Ensia was a solutions-focused media outlet published by the Institute on the Environment from 2013 to 2024.
Over 11 years, Ensia published more than 500 feature stories, commentaries and multimedia pieces. Ensia shared its stories freely under a Creative Commons license, and they were republished by outlets including The Guardian, Scientific American, Vox and Quartz. In its early years, Ensia also published a print magazine and hosted a live event series, earning regional and national awards for its editorial and design work.
Ensia also helped cultivate the field it published in. Through the Ensia Mentor Program, nearly three dozen emerging communicators were paired with experienced journalists to report, write and publish stories – many went on to newsroom roles, communications positions, and freelance careers. Ensia was one chapter of environmental storytelling at IonE; today, this work continues as public interest communications and through the Institute's science communication training initiatives.
In 2026, Ensia content was archived in the University of Minnesota Digital Conservancy.
Storytelling at IonE Today
