Nick Mott covers the Greater covers wildlife, public lands, water and wildfire, and their impacts on communities and landscapes in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for Montana Free Press and Mountain Journal. His position is part of a partnership with High Country News Western Environmental Collaborative (WERC).
Prior to joining Report for America as a corps member, Mott worked in both print and audio. He led podcasting efforts at Montana Public Radio, and his narrative nonfiction productions received some of the highest awards in the field, including a Peabody and two National Edward R. Murrow Awards. He co-authored the book This Is Wildfire, published in 2023 by Bloomsbury, and his print and audio reporting has appeared in High Country News, NPR, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, The New York Times and many other outlets.
Beat: Climate reporting on the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
The climate reporter covers the complex intersections of climate change, land, water, energy, agriculture, and rural life across Montana, with attention to how these issues connect to regional and national climate trends. Through a partnership with Grist, the reporter produces in-depth, contextual stories on how climate change is reshaping ecosystems, economies, infrastructure and governance, and what those shifts mean for communities across the state. As part of an innovative climate and environmental reporting team, the reporter pursues local and statewide reporting, while contributing to collaborative projects that deepen understanding of climate science, climate policy, adaptation, mitigation and solutions. Experience with newsletter writing, data or visual journalism, and social media reporting is valued, though not essential. Along with writing articles, the reporter will contribute to a new environmental newsletter produced by Montana Free Press and participate in social and audience-facing reporting. The successful candidate will be able to develop a wide range of sources — including scientists, policymakers, land managers, energy experts and community leaders — and is prepared to investigate and explain how climate-driven pressures on water, wildfire, energy systems, agriculture and infrastructure are transforming Montana’s communities and landscapes.