About Samantha Baxter

Samantha M. Baxter is a Writer and the Managing Editor for Fondriest Environmental. She is in the process of obtaining B.A. degrees in Integrated Language Arts Education and Political Science at Wright State University. She was hired as an intern in the spring of 2022 and has continued to work as a writer and editor for the Environmental Monitor, FishSens Magazine and other Fondriest Environmental pages. As a writer, Samantha works with researchers from across the country to craft stories that highlight their work and its impacts. As an editor, Samantha works with graphic designers, fellow writers, and various environmental professionals to create unique content for Fondriest Environmental. Samantha enjoys swimming, running, reading and playing video games in her free time.

Articles By Samantha Baxter

Environmental Monitor Winter 2023: Protecting Biodiversity through Monitoring

Earth

Winter 2023 Environmental Monitor Available Now

From endangered freshwater mussels in the U.S. to vegetation in the Amazon Rainforest, the latest edition highlights the importance of biodiversity.

  • Posted March 2, 2023
Aquatic vegetation blooming on the surface of a reservoir in Brazil.

Earth

The Art of Sustainable Development: Monitoring Riparian Zones in the Amazon

As concerns for the planet’s future rise to the front pages of newspapers across the globe, so has the demand for science-based solutions to preserve and protect the earth and its resources. Sustainable development focuses on balancing the necessary harms of land use for global needs with environmental conservation....

  • Posted February 20, 2023
Twenty-four trained Weed Watcher volunteers took to Newfound Lake as part of the lake-wide Weed Stampede, surveying for invasive aquatic plants. During the two-day event, volunteers paddled 78.5 miles and surveyed over 60% of the lake’s near-shore area

Earth

Small-Scale Monitoring for Large-Scale Impacts: Building Storm Resilience in the Newfound Lake Region

Dynamic and healthy ecosystems can become center points for towns, cities, and entire regions—such is the case in the Newfound Lake Region.

  • Posted December 19, 2022
A blue Sevenson dredger on the water

Technology

Environmental Dredging and Remedial Construction

Dredging has become increasingly more important as pollutants impact wildlife and communities living near and far from water.

  • Posted October 3, 2022
Sericomyrmex amabilis farmer ant worker atop her fungus garden. This species is host to guest ant social parasite

Earth

The Coevolutionary Arms Race: Fungus-Growing Ants and Social Parasites

Thinking about how to eradicate social parasites is common, but there is a lot to learn from parasites--they’re drivers of selection shaping populations.

  • Posted September 12, 2022
Researchers installing a Surface elevation table (SET) at Piermont Marsh, Rockland County. HRNERR uses this to measure sediment accrual in the Marsh

Wetlands

Health, Resilience and Stewardship in the Hudson River: Responding to Climate Emergencies

HRNERR is dedicated to improving the health of the Hudson River through education, training, restoration, monitoring, and research programs.

  • Posted August 29, 2022
reef balls, which help with coastal restoration, being installed in upper Narragansett Bay

Earth

Coastal Restoration in Rhode Island

TNC programs and projects rely on continuous monitoring to ensure that coastal restoration and habitat enhancement initiatives are successful.

  • Posted August 8, 2022
Environmental Monitor Spring 2022 page spread

Earth

Summer 2022 Environmental Monitor Available Now

From the continuous monitoring occurring in the Susquehanna River Basin region of the United States to a volcanic crater lake in Costa Rica, thelatest edition of the Environmental Monitor covers a variety of remote monitoring methods.

  • Posted July 11, 2022
Water Pollution

Lakes

Monitoring Water Pollution in Keweenaw Bay

Water pollution is not a niche concern of scientists but is instead a concern for all people, regardless of proximity to water.

  • Posted July 5, 2022
Diver holding a bag of mussels during an endangered mussel survey dive

Lakes

Protecting Endangered Species: Conducting Mussel Surveys

Endangered mussel surveys are a necessary step in project planning because the distribution of mussels and species assemblage relative to a planned project is critical to completing the required environmental documentation while protecting native species.

  • Posted June 21, 2022
Assorted Freshwater Mussels

Lakes

Protecting Endangered Species: Why Freshwater Mussels Matter

Though few people pay any mind to the occasional “clam” shell spotted along a river bank or lake, these small but mighty creatures are deeply important to water systems across the United States, and many of them are federally and state endangered. Greg Zimmerman of EnviroScience, Inc. shares, “We have...

  • Posted June 14, 2022
water quality monitoring

Rivers

Susquehanna River Basin Commission: Cloud Data and Water Quality Monitoring

As technology becomes more closely interwoven with water quality monitoring, some organizations have found themselves forced to catch up, not the Susquehanna River Basin Commission.

  • Posted May 23, 2022