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Wildlife and Habitat

The decline of ocean fisheries

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Fish Farm

[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/EW-09-03-12-Fish-Farms.mp3|titles=EW 09-03-12 Fish Farms]

Nowhere is the decline of fisheries more obvious than in Downeast Maine and the maritime provinces of Canada. Abandoned canneries are a reminder of better days gone by. Commercial harvests of cod, herring, and sardines are a distant memory, and fishermen resort to dragging the ocean bottom for scallops, and harvesting shoreline seaweeds.  [Read more…] about The decline of ocean fisheries

Are bats on the rebound?

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Little Brown Bat

[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/EW-08-16-12-White-Nose-Recovery.mp3|titles=EW 08-16-12 White Nose Recovery]

Little brown bats used to be one of the most common bats in North America. They could be found hibernating together during the winter months, clinging to the roofs of mines, caves, and caverns.  [Read more…] about Are bats on the rebound?

Are Fish Made of Maple Leaves?

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Fishing

[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/EW-08-09-12-Fish-Leaves.mp3|titles=EW 08-09-12 Fish-Leaves]

Most of us learned about the aquatic food web in high school. Using a sealed aquarium, teachers explained that plants form the base of the web, with the organic carbon they create  supporting aquatic life—from invertebrates to sport fish. [Read more…] about Are Fish Made of Maple Leaves?

Science, art, and music—all in the same room

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Rebecca Allan Painting

[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/EW-08-06-12-Science-Art.mp3|titles=EW 08-06-12 Science Art]

The Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies is a scientific research and education organization. Sixteen Ph.D. scientists explore pressing environmental problems including acid rain, forest health, the ecology of Lyme disease, and pharmaceuticals in our waterways. Postdoctoral associates and summer undergraduate researchers round out a robust scientific staff. [Read more…] about Science, art, and music—all in the same room

We all know about rain forests. Now we are learning about fog forests

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Fog Forest

[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/EW-08-07-12-Fog-Forests.mp3|titles=EW 08-07-12 Fog Forests]

There’s a desert in north-central Chile that receives less than six inches of rain a year. Right in the middle of it is a lush mountain forest that is dense with trees, bromeliads, ferns, and mosses. [Read more…] about We all know about rain forests. Now we are learning about fog forests

How green is your dinner?

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Organic Farming

[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/EW-07-09-12-Green-Thumb.mp3|titles=EW 07-09-12 Green Thumb]

Farmers have a real challenge —how to feed 10 billion people within the next few decades.  Conventional agriculturalists say this isn’t a problem. We have the technology needed to increase global crop yields to the levels enjoyed by Iowa’s farmers. [Read more…] about How green is your dinner?

Earthworms are invading our forests

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Earthworm

[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/EW-07-25-12-Earthworms.mp3|titles=EW 07-25-12 Earthworms]

People tend to think of earthworms as benign or even beneficial creatures. Gardeners love them. But earthworms are not native to the northeastern United States. In regions of North American once covered by glaciers, earthworms are recent imports from Europe or Asia. They likely arrived as stowaways in ship ballast or in plants that settlers wanted to establish here. [Read more…] about Earthworms are invading our forests

Why you should brake for possums

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Opossum

[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/EW-07-23-12-Opossums.mp3|titles=EW 07-23-12 Opossums]

The Virginia opossum is not the brightest of animals. When they are threatened, they pretend to be dead, which where we get the expression “playing possum.” Sometimes, they do this in response to threats from oncoming traffic, which results in possums becoming roadkill. [Read more…] about Why you should brake for possums

Natural gas, fracking, and your green lawn

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Summer Lawn

[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/EW-07-18-12-Lawn-Fracking.mp3|titles=EW 07-18-12 Lawn (Fracking)]

When you buy fertilizer, you’ll notice three numbers on the label, for instance, 12, 6, 6. These indicate the percentage of three key nutrients: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. For green grass, nitrogen is the most important ingredient. [Read more…] about Natural gas, fracking, and your green lawn

Ponds are falling silent around the world

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Frog

[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/EW-07-13-12-Frogs-Cytridomycosis.mp3|titles=EW 07-13-12 Frogs (Cytridomycosis)]

From the Andes to the Pyrenees, a fungal disease has been blamed for the death of frogs and salamanders. A number of species native to Australia and South America are now extinct and massive declines have been recorded in North America and Europe. [Read more…] about Ponds are falling silent around the world

Quality hay versus quality birds. What should we choose?

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Bobolink

[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/EW-07-06-12-Bobolinks.mp3|titles=EW 07-06-12 Bobolinks]

The male bobolink is a striking black-and-white bird with a creamy yellow cap. It’s sometimes called the skunk blackbird due to the pattern of its coloring. The bobolink’s song has been described as “a reckless song fantasia, an outbreak of pent up, irrepressible glee.” The bobolink’s song, beauty, and rarity make it a favorite among birdwatchers. [Read more…] about Quality hay versus quality birds. What should we choose?

Are new wetlands any good?

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Wetlands

[audio:http://wamcradio.org/EarthWise/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/EW-07-05-12-New-Wetlands.mp3|titles=EW 07-05-12 New Wetlands]

In 1972, when Congress passed the Clean Water Act, protection was given to wetlands. Once treated as wasteland, wetlands were recognized as unique habitats in filtering water, preventing floods, and sheltering wildlife. Dredging or filling them was forbidden. [Read more…] about Are new wetlands any good?

WAMC Northeast Public Radio

WAMC/Northeast Public Radio is a regional public radio network serving parts of seven northeastern states (more...)