Something Wild: Recent Episodes
Dave Anderson, Chris Martin
Something Wild has been exploring the wonder of the landscape that surrounds us in New Hampshire for over 20 years!
From the many birds that call our state home, to the trees around New Hampshire that have been granted "Big Tree" status, to stone walls that punctuate the state, we explain the behavior and science behind what we see and hear (and might take for granted) in our backyards.
Something Wild is hosted by Dave Anderson and Chris Martin, and is produced by Jessica Hunt. This program is made by New Hampshire Public Radio, in partnership with the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, and the New Hampshire Audubon.
We don't often think of trees when we speak of "harvest." Corn is harvested. Apples, tomatoes, and squash are the fruits of the annual autumnal rite, which is the province of our farmers. Maybe it's because those plants are harvested at the end of their lifespan that we don't lament the moment they are cut down. We're much more precious with our trees.
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 - 900 episodes - 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.
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?
It's late August, and the leaves are already starting to change. And that flush of red you’re seeing likely comes from the red maple, also known as “swamp” or “soft maple.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
Sometimes called a Marsh Hawk, the northern harrier is currently one the rarest birds of prey nesting in the Granite State.
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.
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.
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.