Publications
Award-winning Environmental Reporting
The pieces below are two I'm proudest of, focusing both on environmental and local issues. These were both written in Fall 2021 during my time with the Carolina News and Reporter at the University of South Carolina.
Fate and fortune align for Pearl Fryar Topiary Garden restoration
Nov. 30, 2021
This article, about the restoration of a nationally-renowned Black-owned topiary garden, was written over the course of several months. As Pearl Fryar, the owner of the garden, was unwell at the time of writing, writing this piece required talking to many friends and colleagues of Fryar's to get as complete a picture of him as possible. This story was a finalist for a Hearst Award in Personality and Profile Writing, and featured in Fryar's local paper, the Lee County Observer.
An ode to the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, savior of Congaree
Oct. 6, 2021
Originally, I was intending for this to be a piece about multiple South Carolinian animals that were declared extinct during 2021. However, I soon learned that not only was the ivory-billed woodpecker responsible for the creation of South Carolina's only national park, but it also hadn't been seen in nearly a century. This piece was fascinating to write, and won Best Feature at the South Carolina Press Association's 2021 Collegiate Awards.
Arts and Culture Reporting
This work comes from my time as the nature and science beat writer at the Daily Gamecock in Columbia, the first time I've been able to write exclusively about science and environmental issues.
Nature documentary 'Purple Haze' showcases backyard conservation efforts
August 28, 2022
Gamecocks find parallels between identity, environment
October 2, 2022
Local News
These articles were all also written during my time with the Carolina News and Reporter. As a mayoral election loomed during my time at that publication, I took it upon myself to cover the local politics beat.
