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“Thank you for bringing science and community together in a joyful radio show.”

— Colleen, East Walpole, Massachusetts

On our latest show (#1,098 July 12): The migration champion Red Knot; Mike O’Connor’s birdbath algae experiment; and special guest Johnathan Berard on the problem with plastic (here in Plastic-free July). Hear it here.

Birds vs. heat

it bears repeating: We can help our local birds survive very hot weather. Here are some commonsense and not-so-commonsense methods for aiding the birds in your area. (7/14)

All about plastic

In honor of Plastic Free July, we’re reading the book "The Problem with Plastic" by Judith Enck with Adam Mahoney. Judith is the president of Beyond Plastics. You can buy it at the Beyond Plastics website or at your local independent bookstore. (7/13)

Pigeon in flight, released from a pair of hands at right

How to lose a Homing Pigeon

It's hard to believe you'll find something if you use the search term "pigeons and magnetic livers," but we managed to do it. On our show #1,097 (July 5), Ray spoke with our Debbie Blicher about research on exactly this topic. What's next? "Ducks and radioactive kneecaps"? (7/7)

A book about how birds became birds

Why do we have birds? How did they escape extinction when other dinosaurs did not? Why do they live everywhere on Earth? Author and paleontologist Steve Brusatte answers these questions and many more, squeezing the entire history of birds into one book. (7/3)

Wildlife vs. wildfires

This article packs a lot of information into a few paragraphs, answering questions about the effects of smoke on wildlife, busting myths about how birds and animals cope with fires, and giving advice on how we can help. (7/18)

Loafing puffins

Our weekly webcam features the Puffin Loafing Ledge on Seal Island in Maine. When we tuned in mid-morning, we saw and heard plenty of Atlantic Puffins, including the occasional one who waddled over and stared into the camera. This cam is in Eastern time. (7/15)

Bald eagle sitting in snow-covered tree against a silver sky

Trump administration opens endangered species’ habitats to development, reversing 50 years of environmental law

The change, finalized by the Interior and Commerce Departments, redefines what constitutes “harm” to endangered species and habitats under the 1973 Endangered Species Act. (7/10)

The 911 on Plastic Free July

You've heard Ray mention Plastic Free July on the show, several times. Here are the details. Click below for info on what it is, why to do it, how to do it, and even a link to the plastic-free pledge. Let's reduce single-use plastics this month and beyond. (7/6)

 

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Bird vocalizations provided by The Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology 
Website photography by Shawn Carey/Migration Productions.