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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Once a fixture in nearly every community, the blacksmith shop is now mostly a relic of the past, but for a few hobbyists and shops scattered across the state. But the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences is trying to re-invigorate interest in the craft. -
For many LGBTQ couples, entering parenthood comes with financial, time-consuming, and sometimes discriminatory barriers to securing parenting rights. But now, Maine’s new confirmatory adoption law is easing those burdens. -
A total solar eclipse is one of the universe’s most spectacular natural events. So what happens during total solar eclipse? And does it really live up to all the hype? That’s what we dive into in this episode of Maine Explained. -
By most accounts, it’s a spectacular celestial event that you won’t want to miss. Here’s what you can expect when the solar eclipse traverses through the state. -
Did you know that there are over 2,000 different mushroom species within the state of Maine? As more species are being discovered, we are learning more about how these fungi play a role in our health and that of the ecosystems that support them. -
The American Red Cross is encouraging people interested in donating blood to sign up for an appointment at RedCrossBlood.org. -
18 people were killed and 13 injured during a mass shooting Wednesday night in Lewiston, and the suspect remains at large. Here is what we know about how the night unfolded, according to Maine State Police and the Maine Department of Public Safety. -
The Gulf of Maine is warmer faster than most of the world's oceans. Why is it warming so fast? And how does that impact Mainers? Watch this episode of Maine Explained to get some answers. -
Maine's Center for Sustainability recently hosted a Repair Café in Portland. Local volunteers fix broken items for free – with the goal of reducing waste and encouraging people to keep using what they already have. It's part of a growing movement worldwide. -
Farming is a big CO2 emitter. But could it be a climate solution? Wolfe's Neck is leading the chargeLast September, Wolfe’s Neck Center for Agriculture and the Environment in Freeport received a $35 million grant from the USDA to expand climate-friendly, regenerative farming practices nationwide. Now a national leader, Wolfe’s Neck Center has big plans to help farms across the country transform our food system.
