Spring: A Time of Flight for Birds
Spring is peak migration for birds, but in recent decades, there’s been a 30 percent decline in North American bird varieties.
Animals and Pets Sub-categories:
- Dogs (4)
- Endangered Species (3)
Animal Control and Rescue
We speak with Zaleski as well Dr. Joshua Fisher, an animal expert, about the importance of caring for these animals and heading to shelters to adopt instead of a pet store or breeder.
The Environmental Damage Caused By Millions of Littered Cigarettes
It seems like all too often it’s common to see a driver chuck a cigarette butt out the window or throw one on the sidewalk. We speak with expert Thomas Novotny about how this type of littering affects the environment and the wildlife within it.
Urban Wildlife: An Influx of New Neighbors
Countless different species of wildlife were driven out of cities centuries ago, but in recent decades have begun returning in greater numbers and adapting to the human-centric infrastructure. Two wildlife experts join us this week to highlight how we can both coexist in these settings.
Managing Your Pet’s Health Heading Into 2022
Thinking about adding a new furry member to the family to ring in the new year? Veterinarian Dr. Carol Osborne joins us this week to share some helpful tips on adoption, pet health and how to keep your cat or dog happy and well-adjusted at home.
The Modern Pet: A Much-Adored Family Member
You may have held out on getting a pet for years and years, but when the pandemic hit, it seemed like an opportune time to add a new furry member to the family. Today, more than 70 percent of Americans own one pet or more, and this number is only set to increase in coming years. We speak with two pet experts this week about the evolving sector and the …
Revisiting the Demise of the Dinosaurs
These majestic creatures walked the Earth more than 230 million years ago, yet, even today, they capture our wildest imaginations. Most us have heard the familiar narrative that an asteroid collided with Earth and this catastrophic event led to their downfall..but is there more to the story?
The Debate On Invasive Species (2021)
Many people are worried that non-native plants and animals are invading the U.S. and preventing native species from thriving. Each year, a lot of money and time is spent trying to rid the land of these aliens - often to no avail. But, are these species present because they’re the only ones that can exist in that environment?
The Mind-Bending Migration of the Monarch Butterfly
In 2017, Sara Dykman biked more than 10,000 miles, following the path of the annual Monarch migration. Along her route, she stopped to educate and raise awareness about the beauty and fragility of the butterfly. Dykman joins us this week to teach us about the insect’s unique migration patterns across North America and how individuals can help this dwindling …
Top Dog: Helping Senior Dogs Find New Homes
Did you know that only one out of every five dogs will finish their life with the family who originally took them home? Top Dog Foundation, specifically helps find new homes for senior dogs through a variety of programs. We speak with the founder of the organization, Jean Stelten-Beuning about the current need and how owners can plan ahead to ensure the …
Young Adults & Animals: The Similarities They Share in Development
Being a teenager is tough these days – but being a parent to a teenager can be even be tougher sometimes. Over the last five years, two researchers, who are parents themselves, traveled across the world to observe several different animal species and their socialization out in the wild. The focus? To possibly better understand our own adolescence and …
Why Are People Still Dumping Their Cigarettes on the Ground?
It’s almost 2020. While many more Americans have grown to be increasingly eco-conscious, some things still remain the same. It seems like almost everyday a smoker can be seen stomping on a cigarette on the pavement or chucking a lighted butt out their car window. Did you know that more than one-third of all collected litter is cigarette butts? We speak with …
Disease Detecting Dogs
Did you know that dogs can smell up to 100,000 times better than the average person? Most of us are familiar with service or police dogs using their nose to sniff out a particular scent, but researchers have been recently harnessing the power of a dogs nose to find malaria, diabetes and even some of the hardest-to-detect cancers.
American Rodeo Today
When most of us think of rodeo, we travel back in time to the Wild Wild West where cowboys roamed the streets. These days, the sport is still alive and thriving but is evolving with the times. We speak with three rodeo experts about everything from bull riding to rodeo clowns and queens.
Plastic, Where Does It All Ultimately End Up?
Around 90 percent of the plastic we use is left unrecycled and dumped in a landfill. Over time, this waste seeps into our oceans, harming its ecosystems and creating massive islands of floating garbage. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is now more than twice the size of Texas. What small steps can we each take to reduce plastic consumption and get …
The Honey Bus
In Meredith May’s new book, she examines the parallels between the inner workings of beehives and our society, and how beekeeping taught her numerous life lessons as a child. She also discusses the threat to bees with commercialized beekeeping and what we can do to protect these insects vital to our ecosystem.
Helping Save the Bees
You’ve probably heard that bees are in trouble, and that we need bees for many of the foods and plants we have come to love. We learn what we can all be doing to do our part and help save the bees before it’s too late.
Making an Impact as a Citizen Scientist (2017)
We talk to two experts about the need for average citizens to be the eyes and ears of big data collecting projects.
Bats: Their value and their endangerment
We explore the benefits of bats, and why their numbers are decreasing in alarming numbers.
Mate Choice in Fish and Humans
Gil Rosenthal, a Texas A&M biology instructor and author, says we can learn a lot about ourselves by looking to other species in the natural world
Hospice Dogs: How our four-legged friends can help us until the very end
Jon Katz’s dogs do more than just play fetch: they help comfort Hospice patients in their final days
Helping Animals Weather Natural Disasters
We talk to a Humane Society spokesperson who has seen his share of disasters about keeping your pets safe and secure during a catastrophe.
Citizen Scientists (2016)
We talk to two “citizen scientist” advocates about the importance of having average citizens be the eyes and ears of large research projects.
Measuring Animal Intelligence: How smart are they?
Our guest has studied animal intelligence and discusses how neuroscience and biology are coming up with new definitions of what it means to be an intelligent animal.
