Ashley D'Souza

Ashley D’Souza is a science writing intern at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, where they cover natural history research and collections news for the museum’s blog, Smithsonian Voices. Ashley is currently completing their master’s degree in science writing at MIT, where they write about any and all things wildlife. They also run the blog and YouTube channel, Confessions of a Bird Freak. In their free time, Ashley can be found wandering through the woods with their camera and binoculars and talking to trees and birds. See more of Ashley’s work at https://ashleydsouza.contently.com/ and https://confessionsofabirdfreak.com/.

Stories from this author

NMNH-2026-01022.jpg

Hailing from Glaciers, Geysers and Volcanoes, These Iconic Rocks Provide a Glimpse into How America was Formed and Built

In celebration of National Rock Day, learn how several rock specimens in the new exhibition “From These Lands” shed light on the nation’s geological heritage

expedition-arctic-volcanoes-video-thumbnail.jpg

This May at the National Museum of Natural History, Learn How Scientists Investigate Volcanic Eruptions

The museum is hosting events throughout the month ranging from an exploration of human evolutionary history to a celebration of all things amphibian

NMNH-2025-01331.jpg

150-Year-Old Frogs Collected by a Founding Smithsonian Naturalist Helped 21st-Century Scientists Track How Pesticides Devastated Amphibian Populations in Illinois

In celebration of the upcoming Save the Frogs Day, learn how scientists used historic cricket frogs to connect hormone-altering industrial chemicals to amphibian declines in the Midwest

IC-0.1-01_Bison North Entry graphic (bison 1-2 & 4).jpeg

Celebrate the Comeback of the American Bison This Spring at the National Museum of Natural History

Mark your calendar for all things bison as the museum celebrates the nation’s 250th anniversary with a spotlight on the national mammal

SIA-96-955.jpg

The Smithsonian Curator Who Loved Frogs

As the first female curator of the National Museum of Natural History’s collection of amphibians and reptiles, Doris Cochran shaped herpetology at the museum and beyond

NMNH-2025-01929 (1).jpg

Meet the Scientist Analyzing Historic Bison DNA to Understand How the Species Rebounded From the Edge of Extinction

Smithsonian researcher Sarah Johnson studies bison specimens to understand how the species’s genetic diversity changed after its decline