Something Wild

For some, maple sugaring is a perennial ritual, painstakingly completed as we usher out the bitter wisps of winter, and embrace balmier, brighter days of early spring.

We celebrate a collaboration - over 900 episodes long - that explores nature in the Granite State. And one of the longest-running features on NHPR's Morning Edition!

We are able to see more bobcats in more places than ever before, thanks to wildlife cameras.

There's great excitement in the birding world as the rare raptor turns up again this winter on the coast of Maine.

Sue Morse's wildlife tracking courses are training citizens to look and listen to their natural surroundings, to collect data, and to get involved in conservation planning.

The North American river otter population is doing swimmingly! They are found in abundance in New Hampshire's waterways, but they can be hard to spot until winter brings them out to play on the ice and snow.

In the new year, resolve to get outside, be still, listen and observe. And revisit Jane Yolen's Owl Moon for inspiration to go owling.

Something wildly obsessive drives us to clean-up or “improve” the woods near our homes, dragging branches and tree trunks into piles, which are often fuel for a bonfire. But letting those brush piles decay provides benefits for the forest.

The rough-legged hawk is an Arctic visitor that spends the winter in New Hampshire. It has a unique ability to hover in mid-air while hunting, and tracks its prey using UV vision.

We talk with the Maine state moose biologist, about the state's study of an innovative moose population management approach. Does fewer moose mean fewer winter ticks, and a healthier moose population?

Some years there are more acorns than others, because oak trees follow a boom or bust cycle. What does this mean for the animals that depend on acorns for food — and for humans?

The season of falling apples and longer nights has arrived. Whether you go to an orchard, or stumble across a wild apple tree, it's a chance to use all your senses.

A book explores how to prowl for an owl, make snail slime and catch a frog bare-handed.

It can be hard to embrace the transition to fall, with shorter days and cooler temperatures. The subtle songs of birds in fall is a sweet reminder of summer if you listen carefully.

As the fall approaches, wasps and hornets get more aggressive. How can you tell what's buzzing around, and when is it safe to get rid of a nest?

The eastern brook trout requires clear, cold water. And that means that ample forest cover is essential.

When it's hazy, hot and humid, a good thunderstorm can provide welcome relief. But what are the main elements that cause thunderstorms, hail and lightning?

An opportunity to protect and improve the trails on N.H.'s beloved Mount Monadnock, while learning new skills and helping to make the outdoors more welcoming for all.

New Hampshire forests have been defoliated for the second year in a row by the invasive caterpillar now known as the spongy moth. But there is a native bird who benefits from the outbreak.

There's a rare and special riverside forest not far from downtown Concord, along the banks of the Merrimack River. It's a silver maple floodplain forest, and it's remained virtually unchanged despite centuries of agricultural and industrial growth along the river.

Learn more about a kind of birding folklore passed down from generations of birders.

A closer look at two of the most common species you find in N.H.: painted turtles and snapping turtles. They go back about 200 million years, and they have hardly changed at all.

Bluebirds are a familiar harbinger of spring, and they're also a conservation success story.

The increasing angle of the late April sun and warming of the soil are agents of great spring transformations.

Have you checked out a vernal pool this spring? The Something Wild team discovers the surprising symbiotic relationship between salamanders and algae.

It takes about a day to thaw out, then it's back to normal for the frog and it makes its way to its natal vernal pool. If you listen for the peepers this season, you'll know when the wood frogs are on the move.

We are able to see more bobcats in more places than ever before, thanks to wildlife cameras.

The surprise appearance of this massive rare bird – one of the world's largest raptors – sent birders flocking to see it. The unexpected sojourn in New England raises questions about how birds navigate, colonize new areas and find mates.

We all know that plants use their leaves to convert sunlight into sugar, or carbohydrates. But that's not the only place photosynthesis happens.

In the new year, resolve to get outside, be still, listen and observe. And revisit Jane Yolen's Owl Moon for inspiration to go owling.

New to cutting your own tree at a Christmas tree farm? Thinking of a different variety this year? Here's some insight into what you need to know.

Shed antlers provide nutrients to a whole host of forest-dwellers, and are an important part of the entire forest ecosystem.

The rough-legged hawk is an Arctic visitor that spends the winter in New Hampshire. It has a unique ability to hover in mid-air while hunting, and can track its prey using UV vision.

Beaver dams create an entire ecosystem that allows birds, insects and other animals to flourish. That's why beavers are a keystone species; their presence improves habitat. But what's it like under all the sticks and mud of a beaver lodge?

Permission to put down the rake. It's a win-win for you and the forest eco-system this fall.

We take for granted the colorful foliage every year in N.H. But some 30,000 acres of oak forest were defoliated this summer by the re-emergence of lymantria, an invasive species. How will this affect our color this fall?

Merlins, small falcons, used to be found only in northern N.H.. They have been expanding their breeding range south across New England over the past several decades.

As the fall approaches, wasps and hornets get more aggressive. How can you tell what's buzzing around, and when is it safe to get rid of a nest?

We know…we've been remiss, and it's time to talk about the elephant in the room. Something Wild, as you know, is a chance to take a closer look at the wildlife, ecosystems and marvelous phenomena you can find in and around New Hampshire. But over the years there is one species in New Hampshire that we haven't spent much time examining. A species, I think that has been conspicuous in its absence. Humans.

This episode originally aired in May, 2019 and was produced by Andrew Parella. _______________________________________________________________________ Here at Something Wild we love all things wild (even blackflies !) but sometimes it can be helpful to look beyond a single species and consider how many species interact within a given environment. In our periodic series, New Hampshire’s Wild Neighborhoods, we endeavor to do just that and this time we’re looking at peatlands. Our Sherpa today is Ron Davis, a retired professor of ecology, limnology and wetland science from the University of Maine, Orono. Peatlands, as you might have guessed are classified by the mat of peat at its heart. Peat is formed from dead organic matter (leaves, branches, dead bugs, etc.), but that organic matter is only partly decomposed because there is no oxygen in the mat, or the water that you often find in such locations. The two most prominent kinds of peatlands in New Hampshire are bogs and fens. Davis

Spring in New Hampshire is a double-edged sword. On one hand you have longer, warmer days — plants and trees are blooming! On the other hand, the pollen springtime trees produce can present an array of unpleasant seasonal symptoms. Yet pollen is so incredibly important to our survival – we think we should give it the credit it deserves. O ur friend Sam Evans Brown is the host of NHPR’s Outside/In; when pollen makes his eyes watery and the roof of his mouth itchy this time of year, Sam likes to remember that " the pollen that you’re breathing, and that your body is freaking out over... is you know… is half of the equation of tree sex. So you’re breathing in a little bit of tree sex which is you know... just a fun thing to think about." If you can recall your middle school science class you might remember that pollen is the male reproductive product of tree flowers — found on the anther and filament of male stamens — used to make new plant life. It needs to reach the sticky stigma, style

It’s an unmistakable sound. One that elicits memories, sights and scents of events long ago. It recalls the joy of youth, the possibility of a spring evening. But it can also incite insomnia and the blind rage that accompanies it.

For some, m aple sugaring is a perennial ritual, painstakingly completed as we usher out the bitter wisps of winter, and embrace balmier, brighter days of early spring. And whether you’re producing maple syrup with just a few buckets, or if you’ve expanded operations with a full-blown sugar shack … you know this much to be true: 1) S ugaring is an art 2) Sugaring is a science 3) And a great excuse to be outdoors, with family and friends. This week on Something Wild, we check in with novice maple-sugar farmer Phil Brown, Director of Land Management for New Hampshire Audubon, to discuss the unexpected joys of maple season. Most maple seasons last about 4 to 6 weeks, and b ecause sugaring is so dependent on the weather—we never know just how long optimal conditions will last. B y optimal conditions, we’re talking daytime temperatures that reach into the 40’s and overnight lows that land in the 20’s. This “goldilocks zone” is juuust right for maple sap runs, because temperature fluctuation

About this time one year ago life in New Hampshire and across the world changed drastically. In this week's Something Wild, we re-visit musings from Dave Anderson in how to find solace in nature-- even during the most stressful of times.

February in New Hampshire can be a bitter time, weather-wise. In some places, layers of ice and snow still weigh heavily on conifer limbs, and on the souls of even the heartiest of New Englanders. But at last, the days are noticeably longer. So take heart winter-weary friends. The first pulses of springtime arrive in the smallest of signs.

Here at Something Wild , we don’t have a problem with winter. Aside from the snow and the cold and the freezing rain…okay, maybe we have a couple issues. But we have sweaters and hot cocoa and Netflix. Trees, however, do not. As the snow piles up, you may see trees bent over with their crowns nearly touching the ground, leafless and haggard. They can’t escape or hide from the cold, so how do trees survive? Just like any living thing, trees have adapted over time to deal with the range of environmental conditions thrown their way. In this case, freezing rain, ice-loading, or heavy wet snow. Trees that aren’t adapted to survive periodic ice loading don’t live here. Some trees (like pine or spruce) simply bend or fold branches to shrug off snow. Other trees (like oaks) try to stand rigid and inflexible. Stout oaks and sugar maples are famous for big heavy branches that don’t break. On the other hand, branches of beech and red maple tend to break apart under heavy snow loads. Most of our

Each year, bird enthusiasts across North America eagerly await the Winter Finch Forecast. Published every fall since 1999, the Winter Finch Forecast predicts when and where, and even IF fan-favorite finches like Evening Grosbeaks and Common Redpolls will grace our backyard bird-feeders, or make an appearance on a brisk mid-winter hike. It’s a big deal for birders. So much so that enthusiastic birders have been known to base winter birding plans on this forecast, even driving hundreds of miles to spots deemed favorable for seeing White-winged Crossbills or Pine Grosbeaks. But who makes these predictions, and what are these finch forecasts based on? Enter Tyler Hoar, a freelance biologist and ecologist from Oshawa, Ontario. He’s recently taken the reins in predicting finch winter migration patterns from the legendary Ron Pittaway -- who started this citizen science project some 20 years ago. According to Tyler; "Ron set up this network, getting various birders, naturalists , foresters,

This time of year, you're likely to see cars and pickup trucks heading home on the highways with fresh-cut Christmas trees tied to roofs or in the truck beds. Fraser firs, Korean firs, Balsam firs, and Spruce (ouch!)... So today on Something Wild we take a look at Christmas tree farms, and the important habitats they provide for New Hampshire wildlife. You might be heartened to know that tree farms are a unique land use, and serve as early successional habitat, one that is neither residential neighborhood, cropland, nor deep forest. It's a landscape that was far more common a century ago, before small family farms began to vanish. Early successional habitats are an incubator: warm, sunny, scrubby zones with a variety of foods...like grasses, weeds and sometimes fruit-bearing shrubs or vines…raspberries, blackberries and grapes. Anything sun-loving, including fast-growing tree seedling and saplings. Tree farms provide ample food and shelter to a wide variety of disturbance-adapted

As we hunker down for the winter weather, we’re frequently too preoccupied with what is in our front yards that we tend not to notice what isn’t there. And short of finding a postcard in your mailbox from a warm exotic location, signed by your friendly neighborhood phoebe, you probably haven’t thought much about the birds that flitted through your yard just months ago. We love to admire the birds when they’re here with us, but we’ve accepted that school-age aphorism that birds fly south for the winter. As if there was some avian Sandals resort, at which birds congregate, sipping margaritas and playing beach volleyball until it’s time to come home. But these birds are not on vacation. New Hampshire is too cold and offers too little food, so most have moved to more hospitable places in order to survive. However, migration is not one-size-fits-all. Different species practice different forms of migration. Ospreys are large raptors that feed almost exclusively on fish. Since the ice that

By the time the cold weather months hit us, three of New Hampshire’s eight species of bats have already migrated to warmer places in the South and Mid-Atlantic regions. The bat that DO overwinter in New Hampshire have relocated out of their preferred summer roosts in trees (and Dave's chimney), and into winter hibernacula like caves, mine shafts, and abandoned military bunkers where the microclimate is just right. These cozy shelters provide stable temperatures, higher humidity, and protection from predators. But they also provide the perfect climate for Psedogymnoascus destructans, the fungus that causes White-nose Syndrome in bats. According to Sandi Houghton, a wildlife biologist for New Hampshire Fish and Game / Non-game and Endangered Wildlife Division, as many as 99% of New Hampshire’s little brown bats were wiped out because of this fungus-- found in the very places bats take winter refuge. In fact most of what’s left of the little brown bat population in New Hampshire may be

Standing dead trees (often called snags) are common in our forests, and it’s hard to overstate just how vital a role they play in a healthy ecosystem. These gray ghosts provide food and shelter for a whole heap of forest critters; a total of 43 species of birds and mammals are specially adapted to nesting or denning inside tree cavities. But before a dead tree becomes a high-rise condo for a long list of species, it first undergoes a remarkable transformation. In fact, snags undergo a series of changes, from the time they begin to die until they finally collapse, and each stage of decay has particular value to a whole host of different animals with unique needs. First things first: decaying wood is perfect for fungi -- molds, mildews and mushrooms -- decomposers that soften wood enough for insects to start to gnaw their way in. Next, termites, beetles, and ants all begin to chew apart and break down the cellulose and lignin that gives wood its normally rigid structure. And once you