Wild About Utah
Mondays at 7:42 and 8:42 a.m., Fridays at 3:30 and 4:30 p.m.
Wild About Utah is a weekly nature series produced by Utah Public Radio in cooperation with Stokes Nature Center, Bridgerland Audubon Society, Quinney College of Natural Resources, Cache Valley Wildlife Association, Utah State University and Utah Master Naturalist Program - USU Extension. More about Wild About Utah can be found here.
Utah is a state endowed with many natural wonders from red rock formations to salt flats. And from desert wetlands to columns of mountains forming the basin and range region. When we look closer, nature is everywhere including just outside our door.
-
The seasonal changes in backyard birds is as exciting as the rare bird sightings because it is these changes and outliers which keep us alert, in tune, and connected to the world around us. -
Camping in the High Uintah’s is never easy. Due to the rugged landscape and high elevations, every trip offers its own unique adventure. On this occasion, my long-time hunting buddy and two labs, after a 4-mile hike with 2000 feet of vertical climb, were setting up tents in the dark with pelting graupel, lightning, and rain, at nearly 11,000 feet elevation. -
The queen becomes the mother of most of the bees in the hive. All the worker bees are female. Any drone lucky enough to mate with a virgin queen drops dead afterwards. It's a matriarchal society all the way. -
I stood perplexed. I was looking at an insect I had never seen before. The bug was the size of my thumb and shifted awkwardly in what little dirt could be found just below the bare ridge of the Wellsvilles. -
The aquatic invasive species threat is real and I hope this segment will make you a believer in inspection and decontamination stations. -
A few top-notch steps toward bird-friendly living include the prevention of light-trespass and skyglow, especially from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., March-May, and August-October. -
It turns out that Utah is home to numerous species of live snails, but the shells we see beside Bear Lake have been there for nearly 10,000 years! They’ve lasted this long because they’re preserved by the calcium chemistry of a lake. -
Awhile back, I was riding my bicycle along country roads in Cache Valley, when suddenly six unusual looking chicks ran across the road in single file right in front of me. I slammed on the brakes just in time as the chicks disappeared down the farmhouse driveway on the other side of the road. -
Winged Bullets of Beauty: Their agility is beyond imagination, capturing their prey with a gaping maw while flying at maximum speed, winged bullets ripping through the air. -
My students study a bird each week with reading passages, complete bird-related math activities, go on weekly field trips to find birds while keeping an ongoing writing journal about those experiences
