Month: May 2019
Pulse of the Planet Daily Audio
Room with a Hawkeye View
A pair of Red Tailed hawks found rent free accommodation on a New York City high rise.
May 30, 2019The Unwelcome Bird
Once an endangered species, Giant Canada geese have become unpopular urban neighbors.
May 29, 2019The Neck Dip
The carefully timed spring dating rituals of Canada Geese.
May 28, 2019The Raucous Sounds of Spring
Canada Geese provide their own springtime cacophony.
May 27, 2019Pulse of the Amphibian
Scientists suspect that amphibian populations are on the decline worldwide.
May 23, 2019Get Stuffed
It’s a tough life for male paper wasps.
May 22, 2019A Good Strategy for Wasps
Usurpers, foundresses, abandoned nests – welcome to the world of the paper wasp.
May 21, 2019Firewalking
On St. Constantine’s Day, worshippers walk across hot coals. How do they do it?
May 20, 2019Reindeer Wend their Way Home
Reindeer are faced with the disappearance of their traditional migration routes.
May 17, 2019Evolution of a Holiday
In colonial times, fears of a slave revolt caused a popular celebration to be outlawed.
May 16, 2019The Power of Celebration
For African slaves in the Hudson Valley, the colonial Pinkster celebration offered a rare opportunity for reuniting with family and friends.
May 15, 2019The Slave King
During the week-long Pinskter celebration in colonial times, Angolan King Charles assumed his royal status.
May 14, 2019Hambone
Banned from playing drums, African slaves found other ways of performing traditional rhythms.
May 13, 2019Pinkster
What was once a Dutch celebration of Pentecost passed into the hands of African slaves.
May 10, 2019Stealing Hearts With Stolen Songs
Courting a female lyrebird with a repertoire of purloined calls.
May 9, 2019Animal Migrations Meet Cities
Wildlife and urban life are colliding near Kenya’s largest city.
May 8, 2019Cormorant Fishing Season
Forget lures, lines and bait. How about a trained bird that catches fish for you?
May 7, 2019A German – Native American Musical Hybrid
The Waila music of the Tohono O’odham Native Americans in southern Arizona sounds surprisingly like polkas, and there’s a good reason why.
May 6, 2019Dawn Chorus Day
It’s a day to celebrate birds’ remarkable singing and listening abilities.
May 3, 2019Waila – A Party With Deep Roots
When the Tohono O’odham Native Americans dance to Waila, their traditional social music, the party lasts all night.
May 2, 2019Waila – the Desert People Celebrate
The Tohono O’odham Native Americans of southern Arizona believe that everything in the desert – humans, animals and plants – must be treated with reverence.
May 1, 2019Cueva De Villa Luz: Extreme Cave
Snot-tites and sulfur. Could this be a preview of what Mars is like?