Hellbender salamanders could be added to endangered species list A giant salamander called the "hellbender" is on its way to becoming an endangered species. It needs very clean water to survive and that's getting harder to find. Justin Hicks
Redmond firefighters felt tug on heart strings to help fight L.A. fires Jeff Carroll told KUOW about his experience helping contain the Palisades fire. John O'Brien
Role reversal: Avian flu makes birds a menace to cats Scientists and volunteers with the Olympic Cougar Project said they have the opportunity now to study bird flu in wild animals – to hopefully prevent it from spreading to people. Casey Martin
Invasive crabs threatened West Coast ecosystems for decades. One solution? Otters NPR's Juana Summers speaks to researcher Rikke Jeppesen about her work on how sea otters, which were hunted to almost near extinction, have been able to thrive by eating up to 120,000 crabs a year. Juana Summers
Weird weather isn't always because of climate change — but sometimes it is Sometimes, weather is just weather. And other times human-caused climate change had an obvious impact. Alejandra Borunda
How one U.S. conservationist's work is helping to preserve Chile's wilderness Chile is set to gain its 47th national park early this year — largely due to the efforts of U.S. conservationist Kristine Tompkins and her organization. John Bartlett
People are rushing to install solar panels before Trump becomes President Potential rooftop solar customers and installers worry the incoming Trump administration might try to eliminate a 30% federal tax credit. Some customers plan to install sooner because of that and solar companies are changing their business plans. Jeff Brady
How did climate change impact ancient kangaroos in Australia? In a mass extinction event some 40,000 years ago, Australia lost 90% of its large species, including nearly two dozen kinds of kangaroos.
Hundreds of Washington firefighters sent to battle LA wildfires Washington state is sending at least 45 fire engines and 280 firefighters to help battle the Los Angeles wildfires, which have now killed at least 10 people, burned thousands of homes, and forced 180,000 people to evacuate. Stephen Howie
Whale, ship collisions around the globe could be helped by slower speeds, study shows Giant ships that transport everything from coffee cups to clothes across the ocean are often so large they can’t tell when they collide with a whale. Now, research out of the Northwest could help these massive vessels avoid collisions with whales around the world. Courtney Flatt/NWPB
