Bald eagles were nearly driven to extinction in the 20th century but are now making a big comeback. These majestic creatures are becoming so common that people including Living on Earth's Sophia Pandelidis are spotting them in the most unexpected places, even the heart of Manhattan.

With large tusks and weighing over 2,000 pounds, walruses are a formidable foe for Arctic wildlife. But as Living on Earth’s Don Lyman reports, polar bears are utilizing tools such as ice blocks or large stones to hunt walruses as access to other food sources for the bears declines.

The CDC reports that 1 in 44 children are currently identified with autism spectrum disorder and that number is growing yearly. In a commentary and study in the journal Pediatrics, scientists and clinicians urged that autism research should consider genetic interactions with synthetic compounds, including the hormone-disrupting class of chemicals called phthalates. Phthalates are common in plastics Dr. Irva Hertz-Picciotto, director of the University of California Davis Environmental Health Sciences Center and a co-author of this study joins Host Steve Curwood to talk about the interaction between chemicals, genes, folic acid, and autism.

Underwater explorer Craig Foster dives nearly every day in the near-shore waters of South Africa and it’s here that he befriended an octopus, a relationship captured in the 2020 Academy Award-winning documentary “My Octopus Teacher.” His 2021 book “Underwater Wild: My Octopus Teacher’s Extraordinary World” brings the kelp forest to life with stunning photographs and gripping prose. Craig Foster joined Host Steve Curwood for a memorable Living on Earth Book Club event to discuss the power of connecting with wild nature.