Annie Shapiro is a BA candidate at Macalester College in St. Paul Minnesota, where she studies Environmental Studies, Pre-Law and Political Science. She grew up in urban Los Angeles, California and developed a love for the natural world through frequent camping trips along California’s Highway 1.

Annie just returned from living and studying in Panama, where she researched tropical conservation, climate change and human ecology alongside Smithsonian scientists, indigenous locals and policymakers. During her undergraduate career, Annie worked as an environmental policy researcher for a several environmental organizations/think tanks and presented her independent research on nuclear waste storage, coastal erosion and warfare ecology at conferences throughout Spain, Panama and the US.

Annie started reporting for Mongabay in January 2016 and is interested in learning the technical aspects of environmental journalism while exploring the ways that media and journalism can be used as a tool for policy reform. She is looking for opportunities to combine her passion for journalism, mediation, consulting, law and conservation into her future environmental career.

Annie can be found building terrariums for her business, the Mystical Moss, re-reading her favorite books, pressing rare flowers, or planning her next travel adventure over a cup of black coffee.