Imagine yourself on a walk in the woods. It’s early spring; tiny tree flowers are clinging to branches. A nearby stream quietly gurgles and peepers pepper the air. Idyllic, right? Then, all of a sudden….a brobdingnagian buzz from a lilliputian louse! Paradise lost! (Sorry, mixing Miltonian metaphors.) Well…maybe not. First off, let’s identify that buzz, it doesn’t emanate from a louse, it comes from black flies. Everyone’s favorite bug to hate this time of year. As hours of daylight increase,

Something Wild: Celebrate the Plague of Black Flies

Something Wild has been exploring the wonder of the landscape that surrounds us in New Hampshire for over 20 years!

From the many birds that call our state home, to the trees around New Hampshire that have been granted "Big Tree" status, to stone walls that punctuate the state, we explain the behavior and science behind what we see and hear (and might take for granted) in our backyards.

Something Wild is hosted by Dave Anderson and Chris Martin, and is produced by Jessica Hunt. This program is made by New Hampshire Public Radio, in partnership with the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, and the New Hampshire Audubon.

Science

Have you checked out a vernal pool this spring? The Something Wild team discovers the surprising symbiotic relationship between salamanders and algae.

Something Wild: Is this Salamander a Plant or Animal? Yes.

Heavy, wet April snow in New Hampshire snapped off saplings and uprooted trees. But in nature, disasters caused by all sorts of extreme weather are often followed by opportunities.

Something Wild: Extreme weather is both a disaster and an opportunity

Heavy, wet April snow snapped off saplings and uprooted trees in the state. But in nature, damage caused by all sorts of extreme weather is often followed by opportunities.

Spring peepers spend the winter under leaf litter in a state of suspended animation. Once overnight temperatures are regularly in the 40s, they start thawing out and begin singing.

Something Wild: Peepers, The Unmistakable Sound of Spring

With spring migration underway, scientists are eager to study how birds, and wildlife in general, will react to this year’s total eclipse. Research from the 2017 eclipse suggests some things to look for in N.H. on April 8, 2024.

Something Wild: Celebrate the Plague of Black Flies

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