Wild About Utah

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Wild About Utah is a weekly nature series produced by Utah Public Radio in cooperation with Stokes Nature Center, Bridgerland Audubon Society, Quinney College of Natural Resources, Cache Valley Wildlife Association, Utah State University and Utah Master Naturalist Program - USU Extension. More about…

Utah Public Radio


    • Jun 2, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 3m AVG DURATION
    • 187 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Wild About Utah

    A tropical flash in the desert

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2025 3:57


    Not long ago, while walking up a gravel road in Bears Ears National Monument, my eye was distracted by a flash of brilliant, almost neon green against the red rocks and sand.

    Climate data recording

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2025 3:48


    Last week while walking across the Utah State University campus, I rounded the Northeast corner of the University Inn and suddenly found myself face to face with a giant stick figure made of steel tubing.

    Wild About Utah: Forests

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2025 3:28


    Forests are beyond amazing! As a field ecologist for the U.S. Forest Service, and chairing the Smithfield City Tree Committee, their branches and roots have penetrated deep into my heartwood!

    Eye to eye

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 4:56


    If you spend enough time in the wilds you acquire some remarkable stories. I've had some noteworthy wildlife encounters over the years, but one stands out from long ago.

    Fireflies

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2025 2:25


    Against all odds, fireflies find love here in Utah. Out at places like Firefly Park in Nibley, you can watch these dazzling lanterns dance and bounce, starting around early June.

    Mendon's May Day

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2025 3:28


    A piano in the gazebo strikes the first chords and the May Queen and her entourage step around the corner of the church and onto the green.

    Meadowlarks

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 3:51


    A bird of the prairie and countryside, the western meadowlark releases songs synonymous with spring grasslands flush with balsam root, lupine, death camas, larkspur, prairie smoke, and wind tossed grasses that shimmer in morning sun.

    Watch the world's moments become memories, and memories become you

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2025 3:51


    Spring, though, again, is the moments. When our eyes flutter awake with birdsong; when light comes before alarms; when we begin to manifest all we longed for during the dreamt night.

    Wild About Utah: Giant hole in the ground

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2025 3:45


    The story of this giant hole in the ground is woven into Utah's history, but it's also left its mark on our planet Earth.

    Outdoor gear

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2025 4:20


    When I began Nordic skiing some 40 years ago, my Bonna laminated wood skies were coveted. I miss their natural beauty and high performance. Now, they sit in a corner, replaced by a light weight, wax free pair. Somethings lost, something's gained.

    Three of Logan's Finest

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2025 4:37


    The snow beneath our skis is firm and our metal edges cut tight turns with precision as we descend from the clouds, honoring three of Logan's finest the best way we know how.

    Sound can brighten the dingy days

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2025 4:04


    For many of us who love the outdoors, the first half of March is a least favorite time of year. But if we close our eyes and listen, nature still can brighten the dingy days.

    Stop. Look. Listen to the voices of our young people

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2025 4:03


    Each fall, for the last ten years, a challenge has gone out to Utah and Southern Idaho's high school students to create a poster that sends a strong message to the rest of us that the air we breathe is dangerously dirty and we need to do something about it.

    Nature journaling: A stellar idea!

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2025 2:56


    Across my years of exploring the majestic outdoors with young children, I've experimented with nature journaling.

    Everyone can be a part of the February Global Bird Count!

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2025 3:52


    February is the month to help scientists better understand global bird populations before one of their annual migrations, and the data collected will help bend the curve for bird survival.

    Utah's Public Lands

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2025 3:21


    These lands have been a hot issue in Utah for most of our state's history.

    Hardware Ranch

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 14, 2025 4:07


    I've visited Blacksmith Fork Canyon with a thousand or so fifth and sixth graders — a few at a time — for a day with biologists and managers. Each time, we feed wintering elk about 5,000 pounds of hay.

    Wild About Utah: Wild about Gila monsters

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2025 3:48


    It's always a good day when you see a Gila Monster in the wild. Monster sightings are not common in the Southwest corner of Utah even though they are quite abundant in this portion of the Mojave Desert.

    Close encounters vs. survival

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 30, 2024 3:48


    When we're out enjoying Utah's backcountry in wintertime, we should always resist the temptation to have a close encounter of the wild kind.

    Goats in the mountains

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2024 3:49


    A domestic goat is very different from a wild mountain goat. It's very unlikely a hiker will ever see a wild goat because there are less than 2,000 scattered about in a few small herds in Utah.

    Wild About Utah: Excitement at the bird feeder

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2024 3:27


    There are many reasons for having a bird feeder, especially in the winter season when birds are often hanging on by a thread due to challenges from inclement weather and lack of food.

    Wild About Utah: Christmas Bird Count

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2024 3:59


    The Bridgerland Audubon Society Christmas Bird Count is always hosted on the first Saturday on or following December 14th, and we have been contributing Cache Valley, Utah data to the National Audubon database since 1956.

    Dinosaurs in our past

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2024 3:18


    Not all bones become fossils. So you can imagine the excitement in the scientific community when a fossil bed containing more than 12,000 dinosaur bones were discovered 30 miles south of Price.

    Mindful birding

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2024 3:42


    Mindful birding is a practice that incorporates a heightened awareness and deepens our relationships with birds and our connection to the natural world.

    Wild About Utah: The earth keeps turning

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2024 4:00


    And though elections can—and do—have direct impact on the wildlands of Utah and the health of our planet, today, the crows in the yellow pine in my front yard still call out, “Caw! Caw! Caw!” The Bear River keeps flowing to the Great Salt Lake, steady and silent.

    The unique biodiversity of Washington County

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2024 3:21


    For 44 years I have spent considerable time in the company of the desert creatures that reside outside my home in St. George Utah.

    Tailing of the sheep

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2024 3:26


    It's rare these days to see a sheep dog actually at work. But the International Sheep Dog Competition comes to Soldier Hollow every year, and I wouldn't miss it for the world.

    Bear stories

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2024 3:16


    Everyone loves a good bear story, especially around the campfire. I have accumulated many in my years- all personal and factual.

    Spontaneous moments

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2024 2:42


    As a wise outdoor educator, Eric Newell, once told me “Never be too busy outdoors to stop and experience something that excites the kids.”

    The Tenacity of Beavers

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2024 4:29


    The most important lessons I can give my daughter are not through me, but instead those found best in the wild.

    "West Nile Virus Found in Mendon."

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2024 3:56


    This warning, printed in big block letters , definitely caught my attention when I walked into the Mendon Post Office. The poster included a picture of a mosquito and a message saying "Please take the necessary precautions to protect yourself and your loved ones."

    Naomi Peak

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2024 4:34


    Outdoor programs give purpose to learning—making the state curriculum a means rather than an end.

    Cuckoo bees

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2024 3:43


    I'd like to tell you a crime story. But is it still a crime story if it's about the natural world? I'll tell it and then let you decide for yourself.

    I ate a bug!

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2024 3:36


    Never one to say no to an adventure, this month I found myself sitting in the front row at the Bug Bar at the Natural History Museum in Salt Lake. I was waiting for the Bug Bar to open and serve up some insects.

    Wild About Utah: Mountain meadows

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2024 3:06


    Beyond the rapture and pure joy they provide, mountain meadows are critical ecosystems- biological hot spots.

    Utah bats

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 15, 2024 3:38


    Most Utah bat species are year-round residents hibernating during the winter. Some species migrate south and remain active all year while migrating species breed in the spring.

    Mountain goats in northern Utah?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2024 4:34


    The Utah DWR has no plans to “introduce” goats into the vicinity because they are already here. Biologists are conducting surveys to understand the impacts goats have on endemic plant species to inform management decisions.

    Wild About Utah: An auto tour of the Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2024 4:49


    This ecosystem is full of life. Along this tour we saw at least 15 species of birds: American avocet, coot, great blue heron, cinnamon teal, white-faced ibis, curlew, American white pelican, yellow-headed blackbird, and red-winged blackbird.

    Wild About Utah: Canada geese

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 24, 2024 3:34


    These geese are very adaptable. Where they see open space with a good supply of grass and water, they will move in. Some geese opt out of migration entirely, like the ones who spent last winter at Logan's First Dam.

    Outdoor experiences in high-def

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2024 3:32


    A hot, sunny, May day was Christmas for my avid 2nd-grade birders, when 35 pairs of high-quality Vortex binoculars and chest harnesses were delivered to our Edith Bowen Laboratory School classroom.

    Enhance backyard bird watching when you feed and protect birds

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2024 3:42


    Sites with bird feeders attract more birds over time than those without feeders, and the birds are in overall greater health than birds at sites without feeders.

    Outdoor public art retells Utah's Golden Spike story

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2024 3:34


    Early this spring, a semi-truck with a long flat bed pulled into the USU parking lot next to the cemetery and parked. Lashed down firmly on the flat bed was a giant railroad spike, covered in gold leaf and very impressive to see from a distance.

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