Environment
North Woods Naturalist: Christmas balsam firs
-Balsam fir are popular Christmas trees, but they do have male and female flowers on the larger ones.
National Ice Core Lab stores samples from ice sheets all over the world
-The National Ice Core Laboratory near Denver is...sorry...a really cool place. It's the repository for miles of ice that contains information about the planet's past and the history of its climate. Dick chatted with Richard Nunn, assistant curator of the lab, about what they do there, why it's important, and the special challenges involved with storing and studying ice. You can learn lots more about the lab at their website.
Christmas gifts for the gardener in your life
-Leaf to Landscape program studies & manages health of the giant sequoias
-The iconic giant sequoias are under stress from years of drought and climate change. Wendy Baxter of the Dawson Lab at the University of California, Berkeley, is a scientist studying these trees to find out what's happening and what might be done to save them. The program is called Leaf to Landscape, and Dick talked with her recently. You can check out her website to learn more.
"Astro Bob" blogger Bob King's new book, "Night Sky with the Naked Eye," tells how to find night sky wonders without a telescope
-Bob King, creator of the Astro Bob blog in the Duluth News-Tribune, has written a great new book about how to find planets, constellations, satellites, and more, without a telescope. It's called "Night Sky with the Naked Eye." Bob talked with Dave recently about the book, who it's for, and what it teaches. And get set for the Geminid meteor shower, Dec. 13 & 14.
North Woods Naturalist: The language of bark, part 1
-WTIP’s Jay Andersen talks with naturalist Chel Anderson about the Language of Bark. This is part one of a two-part North Woods Naturalist feature.
Adventurers Amy & Dave Freeman on their year in the BWCAW
-Amy & Dave Freeman spent the last year living in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to call attention to the value of wilderness in the face of proposed mining projects nearby. They chatted with Dick the day before appearing at North House Folk School as the featured speakers at Winterers' Gathering. Learn what they found most challenging, most wonderful, and how they feel about being back in civilization. If you missed their North House presentation, they'll do it again at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts Sunday, Dec. 4 at 5 p.m.
North Woods Naturalist: Fall is closing in
-Fall has been a long time coming, but it’s closing in on us. WTIP’s Jay Andersen talks with naturalist Chel Anderson about the November of 2016.