Stephen Messenger

Writer / Porto Alegre, Brazil

Stephen is a freelance writer and linguist based in Porto Alegre, Brazil. He covers issues related to the environmental movement in South America, as well as to the political and social challenges of sustainable development in the region and throughout the world. Stephen's work has appeared in numerous publications both online and in print, including the Wall Street Journal, Yahoo!, and the Huffington Post.

Latest Stories from Stephen Messenger - Page 8

Giant Tortoise Species May Not Be So Extinct After All

They were thought extinct, but in light of new DNA findings, scientists are echoing a very tortoise-y mantra: 'not so fast'.
How the Dutch Got Such Great Bike Paths (Video)

The Netherlands has some of the greatest cycling lanes on the planet -- but it wasn't always so.
Three Activists Detained After Boarding Whaling Vessel

They scaled up side of an armed Japanese 'whaling security' vessel in the Southern Ocean to demand the ship return home -- but instead, they were detained and face possible criminal charges abroad.
Indigenous Amazonian Child Burned to Death by Loggers

"It was just pure evilness. She is from another tribe, they live in the woods, and have no contact with white people," said one witness.
Exotic New Life Forms Found Thriving Near Deep Underwater Vents

Beneath the waves, beyond the reach of the sun, scientists have found some of the most alien-seeming life right here on Earth.
Tiny Parasitic Fly Turns Honeybees Into Zombees

"It's the flight of the living dead," says one researcher, but it could be much more troubling than any scary movie.
How Fibonacci Numbers are Expressed in Nature (Video)

You just might never look at a pinecone the same way again.
World's First Hybrid Sharks Discovered Near Australia

For the first time ever, researchers have detected not one, not two, but 57 hybrid sharks lurking off the the coast of Australia.
Fireworks Used Deliberately in Arkansas Mass Bird Death

Despite the ominous-seeming scenario of hundreds of birds falling from the sky in Arkansas on New Year's Eve, authorities say that it was no act of God.
Massive Wildfire Burns 30,000 Acres of Chilean Patagonia

Authorities say that the devastating fire, which was only contained with the help of some 500 firefighters, was initially ignited by a tourist who simply failed to fully extinguish a toilet-paper roll he was burning.
Animal Tickle Tests Shed Light on the Origins of Laughter

According to the BBC, researchers in the UK have essentially invented for themselves what might be the greatest job in the world: ticklin' for science.
First Gray Wolf in 80 Years Enters California

Following years of dedication on the part of conservationists to reintroduce the animals to their native habitats, things are looking up as the first gray wolf to be seen in California in nearly eight decades is spotted.
Mayor's Plan to Rid Town of Skunks Just Doesn't Smell Right

Mayor Martin Pagliughi of Avalon has set about removing the animals from his island borough, and it's caught the attention of state wildlife officials who say the action could be illegal.
Endangered Sea Turtle Released After Getting Epically Lost

There's no telling just how or why a normally adeptly navigating sea turtle could find its way so far from home, but one thing is for certain -- there was no shortage of dedicated people to help him get back on his flippers.
Why McDonald's Failed to Win Over Bolivians and Closed its Stores

Bolivians, it seems, are happy enough without the 'Happy Meal'.
Chicken Adoption Drive Saves Thousands of Battery Hens

Thanks to local chicken advocates and heaps of hen-loving residents, a sizable flock of birds once slated for the slaughterhouse now have real homes following the largest chicken adoption drives ever conducted in the UK.
Female Sumatran Rhino Offers Hope to Save Her Species

After years of searching, a young female rhino had finally been found to assist in the effort of saving her species.
Camera-Traps to Search for 'Extinct' Javan Tigers

rompted by new evidence of tigers there, the Meru Betiri National Park in East Java plans to install motion-sensing camera traps which might soon offer proof that, despite the finality of their conservation status, Javan tigers have indeed persevered.