Every week in the climate, science, social justice, and environmental spaces is as diverse as Uproot’s membership. Field Notes, our week-in-the-life blog posts, are snapshots of the varied experiences that make our community so vibrant. 

A Week in the Life

Hi Uprooters! I decided to write about my life in the first week of November, which was packed – we had a presidential election; I participated in a fantastic workshop about climate change and human health by CASW; I hosted a panel at NASW. 

The election results pushed me to think about what my goals are for the next four years and beyond regarding my work and my community. I know that many Uprooters wonder what the incoming Trump administration means for climate action, for journalism, for the safety of our own loved ones – even for our own bodily autonomy. Being surrounded by talented and passionate science journalists and climate researchers right after the election reminded me that there are still ways to ground myself and then move forward professionally with intention and clarity. I found so much of the journalism I learned about really inspiring and energizing. I hope you find inspiration and support in your own journalism community too.

Monday:

Since I leave on Wednesday for a week, a lot of today is tying up loose ends. I I recently started meeting weekly at a coffee shop with a group of Asian American women writers in the Sacramento area, so I message the group and tell them I am missing this week’s meetup. My hope is that the meetup will be self-sustaining and that people may rotate in and out, but at least a couple of people always show up to write together. Sure enough, folks respond that they will be there this week, which I am so happy to know. 

I work on some freelance story research and a pitch I’m excited about for a magazine that I haven’t worked with before. 

I also take a walk – I am so glad that Sacramento is finally cooling down. 

I try not to overthink what’s going to happen tomorrow during the election. I can’t control it. I already voted by dropoff ballot. All I can do is wait. 

I eat a weird combination of foods in an effort to clear out my fridge for the week. I maybe have cereal with yogurt and random fruit for dinner? And of course I have to polish off any chocolate in my kitchen. That’s just being responsible about food waste.

Tuesday:

I sent off that pitch I was working on and got a great response from the editor, who will share it with the rest of her team. I have mixed feelings about the pitch because it’s a topic that really needs more coverage, but it also intersects with a slight phobia I have. So the reporting will be interesting. My goal is to be cool about it in front of sources and to treat them with respect and appreciation. And not to scream at any point.  

I take a run in the middle of the day. I’ve been running consistently all year, and it feels good to see my mileage sloooowly increasing. 

It’s Election Day, and I have so much I need to do before traveling, but I keep refreshing my browser. Finally in the afternoon I set a timer. I get to peek at election coverage every 10 minutes, and then return to packing, cleaning, setting email out-of-office messages, and all those other random pre-travel tasks.

I have been gathering one of my neighbor’s mail while he is out of town visiting his mother, who is dying of cancer and could pass any day now. I text him to let him know I’ll ask another neighbor to take over for me while I am gone. I give another neighbor some little sweet bell peppers that I don’t want going to waste while I travel, and he’s really excited. I appreciate how these small human connections feel like some kind of cover from an incoming storm. 

I write in my journal most nights. Tonight I am wondering as I write, whatever the election outcome, what is my work in the next few years? What stories will I prioritize as an environmental writer of color? How will I help my family and community continue to feel safe and valued?

I’m also looking forward to my travels, so my thoughts are all over the place.

Wednesday:

In the morning, I am circumspect about the presidential election results. I understand that Donald Trump will be the next president, and I want to just wait and see what that means. On the personal level, I check a lot of boxes that have been targeted by hateful campaign messages – I am a journalist, a woman, a person of color, the daughter of immigrants – but to be real, I live a pretty privileged existence and don’t feel personally in danger. I perhaps feel a bit numb.

Then, texts from friends start coming in – wondering what this means for their gay partnerships; wondering what this means for their immigrant relatives; wondering how to teach classes without burdening their students with their own feelings of deep disappointment or assuming their students share their feelings; wondering about their children’s futures in a world of runaway climate change; wondering about reproductive choice options; wondering about job security in science and in the federal government. Those conversations are hard to have, especially while pacing around an airport gate, surrounded by strangers.

Thursday:

The workshop I am attending is called “Living and Working on a Hot Planet: Reporting on Climate Change and Human Health.” I have some free time before it kicks off. I run in the gym downstairs, then go through all the workshop prep materials again. I email sources for a story I’m in the midst of pitching. I meet up with a science writer friend who lives in Raleigh for lunch, and am so happy to nerd out about writing craft and science ideas. This conversation feels like an escape. It reminds me why I love this work. I’m also happy to be back in Raleigh.  

At the opening dinner, I see a mix of science writers I’ve gotten to know who are in all different stages of their careers. People are doing such incredible work. I have written about climate change a lot and want to expand my stories to focus more on human health impacts, so I’m thrilled to be learning new approaches and techniques.

Friday:

I’m in the workshop all day. It’s so helpful to meet the expert speakers and to hear what other climate journalists are working on. I also learn about data sources I didn’t know about. The time seems to go incredibly quickly. The 8:30 am start was a little brutal because of my jetlag, but there’s plenty of caffeine to help.

Saturday and Sunday:

The weekend is packed with conference events, including a panel I am moderating about editing for story structure. We get off to a bumpy start because the room doesn’t have a table or chairs for the panelists. Luckily NASW staff and conference center staff are on it and quickly bring in extra furniture and mics. Once we get going, the panelists are all fantastic. Erika Hayasaki, Ashley Smart, and John Thomason are really experienced when it comes to thinking about long-form structure as writers and editors. Erika goes above and beyond, later writing up a synopsis of the event and adding links to stories we discussed in her Substack. Something I struggle with as a journalist is how editorial decisions can erase or minimize stories and perspectives for and about people of color. This panel helps me think through this issue more clearly. 

The room is packed, which is a good reminder that most journalism training is for writers. We need more training for editors!

On Sunday, I sneak away from the conference for coffee with an old friend. We were in the same lab when I got my master’s degree in biology many years ago, and now she teaches at NC State, where I also taught for two years. She’s doing fantastic work around environmental justice and access to the outdoors. We have an honest conversation about how the Board of Trustees in North Carolina is cracking down on DEI efforts in state universities, and what that means for students and faculty of color. I miss my students and many of my colleagues at NC State, but I don’t miss the politics. 

One night during the conference, I accidentally crash a dinner meetup for international science writers, which is one of the most fun social events I attend. I also go to the book launch for the updated, expanded Craft of Science Writing, edited by Siri Carpenter. I can’t wait to read the new version. All throughout the weekend, I have impromptu conversations and meals with folks I mostly see on Slack. It feels really good to be part of this network. 

This all brings me back to my word of the week: Grounding.

This conference and the many panels I attend and conversations I have remind me of the important work that we as environmental journalists of color will continue to do, and the talented people who are with us doing it. If I had a second word of the week, it would be “community.”

From the Wild:

What would your animal companion be if you were a cartoon character?

What’s weird is that if I were a cartoon character, I would want to be the animal. Why be a human? I already know how that feels! It would be really fun to be a cartoon bird, I think. Or maybe an orca? I hear orcas are bringing back 1980s fashion. That could be a fun trend.

What’s your current beverage of choice?

Hot black tea, made with loose tea leaves I buy at the international market in Davis, California. The owner and I always chat a little when I stop by. Drinking tea was just such a staple activity for the adults in my life when I was growing up. And now I drink tea to start my morning, to ground myself, to reward myself. It’s almost like it’s habit-forming or something.

Hobby you keep thinking about but haven’t picked up yet?

I recently learned about a bhangra studio nearby that offers classes. I’d love to sign up, but I keep forgetting, and classes fill immediately. I’m Punjabi, so bhangra’s part of my cultural heritage, but I am a really uncoordinated dancer.  

Interested in writing for Uproot’s Field Notes blog? Send us an email at info@uprootproject.org!