Celia Llopis-Jepsen
Reporter, Kansas News ServiceI'm the creator and host of the environmental podcast Up From Dust. I write about how the world is transforming around us, from topsoil loss and invasive species to climate change. My goal is to explain why these stories matter to Kansas, and to report on the farmers, ranchers, scientists and other engaged people working to make Kansas more resilient.
Before joining the Kansas News Service, I covered education and the Statehouse for the Topeka Capital-Journal.
I have a master's in journalism from Columbia University and a master’s in bilingualism studies from Stockholm University in Sweden. Before coming to Kansas, I spent a decade living and working in Sweden, Germany and Taiwan, including several cherished years working for the Taipei Times.
Email me at celia@kcur.org.
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The Midwest has a reputation for vast fields of corn and soybeans that stretch to the horizon. But on some farms, strips of wildflowers and little bluestem now interrupt the crops, tiny glimpses of the prairie that once dominated the region. They’re an effort to hold back the fertilizer runoff that pollutes drinking water and then travels hundreds of miles downstream, where it fuels the Gulf of Mexico’s infamous Dead Zone. -
A company cofounded by Bill Gates will explore building a reactor in Kansas. It would generate power without emissions, but environmental groups have concerns. -
In dry years, Tuttle Creek Lake and other reservoirs keep the Kansas River flowing strong enough to provide drinking water for hundreds of thousands of people. But these manmade lakes are disappearing. -
Last month, Kansas City, Kansas, planning commissioners delayed their vote on a permit for 30 days and told the company that it must do more to meet with the public. Members of the community are concerned about the Reworld waste processing plant. -
Have you ever wondered how much life a tiny patch of land can hold? Nebraska scientist Chris Helzer photographed one square meter of prairie from every angle for two years, getting to know the creatures that call it home. By blending art and science, he hopes to open people's eyes to this underappreciated ecosystem on the Great Plains that is shrinking more and more every year.
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Nebraska ecologist Chris Helzer blends art and science to open people's eyes to an underappreciated ecosystem that is shrinking more and more every year. -
Trees and shrubs are invading prairies, hurting the wildlife and making it harder to ranch. Yet it's hard to know the full extent of the problem, so Kansas State University found a way to map it out on the cheap. -
Trees and shrubs are invading prairies, hurting the wildlife and making it harder to ranch. Yet it's hard to know the full extent of the problem, so Kansas State University found a way to map it out on the cheap.
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Americans are losing their starry views to light pollution. But some communities are make lighting decisions to help preserve night skies – while benefiting wildlife and human health. -
Microplastics are everywhere. They’re in the air we breathe, the clothes we wear, even the food we eat. Scientists are still trying to understand what these tiny particles are doing to the environment and our bodies. But an accidental discovery at the University of Michigan in 2019 – involving baby diapers and rubber tires – has broken ground on an idea for how to get them out of our water. (This episode comes to us from the podcast Points North at Interlochen Public Radio.)
