Read my latest stories
Book Review: Wander Woman: How to Reclaim Your Space, Find Your Voice, and Travel the World, Solo
If you have ever wanted to travel alone but found yourself waiting for confidence, companionship or permission, this book may be for you. Wander Woman:...
No Bad Days: The “Aquatic Cowboy” of the Ozarks Trades Money for Happiness to Dive Missouri’s Waterways
My latest story – and first for Missouri Life – is a feature about Booker DeRousse, a commercial diver known as the "Aquatic Cowboy" who navigates the...
Book Review: The Nature Embedded Mind
If you are interested in mental health, forest bathing and nature therapy, this book may be for you. The Nature Embedded Mind: How The Way...
Who decides what survives? Pressures on the federal Endangered Species Act continue – but states aren’t prepared to pick up the pieces.
For over 50 years, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been the nation’s most effective defense against extinction, preventing the loss of 99 percent of...
Small Town America: Winter in the Keweenaw Peninsula
As a lower Midwesterner, I thought I knew snow. Then I learned Kansas City rarely breaks 19 inches in a typical winter - a tiny...
Bison – My Wildlife Wonders No. 7
When you stand in the presence of a bison, watching a mud-dusted bull moving through the grass or a calf with its bright orange coat...
Conservation Glossary of Terms
When language is vague, conversations break down. When definitions are unclear, accountability disappears. In my time reporting on conservation issues, I have learned that language...
Bald Eagle – My Wildlife Wonders No. 6
Once pushed to the brink by habitat loss, persecution, and the pesticide DDT, the bald eagle was down to just a few hundred nesting pairs...
7 Books I Read This Year That Reshaped My Conservation Philosophy
These seven books redefine conservation as a commitment to relationship, attention, humility, and conscious choice. The books span decades and genres, but reading (or re-reading)...
Northern Lights in Kansas City: How to See & Photograph the Aurora Borealis
The Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) are a rare and special treat for Kansas City. Sitting at Latitude ~39°N, KC is much further south than the...
Elk – My Wildlife Wonders No. 5
The sight and sound of a bugling bull elk, especially during the autumn rut, is one of the most celebrated and recognizable wildlife experiences in...
Alaska’s Bold New Wildlife Crossing Project: My Latest Story for Sierra Magazine
My latest story – and first for Sierra – is a news feature about brand new wildlife crossings being built into a major infrastructure project on the...
Hi. I'm Heather Physioc.
I’m an independent outdoor, nature, wildlife & conservation photojournalist based in Kansas City. I use my lens, my words, and my platform to foster a genuine connection between viewers and conservation issues. I aim to illustrate, inform, and inspire to care.
Also see my work in...
