Nathan Rott
Nathan Rott is a correspondent on NPR's National Desk, where he focuses on environment issues and the American West.
Based at NPR West in Culver City, California, Rott spends a lot of his time on the road, covering everything from breaking news stories like California's wildfires to in-depth issues like the management of endangered species and many points between.
Rott owes his start at NPR to two extraordinary young men he never met. As the first recipient of the Stone and Holt Weeks Fellowship in 2010, he aims to honor the memory of the two brothers by carrying on their legacy of making the world a better place.
A graduate of the University of Montana, Rott prefers to be outside at just about every hour of the day. Prior to working at NPR, he worked a variety of jobs including wildland firefighting, commercial fishing, children's theater teaching, and professional snow-shoveling for the United States Antarctic Program. Odds are, he's shoveled more snow than you.
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The monarch butterfly is widely recognized and widely dispersed across North America and it's in trouble. Federal officials decide soon whether it gets protection under the Endangered Species Act. -
The United Nations effort to achieve "harmony" with the natural world kicks off in Colombia this week. Recent reports show there's a lot of work to do to achieve that goal. -
In North Carolina, the hardest-hit communities are also some of the hardest to reach. Days after the remnants of Hurricane Helene, people are trying to decide whether they should stay or leave.
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The small western North Carolina towns of Marshall and Hot Springs were wrecked by historic floods caused by Tropical Storm Helene's rainfall. Days later, residents are just starting the cleanup. -
In western North Carolina, officials are worried about the unfolding disaster following the deadly flooding of Tropical Storm Helene. Dozens of people have died and many more are unaccounted for.
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A new study finds that more than 90 million acres of wetlands — nearly all that exist in the Lower 48 U.S. states — may have lost federal protections after the Supreme Court's recent ruling.
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A 'golden age' of rat research may be here. What the often unwanted companions can teach us about usRat and human lives have long intersected, but there's relatively little research about them. Thanks to advances in genomics and paleoarcheology, a lot more study may be on the horizon. -
As Western Montana's blue-ribbon trout waters warm due to climate change, anglers are increasingly wrestling with the ethics of their sport. -
Western Montana is a mecca for trout fishing. But trout need cold water to thrive, and the scorching temperatures are warming waters -- causing some anglers to rethink their approach to the sport.
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There are roughly 100 large wildfires burning in the western U.S., including one of the largest in California history. Why so many? Scientists point to climate change and firefighting policies.
