Over the past twenty years, The Walrus has been a steady bellwether of must-read writing. For our 20th anniversary, we’ve collected works that still surprise us, impress us, move us.

Here are some of the best pieces of journalism that we’ve published about the environment.



What Would It Look Like to Take the First Nations Water Crisis Seriously?

BY HILARY BEAUMONT
Government after government has spent millions on water-treatment plants. But thousands of households still can’t drink from the tap




Big Lonely Doug

BY HARLEY RUSTAD
How a single tree, and the logger who saved it, have changed the way we see British Columbia’s old-growth forests




Fight of the Bumblebee

BY SASHA CHAPMAN
Honeybee colonies are collapsing around the world, putting food production in danger. We may need Canada’s Indigenous pollinators to save the day




Arsenic and Gold: My Family’s Role in the Poisonous Legacy of Giant Mine

BY EVA HOLLAND
Could my grandfather have done more to stop the dangerous dust that spewed from the mine for decades?




When Killer Whales Got a Rebrand

BY MARK LEIREN-YOUNG
Fifty years ago, killer whales became known as orcas—and launched the modern conservation movement




How to Make Peace with Canada Geese

BY TOM JOKINEN
We’ve been at war with the angry birds for centuries. Are they an invasive species, or are we?




Therapy for the End of the World

BY BRITT WRAY
Anxiety over the climate crisis is spreading like wildfire. Psychologists are just starting to figure out how to help




How the UK Is Winning the Race against Climate Change

BY ANNE SHIBATA CASSELMAN
While Canada has fumbled every climate promise, the UK has been hitting its emissions targets. What would it take to catch up?

Various Contributors