The organization is called Rainforest Trust , and that neatly encapsulates its work: get land set aside in the part of the world that is often referred to as the "lungs of the planet." The trust has been on the job for 30 years now, working to protect sensitive environments and their occupants. We get a year-in-review glance from Dr. Paul Salaman, the CEO of Rainforest Trust.

It's true that we do not put a lot of fiction authors on the air; it's just hard to introduce characters and plots on the radio. It's also true that our region is home to several published authors of fiction. James Anderson of Ashland just saw his second novel published, Lullaby Road . It is another story of Ben Jones, the trucker introduced in Anderson's The Never-Open Desert Diner , which won critical praise. Ben and his truck find further adventures on lonely Route 117 in the Utah desert.

Siskiyou County is one of the less-populated counties in California (roughly 45,000 people). But it is still a place where people struggle to find housing and sometimes just do without. Last year a consultant versed in homelessness took a look at conditions in several small cities: Etna, Mt. Shasta, Tulelake, Weed and Yreka. We continue our series of interviews on homelessness, "Out in the Cold," with a discussion of how homelessness manifests in these smaller towns.

After a major wildfire, we can at least console ourselves with the knowledge that forests grow back. Or do they? New research out of Colorado State University examined forest fire zones in several Western states... and found that on the warmer Earth of today, forest regeneration happens more slowly , or not at all. Camille Stevens-Rumann is an assistant professor at CSU.

Can you imagine spending a day in the White House, with all the important people and egos and pressing business? Yet it is from the White House, in a sense, that we get advice on Treating People Well in a new book by Lea Berman and Jeremy Bernard. They were social secretaries: Berman worked in the Bush White House, Bernard with the Obamas. And they learned a thing or two about maintaining civility in high-pressure situations.

The official name is still "Bell Hardware," but it's not the kind of business where you go buy a screwdriver. This third-generation business is now focused primarily on doors and frames and other components of getting people into commercial buildings... or keeping them out. John Bell is the grandson of the company founder, and Bell Hardware, still based in Klamath Falls, has outlets from Portland to Redding.

A special edition of our "Curious" segment is geared to the celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday. University of Oregon associate professor Curtis Austin has researched the civil rights and black power movements extensively. He tracks the rise of the movements and the responses to them... from the public, the government, and police, among others. Dr. Austin visits with some insights into the history of the struggle for equality in America.

The decades-long slide in church attendance prompts some people to think that we're not as moral as we once were. Michael Shermer, professional skeptic, begs to differ. He says we're living in the most moral period in human history... and it's guided by science and reason, not religion. Shermer makes the case in his book The Moral Arc: How Science and Reason Lead Humanity toward Truth, Justice, and Freedom .

Restoring some of the famed fish runs of the West will take some time. And it often appears that recovery happens a stream at a time. Trout Unlimited in Oregon recently touted a pair of projects designed to improve conditions for fish, in streams in Deschutes and Klamath County.

Mental illness is not good for anyone. It can endanger the life of the ill person, often by their own decision. Suicide is a constant challenge for mental health professionals and the people they serve. At Compass House in Medford, several club members have stories to tell about considering or attempting suicide. We meet one of them, Mary C., in this month's edition of Compass Radio.