#species-loss

35 segments tagged with species-loss on Living on Earth.

May 22, 2026: Baby Right Whales Bring Hope
North Atlantic Right Whales were once so thoroughly hunted they nearly went extinct. When hunting these mammals was outlawed, they slowly started to bounce back, but today these Right whales are dealing with newer deadly threats, such as fishing gear entanglement and warming in the Gulf of Maine. So, it’s a relief to advocates to have a successful calving season like this year with 23 new calves, the most since 2009. Amy Warren, the Scientific Program Officer at the New England Aquarium, spoke with Host Aynsley O’Neill.
May 22, 2026: Spring "Bursts" Forth
Springtime in the northern hemisphere brings many migrating birds returning from their winter havens, in a series of slowly breaking waves that sweep up from the south to the north. BirdNote’s Mary McCann reports.
May 15, 2026: Elephant Elder Wisdom
Elephants are social animals like us and pass down to their young knowledge and skills crucial to living a successful life. Researchers have found that elephant youths conduct themselves differently if they were raised without elders. Orphaned elephants have been seen struggling to integrate into broader social groups and inaccurately assessing threats from predators. Lucy Bates, a lecturer with the Center for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology at the University of Portsmouth, speaks with Host Aynsley O’Neill about how this important role of elephant elders can help shape conservation priorities.
May 15, 2026: Delinquent Elephants
In the 1980’s, a group of orphaned elephants was relocated to a national park in South Africa with the hopes of repopulating the area. But park managers didn’t realize they were creating a juvenile delinquency problem. In the absence of older bulls, the young male elephants matured too soon and ended up killing endangered rhinos. Steve Curwood speaks with elephant researcher Rob Slotow on how the problem was solved.
May 08, 2026: Night Owl" -- Poems by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
The poems in Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s new book Night Owl offer a window into the magic of nature at night and a light in the darkness. She joins Host Jenni Doering to share selected poems from the collection and talk about how poetry can help us grapple with ecological loss and celebrate natural wonders alike.
April 24, 2026: Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism
While electrifying transportation is essential to addressing the climate crisis, the mining of nickel, copper, and lithium required to build out these green technologies brings its own environmental and social costs. To understand these impacts, author and political scientist Thea Riofrancos traveled to the Atacama Desert in Chile, home to one of the largest lithium reserves in the world. She joins Host Paloma Beltran to discuss her book, Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism.
April 10, 2026: Floating Border Wall
About two thirds of the US-Mexico border is along the Rio Grande, and the Trump Administration is working to install hundreds of miles of buoy barriers in the river, to prevent illegal crossings. Now residents of border towns, researchers, and activists are raising the alarm over how those buoys and other barriers could impact wildlife, restrict access to the river and sever cultural ties. Martha Pskowski, a reporter based in Texas for our media partner Inside Climate News, joins Host Paloma Beltran to discuss.
March 27, 2026: A Woolly Rhino DNA Discovery
A recent discovery is giving us insights into the last days of the woolly rhinoceros in Siberia before it went extinct some 14,000 years ago. Researchers studied the DNA of a well-preserved piece of woolly rhino meat that was the last meal of a wolf pup. Study coauthor Camilo Chacón-Duque, a bioinformatician at Uppsala Universitet, speaks with Host Jenni Doering.
February 27, 2026: Thirsty Hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are migrating north after a hot, dry winter in sunny Mexico, Central America or the Caribbean. And they’re ready for a drink. BirdNote®’s Mary McCann describes how you can help these thirsty birds by hanging a hummingbird feeder filled with the right kind of nectar.
February 20, 2026: Bluetooth Butterfly Tracking
Monarch butterflies can travel thousands of miles each year between Mexico and North America in an epic relay race of multiple generations. And thanks to new technology, our phones and other Bluetooth devices can now tell us what paths these brave little insects take on this journey. Dan Fagin, who teaches environmental journalism at NYU and is writing a book about monarchs, talks with Host Steve Curwood about the tiny trackers and what it’s like to be among millions of monarchs where they overwinter in Mexico.
February 20, 2026: Under Milkweed
One of the most heavenly scents on Earth is that of milkweed in bloom, says Living on Earth’s Explorer-in-Residence Mark Seth Lender. But fewer and fewer monarch butterflies are showing up to feed and lay their eggs on this vital plant that gives them a powerful toxic defense against predators.
December 26, 2025: A Green Message for the Next Generation
Tem Blessed, an environmentally and socially-conscious hiphop artist, sat down with host Steve Curwood to discuss how contemporary music can communicate the importance of the environment and sustainability to young audiences. He illustrates this with two of his own pieces: “I am the bee” and “Now is the time.”
December 12, 2025: The Unexpected"- Mallards Diving
Living on Earth’s Explorer-in-Residence, Mark Seth Lender provides a refuge for hungry ducks during hunting season. He also observed something remarkable: these “dabbling” ducks have learned to dive for the seed he offers them.
November 14, 2025: Rights of Nature for Stingless Bees
In the Peruvian Amazon, the Asháninka people have developed a symbiotic relationship with the local bees, which often lack stingers, and their honey. As habitat loss linked to climate change, forest fires, and deforestation threatens these pollinators and honey makers, a new and innovative law in Peru has granted these bees legal rights to help protect them and the indigenous people living with them. Reporter Teresa Tomassoni of our media partner Inside Climate News speaks with Host Aynsley O’Neill about the remarkable relationship between these bees and people.
October 31, 2025: Gwich'in People Resist Arctic Drilling
The fossil fuel industry has sought drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for decades and a recent Trump administration order brings the renewed threat of oil extraction in ANWR. But Gwich’in Alaska Natives, which consider the land sacred and local Porcupine Caribou as relatives, are expressing alarm at how drilling in this fragile environment could upend their world. Kristen Moreland, Executive Director of the Gwich’in Steering Committee, joins Host Steve Curwood to discuss.
October 31, 2025: Science Note: Axolotls Released to Wild
Axolotls, aquatic salamanders with feathery gills that look like they’re always smiling, are endemic to a single lake in Mexico and critically endangered in the wild. Living on Earth’s Don Lyman reports on a successful release of captive-bred axolotls into wetlands that provides hope for boosting this unique creature’s wild population.
October 17, 2025: BirdNote®: Melanin Makes Feathers Stronger
Birds as different as gulls, pelicans, storks, and flamingos all have black-tipped wings. These flight feathers are rich in a pigment called melanin. BirdNote®’s Michael Stein reports that melanin doesn’t just provide color – it also helps make feathers stronger.
October 10, 2025: Remembering Jane Goodall
Members of the late conservationist Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots youth organization and the Living on Earth crew share memories of her and gratitude for her enduring gifts to the world.
September 26, 2025: Highway Reborn as Public Park
The four-lane Great Highway used to run along the Pacific Ocean on the west side of San Francisco, where it was at risk of flooding from sea level rise. Now it’s been transformed into a park where visitors can bike, walk, skate, and play next to the water. Zach Lipton, a volunteer with the nonprofit Friends of Sunset Dunes, speaks with Host Jenni Doering about this highway’s transformation.
September 26, 2025: Note on Emerging Science: Whales Mistake Plastic for Food
Deep-diving whales use echolocation to hunt in the pitch black of the deep ocean. Research shows that plastic debris in the ocean “looks” very similar to common whale prey, like squid, when hit with these sound waves. Living on Earth’s Don Lyman reports that whales may be mistaking this plastic debris for their food.
September 05, 2025: Roadless Rule Under Fire
With an unusually short period for public comments the Trump administration is moving to repeal the “Roadless Rule,” which currently protects over 45 million pristine acres of national forests from access roads for logging. Randi Spivak, the public lands policy director for the Center for Biological Diversity, joins Host Jenni Doering to explain the potential consequences for critical habitat, watersheds, carbon storage and recreation if the Roadless Rule is repealed.
August 22, 2025: Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet
The many millions of miles of roads that crisscross our planet block everything from bears to beetles from safely moving through habitats. But new wildlife crossings like overpasses and underpasses are helping reconnect animals with the landscape. Journalist Ben Goldfarb joins Host Jenni Doering to discuss his book Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet.
August 15, 2025: The Light Eaters
A scientist who rappels down cliffs to hand-pollinate endangered plants. A vine that mimics the leaves of nearby species. Rice that crowds out strangers but leaves room for the roots of relatives. All of these are subjects of the book The Light Eaters by Zoë Schlanger, who tackles big questions of plant intelligence, consciousness, and communication. She joins Host Steve Curwood to talk about what we might discover when we look closely at the green life around us.
August 08, 2025: Fireflies at Risk
The summertime magic of fireflies lighting up at dusk is facing threats because of climate change and habitat destruction. Living on Earth’s Ashanti Mclean shares with Hosts Aynsley O’Neill and Paloma Beltran a few tips that can help to protect firefly species.
July 18, 2025: Climate-Resilient Coffee
Research has long shown that the top two coffee species, Arabica and Robusta, are vulnerable to climate impacts like increased drought and heat. And by 2050 as much as half of coffee producing land could no longer be suitable for these top species. But Living on Earth’s Sophia Pandelidis reports that excitement is brewing over a climate resilient bean called excelsa.
June 13, 2025: Saving a Sacred Mountain in Mongolia
Batmunkh Luvsandash, winner of the 2025 Goldman Environmental Prize for Asia, was raised as a Mongolian herder and later became an engineer who worked on mining projects in the mineral-rich country. But when he learned that the Mongolian government was planning to mine the sacred Hutag mountain, which is also home to the endangered Asiatic ass, he sprang into action. Batmunkh joined Living on Earth’s Paloma Beltran (speaking through a translator) to share why protecting the area is so important to him.
June 06, 2025: Saving Corals Amid Record Bleaching
Record-breaking heat in the oceans has led to the most widespread coral bleaching event ever documented, ongoing since January 2023. Bleaching weakens the corals and many end up dying, but others can recover and even thrive amid hotter oceans. Steve Palumbi, a Professor of Biology and Oceans at Stanford University, joins Host Aynsley O’Neill to share how researchers are finding ways to help corals survive and thrive as the oceans warm.
May 16, 2025: Birdnote®: Toucan - Tropical Icon
In the Peruvian Amazon not far from where Pope Leo XIV lived for many years, you can find a most distinctive bird with a comically huge bill. BirdNote’s Mary McCann reports on the toucan, a tropical icon.
May 16, 2025: Oystercatchers Bounce Back
The American oystercatcher is a conservation success story thanks in part to efforts to educate the public and protect their ground nests from unaware beachgoers. Host Aynsley O’Neill shares with Host Steve Curwood the story of how conservationists worked together to boost the numbers of this charismatic species.
April 25, 2025: Evening" Poem by Dorianne Laux
As Poetry Month ends, we turn to poet Dorianne Laux, whose latest collection is titled Life on Earth. Her poem “Evening” from a few years ago simultaneously expresses her grief at her recent loss of her mother and the waning of the whole biosphere in the face of climate disruption. Dorianne Laux joined Living on Earth’s Jenni Doering to read her poem and talk about finding solace in nature.
April 04, 2025: Note on Emerging Science: Orcas Wear Salmon as Hats
Orcas in the Pacific Northwest have again been observed carrying dead salmon on their heads. Living on Earth’s Kayla Bradley explains what scientists think this unique behavior may indicate about orcas’ diet, health, and culture.
April 04, 2025: What I Want to Believe About the Vireos
The songbirds called vireos have increased in number by more than 50 percent in recent decades, while birds overall are struggling. That was the inspiration for Poet Laureate of Mississippi Catherine Pierce’s poem, “What I Want to Believe About the Vireos.” She joins Host Jenni Doering to share and discuss.
February 28, 2025: Bringing Sea Otters Back
Sea otters were hunted out from Oregon and Northern California more than a century ago amid the fur trade, but the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians and conservation partners are now working to bring them back. Robert Kentta, treasurer of the Siletz tribe, talks with Host Paloma Beltran about how reintroducing sea otters can help revive the kelp ecosystem and restore a vital cultural connection for Native people.
February 07, 2025: Searching for Old Growth Forest
Finding the last remaining old growth in the vast forests of Maine is like finding a needle in a haystack, but LiDAR technology is helping pinpoint these biodiversity hotspots so they can be protected. Ecologist John Hagan of Our Climate Common joins Host Jenni Doering to discuss how it works and why it’s bringing the timber industry and conservationists together.
January 31, 2025: Bird Flu Warning
So far avian flu hasn’t been seen spreading from human to human, but recent mutations indicate some variants are becoming better adapted to infecting humans. Dr. Richard Webby of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital also directs a World Health Organization center on the ecology of influenza. He joins Host Aynsley O’Neill to explain what we know about bird flu so far, and how we can prepare for the possibility of a pandemic.

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