Joan Meiners, PhD
@joanmeiners.bsky.social
🌵 Climate reporter (@azcentral.com = The Arizona Republic)
🐝 Bee doctor (Ecology Ph.D. @UF)
🚴♀️ Outdoor athlete (runner, thruhiker, skier, former bike racer)
Listen. Be human. Fight bullshit.
https://www.azcentral.com/staff/5308605002/joan-meiners/
🐝 Bee doctor (Ecology Ph.D. @UF)
🚴♀️ Outdoor athlete (runner, thruhiker, skier, former bike racer)
Listen. Be human. Fight bullshit.
https://www.azcentral.com/staff/5308605002/joan-meiners/
Today, keeping up with my monthly series profiling Arizona #climate leaders (as I bike across the state), I have a story out about a man who found such fascination and species #biodiversity on an overlooked, remote rim that he gave it a name: the Mogollon Highlands.
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
November 2, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Today, keeping up with my monthly series profiling Arizona #climate leaders (as I bike across the state), I have a story out about a man who found such fascination and species #biodiversity on an overlooked, remote rim that he gave it a name: the Mogollon Highlands.
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
2nd weekly dispatch from my Arizona Trail ride to document #climate issues is live on @azcentral.com: www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
It takes us from a shutdown Grand Canyon, through cougar habitat, across a dusty ranch with a questionable wind farm & up past Arizona’s high point into Flagstaff.
It takes us from a shutdown Grand Canyon, through cougar habitat, across a dusty ranch with a questionable wind farm & up past Arizona’s high point into Flagstaff.
October 27, 2025 at 1:48 PM
2nd weekly dispatch from my Arizona Trail ride to document #climate issues is live on @azcentral.com: www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
It takes us from a shutdown Grand Canyon, through cougar habitat, across a dusty ranch with a questionable wind farm & up past Arizona’s high point into Flagstaff.
It takes us from a shutdown Grand Canyon, through cougar habitat, across a dusty ranch with a questionable wind farm & up past Arizona’s high point into Flagstaff.
This video from the Arizona Trail is slightly too long to post here, but you can use the QR code below to see an on-trail post-fire botany discussion and footage of some miles through the #WhiteSageFire burn scar.
October 26, 2025 at 12:58 AM
This video from the Arizona Trail is slightly too long to post here, but you can use the QR code below to see an on-trail post-fire botany discussion and footage of some miles through the #WhiteSageFire burn scar.
Anybody know what would turn water this color? (In an Arizona forest.)
October 25, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Anybody know what would turn water this color? (In an Arizona forest.)
You can see more photos, videos and commentary on Instagram at: www.instagram.com/joan_bikes_a...
October 20, 2025 at 5:40 PM
You can see more photos, videos and commentary on Instagram at: www.instagram.com/joan_bikes_a...
I'm riding my mountain bike on the 850-mile Arizona Trail this fall to see and write about #climate impacts along the way. We're publishing weekly dispatches from the trail in The Arizona Republic | @azcentral.com as I go.
The first one just dropped:
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
The first one just dropped:
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
October 20, 2025 at 5:40 PM
I'm riding my mountain bike on the 850-mile Arizona Trail this fall to see and write about #climate impacts along the way. We're publishing weekly dispatches from the trail in The Arizona Republic | @azcentral.com as I go.
The first one just dropped:
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
The first one just dropped:
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
On June 9, I filed a public records request with the Arizona Dept of Health Services. I was promised a reply in 10 business days...but got nothing.
Last week I published a story about how ADHS has fumbled their own data on heat-related hospital visits and won't share it.
Today I got this email.
Last week I published a story about how ADHS has fumbled their own data on heat-related hospital visits and won't share it.
Today I got this email.
October 14, 2025 at 5:43 PM
On June 9, I filed a public records request with the Arizona Dept of Health Services. I was promised a reply in 10 business days...but got nothing.
Last week I published a story about how ADHS has fumbled their own data on heat-related hospital visits and won't share it.
Today I got this email.
Last week I published a story about how ADHS has fumbled their own data on heat-related hospital visits and won't share it.
Today I got this email.
Love when my climate stories feature propane ads...
September 22, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Love when my climate stories feature propane ads...
Thank you @coveringclimatenow.org for the "#Climate in every beat" award! I'm happy to see this collab btw @azcentral.com & @19thnews.org on the intersection of climate concerns + abortion access get recognized.
Award: coveringclimatenow.org/projects/the...
Story: www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
Award: coveringclimatenow.org/projects/the...
Story: www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
September 18, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Thank you @coveringclimatenow.org for the "#Climate in every beat" award! I'm happy to see this collab btw @azcentral.com & @19thnews.org on the intersection of climate concerns + abortion access get recognized.
Award: coveringclimatenow.org/projects/the...
Story: www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
Award: coveringclimatenow.org/projects/the...
Story: www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
I have a custom frame bag on order, but this is the basic setup on my Salsa Timberjack, @davidho.bsky.social. :)
September 15, 2025 at 6:45 PM
I have a custom frame bag on order, but this is the basic setup on my Salsa Timberjack, @davidho.bsky.social. :)
Today, as part of my series on local climate leaders, I have a profile of Phoenix’s Hazel Chandler, who — even at the age of 79 & while fighting terminal cancer — is making time to stand up against the Trump administration’s rollbacks of climate work and policy.
—> www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
—> www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
September 7, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Today, as part of my series on local climate leaders, I have a profile of Phoenix’s Hazel Chandler, who — even at the age of 79 & while fighting terminal cancer — is making time to stand up against the Trump administration’s rollbacks of climate work and policy.
—> www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
—> www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
Heyo climate + outdoorsy folks!
I’m about to embark on a big reporting project & I’d love for you to follow along.
I’ll be riding my mtn bike across the entire state on the 850-mile Arizona Trail.
I’ll try to post here too but more updates & info can be found on IG @joan_bikes_arizona
Thank you!
I’m about to embark on a big reporting project & I’d love for you to follow along.
I’ll be riding my mtn bike across the entire state on the 850-mile Arizona Trail.
I’ll try to post here too but more updates & info can be found on IG @joan_bikes_arizona
Thank you!
September 6, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Heyo climate + outdoorsy folks!
I’m about to embark on a big reporting project & I’d love for you to follow along.
I’ll be riding my mtn bike across the entire state on the 850-mile Arizona Trail.
I’ll try to post here too but more updates & info can be found on IG @joan_bikes_arizona
Thank you!
I’m about to embark on a big reporting project & I’d love for you to follow along.
I’ll be riding my mtn bike across the entire state on the 850-mile Arizona Trail.
I’ll try to post here too but more updates & info can be found on IG @joan_bikes_arizona
Thank you!
For the 50th anniv (today) of Ed Abbey’s “The Monkey Wrench Gang,” I interviewed desert adventurer + climate scientist @ryantchoi.bsky.social about how the writer influenced environmentalism, the ways in which his legacy lives on & what Abbey might think about Trump
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
August 1, 2025 at 4:31 PM
For the 50th anniv (today) of Ed Abbey’s “The Monkey Wrench Gang,” I interviewed desert adventurer + climate scientist @ryantchoi.bsky.social about how the writer influenced environmentalism, the ways in which his legacy lives on & what Abbey might think about Trump
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
This feels totally dystopian
July 15, 2025 at 4:38 AM
This feels totally dystopian
Ash is starting to fall on my computer as I write. The sky just got a lot more grey.
#DragonBravoFire #GrandCanyonLodge
#DragonBravoFire #GrandCanyonLodge
July 14, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Ash is starting to fall on my computer as I write. The sky just got a lot more grey.
#DragonBravoFire #GrandCanyonLodge
#DragonBravoFire #GrandCanyonLodge
I’m at the #GrandCanyon South Rim today, talking to people about the #DragonBravo fire that yesterday closed the North Rim for 2025 & burned its historic lodge. 💔
Do you have memories at the North Rim? Thoughts/worries/theories about what happened?
—> Joan.meiners@arizonarepublic.com; 435-231-4840
Do you have memories at the North Rim? Thoughts/worries/theories about what happened?
—> Joan.meiners@arizonarepublic.com; 435-231-4840
July 14, 2025 at 7:02 PM
I’m at the #GrandCanyon South Rim today, talking to people about the #DragonBravo fire that yesterday closed the North Rim for 2025 & burned its historic lodge. 💔
Do you have memories at the North Rim? Thoughts/worries/theories about what happened?
—> Joan.meiners@arizonarepublic.com; 435-231-4840
Do you have memories at the North Rim? Thoughts/worries/theories about what happened?
—> Joan.meiners@arizonarepublic.com; 435-231-4840
The historic lodge at the North Rim just burned. I’m gutted.
July 13, 2025 at 7:04 PM
The historic lodge at the North Rim just burned. I’m gutted.
I might expect this from WaPo. But it’s actually insane how many other so-called journalism outlets are doing Bezos’ advertising for him today, as if making billionaires richer isn’t the biggest problem and risk society faces right now. (This is small sample of the “journalism” hawking prime deals.)
July 8, 2025 at 5:04 PM
I might expect this from WaPo. But it’s actually insane how many other so-called journalism outlets are doing Bezos’ advertising for him today, as if making billionaires richer isn’t the biggest problem and risk society faces right now. (This is small sample of the “journalism” hawking prime deals.)
In need of some #climate inspiration these days?
That's why I'm profiling Arizona's climate leaders on the first Sunday of the month.
Yesterday's -- about Tucson youth climate activist Ojas Sanghi and what he's working on at MIT this summer -- will give you hope: www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
That's why I'm profiling Arizona's climate leaders on the first Sunday of the month.
Yesterday's -- about Tucson youth climate activist Ojas Sanghi and what he's working on at MIT this summer -- will give you hope: www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
July 7, 2025 at 4:25 PM
In need of some #climate inspiration these days?
That's why I'm profiling Arizona's climate leaders on the first Sunday of the month.
Yesterday's -- about Tucson youth climate activist Ojas Sanghi and what he's working on at MIT this summer -- will give you hope: www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
That's why I'm profiling Arizona's climate leaders on the first Sunday of the month.
Yesterday's -- about Tucson youth climate activist Ojas Sanghi and what he's working on at MIT this summer -- will give you hope: www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
So easy these days to find examples that make you want to shout from the rooftops: "THIS IS WHY BILLIONAIRES SHOULD NOT EXIST."
June 19, 2025 at 11:04 PM
So easy these days to find examples that make you want to shout from the rooftops: "THIS IS WHY BILLIONAIRES SHOULD NOT EXIST."
Big, beautiful … styled front page in The Arizona Republic | @azcentral.com today — my story on whether what happened w/ devastating urban wildfires in Los Angeles earlier this year could happen in forested Arizona cities, and what leaders are doing to prevent that.
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
June 8, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Big, beautiful … styled front page in The Arizona Republic | @azcentral.com today — my story on whether what happened w/ devastating urban wildfires in Los Angeles earlier this year could happen in forested Arizona cities, and what leaders are doing to prevent that.
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
Weekend vibes. Being an environmental journalist in 2025 is an exercise in aggressively seeking sanity through work-life balance.
June 8, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Weekend vibes. Being an environmental journalist in 2025 is an exercise in aggressively seeking sanity through work-life balance.
The 4th in my monthly series answering readers’ #climate questions & profiling local climate leaders is in print + online today — on how Arizona’s most polluted region came to require a special blend of cleaner-burning gasoline during summer & whether it’s worth it.
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
June 1, 2025 at 5:29 PM
The 4th in my monthly series answering readers’ #climate questions & profiling local climate leaders is in print + online today — on how Arizona’s most polluted region came to require a special blend of cleaner-burning gasoline during summer & whether it’s worth it.
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
www.azcentral.com/story/news/l...
To be honest, I've been waiting for the rest of you to be drafted into this fight since 2016. I decided then that leaving academia was the only way to do the work I felt most needed doing. And now here we all are. Your role here is clear and unavoidable.
@hormiga.bsky.social
@hormiga.bsky.social
May 30, 2025 at 1:38 PM
To be honest, I've been waiting for the rest of you to be drafted into this fight since 2016. I decided then that leaving academia was the only way to do the work I felt most needed doing. And now here we all are. Your role here is clear and unavoidable.
@hormiga.bsky.social
@hormiga.bsky.social