Podcast Episodes

The Winter Rangers

During their twelve seasons as winter rangers in Yosemite National Park, Rob and Laura Pilewski have learned a thing or two about what it means to lo…

2 years, 4 months ago

Wolves, water, and global weirding

What do wolves, waste-water treatment plants, and the Gulf Stream have in common? This episode, that’s what! It’s that wonderful time when we comb th…

2 years, 4 months ago

Dead bird rabbit hole

Every December, during the Christmas Bird Count, tens of thousands of volunteers look to the skies for an international census of wild birds. 

But dur…

2 years, 5 months ago

The Department of Living Animals

The Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, DC is sometimes called “the people’s zoo.” That’s because it’s the only zoo in the country to…

2 years, 5 months ago

The papyrus and the volcano

While digging a well in 1750, a group of workers accidentally discovered an ancient Roman villa containing over a thousand papyrus scrolls. This was …

2 years, 5 months ago

The Kings and Queens of "the Water Prom"

The Colorado River – and the people that rely on it – are in a state of crisis. Climate change and overuse are taking a significant toll. Seven state…

2 years, 5 months ago

The Element of Surprise

You might associate it with the foil that wraps leftover pizza and the shiny craft beer cans sold in breweries, but aluminum is literally everywhere.…

2 years, 6 months ago

‘Til the landslide brings it down

When officials commissioned a set of updated hazard maps for Juneau, Alaska, they thought the information would help save lives and spur new developm…

2 years, 6 months ago

The mystery of the missing extinctions

When it comes to protecting the biodiversity of Planet Earth, there is no greater failure than extinction. Thankfully, only a few dozen species have …

2 years, 6 months ago

Meet the meatfluencers

Shirtless influencers on TikTok and Instagram have acquired millions of followers promoting the carnivore diet. They say studies linking meat consump…

2 years, 6 months ago