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Conservation Writing Pro
Conservation Writing Pro
Communicate your conservation message with clarity!
  • Writing Training for Environmental Scientists

    Online or onsite writing training for scientific, technical, and regulatory contexts.

    Conservation Writing Pro offers scientific, regulatory, and technical writing training; consultation and facilitation services; and technical editing. The owner, Michelle Baker, PhD, acts as a federal contractor for government agencies and works with NGOs to help environmental scientists produce clear, easily accessible documents.

L. Michelle Baker, PhD
The Conservation Writing Pro

Michelle Baker earned a PhD in English Language and Literature from the Catholic University of America in 2008. Since then, she has worked at the intersection of environmental science and regulation. She teaches environmental scientists how to write more clearly, consults with government agencies and NGOs on guidance for document creation, and provides professional technical editing services.

Training

As the Conservation Writing Pro, Michelle has taught environmental scientists how to write with greater clarity for more than 15 years. Learn more about the online and offsite courses she offers to government agencies and NGOs.

Consulting

Michelle uses her unique blend of English education with teaching experience in the scientific, technical, and regulatory contexts to advise organizations on a range of topics. Learn more about the projects on which she has consulted and how she can help your organization establish guidelines and navigate complex, even controversial, communications.

Technical Editing

Since 2010, Michelle has freelanced as a technical editor. Check out samples of her work and get a quote for your project.

Writing in the Environmental Sciences: A Seven Step Guide

Writing in the Environmental Sciences: A Seven-Step Guide

In 2017, Michelle authored Writing in the Environmental Sciences: A Seven-Step Guide (Cambridge UP, 2017). The book is a protocol of sorts that shows environmental scientists how to write any document—technical or regulatory—from scratch. The seven-step process outlined in the book combines Michelle’s education in the English language and composition, her teaching at the college level, and her training career as a federal contractor.


Based on the class, Writing Science with Clarity, Writing in the Environmental Sciences encourages environmental scientists to think about writing as a process rather than a product. The book outlines steps that illustrate how to move from on-the-job (as opposed to academic) research to a first draft while considering a document’s purpose, its context, and its many readers. Numerous examples are included and analyzed for the sake of clarity, and every chapter offers detailed suggestions for applying the techniques described as well as checklists so writers can apply the process as they read.