Nature Notes
Why do rattlesnakes rattle and hummingbirds hum?
How do flowers market themselves to pollinators?
Why do tarantulas cross the road?
Nature Notes investigates questions like these about the natural world of the Chihuahuan Desert region and the Llano Estacado. Through interviews with scientists and field recordings, this Marfa Public Radio original series reveals the secrets of desert life.
Join host Dallas Baxter for new episodes on each week on Thursdays. Episodes are written and produced by Andrew Stuart and edited by Marfa Public Radio and the Sibley Nature Center in Midland, Texas.
Nature Notes is supported by Shield-Ayres Foundation.
Latest Episodes
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Pronghorn have perfect camouflage, unmatched speed, and can spot a predator miles away. But that hasn't protected them from a mysterious population decline in Trans-Pecos Texas. What's happening to them? -
After an absence of nearly fifty years, black bears have been making a remarkable comeback in Big Bend National Park. Why did they return? And what's the outlook for the future of black bears in our region? -
Ground sloths weren’t cute, cuddly tree-dwellers like sloths today. They weighed 500 pounds and stood nine-feet tall. Who were these Ice Age creatures? And what have they taught us about the desert’s past? -
On Mimms Ranch outside Marfa, the Dixon Water Foundation is using some surprising tools to improve a grassland’s ability to absorb water: cattle and electric fence. How does this work? -
Trees seem scarce in the Chihuahuan Desert. But soapberry trees manage to thrive throughout our region and can even be used to wash your hands. How do desert dwellers exploit this hardy tree? -
They eat roadkill. They urinate on themselves. When frightened, they vomit. The turkey vultures have returned. Why does our harbinger of spring have so many unsavory habits? -
You’ve seen their sprawling, barren mounds, like little moonscapes in your field or lawn. But what lies beneath harvester ants’ conspicuous mounds? -
With its showy red crest and golden bill, the pyrrhuloxia shouldn't be confused with its more flamboyant cardinal relative. What makes this desert bird unique? -
Aldo Leopold's legendary essay collection, A Sand County Almanac, has inspired countless conservationists and earned Aldo Leopold a place alongside Henry David Thoreau in history. Who was Leopold? And how did he revolutionize our thinking about the natural world? -
Every pristine spring, mucky cattle tank, and rain-filled hueco in the Chihuahuan Desert is home to an exceptionally diverse array of microscopic animals. Who are these creatures?
