Esta Pratt-Kielley
Digital News Reporterepratt-kielley@mainepublic.org
Esta Pratt-Kielley is a digital news reporter at Maine Public, where she writes and produces multimedia stories, seeking to bring Maine Public’s storytelling to life across platforms.
Before moving to Maine, Esta lived and worked in New York City. She wrote and produced daily news for MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Reports, covering national politics, the 2020 election, racial justice protests and the coronavirus pandemic. Before that, Esta reported national education stories for NBC News, where she produced short documentaries and educational video series, helped launch a Webby award-winning parenting website, wrote and produced episodes for a daily news show for kids, and traveled across the country to produce live-audience broadcasts in partnership with local NBC affiliate stations. In October 2019, Esta was the senior producer for a televised, live-audience event in Detroit, Michigan, that put a spotlight on the city’s education system, covering the most salient issues facing the community, including the impact of trauma in the classroom. Esta’s favorite part of journalism is talking to different people – and she has interviewed people ranging from a four-year-old entrepreneur to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
Esta is originally from Madison, Wisconsin, where she attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduated with a Journalism degree and a Fine Arts minor. Esta’s career in journalism began at her college radio station, where she reported daily newscasts and hosted a weekly talk show.
Esta lives with her wife, Sara, and their rescue dog, Maico. They spend most weekends outdoors, hiking or swimming.
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Harvesting softshell clams has been a part of Gouldsboro’s culture and economy for generations. But warming ocean temperatures have led to an explosion of the invasive green crabs, which eat the clams. Now, a group of volunteers are working to revitalize the local fishery. -
Scientists refer to fall as the most understudied season in climate change research. There are still a lot of unknowns. Yet, understanding the effect of climate change on foliage is critical for regions like Down East Maine, where fall tourism is a billion-dollar industry.
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And a breakdown of the 13 ballot questions.
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A growing number of Maine groups are trying to waste less food — and when not possible, to dispose of their leftovers in better ways. While many of those recovery efforts involve composting or donating to food banks, perhaps the biggest takes a different approach: mixing the food with cow manure and microbes to make electricity.
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Here is a look at the most recent available data about abortion opinion and access in Maine.
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Maine TransNet, the only transgender-led nonprofit in the state, is opening a new thrift shop in Portland, in hopes of creating a safe and affordable place for all people to shop without facing judgement. And with scores of anti-transgender bills introduced across the country recently, advocates say spaces like these are more important than ever.
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Maine is one of the few outlier states with above average gun ownership, yet relatively few gun deaths, according to various sources. Some groups even say it’s possible a tragedy like the one at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde could have been prevented with gun laws like Maine’s.
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Maine is home to the largest moose population in the lower 48 states. But the iconic species is being challenged by ticks and climate change. In one of the moosiest parts of Maine, nearly 90 percent of the calves tracked by biologists last winter didn’t survive their first year.
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For nearly 200 years, record-keepers have documented "ice-out" dates on Maine lakes, representing a sign that spring has come and warmer weather is on the way. Now, scientists are relying on those dates to track the effects of climate change on Maine's water bodies.
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