AZURE ROAD - Nearly lost to loggers, the Great Bear Rainforest now welcomes travelers by boat. Here's how to see it.

JOURNAL RECORD - A $2 million share of a $6 million National Science Foundation grant is fueling a unique collaboration among Oklahoma State University and two other land-grant universities to turn animal waste into energy and clean water, a development that could transform the future of Oklahoma agriculture.

AZURE ROAD - The Museums of Western Colorado operates three institutions – Dinosaur Journey in Fruita, the Museum of the West in downtown Grand Junction, and Cross Orchards Historic Site – with a paid staff of 20 people. They rely on nearly 100 volunteers to keep the doors open, to run the programs, and to do the actual science. The vast majority of those volunteers are retired. 

THE SMITHSONIAN - There was a time when shoppers could buy only as much as they could carry. And as ubiquitous as shopping carts are today, it initially took some convincing to use them

Oklahoma Living - By Heide Brandes, May 2025

What started with a hive is now a thriving indoor farmers market

OKLAHOMA LIVING - Cherokee Nation’s mission to preserve cultural crops

The Chron - Across North America, wolfdog sanctuaries are fighting an uphill battle against time, money and human nature. About 90 percent of wolfdogs are euthanized before age 2, with countless others victims of unprepared owners or unscrupulous breeders. That means sanctuaries like Twin Rivers  represent their best chance at survival.

Melvin Moran has spent a lifetime proving true riches lie not in the black gold beneath the earth, but in the philanthropy that elevates a community.

Born in St. Joseph, Missouri, Moran’s journey to becoming an Oklahoma icon began when his family moved to Seminole in 1940 when oil derricks dotted the landscape like steel forests. Over time, the dusty brick streets of the small town would lead Moran to establish a legacy of philanthropy, civic engagement and unwavering optimism.

Oklahoma Living - Together, the Fulks have gone on to become not only staunch advocates of the famed Ouachita National Recreation Trail, but one of the core members of the Friends of the Ouachita Trail (FoOT) organization.

The Hustle - American startups are racing to catch up, expanding beyond traditional seaweed products into everything from supplements to seaweed-based livestock feed that studies show could reduce methane emissions from cows. 

Will seaweed become a dominant new ingredient, or be permanently relegated to side dish status?

Cowboys & Indians Magazine - April 24, 2024 - The store is modern, but the story of Mahota Textiles reaches far back into the threads of Chickasaw history. It begins with the kidnapping in 1736 of a young French girl in the Southeast who was known as French Nancy. She eventually became the bride of the Chickasaw warrior Alikuhlo Hosh, and they had a daughter.

The Observer - March 26, 2024 - Arguably the world’s most well-known eclipse artist, Nordgren brings celestial events to life in a way that sparks the imagination.

World Footprints - June 28, 2024 - The Basque Block in Boise, Idaho, stands as a vibrant testament to the rich cultural heritage of one of the state’s most distinctive ethnic communities. This historic stretch of Grove Street, once home to some of Boise’s earliest and most prominent families, now serves as a thriving center of Basque culture and cuisine.

COWBOYS & iNDIANS - Osage author and Oklahoman Chelsea T. Hicks debuted her first book to rave reviews. C&I talks to her about writing and her fight to preserve heritage languages.

Idaho Business Journal - A well-trained herding or ranch dog can sell for sometimes up to $25,000 to $30,000 each (though usually in the $5,000 to $7,000 range), but their value to ranchers and livestock owners is priceless. The newest breed of dog trainers also has a woman’s touch.

The Journal Record - Numbers from the annual Monarch Butterfly overwintering count in Mexico were released earlier this month, and the news was more dire than expected.

The Smithsonian Sept/Oct. 2023 - For these ambitious scientists in the rainforests of Ecuador, helping the environment has never tasted so sweet

Cowboys & Indians - The new Martin Scorsese movie masterpiece lays bare a shocking chapter in American history and thrusts Oklahoma and the Osage Nation into the Hollywood spotlight.

Sierra Magazine - Taking what they learned about how climate change is affecting the world’s most delicate ecosystems, Strøm and Sorby are promoting dialogue about it through the educational outreach platform they launched, Hearts in the Ice.

Cowboys & Indians Magazine - As Will Rogers’ The Illiterate Digest turns 100, the crucial quest goes on to enrich the legacy of “America’s favorite son” for future generations to come.

COWBOYS & INDIANS - Former rodeo contestant, master hatter, businesswoman, cancer charity founder, Cowgirl Hall of Famer — Lavonna "Shorty" Koger is also an American treasure.

AARP Magazine - At 51, I had fought most of my life to beat that red dirt sound out of my speech. I forced my tongue into contortions that didn’t quite fit because I felt that having a deep drawl came with judgmental assumptions of simpleminded ignorance. On this trip, however, I not only embraced the long vowels and country-speak that embarrassed me back home but amplified it.

By Heide Brandes

Forty years ago this month, a shabby little whitewashed wood and brick house put Tulsa’s Northside neighborhood on the national map when the movie The Outsiders premiered.

FODORS - Visit these spooky literary destinations for thrills and chills.

BBC - Did Vikings find their way to a remote part of Oklahoma? Some in a small community believe so, thanks to controversial runic carvings found in the area.

COWBOYS & INDIANS - BY HEIDE BRANDES

MAY 5, 2022

Every year, Cherokee youth take to their bikes to explore the tragic history of the Trail of Tears on a 950-mile ride.

ROUTE MAGAZINE - August 2022

BY Heide Brandes

Fortunately, the museum dedicated to one of the most beloved Americans in history is located right along Oklahoma’s stretch of Route 66. Tourists who may never have heard of the man who was once the top entertainer in the world now buzz through, thanks to the car clubs and bus tours that follow the Mother Road.