Nature Notes

By Marfa Public RadioScience Education Life Sciences Nature

Nature Notes episodes

October 01 At Indio Mountains, Scientists Track the Secret Lives of West Texas Rattlers
Rock rattlers are small, rarely exceeding 2 ½ feet. Their coloration reflects their environment. Rock rattlers in limestone landscapes are typically light grey, while those found in the Davis Mountain are often pink.
4 min
September 28 While the Risks Here are Low, West Texans Are Still Wise to Be Tick Aware
Alpha-gal Syndrome is a potentially dangerous allergy to red meat, and it’s transmitted by the lone star tick. The tick gets its name not from our state, but from the single white spot found on the backs of females.
4 min
September 10 In New Research, Alpine Geologist Traces the Forces Behind the Big Bend’s Dramatic Landscapes
The American West is slowly being torn apart by tectonic forces. One element of this “extension” is the Rio Grande Rift, a growing rip in the continent, traced by the river itself, from Colorado to Big Bend.
4 min
September 03 On the Rio Grande’s “Forgotten Reach,” Border Wall Imperils Wildlife and Science
The Trump administration’s planned 30-foot-high border wall, stretching more than 160 miles from Hudspeth County to the western boundary of Big Bend Ranch State Park, will impact a landscape as wild as any in Texas, with profound impacts for both desert wildlife and desert science.
4 min
August 27 Border Projects Could Complicate the Return of Bears to Texas
How will the Trump administration’s new border-infrastructure projects impact these bears? Scientists at Alpine’s Borderlands Research Institute, or BRI, are seeking answers to this timely question.
4 min
August 20 Archeologists Mobilize as Border Projects Threaten Ancient West Texas Sites
In the coming months, the Trump administration’s construction of border barriers could impact hundreds, even thousands, of archeological sites in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands, where the Pecos River and Devils River join the Rio Grande
4 min
August 17 With Community Science, Big Bend BioBlitz Documents Biodiversity Threatened by Border Projects
The Trump administration’s plans for an unprecedented expansion of border-policing infrastructure in Big Bend have also triggered an ambitious scientific initiative. The Big Bend Borderlands BioBlitz aims to document the biodiversity here before it’s damaged or destroyed.
4 min
July 23 From Balmorhea to Big Bend, Geologist Jesse Kelsch Seeks Insight into West Texas Aquifers
Alpine geologist Jesse Kelsch is seeking insight into the groundwater that sustains the San Solomon Springs as part of her broader research into the region’s aquifers.
4 min
July 16 Trans-Pecos Wildlife Conference to Connect Landowners, Scientists for Conservation
August 5th to 7th, the Trans-Pecos Wildlife Conference will bring together landowners and scientists – to explore practical solutions for sustaining our region’s wild creatures.
4 min
July 09 At Hueco Tanks, Archeologists Discover Hundreds of Previously Unrecorded Pictographs
Hueco Tanks, east of El Paso, will always inspire wonder. Its red volcanic mountains create a desert oasis. And the prehistoric imagery painted on its cliffs and cave walls is deeply evocative.
4 min

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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…