Autumn in New Hampshire is a wonderful time to watch and observe some easily recognizable stages of natural cycles: hawks migrating, leaves changing color…bears fattening up as they get ready to hibernate. But while we tend to think of cycles as a circular, repeatable pattern, unfolding year after year-- we should note that there are varying degrees of “cyclical” activity that can be quite complicated. The main reason for this? Nature is filled entropy, or randomness. Political historian Henry

Something Wild: Erratic Cycles

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

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: How will animals react during the total solar eclipse?

Cold, clear lakes require the winter reset provided by long-lasting winter ice. Beyond the winter tourism of ice-fishing and pond hockey, ice is a crucial part of the ecological health of our living lakes.

Something Wild: Erratic Cycles

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