John Ryan
Environment Reporter
About
John Ryan joined KUOW as its first full-time investigative reporter in 2009 and became its environment reporter in 2018. He focuses on climate change, energy, and the ecosystems of the Puget Sound region. He has also investigated toxic air pollution, landslides, failed cleanups, and money in politics for KUOW.
Over a quarter century as an environmental journalist, John has covered everything from Arctic drilling to Indonesian reef bombing. He has been a reporter at NPR stations in southeast and southwest Alaska (KTOO-Juneau and KUCB-Unalaska) and at the Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce.
John’s stories have won multiple national awards for KUOW, including the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi awards for Public Service in Radio Journalism and for Investigative Reporting, national Edward R. Murrow and PMJA/PRNDI awards for coverage of breaking news, and Society of Environmental Journalists awards for in-depth reporting.
John welcomes tips, documents, and feedback. Reach him at jryan@kuow.org or for secure, encrypted communication, he's at heyjohnryan@protonmail.com or 1-401-405-1206 on the Signal messaging app.
Location: Seattle
Languages: English, some Spanish, some Indonesian
Professional Affiliations: SAG-AFTRA union member and former shop steward; Society of Environmental Journalists member and mentor
Stories
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Environment
Samish elders celebrate Cayou Channel
State officials have renamed the passage between Orcas and Shaw islands "Cayou Channel" after the early 20th century Samish leader, Henry Cayou.
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Environment
On a low tide, two stories collide: Reporter's Notebook
It’s funny how stories collide sometimes.
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Environment
Fishing boat lifted out of orca waters after 5 weeks on sea floor
A salvage team successfully lifted the Aleutian Isle onto a barge Wednesday afternoon, more than five weeks after the fishing boat sank into the depths off San Juan Island.
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Environment
Coast Guard postpones effort to remove sunken fishing boat after lifting it to surface
Salvage crews have been unable to remove enough fuel and seawater from the Aleutian Isle to lift it onto a barge and transport it away from the critical orca habitat where it sank five weeks ago.
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Environment
Sunken fishing boat ready to resurface after 5 weeks on sea floor
Coast Guard officials say a salvage team is ready to lift the Aleutian Isle off the sea floor near San Juan Island on Saturday.
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Environment
Lawsuit aims to protect a rare West Coast carnivore, the fisher
You can tell that the fisher is a tough customer by its diet: It eats porcupines.
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Environment
What it’s like to evacuate from a forest fire: the view from Index
Shortly before evacuating their home near the mountain town of Index, Washington, Jay Held and his wife, Virginia Held, felt sick to their stomachs.
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Environment
Bolt Creek Fire has burned up to 8,000 acres, and many aren't evacuating
KUOW environment reporter John Ryan talks with Kim Malcolm about the Bolt Creek Fire.
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Environment
High-end coolers wash up on Alaska beaches after Washington cargo spill
Consumer goods from coolers to bike helmets have been washing up on Alaskan beaches, up to 1,200 miles from a cargo spill off the Washington coast.
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Environment
Fishing boat that sank in orca waters ran into trouble 24 hours earlier
The fishing boat that sank off San Juan Island in August had run into trouble – apparently running aground – the previous day.
