About Brooke Staggs
I report on climate issues and the environment for Southern California News Group’s chain of 11 newspapers, including the Orange County Register. My work has triggered FBI investigations, landed me appearances on national TV and radio outlets, and helped me win some of the top journalism awards in the western United States.
A Big Bear native, I got my start teaching high school English and journalism in Riverside County. I left in 2006 to be a student again myself, earning a masters degree in journalism from New York University. I've since written for dozens of newspapers and magazines across the country, with projects that have taken me from a zero gravity flight over Queens to a fishing village in Ghana to the Register's staff in January 2013.
I still occasionally return to my education roots at universities and community colleges throughout Southern California. Most recently, I taught a journalism course at Chapman University.
I also write long-form nonfiction. I've ghost-written three books through a publishing company, while my co-authored book “Stealing from the World’s Best Schools” is available now wherever books are sold.
I live in the Inland Empire with my husband and our much-loved pets. My free time is filled with traveling near and far, hiking and backpacking, books and films, crafting and upcycling, hosting backyard movie nights, volunteering and scheming about new ways to make the world a more informed, just and joyful place.
My Latest Projects
SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL
Since starting on the environment beat for Southern California News Group, I've seized the chance to report and write stories focused on making travel more sustainable. That's led to a tale of planes powered by plant waste, a list of tips for climate-conscious wanderers, a story on one thing to make camping greener and more. I also regularly promote eco-friendly travel through my Staggs Crossing social media channels.
'THE COMPOST' NEWSLETTER
In January 2023, I launched "The Compost," Southern California News Group's first climate and environment newsletter. Each week, I curate key news for locals interested in learning more about these topics. The top of the newsletter also allows me to write with a personal voice I don't get to use in my daily journalism. Signups and feedback have been inspiring, with one reader telling me it's the only newsletter she reads "from top to bottom."