Wild About Utah - Utah Public Radio

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Sheep, Salt and the Great Salt Lake Jun 26, 2023

Show notes

All of last year, the news about the Great Salt Lake was going from bad to worse. We began to hear dire predictions that the shrinking lake might disappear altogether. Then, finally, with some legislative action and a big boost from record snow and rain, the water level began to rise. The Great Salt Lake is our unique treasure. But it’s future is still at risk. Will we keep it or lose it?

Toxic Plants Jun 26, 2023

Show notes

We have toxic plants here in Utah. One that is reported to have caused death in humans and livestock is the foothill death camas, one of a few extremely toxic plants found in our area, and a very common early spring plant throughout much of Utah’s foothills. Death camas plants include several species of Zigadenus. At least 15 species are native to North America and grow in all kinds of habitats: moist mountain valleys, dry hills, forest, grassland, and even coastal and marsh areas. There may be some variation in toxicity level from one species to the next, but ALL should be considered dangerous.

What's on your list? Jun 23, 2023

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If I were to ask you to craft a list of words that represent your connection to the natural world, which words immediately pop into your mind? Of course, President Theodore Roosevelt said, “There are no words that can tell the hidden spirit of the wilderness that can reveal its mystery, its melancholy and its charm.”

Wild About Utah: 1983 vs 2023 spring flooding Jun 21, 2023

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Rivers and creeks all over the state have been running high with melted snow from the biggest snowpack ever recorded in Utah. 1983 was last time we had anything near this amount of snowmelt fueling our spring runoff. This year, with a historic snowpack, it seems like we should be experiencing more 100-year floods or even 500-year floods.

Tulips and daffodils-it's spring! Jun 12, 2023

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I learned the daffodils produce a toxic alkaloid, lycorine, which makes them taste bitter. Tulips, however, are not only edible, but delicious.

Community trees Jun 08, 2023

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The benefits urban forests provide include jobs, higher property values, improved physical and mental health, pollution mitigation, heat mitigation, lower energy bills, safer streets, flood protection, and biodiversity. Trees connect communities, cultures, and generations.

Find a story Jun 07, 2023

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In their picture book “Everywhere, Wonder,” Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr challenge readers to find a story in places and phenomena both ordinary and extraordinary.Fossils provide hints to the size and shape of prehistoric life, but they leave a lot of the colors and textures to the imagination.

Mountain lions are keystone providers for birds! Jun 05, 2023

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When we think about World Migratory Bird Day, we often think about providing for their needs. It is the Mountain Lion which has the unique distinction of being a keystone provider ranked as the top vertebrate feeder of birds.

Antler math and memories May 31, 2023

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Each antler is a memory, each one makes me reminisce on an outdoor adventure that will only live on as a thought.

Earth Day Apr 18, 2023

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Earth Day is an annual global Thanksgiving for Mother Earth, and a celebration of the people who advocate for legislation to protect the earth on local, state, and national levels.