Melissa Sevigny
Science & Technology ReporterMelissa joined KNAU's team in 2015 to report on science, health, and the environment. Her work has appeared nationally on NPR and has been featured on Science Friday.
Before joining KNAU, Melissa worked as a science communicator in the fields of space exploration, western water policy, and sustainable agriculture. She was the education and public outreach specialist for the Phoenix Mars Mission, which landed on Mars in 2008. She has a bachelor's degree in environmental science from the University of Arizona and a master of fine arts in environmental writing from Iowa State University.
She grew up in Tucson, Arizona, where she fell in love with the ecology and geology of the Sonoran desert. She enjoys hiking, reading, and gardening.
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The original Christmas Bird Count involved 27 birders, who tallied up 90 species on Christmas Day. More than a century later, the survey continues in what may be the world’s longest-running community science project. -
Biologists have begun re-introducing endangered black-footed ferrets in Aubrey Valley near Seligman. It's Arizona’s first ferret reintroduction in more than 30 years. -
A report from the Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter warns parts of the Upper Verde River could go dry within the next two decades if water use trends continue. -
A bipartisan group of senators, including Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, introduced legislation to address a syphilis epidemic that’s hit tribes especially hard. -
Flagstaff’s Lowell Observatory recently opened the long-awaited Marley Foundation Astronomy Discovery Center. Hundreds of visitors flocked to the new exhibits, which aim to connect people to the universe in unexpected ways. -
A new study of aspens on the San Francisco Peaks shows they’re struggling to grow to full-sized trees. But Northern Arizona University forest ecologist Mike Stoddard has a surprising solution: asking hunters to help. -
The vampire bat lives in Mexico and Central and South America, but scientists think it might move north into Arizona within the next decade or two with warming temperatures from climate change. -
Scientists have found a novel way to trace the path of mercury in the environment — through dragonflies. -
An analysis from the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund says up to a quarter million wetlands in Arizona may have lost federal clean water protections. -
Saturday is the last day to comment on Grand Canyon National Park’s proposed increase in backcountry camping fees. If finalized, the new fees will take effect on May 1 and are expected to bring in an extra $750,000 annually.
