Ashley Ahearn

Expertise: News reporting, long-form narrative storytelling, podcast production, editing, teaching audio storytelling at the high school and college level

Education: Georgetown University + University of Southern California

Highlights

• I have trained two wild mustangs
• My favorite thing to do is herd cows on horseback with my border collie
• The best reporting trips involve bringing my saddle and sleeping in the bed of my pickup truck

Experience
I have always been drawn to telling stories about science, nature and how we humans live in a world we have changed. I made my first audio documentary about the Essex River in Massachusetts (where I grew up) when I was 21 and interning for Living on Earth, the longest-running environment show on NPR. My stories have won awards and aired on The World, Marketplace, Morning Edition, All Things Considered, the BBC and others. I was the environment reporter for KUOW in Seattle for seven years where I co-created and co-hosted Terrestrial, NPR's first national climate change podcast.

Eight years ago I got tired of urban living and working for other people so my husband and I moved to the sagebrush of eastern Washington and I started my own podcast production company, Ahearn Productions. Now I make podcast series for BSPR (my favorite client) including Grouse, Women's Work and Mustang, which all center rural voices and explore complex issues like endangered species, regenerative agriculture and wild horses. I also teach podcasting at Whitman College and guest lecture at other institutions.

When I'm not doing audio work you'll find me working with horses and cows and dogs, ideally out of cell range in the mountains.