Summer Rylander
summeroutside.bsky.social
Summer Rylander
@summeroutside.bsky.social
Travel and science journalist + wildlife photographer covering positive-impact tourism and the conservation of our biodiverse planet.
I have not been great about keeping up with Bluesky 🫣 but here's my latest for digital BBC Wildlife, which is about the positive impact of community projects and the importance of awareness in conservation.

www.discoverwildlife.com/environment/...
Community-led conservation offers new hope for the world's most trafficked mammal | Discover Wildlife
A new action plan unites experts and communities to protect pangolins in southern Africa.
www.discoverwildlife.com
June 13, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Reposted by Summer Rylander
I say this every time de-extinction comes up: it makes no sense to devote science to bringing back extinct animals when we can’t be bothered to keep extant ones alive in the first place.
April 8, 2025 at 10:36 AM
My latest for Azure Road examines the ethics of exclusivity in tourism. Is it "wrong" for a destination to be financially out of reach for many (most?) of us?

www.azureroad.io/the-ethics-o...
From Botswana to Gorilla Trekking, Models for Balancing Tourism
NORTH STARS: Energy Efficiency Community Support Heritage Value “The focus isn’t – and shouldn’t be – on the tourist.” Recently, I wrote about the success of Botswana’s low-volume,
www.azureroad.io
January 27, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Getting paid to research camera bags = dream assignment!

My latest for Nat Geo:
www.nationalgeographic.com/lifestyle/ar...
The best camera bag for travel in 2025
From backpacks to crossbodies—these expert-approved bags offer plenty of protection for the way you travel.
www.nationalgeographic.com
January 24, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Completing the series (just facing the opposite direction for better light 😅 ). Picked up my actual German passport today at the one-month mark of becoming a citizen!
January 20, 2025 at 12:35 PM
They're basically just like us? 🐆 Individual leopards have unique roars, in my latest for @nautil.us

nautil.us/how-to-tell-...
How to Tell a Leopard from Its Roar
Making a Shazam for conservationists
nautil.us
January 14, 2025 at 9:39 AM
Fab surroundings here in Ehrwald. Thriving in below-freezing temps and excited for snowshoeing today!
January 14, 2025 at 6:39 AM
I've very willingly entered into an arrangement with a nearby family whereupon I watch their puppy three mornings a week, but I'm afraid it's ruining my life because someone else's dog is now the only thing I can think about and I'm so sad when he's not with me 🙃
January 10, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Picked this up this morning, feels more real now!

(It's green because it's a temporary passport - I'm flying to Hong Kong on Tuesday and need to be able to legally exit/reenter the EU. The red one will be ready when I'm back.)
December 20, 2024 at 12:13 PM
And nine years nearly to the day, I'm now a German Citizen ❤️
December 19, 2024 at 9:42 AM
Today marks nine years in Germany. Where does the time go??
December 17, 2024 at 5:25 PM
Certain US-based media companies have got to do something about their ridiculous onboarding processes. My personal data should not have to be "approved" for me to file an invoice, it should not be impossible for a system to account for someone being a US citizen yet living outside of the country.
December 10, 2024 at 4:47 PM
Not to be dramatic, but my current surroundings are so nice they may have ruined my life? Zanzibar is a place.
November 25, 2024 at 1:55 PM
Reposted by Summer Rylander
There are already many excellent travel writer starter packs circulating but I thought I'd make a Europe-specific one so that colleagues new to Bluesky can see some local faces in their feed. Do share – and though it's nowhere near finished yet, do DM me if I've missed you! go.bsky.app/2bgQ6UY
November 21, 2024 at 3:44 PM
Just sharing a few leopard beauty shots from my time in Zambia earlier this month. While I sadly didn't get to see any wild dogs, South Luangwa National Park delivered big on the leopard front!
November 21, 2024 at 9:25 AM
Reposted by Summer Rylander
Hey, @jeremybassetti.com made a starter-pack for travel writers. Yay.
go.bsky.app/UNW9jmo
November 19, 2024 at 6:15 AM
If you also spent time in the 1990s thinking about Keiko the whale, give this a listen. Stellar reporting and storytelling, thought-provoking discussion, it's got everything. The beautifully done episode 5 even had me weeping in the streets on my walk this morning 🥲

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
The Good Whale
This is the story of a wildly ambitious science experiment to return Keiko to the ocean — while the world watched. A new limited podcast series from Serial Productions and the New York Times.
www.nytimes.com
November 20, 2024 at 11:17 AM
Hundreds of sheep and goats passed through Nuremberg this morning on the way to winter grazing pastures - quite a spectacle!
November 17, 2024 at 1:06 PM
Insta360 sent me this kit and I can't wait to figure out how to use it 😎

If you have one (or a similar model), how do you like it?
November 16, 2024 at 1:36 PM
Let's keep the travel writer connections coming! 👇
November 15, 2024 at 5:24 PM
Maybe just a matter of getting used to a new platform, but aren't there a few extra clicks to do things here? Having to go into someone's profile rather than hover over a username to see if you're following, not being able to follow back from a notification, lists vs starter packs gets confusing...
November 15, 2024 at 4:08 PM
Are we introducing ourselves for the algorithm over here? I'm a travel writer and wildlife photographer, mostly reporting for UK and US publications on positive-impact tourism, conservation, wildlife science, sometimes food.

I'm just back from Zambia and I'm off to Zanzibar next week!
November 12, 2024 at 1:19 PM
Hello, Bluesky 👋 I signed up ages ago but have done nothing with the platform.
November 11, 2024 at 4:06 PM