Matthew Russell

Matthew Russell

Matthew Russell is a West Michigan native and with a background in journalism, data analysis, cartography and design thinking. He likes to learn new things and solve old problems whenever possible, and enjoys bicycling, spending time with his daughters, and coffee.

Articles by Matthew Russell

Split image showing a sloth hanging from a branch on the left and a close-up portrait of a sloth looking over its shoulder on the right.

Dozens Of Wild Caught Sloths Died In A Failed Tourist Scheme Before It Opened

Dozens of sloths were imported for a Florida tourist attraction. Many never survived long enough to be seen by visitors. The survivors were moved into quarantine care, and one has...

Dozens Of Wild Caught Sloths Died In A Failed Tourist Scheme Before It Opened

Dozens of sloths were imported for a Florida tourist attraction. Many never survived long enough to be seen by visitors. The survivors were moved into quarantine care, and one has...

Protesters holding signs about freeing dogs and Ridglan Farms appear beside two beagles standing alert on grass in a split image.

Ridglan Beagles Bred For Lab Testing May Soon Feel Grass For The First Time

For years, thousands of beagles at Ridglan Farms were bred for research while advocates fought to get them out. Now, a rescue agreement could move as many as 1,500 dogs...

Ridglan Beagles Bred For Lab Testing May Soon Feel Grass For The First Time

For years, thousands of beagles at Ridglan Farms were bred for research while advocates fought to get them out. Now, a rescue agreement could move as many as 1,500 dogs...

Split image showing an elephant with its trunk extended in a zoo pen on the left and a close-up of its face framed by steel barrier cables on the right.

Baby Elephant Taken From Her Family Has Spent 52 Years Alone In A Zoo

Miyako was taken from Thailand as a baby and brought to a zoo in Japan. For about 50 years, she has lived without another elephant, confined to a barren concrete...

Baby Elephant Taken From Her Family Has Spent 52 Years Alone In A Zoo

Miyako was taken from Thailand as a baby and brought to a zoo in Japan. For about 50 years, she has lived without another elephant, confined to a barren concrete...

Two Atlantic puffins stand on a rock against a bright blue sky, their orange feet and colorful beaks vivid in the sunlight.

Iceland Still Allows Puffin Hunting As Seabirds Face Growing Pressure

Atlantic puffins return to Iceland’s cliffs each year, but the birds now face threats far beyond the nesting season. Warming seas can push food out of reach. Storms can leave...

Iceland Still Allows Puffin Hunting As Seabirds Face Growing Pressure

Atlantic puffins return to Iceland’s cliffs each year, but the birds now face threats far beyond the nesting season. Warming seas can push food out of reach. Storms can leave...

Split image showing a distressed man holding a glass of water on the left and a soldier in winter gear drinking from a large water bottle in the snow on the right.

Toxic PFAS Cleanup Delays Leave Military Families Waiting For Safe Water

For decades, firefighting foam used at military installations left a toxic legacy that still reaches drinking water, farms, homes, and families. Newer federal reviews show how large the cleanup challenge...

Toxic PFAS Cleanup Delays Leave Military Families Waiting For Safe Water

For decades, firefighting foam used at military installations left a toxic legacy that still reaches drinking water, farms, homes, and families. Newer federal reviews show how large the cleanup challenge...

Split image showing a man aiming a shotgun in a dry outdoor landscape on the left and three adult men posing together on a sunny street on the right.

Millionaire Trophy Hunter Dies Beneath Charging Elephants In Gabon Forest

He traveled to Central Africa chasing one more trophy. Instead, a hidden herd of elephants changed everything in seconds. The deadly clash is raising fierce questions about wildlife, risk, and...

Millionaire Trophy Hunter Dies Beneath Charging Elephants In Gabon Forest

He traveled to Central Africa chasing one more trophy. Instead, a hidden herd of elephants changed everything in seconds. The deadly clash is raising fierce questions about wildlife, risk, and...

DEV MODE ACTIVE. BRAND: gg