Conservation Corner

Here in the northeast, a showy flower appears along roadsides and once-disturbed areas from late spring to early summer. But far too often, people mistake this invasive species for the displaced native flower that dots the region. Join us as we clear up the confusion and talk about the natural history of both Phlox and Dame's Rocket.

It's spring, and that means baby animals are everywhere! But what should you do if you find one that is injured or in distress? Join us as we discuss what you should do in various scenarios when encountering newborn wildlife.

Think newly discovered mammals are a thing of the past? Think again. A new subspecies of fox has just been found! Join us as we uncover the story of the ‘New England Highland Fox'—where it lives, what makes it unique, and why scientists are so intrigued.

Here in the Susquehanna River basin, we have quite a variety of fish species in our waterways and waterbodies. But which ones migrate? And where exactly do they go? Join us as we talk about two species of fish that may travel up to 12,000 miles during their lifetime!

We've packed a ton into this episode! Join us as we talk about goats, ants, turtles, and AI (in no particular order). Avoid the drama of TV news and listen to this show!

With warmer weather right around the corner, it's a perfect time to start planning for summer. This week we're chattin' it up with Endless Mountain Heritage Region's Executive Director, Cain Chamberlin - and boy, do they have a lot of events in store for 2025! Join us as we discuss the upcoming paddle on Susquehanna County's stretch of the Susquehanna River, a Mother's Day Hike, and so much more!Register for the paddle here (part of the funds benefit Susquehanna County Conservation District's environmental education efforts) : https://emheritage.org/event/summer-kickoff-paddle-in-susquehanna-county/

May is American Wetlands Month! Join us as we blow up six common misconceptions about wetlands. Who knows? You might just find a spot in your heart for those mosquito hotels after all.

Did you ever hear the saying "birds of a feather, flock together"? Join us as we take a deep dive into two types of bird behavior: flocking and murmuration (think of a giant living cloud of birds). And maybe, just maybe, we'll discover a few reasons why our feathered friends stick together.

We're flying high in this episode and sinking our teeth into a few species of bats that live in the Keystone State. Join us as we hang out and discuss the Indiana & Eastern small-footed bat. Then, we will end the show with a simple thought on why bats should be appreciated.

These days, there's a holiday for everything... From "Talking Like a Pirate Day" to "No Socks Day", there's always something to celebrate. But why not celebrate something worthwhile that fills your refrigerator and creates better health for you and your family? Join us on this episode as we discuss the history of National Gardening Day and give you five great tips to have a more successful garden this year.

You have a smartphone. You walk outside to do stuff. You have now accomplished 90% of the City Nature Challenge. Cathy Brundage joins us in the studio to explain just how simple it is to participate in your local iNaturalist City Nature Challenge and help identify plants and animals right in your backyard! Check out and join the City Nature Challenge 2025: PA Endless Mountains Region here: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2025-pa-endless-mountains-region

It's eco-news time! And that means we're bringing the newsworthy stories that you might not hear on the nightly news. Join us as we cover an interesting honeybee story, DCNR's new plan, sightings of a rare bird, and bad news about rainfall in the northeast.

Do we have shamrocks in Pennsylvania? Join us as we explore the tiny world of wood sorrel! PLEASE NOTE: No leprechauns were harmed during the recording of this show.

We've got an engineer in the house! Seriously! Join us as we talk to our new ag engineer and get a feel for his role at the conservation district and provide a glimpse of his life outside the District office.

Spring is in the air after a string of nice days in the 40s here in the Endless Mountians. And warmer weather means the Susquehanna County Conservation District's seedling sale is right around the corner. Join us as we cover a few cool species and give you a quick rundown of our 2025 species list.

Forget the Super Bowl winner; let's talk about the bird itself! Join us as we take an in-depth look at the Bald Eagle and cover all the questions you didn't know you needed answers to. Don't miss this episode!

Join us as we talk with Susquehanna County's service forester, Michael Antonishak. We discuss what the service forester's job entails and even cover forest pests, invasives, and related events. Don't miss this episode!

Join us as we uncover the whole eco-news story that might not have been told on your local news! From ash tree recovery to protecting the lasagna lizard, you don't want to miss this episode!

This year, we are focused on bringing you (the listener) closer to conservationists in our region. This week we'll introduce you to a spirited leader in our area, who envisions better roads equating to cleaner streams. Join us as we talk with Field Operations Specialist, Aaron Eldrid.

It's cccccoollddd outside! Good thing we have heat and blankets! But animals aren't so lucky... Join us as we discuss how some animals adapt to the winter weather with a technique called "brumation"!

Did you break your resolutions yet? No worries! Lao Tzu said "the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. " Join us this week as Devyn discusses the first steps to foraging and gardening. Cheers to a new year!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! We hope you all had a great holiday season and are ready to make some gigantic changes :). If you're still thinking about what you can do to make positive changes in your life, listen to this episode! (*hint: they all have to do with the outdoors)

Please forgive me for not uploading the Christmas episode... This is what happens when you only work 7 days during the month of December. Anyhow, did you ever wonder how peppermint became synonymous with Christmas? You've come to the right podcast! Enjoy! And merry belated Christmas!

Sitting and waiting for a deer to walk by gives you much time to observe. And chances are, you can spot a multiflora rose bush from where you are sitting. But is there something off about that multiflora rose? Join us as we discuss a virus that's upending some members of the Rosaceae family and find out what that means for the dreaded multiflora rose.

You're out in the woods. You're waiting for a deer (if you're a deer hunter). And you notice a shelf-looking thing. What is it? Turns out, it's a fungus that might tickle your art fancy. Join us as we discuss a bracket fungi called the "artist conk".

Is it a fly? Is it a tick? Does it carry diseases and bite like those two insects? Join us as we take a closer look at an insect called the Deer Ked. If you're a hunter, a hiker, or enjoy spending time outside, don't miss this episode!

Have you ever gotten so busy that you take the natural world around you for granted? Today we're covering a phenomenon that we would probably like to overlook because seeing them means, less sunshine and less vitamin D. But what are clouds anyway? And just how many types of clouds are there? Join us as we discuss clouds and their importance on our planet.

What's better than planting flowers along the highway? Planting native flowers along the highway, of course! Join us as we discuss new legislation in Pennsylvania that aims to do just that.

You're driving down the road and you notice a deer with abnormal white patches on its coat... What's up with that? Join us as we discuss piebaldism - an interesting gene mutation found across many populations of organisms around the world.

We had them. We got rid of them. Then we brought them back (from a distant land). Join us as we dive into the history of the Keystone State's Elk herd. Of course, there will be #funfacts!

Occasionally, we interview SCCD staff to learn more about the person behind the title. Today is Jason's turn! Join us as we learn more about Jason (and find out just how many tractors he really has

The Joro spider is making headlines nationwide and sending chills down those with arachniphobia. But should we be scared? Join us as we discuss the invasive, Joro spider.

Social media and the news have talked a lot about the northern lights... What's going on with all of this activity? Join us as we discuss this phenomenon and discover upcoming viewing opportunities in your backyard.

Where else can you get a dose of environmental news stories in less than fifteen minutes? From the protection of mountains on the Appalachian chain to a story about invasive goldfish nearly escaping to nearby Lake George.

These beasts are machines! They eat anything, will live almost anywhere, and have no natural predators other than humans. Join us as we discover how close these omnivores are to your backyard.

Sure the three wise men traveled a long way, but not thousands of miles. Join us as we discuss the ridiculously long journey that the American Eel makes as it travels from the ocean to its home away from home in the headwaters of many major rivers and how it changes along the way.

The Game Commission is doing great conservation work here in the northeast and across the state. Join us as we discuss some ongoing projects and studies and how you can get involved locally.

Pennsylvania has more than 25,000 miles of unpaved roads, mostly dirt, and gravel, that are used by more than 3.6 million residents and serve the state's agriculture, mining, forestry, and tourism industries. By installing best management practices on these roads, we can create better water quality. Join us as we dive head-first into this awesome program administered by the Susquehanna County Conservation District!

We're leaving eco-news in the dust this week to cover one particular story about a guy who wants to share his passion for frogs and toads. Join us as we discuss #frogweek and the man behind the mission.

Bamboo everywhere! Or is it something else? Join us this week as we discuss the much-despised invasive called Japanese Knotweed. How do we get rid of this plant? And are there any benefits to keeping this plant around? Stick around and find out as we cover our final episode of obnoxious plants.

Join us as we meet our 2024 intern, Sam Andrejack! We'll discuss life before (and during) college and discover how she became interested in environmental science.

If you take a weed trimmer to this plant and then spend some time in the sun, you might also be spending time in the hospital. This week we're getting up close and personal with a member of the carrot family. Join us to find out how dangerous this plant can be and how you should handle contact and removal of this plant.

You're sure you only touched trees on your hike today, right? But why are you soooo itchy? Perhaps it was because of a tree! Join us as we discover the tree (or woody shrub) that might be the bane of your next outdoor activity - unless you listen to this show and learn how to identify poison sumac. ;)

Summertime is the best unless you get a red, blistery, itchy rash. Then you waste weeks of summer in a hideous state itching and applying some sort of medical goop. Join us as we discuss poison ivy and how to avoid wasting your summer getting rid of a nasty rash caused by this obnoxious plant.

We didn't want to miss this huge opportunity to discuss otters. Join us as we discuss everything you ever wondered about the American Otter. And don't forget fun facts about otters at the end of the show!

From a probable cause of spinning fish in South Florida and Wildfires and soil to why some birds form shapes while flying in groups and a new sentential landscape in PA - we've got you covered!

This week we're taking a closer look at endangered species in Pennsylvania. We'll define the term, note some species that are struggling here in the Keystone State, and identify easy ways to help rare, threatened, and endangered species in your backyard.

They're quite literally "snowbirds" and they are on the move back to this part of the continent. Join us as we discuss what hummingbird species frequent the Keystone State and learn a bit about this fascinating bird's life history.

It is ALL OVER your yard right now, but do you know why? Or where it came from? Join us as we get up close and personal with one of the most familiar flowers in the United States and worldwide. It's the dandelion!

Every year, high schoolers from around the country compete on a host of environmental-related subjects. Join us as we dig into the history, the topics, and the "ins and outs" of this awesome event!

It's eco news! Join us as we discuss an array of tactics being used to combat HWA, the preservation of the last undeveloped high peak in PA, a new way to trap microplastic, and the promotion of pollinator habitat on a right-of-ways.