As Senior Climate Editor at Audubon Magazine, Waters specializes in stories where environmental change intersects with evolutionary adaptation. Her work combines rigorous science journalism with narrative techniques honed through 15+ years at premier institutions including Smithsonian and Quanta Magazine.
We trace Hannah Waters’ career from her roots in molecular biology to becoming one of environmental journalism’s most authoritative voices. After studying ecology and evolution at Carleton College, she worked in an epigenetics lab at the University of Pennsylvania, where she honed her ability to translate complex scientific concepts into accessible narratives through blogging. This dual expertise in hands-on research and science communication laid the foundation for her transition to full-time journalism in 2012.
“I’ve always been drawn to stories where human activity collides with natural systems – not just the ecological consequences, but the cultural and evolutionary ripple effects.”
This 2023 Audubon piece exemplifies Waters’ ability to blend practical guidance with ecological awareness. While ostensibly a gear maintenance article, she weaves in data from a 2022 Cornell Lab of Ornithology study showing how binocular quality impacts citizen science accuracy. The piece revolutionized Audubon’s approach to service journalism by demonstrating how equipment care directly supports conservation efforts.
Waters’ 2023 Quanta retrospective synthesized breakthroughs across 12 biological disciplines, from AI-driven protein folding to ant communication networks. Her curation highlighted underreported connections between basic research and climate solutions, particularly in coral symbiosis studies. The article became required reading in multiple university biology programs.
This 2015 Smithsonian investigation into geological markers of human activity demonstrated Waters’ early mastery of interdisciplinary reporting. By embedding with the Anthropocene Working Group across three continents, she documented the search for “golden spike” sites that might define our current epoch in the geologic record.
Waters prioritizes narratives that explore climate impacts through species’ evolutionary adaptations rather than solely human-centric angles. Successful pitches might examine how urban noise pollution drives songbird vocal changes, mirroring her 2022 investigation into sparrow dialects in NYC. Avoid generic “save the planet” frameworks.
Her 2024 series on prescribed burning practices in Oklahoma prairie lands demonstrates a preference for solutions grounded in traditional land management. Pitches should connect modern conservation techniques to ancestral practices, particularly in fire ecology or migratory species protection.
Leverage her molecular biology background with stories connecting genetic adaptations to ecosystem changes. Her 2021 analysis of CRISPR-edited coral symbionts shows interest in biotechnology’s role in conservation.
At Audubon, Waters has developed a specialty in using bird population dynamics as climate change metrics. Successful pitches might explore species shifting nesting altitudes or developing novel migratory patterns.
While she appreciates accessible storytelling, Waters avoids sentimentalizing animal behavior. Her 2023 critique of “heroic predator” narratives in nature documentaries underscores this preference.
Her editing role on Audubon’s “Start Here! Your Guide to Climate Action” earned recognition in the National Magazine Awards’ service category. The 14-page toolkit combined behavioral science with practical conservation steps, driving a 300% increase in reader engagement metrics.
Waters received this honor for her Quanta series on ocean acidification’s cascading impacts, which the judges praised as “a masterclass in making chemical processes narratively compelling.”
Her Smithsonian coverage of Antarctic microbial communities demonstrated exceptional science communication, particularly in explaining extremophile biochemistry to general audiences.
