Month: May 2021
Pulse of the Planet Daily Audio
A 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 28, 2021Waila – 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 27, 2021Waila – 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 26, 2021Sibley – Birdwatching 101
Some tips on finding birds from the famous author/illustrator.
May 25, 2021Calling All Loons
According to Native American lore, the cry of a loon is the sound of a warrior, denied passage into heaven.
May 24, 2021Loons – Do I Stay or Do I Go?
This season, young loons depart for their first annual fall migration. In three years, they’ll be back.
May 21, 2021Firewalking
On St. Constantine’s Day, worshippers walk across hot coals. How do they do it?
May 20, 2021Reindeer Wend their Way Home
Reindeer are faced with the disappearance of their traditional migration routes.
May 19, 2021Stealing Hearts With Stolen Songs
Courting a female lyrebird with a repertoire of purloined calls.
May 18, 2021The 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 17, 2021The Slave King
During the week-long Pinskter celebration in colonial times, Angolan King Charles assumed his royal status.
May 14, 2021Hambone
Banned from playing drums, African slaves found other ways of performing traditional rhythms.
May 13, 2021Pinkster
What was once a Dutch celebration of Pentecost passed into the hands of African slaves.
May 12, 2021What is Life – on the edge
Can we grow brain cells that can be trained to see?
May 11, 2021What is Life – Growing Brains
Finding ways to defeat the Zika virus.
May 10, 2021What is Life – Organoids
Growing human brains in a laboratory used to be the stuff of science fiction, until now.
May 7, 2021What is Life – Radiobes
There are times when it’s difficult to distinguish between what’s alive and what isn’t.
May 6, 2021What is Life?
It’s a question we humans have carried for a long time.
May 5, 2021Dawn Chorus Day
It’s a day to celebrate birds’ remarkable singing and listening abilities.
May 4, 2021Appalachian Spring – Poke and RampsDay
Springtime brings the culinary delight of wild ramps to this Appalachian community.
May 3, 2021Greek Orthodox Easter – Touchstone to a Culture
For Greeks throughout the world, Easter Sunday is the most important holiday of the year.