Alisha McDarris
Contributor, DIY
Alisha McDarris is a DIY contributor at Popular Science. She’s a travel lover and true outdoor enthusiast who enjoys showing friends, family, heck, even strangers, how to stay safe out there and enjoy more time in the wild. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her backpacking, kayaking, rock climbing, or road tripping.
Highlights
- Outdoors and sustainability writer with a focus on showing readers how to enjoy the outdoors, often with an emphasis on safety and sustainability.
- Founder, writer, photographer, and head honcho of Terradrift.com, a sustainable travel and outdoor adventure site focused on gear reviews and how-to’s.
- Her work has also appeared in Backpacker, BBC Travel, Roadtrippers, Atlas Obscura, Hemispheres, Sierra Magazine, and more.
Experience
Alisha has been writing for Popular Science since 2018, but she’s been working in journalism since 2005—ever since she got her start at small town papers right out of high school. These days, though, she focuses more on travel and outdoor content, such as deep dives into how wildlife crossings work to preserve endangered species, visitor guides for outdoorsy destinations, instructions on what to pack for a day hike, and what to do if you’re bitten by a snake.
In addition to her freelance work, she is also the snarky and animated founder of Terradrift.com, a website and YouTube channel that exists to help people from all walks of life explore the outdoors responsibly, safely, and sustainably, because she truly believes time in nature is a salve to the soul that everyone can, and should, experience.
Education
Alisha is a largely self-taught journalist who has always preferred to learn by doing than by sitting in a classroom.
Favorite weird science fact
Eighty percent of snake bites occur to men and boys, proving testosterone may be the deadliest of all chemicals.
Notable Work
- How to leave the great outdoors exactly how you found it Popular Science
- Save money and protect the environment by repurposing your old outdoor gear Popular Science
- How to avoid (and treat) hypothermia Popular Science
- Trail etiquette all hikers should follow Popular Science
- Giving the right of way to wildlife Sierra Magazine
- Alaska's 'mushroom of immortality' BBC Travel
- Campfires in fire ban regions?! With the Ignik FireCan you can. Terradrift