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Monica Vaughan's stories

Lesson: How I used engagement journalism to report on local air pollution
Step one: listen to community questions before asking your own.
Project: This popular camping area at Oceano Dunes will be closed by the end of the year — here’s why
A section of a popular camping area in the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area will be closed off by the end of the year — and fencing is being installed this week under an emergency permit issued to protect public health.
Project: California is spending $437K on a ‘wild goose chase’ study. Is a state scientist to blame?
Faced with an order to reduce dust from the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, the State Department of Parks and Recreation is spending $437,506 to study whether ocean algae is to blame for air pollution downwind of the park.
Project: State Parks will close portion of Oceano Dunes to vehicles by end of year, director says
The director of California State Parks on Monday committed to banning camping and vehicles from a section of the shoreline on the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreational Area by the end of the year to comply with orders to reduce air pollution.
Project: How pollution from a California State Park is putting a coastal town’s health at risk
This story was produced as part of a larger project led by Monica Vaughan, a participant in the 2019 California Fellowship....
Project: How bad is the air quality on the Nipomo Mesa? Spikes in pollution are ‘off the map’
This story was produced as part of a larger project led by Monica Vaughan, a participant in the 2019 California Fellowship....
Project: Bad air forces people inside in this coastal California town. Is it a crisis or exaggeration?
This story was produced as part of a larger project led by Monica Vaughan, a participant in the 2019 California Fellowship....
Project: You ask, we answer: What are the health risks of air quality on the Nipomo Mesa?
This story was produced as part of a larger project led by Monica Vaughan, a participant in the 2019 California Fellowship....
Project: California State Parks could be sanctioned for ignoring scientists on Oceano Dunes dust
The California Department of Parks and Recreation could face sanctions or forced closures at Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, after the state agency failed to follow scientists’ recommendations to reduce dust emissions from the popular park.
Project: Do you live on the Nipomo Mesa? Here’s what you need to know about air quality
This story was produced as part of a larger project led by Monica Vaughan, a participant in the 2019 California Fellowship. Other stories in this series include: Oceano Dunes stays open to off-roading. But California still says big changes must be made Health alert: Air quality warning issued for

Monica Vaughan's Blog
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Engagement proves clutch in telling broader health story of California off-road park
In the midst of my reporting on the health effects of bad air quality downwind of an off-road... more »
posted 07/24/19
Secondhand sand: How a state park is putting kids’ health at risk
Sand dunes at a state recreation area popular with off-road vehicles on California's Central... more »
posted 03/14/19

Monica Vaughan's Work
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Lesson: How I used engagement journalism to report on local air pollution
Step one: listen to community questions before asking your own.
Project: This popular camping area at Oceano Dunes will be closed by the end of the year — here’s why
A section of a popular camping area in the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area will be closed off by the end of the year — and fencing is being installed this week under an emergency permit issued to protect public health.
Project: California is spending $437K on a ‘wild goose chase’ study. Is a state scientist to blame?
Faced with an order to reduce dust from the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, the State Department of Parks and Recreation is spending $437,506 to study whether ocean algae is to blame for air pollution downwind of the park.