Tagged: nature

Habitat Protection

10:26 am

Thu May 23, 2013

Federal Protection For Bladderpod Plant Pushed Back

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Credit Carrie Cordova / US Fish and Wildlife Service

Credit Tim McCracken / US Fish and Wildlife Service

By Anna King

Originally published on Thu May 23, 2013 4:34 pm

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The federal government has pushed back the possible threatened listing of two rare plants that could affect farmers in southeast Washington. Umtanum desert buckwheat and the White Bluffs bladderpod have become very controversial, because part of the plants’ habitat spans valuable crop ground.

It’s a big topic of conversation at the Country Mercantile restaurant where many Franklin County farmers lunch. Ami MacHugh is an area cherry and horse farmer whose land could be affected by the possible federal protections.

Donating Wildlife To Research

6:57 pm

Tue April 23, 2013

Found A Dead Bird? Science Could Use It

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Credit KUOW Photo/Sarah Waller

Collections manager Rob Faucett displays a condor wing at the Burke Museum. The Burke has the largest spread-wing collection in the world.

Credit KUOW Photo/Sarah Waller

Study skin at the Burke Museum.

Credit KUOW Photo/Sarah Waller

Rob Faucett, collections manager at the Burke, searches for a bird.

Credit KUOW Photo/Sarah Waller

A drawer of toucans at the Burke Museum.

Credit KUOW Photo/Sarah Waller

Toucans

Credit KUOW Photo/Sarah Waller

Collections manager Rob Faucett holds up a kiwi specimen.

Credit KUOW Photo/Sarah Waller

Spread wings being prepared at the Burke Museum.

Credit KUOW Photo/Sarah Waller

The Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture.

By Sarah Waller

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THUD. It’s the sickening sound of a bird hitting your window. You hope it’s just stunned; that it will fly off. But there it is: A motionless lump of feathers on the ground. Before you bury it or toss it in the trash, consider an alternative. Some Seattle residents are donating these avian casualties to science.

Nature

9:00 am

Fri February 22, 2013

Bird Talk: Not Always As Pretty As It Sounds

Credit Photo/Caglar Akcay

SMAC attacks.

By producer

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Just as humans aren’t born knowing how to talk, birds aren’t born knowing what songs to sing. Take the song sparrow: Their songs are combinations of buzzing, trilling and music notes. Each song sends a message: “This is my territory,” or “Don’t mess with me.”

An aggressive sparrow mimics another bird's song, like a sort of playground argument. “Stop copying me.” “Stop copying me.” “Stop it!” “Stop it!” – until it comes to blows. Michael Beecher has been studying sparrow communication for nearly 30 years. Katy Sewall joins him in the field to start a sparrow fight.

Environment

10:00 am

Tue October 23, 2012

Writer Craig Childs On Nature's Cataclysms, Large And Small

Writer Craig Childs

Credit JT Thomas Photo

Craig Childs

By Steve Scher

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Earth is an always-changing planet. Earthquakes thrust new mountains upward, sea ice melts, oceans rise, deserts spread, species die, civilizations collapse. Award-winning writer and commentator Craig Childs traveled to the desolate places on Earth where forces of nature are forever remaking the planet. He joins us to discuss his newest book, “Apocalyptic Planet: Field Guide to the Everending Earth.”