McKenna Sweet
LightNews LightNews
banner
mckennasweet.bsky.social
McKenna Sweet
@mckennasweet.bsky.social
270 followers 180 following 67 posts
documenting the beginning of my conservation/journalism career 🦫📰 | uw seattle alumna 🎓
Posts Replies Media Videos
mckennasweet.bsky.social
sometimes science means fieldwork, and sometimes it means spending five hours pre-labeling bags so you aren’t miserable in said field
A brown lunch bag sits on a table surrounded by other brown bags, all to be labeled by the young scientist over the course of the next five hours. luckily, she enjoys labeling.
October 31, 2025 at 8:40 PM
mckennasweet.bsky.social
In case this is of use to anyone running trials or packing sack lunches, the Walmart brand brown bag packages routinely have 48 bags — not 50. Calculate accordingly!
A new package of Great Value giant lunch bags sits to the left of a brown bag labeled “N24 48” on a table.
October 31, 2025 at 8:38 PM
mckennasweet.bsky.social
learned that hiking pants are not the best if you want to avoid collecting hundreds of Illinois and pointed leaf tick trefoil seeds!

picking them off at least makes for a relaxing afternoon in the sun :)
Picture shows pointed leaf tick trefoil seeds stuck to black hiking pants with a container of picked-off seeds sitting above the pants.
September 8, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
thedailyuw.bsky.social
SCIENCE: From the Magic School Bus to Cyberchase: How 2000s PBS science shows inspired current STEM students (via @mckennasweet.bksy.social)

www.dailyuw.com/science/from...
From the Magic School Bus to Cyberchase: How 2000s PBS science shows inspired current STEM students
Art and entertainment influence almost every generation to an extent.
www.dailyuw.com
June 6, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
thedailyuw.bsky.social
SCIENCE: Pre-med isn’t a major: it's a mindset (via @arielbrennan.bsky.social )

www.dailyuw.com/science/pre-...
Pre-med isn’t a major: it's a mindset
When students say they’re “pre-med,” they’re not referring to an academic program. They’re describing a laborious march toward medical school. At its core, being pre-med means preparing for the academ...
www.dailyuw.com
June 6, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
thedailyuw.bsky.social
SCIENCE: UW department of environmental & occupational health sciences prepares to lose NIOSH funding despite absence of formal notification (via @leahjdowning.bsky.social )

www.dailyuw.com/science/uw-d...
UW department of environmental & occupational health sciences prepares to lose NIOSH funding despite absence of formal notification
Many researchers continue learning of upcoming funding eliminations before formal notifications are administered in the era of DOGE’s near-constant budget cuts across the federal government. For organ...
www.dailyuw.com
June 6, 2025 at 6:21 PM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
thedailyuw.bsky.social
ARCHIVES: Being punk means radical inclusivity at the Vera Project (via @mckennasweet.bksy.social)

www.dailyuw.com/archives/bei...
Being punk means radical inclusivity at the Vera Project
James Keblas left Tacoma for the Art Institute of Seattle a week after his high school graduation, after recognizing that he was on a bad path and a menace.
www.dailyuw.com
June 6, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
thedailyuw.bsky.social
SCIENCE: Naselle Water Company requests 24-month pause on DNR operations near Naselle watershed (via @mckennasweet.bsky.social )

www.dailyuw.com/news/naselle...
Naselle Water Company requests 24-month pause on DNR operations near Naselle watershed
NASELLE, Wash. – The Naselle Water Company is requesting that the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) pause logging operations for the next 24 months, according to a statement
www.dailyuw.com
June 6, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
thedailyuw.bsky.social
NEWS: wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ Intellectual House celebrates 10 years, prepares for phase two (via @betty4thedaily.bsky.social )

www.dailyuw.com/news/w-b-alt...
wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ Intellectual House celebrates 10 years, prepares for phase two
After 10 years of community gathering and celebration in wǝɫǝbʔaltxʷ — Intellectual House (pronounced “wah-sheb-altuh”), the UW Native community looks towards completing the original version of the sp...
www.dailyuw.com
May 31, 2025 at 1:41 AM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
thedailyuw.bsky.social
SCIENCE: The cross-section of research and motherhood: Two mothers reflect on their experiences (via @abbymeyers.bsky.social)

www.dailyuw.com/science/the-...
The cross-section of research and motherhood: Two mothers reflect on their experiences
As a researcher, it is expected that your data, study, or paper is your highest priority: that you are devoted to it. As a mother, it is expected that you
www.dailyuw.com
May 31, 2025 at 1:48 AM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
thedailyuw.bsky.social
SCIENCE: Recycling Reform Act signed into law, shifts responsibility onto producers (via @sophiasostrin.bsky.social )

www.dailyuw.com/science/recy...
Recycling Reform Act signed into law, shifts responsibility onto producers
Gov. Bob Ferguson signed the Recycling Reform Act into law May 17, marking a major step toward overhauling Washington’s fragmented recycling system. Senate Bill 5284 introduces a statewide list of
www.dailyuw.com
May 31, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
thedailyuw.bsky.social
SCIENCE: ‘Goth biology’ theory offers an alternative approach to life sciences (via @daphnebunks.bsky.social )

www.dailyuw.com/science/goth...
‘Goth biology’ theory offers an alternative approach to life sciences
Phillip Thurtle, a professor in the comparative history of ideas department (CHID), explores biology and its relationship to society in his class CHID 222: BioFutures. One topic under this umbrella
www.dailyuw.com
May 31, 2025 at 1:50 AM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
thedailyuw.bsky.social
SCIENCE: Critical conversations on the benefits, healing, and inequitable distribution of nature access at Northwest Nature and Health Symposium (via @la-belle-anouk.bsky.social )

www.dailyuw.com/science/crit...
Critical conversations on the benefits, healing, and inequitable distribution of nature access at Northwest Nature and Health Symposium
On some level, humans intuitively understand that a connection with nature is healthy for our physical and mental well-being. Yet, the benefits of nature remain inequitably distributed due to historic...
www.dailyuw.com
May 28, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
thedailyuw.bsky.social
SCIENCE: DOGE withdraws remaining $866 of UW researcher’s grant, reflecting contradictory mission of the EPA (via @leahjdowning.bsky.social )

www.dailyuw.com/science/doge...
DOGE withdraws remaining $866 of UW researcher’s grant, reflecting contradictory mission of the EPA
Elena Austin, an assistant professor in the School of Public Health, was only four months away from completing her research before she got a call out of the blue from
www.dailyuw.com
May 28, 2025 at 11:11 PM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
thedailyuw.bsky.social
SCIENCE: NOAA terminates funding for Climate Impacts Group research collaborative (via @abbymeyers.bsky.social )

www.dailyuw.com/science/noaa...
NOAA terminates funding for Climate Impacts Group research collaborative
UW’s Northwest Climate Resilience Collaborative (NCRC) received notice May 5 that they were to lose their federal funding and ordered them to cease all work, effective immediately. The acting director
www.dailyuw.com
May 23, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
drdavidhu.bsky.social
A figure is worth a thousand words-- especially true for scientific papers. Great article by double major in journalism and biology @mckennasweet.bsky.social . Thanks to @kaytrue.bsky.social for getting me into the UW Daily!
May 22, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
thedailyuw.bsky.social
SCIENCE: Trump administration halts National Climate Assessment, UW professor explains consequences (via @daphnebunks.bsky.social )

www.dailyuw.com/science/trum...
Trump administration halts National Climate Assessment, UW professor explains consequences
The Global Change Research Act of 1990 created the United States Global Change Research Program and mandates that the program deliver a climate assessment approximately every four years. Volunteer aut...
www.dailyuw.com
May 22, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
thedailyuw.bsky.social
SCIENCE: Maybe you’ve changed your walking speed to catch a green light, picked the fastest checkout line, or rearranged your day to be more efficient. In those moments, you were doing math. (via @sophiasostrin.bsky.social )

www.dailyuw.com/science/we-r...
We’re all mathematicians, really
Maybe you’ve changed your walking speed to catch a green light, picked the fastest checkout line, or rearranged your day to be more efficient. In those moments, you were doing
www.dailyuw.com
May 22, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
kaytrue.bsky.social
Very nice article by UW undergraduate @mckennasweet.bsky.social on @drdavidhu.bsky.social's lecture at @uwchemistry.bsky.social in which McKenna explores how David found inspiration for some of his scientific directions and how he communicates his results effectively: www.dailyuw.com/science/mosq...
‘Mosquitoes, earwax, and bird baths’: David Hu gives 2025 Paul C. Cross Endowed Lecture in Physical Chemistry
Professor David Hu educated an audience about where mosquitoes target people, how mammal earwax protects against insects, and the specifics of birds bathing in just under an hour May 6
www.dailyuw.com
May 19, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
emorudphoto.bsky.social
A fantastic story all around by @mckennasweet.bsky.social that I encourage you all to read.

Great writing and great photos by McKenna along with a great data visualization by @chloekoh.design!
May 18, 2025 at 7:50 AM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
thedailyuw.bsky.social
SCIENCE: Husky Satellite Lab to send capsule to space (via @brendansheehan34.bsky.social )

www.dailyuw.com/science/husk...
Husky Satellite Lab to send capsule to space
Husky Satellite Lab (HSL), an on-campus RSO that engineers and operates satellites, has announced that they plan on sending a package of materials to space this summer, along with working
www.dailyuw.com
May 14, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
thedailyuw.bsky.social
SCIENCE: UW wraps up tree tours for the 2024-25 academic year (via @laneyjordan.bsky.social )

www.dailyuw.com/science/uw-w...
UW wraps up tree tours for the 2024-25 academic year
UW concluded its annual campus tree tours May 10, with an inside look at the native tree species rooted at UW. The almost 2-hour tour, led by Theodore Hoss, who
www.dailyuw.com
May 14, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
thedailyuw.bsky.social
SCIENCE: Architecture is much more than just buildings, angles, aesthetics, and skylines. (via @sofiavalentina.bsky.social )

www.dailyuw.com/science/what...
What is architecture?
Editor’s note: “What is …?” is a section-wide column that explores the STEM majors at UW and explains what they are. This week, writer Sofia Rodriguez describes architecture.
www.dailyuw.com
May 14, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Reposted by McKenna Sweet
thedailyuw.bsky.social
OPINION: I was attacked on the Ave. I’m just now talking about it. (via @kananibomb.bsky.social )

www.dailyuw.com/opinion/i-wa...
I was attacked on the Ave. I’m just now talking about it.
Verbal harassment and creepy looks exist in the Ave’s air like cigarette smoke, but for someone to lay a hand on me was different. The safety bar in my hierarchy
www.dailyuw.com
May 12, 2025 at 5:19 PM
mckennasweet.bsky.social
For my most recent article, I visited Naselle, WA, to hear from residents about an upcoming DNR timber auction they believe will affect their watershed.

I also learned that hiking through a forest is difficult while carrying photo equipment, so kudos to environmental photojournalists.
May 12, 2025 at 4:09 PM