On “What’s the Word” this week, we turn to a topic that has somehow remained both urgent and well-known, but also under-acknowledged: extinction. Some say we are currently in a sixth mass extinction, and this week Adam takes a look at how true this statement is, exploring what it means when species disappear from our […]
Rebroadcast: One Million Species At Risk For Extinction
Today’s episode is a rebroadcast from May 14, 2019. Earlier that month, the United Nations released a biodiversity report warning that one million species are at risk for extinction in the coming decades, including more than 40% of amphibian species, nearly 33% of reef-forming corals, and more than a third of all marine mammals. In […]
One Million Species At Risk for Extinction – What Now?
Last week, the United Nations released a biodiversity report warning that one million species are at risk for extinction in the coming decades, including more than 40% of amphibian species, nearly 33% of reef-forming corals, and more than a third of all marine mammals. Today on the show, we explore the magnitude of the report’s […]
Putting an End to Wildlife Killing Contests
Wildlife killing contests feature hundreds of participants, ready to hunt the wild creatures of natural landscapes. They bring back coyotes, foxes, rabbits, birds and all sorts of other species. But when heaps of animal carcasses are left in the wake of the hunters, the ethics of these events are put into question. Nevertheless, they are […]
Living Among Wolves: Protecting Wildlife Predators
“Predators are a natural part of our environment and they perform an important ecological role,” says Professor Adrian Treves. On today’s episode, Patty talks with Professor Treves, founder of the Carnivore Coexistence Lab, about a number of issues surrounding wildlife predators. They discuss predator population management and the high rates of poaching in the United […]
Ducks
This week, Jackie Edmunds of the Dane County Humane Society Wildlife Center reports on the duck species of Wisconsin, explaining how to tell the difference between duckling species. The most common ducks in the Madison area are Mallards, which are herbivores, and Wood Ducks, which are insectivores. She tells us about the basics of Mallard ducklings, […]