zone’
Small, constructed wetlands on farms keep excess nutrients out of waterways — and the impacts can go a long way.
A ‘Tape Recorder for the Planet’: What Natural History Museums Bring to the Climate Fight
Behind the scenes, their vast collections can help us better understand the past, present and future of our planet.
For Indigenous Peoples With Deep Ties to the Land, Climate Change Is Personal
“Indigenous worldviews look at the land as an extension of the self, so can you argue that land is body?”
How Farmers Used California’s Floods to Revive Underground Aquifers
Farms designed to recharge groundwater are answering the state’s existential question: How do you make sure devastating rainfall doesn’t go to waste?
To Restore Watersheds, Think Like a Beaver
People are building beaver-inspired obstructions along waterways to make the surrounding landscape messier and more complex. That’s a good thing.
Fortified with Coconuts, ‘Living’ Shorelines Are Stopping Coastal Erosion
From New Jersey to Texas, a nature-nurturing alternative to concrete sea walls is protecting America’s coastline.
The Flashlight-Wielding, Frog-Taxiing Guardians of Spring’s ‘Big Night’
Once a year, as amphibians scramble across America’s roads to spawn, a devoted army of volunteers emerges to shepherd them pond-ward unscathed.
Is There Anything ‘Solar Meadows’ Can’t Do?
Nourishing pollinators. Recharging groundwater. Preventing erosion. Sequestering carbon. Solar farms, once devoid of life, have become ecological superheroes.
Museums Are Improving Life for People With Dementia
Custom-designed museum programs are alleviating depression, fostering connection and even lowering cortisol levels in people with dementia.
The Wollemi Pine’s Survival Proves We Can Save More Trees
Decades ago, there were only 48 mature Wollemi pines left in the world. Then home gardeners stepped in.
By Adding Timber to Old Buildings, Stockholm Is Expanding Sustainably
Architects are using lightweight wood to add on to existing buildings, preserving what’s already there and preventing wasteful demolitions.
How a Country Embraced the River It Feared
After years of fighting floods on the Waal River, the Netherlands decided to let the water in — and turn a looming threat into a natural asset.
The Nature Lover’s App That Became a Catalog of Earth’s Biodiversity
In the millions of posts on iNaturalist, users are unearthing new species, tracking invasive insects and making incredible discoveries. Scientists are taking note.
In Holland People With Dementia Can Work on a Farm
On Dutch ‘care farms’ aging folks tend to livestock, harvest vegetables and make their own decisions.