Paul Smiths, NY, Oct 21, 2010 — In general, plants make food from sunlight, and animals fuel themselves by "burning" oxygen. But some animals think outside the box. Curt stager and Martha Foley look at a photosynthetic slug that hijacks the genetic machinery of the algae in its diet, and at a jellyfish that needs no oxygen, burning the alternative fuels of hydrogen and sulphur.  Go to full article

Burlington, VT, Aug 03, 2010 — It's summertime, and the living is easy. Well, not for every living thing. UVM biologist Bernd Heinrich says summer is "the season of reproduction, feeding, growing, and trying to avoid being eaten." Betsy Kepes reviews his new book, Summer World: A Season of Bounty.  Go to full article

Bloomingdale, NY, Apr 23, 2010 — Before the first Earth Day, 40 years ago, there was no Environmental Protection Agency. No Clean Water, Clean Air or Endangered Species Acts. No concerns about global warming. There was little public understanding at all of the changes humans have inflicted on the planet.

Now, there is plenty of bad news about the Earth. But some things remain pretty much the same, and will persist long into the future if passionate scientists, researchers, and just-plain-folk have their way.

For this 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day, we have a collaborative postcard from the outdoors, from Brian Mann, and Nancy Cohen of WNPR in Hartford, Conn.

Northeast environmental reporting is made possible, in part, by a grant from United Technologies, and is part of NPR's Local News Initiative  Go to full article

Lake George, NY, Aug 28, 2009 — A new art exhibit in Lake George combines shipwrecks, the visual arts and science. The "Raising the Fleet" exhibition is truly in the lake - viewable on land and 40 feet below the surface. Underwater easels near the sunken wrecks of 18th century vessels hold artwork by Elinor Mossop. They include microscopic images of amoebae with sketches of military shipwrecks. Todd Moe spoke with biologist Sam Bowser about this art/science collaborative exhibit.  Go to full article

Feb 26, 2009 — A Watertown quilter uses science and the outdoors as inspiration. Mary Knapp's quilts are on display through May 23rd at TAUNY in Canton. She'll share stories of inspiration behind her quilts, and give a tour of the display on Saturday. Mary is a retired high school biology teacher who's been quilting for more than 25 years. She told Todd Moe that her quilts share a theme of art and science.  Go to full article

Feb 04, 2009 — Next Thursday marks the 200th anniversary of evolutionary biologist Charles Darwin's birth. Darwin collected scientific data and was among the first to ponder the issue of how animals and plants change over long periods of time. This year is also the 150th Anniversary of the publication of his famous book, On The Origin of Species. Colleges and high schools around the region are hosting Darwin Day events, as part of a global celebration of science and reason. So, we invited two North Country biologists into the studio to ask where evolutionary theory is now, how it got there and the relevance of Charles Darwin today.  Go to full article

Jul 25, 2008 — Take a paddle or hike along a stream, or spend some time gardening and you'll likely hear the familiar click of wings or glimpse a flying glint of blue or green. Dragonflies are a familiar and favorite sight in the North Country. And now, during the summer months, excitement is high among "dragonfliers" whose calendars are extra full because this is the time of year when dragonflies are most commonly seen. But researchers say there are more questions than answers about dragonflies. This is the fourth summer that the DEC and Nature Conservancy have seriously studied dragonflies and their close relatives, damselflies, in some of the more remote parts of the state. With the help of volunteers, biologists are out to foster public interest in the conservation of the colorful, winged insects and their aquatic habitats. Todd Moe found that, for a hobby that includes searching for large bugs in swampy areas, it has a lot of followers.  Go to full article

Jun 03, 2008 — More than 140 species of birds were sighted during the 9th Annual Tug Hill Bird Quest last weekend. It was sponsored by Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust. Six teams trekked through the woods, fields and swamps in Jefferson, Oswego and Oneida counties to count birds and raise money for conservation efforts. Todd Moe asked Chris Reidy, an avid birder in Pulaski, to describe the birdathon.  Go to full article

Jan 02, 2008 — The idea of reintroduction of wolves to the North Country has faded in recent years because of biological and political hurdles, though it continues to be the dream of some environmentalists. A controversial reintroduction program did go forward in Yellowstone National Park in the mid-90s, and wolves are now reestablished there after an absence of almost 70 years. According to the Yellowstone website, packs are now found in various parts of the park. Since the wolf returned to Yellowstone, the predator's had wide-ranging and unexpected effects on the ecosystem of the park. As Kinna Ohman reports, top predators such as wolves might be more important than biologists had realized.  Go to full article

Sep 04, 2007 — Biologists from SUNY Potsdam and Clarkson University are in Costa Rica this semester studying the deadly impact of roads on frogs and other amphibians. Todd Moe talks with Potsdam biologist Glenn Johnson, who co-wrote the book The Amphibians and Reptiles of New York State.  Go to full article