Living On Earth: Ah, Wilderness; Endangered Again; Invasion of the Invasives; Wireless Science; Amazing Rare Things; Spider Conversations

(This was the first episode I listened to and it is one of my favorites now.)

Living on Earth: Sound Journalism for the Whole Planet

Ah, Wilderness! / Jeff Young
A bill put together by a bipartisan group in Congress, and supported by President Bush, would set aside more wilderness areas nationwide this year than have been protected in the past five years combined. Living on Earth's Washington correspondent Jeff Young reports from one area slated for conservation, the Shawver Run wilderness in Virginia. (6:10)

Endangered Again?
The Bush administration wants to modify the Endangered Species Act. The proposed changes would allow federal agencies to decide for themselves the effects their projects would have on plant and animal species. The revised rules are also intended to prevent the ESA from being used to regulate the greenhouse gases that cause climate change. Host Bruce Gellerman talks with Professor Lisa Heinzerling of Georgetown University Law Center about the proposal. (5:30)

Invasion of the Invasives / Jim Williams
Buffelgrass, a non-native grass, is spreading like wildfire through Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona, threatening the park's signature cacti and posing a fire threat to homes near the mountains. Jim Williams of station KUNM reports that scientists and volunteers are whacking away, trying to keep ahead of the relentless plant. (7:30) (7:30)

Wireless Science / Jean Kumagai
It's fast, it's reliable, and it's transforming how scientists do their research. Spectrum Radio's Jean Kumagai reports on a wireless sensor network called HP-WREN. (6:50)

Birding... with an iPod? / Noah Strycker
Birder Noah Strycker (Strick-er) says modern technology can be used - with care - to assist birders in the field. (3:10)

Amazing Rare Things



Naturalist and documentary film- maker Sir David Attenborough talks with host Steve Curwood about his book, "Amazing Rare Things: The Art of Natural History in the Age of Discovery." In the book, Sir Attenborough explores how artists exposed Europeans to nature in the New World, beginning in the 15th century. (13:30)

Hardly Music to Miss Muffet’s Ears / Jeff Rice
Damian Elias of Toronto University uses a laser Doppler vibrometer to record spider conversations. Producer Jeff Rice of the Western Soundscape Archive visited Elias to hear some of the good vibrations coming from the spider world. (3:33)

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