May 31, 2001

Listener Initiative

Listeners are invited to share their seasonal observances on our toll-free number, 1-877-PULSE-99.

May 30, 2001

Snake River Birds of Prey: History

Raptor populations such as the hawk and prairie falcon, can directly indicate the health of our earthly environment.

May 29, 2001

Snake River Birds of Prey: Prairie Falcons

Prairie Falcons soar to exhilarating heights along eighty-two miles of river canyon in Idaho.

May 28, 2001

Accordion Festival: Scandinavian Culture

A yearly festival of music is a rich display of Scandinavian culture for Americans proud of their heritage.

May 25, 2001

Accordion Festival: Walter Eriksson

Each Memorial Day accordion players from around the world gather in New Jersey.

May 24, 2001

Alaskan Native Fish Camp

Every year, native elders attend Kalukak Bay Fish Camp in Alaska to preserve the traditions of the Yup’ik Nation.

May 23, 2001

Rattlesnake Roundup

Milking venom from rattlesnakes has yielded benefits for medical science.

May 22, 2001

Big Trees: Value

For many of America’s oldest trees, imperfection enabled survival.

May 21, 2001

Big Trees: To Be A Champion

Who knows, you may have a Champion Class tree in your yard!

May 18, 2001

Shorebirds: Western Sandpipers & Humans

Development along the California coastline is having an impact on Western Sandpipers and other shorebirds.

May 17, 2001

Shorebirds: Western Sandpipers Migration

Western Sandpipers are in a “frequent flyer” class of their own.

May 16, 2001

Shorebirds: Montague Island

Once a year on Alaska’s Montague Island, whole populations of shorebirds feast on a plethora of herring eggs.

May 15, 2001

Firewalking: Music

Celebrants of Saints Constantine and Helen enter a trance state as they dance over coals.

May 14, 2001

Firewalking: Physics

There’s a physics-based explanation for why villagers in Northern Greece can walk on fiery coals and not burn their feet.

May 11, 2001

Swifts in the Chimney

Twice a year thousands of Vaux’s Swifts use an elementary school’s furnace as a migratory stopover.

May 10, 2001

Return of the Wood Thrush

The annual return of the wood thrush holds a special meaning for some Pulse of the Planet listeners in upstate New York.

May 9, 2001

Early Spring: Marmot’s Choice

Marmots risk starvation because of misleading cues that spring has arrived in the Rocky Mountains.

May 8, 2001

Early Spring: Unexpected Conditions

Warming weather and increased snowfall send mixed signals to migrating species.

May 7, 2001

Early Spring: Harbingers

A broad range of species of plants are blooming up to 46 days earlier now than they did three decades ago. The reason, biologists say, is global climate change.

May 4, 2001

Wildlife Veterinarian: Elephant Challenge

Locating an elephant in the rainforest and sedating it for a physical examination is no easy feat.

May 3, 2001

Wildlife Veterinarian: Elephant Radio Collar

Scientists who wanted to study the migration habits of central African elephants put radio tags on them to monitor their movements.

May 2, 2001

Wildlife Veterinarian: Gorilla Exam

And you thought you were a tough patient? Find out what it’s like to treat a male gorilla.

May 1, 2001

Wildlife Veterinarian: Gorilla Health

Wildlife is susceptible to many of the same infectious diseases that afflict humans.