The Point

Funding for arts education has been in decline nationwide, and low income communities have been hit the hardest. Yet, according to the non profit Americans for the Arts , students who participate in the arts are more likely to stay in school, succeed in school, in life and in work. Phoebe Hemenway Legere is an artist and musician dedicated to bringing arts education to all students through the non profit Foundation for New American Art. She spoke with producer Amy Vince.

Disruptions to international recycling markets have been widely reported. This led to conversations in the WCAI newsroom about how much of the waste we generate here on the Cape and Islands is being recycled. Our series The Big Blue Bin examines four major household recycling streams: cans, glass, paper, and plastic, to discover how much of what we toss into the big blue bin is really being recycled, and at what cost. We dig more deeply into regional recycling with WCAI reporters and editors,

The month of May, with fresh new leaves and lovely blossoms, is a delightful time in the garden. Horticulturist Roberta Clarke joins our host Mindy Todd to talk about the plant highlights of the season. We hear tips on favorite plant varieties, and strategies to minimize damage from insects and other pests.

WCAI News Director Steve Junker hosts a roundup of some of the top local and regional news of the week, including: the Mashpee Wampanoag get a victory as the US Congress passes a bill affirming the tribe’s sovereignty; a lawsuit between the towns of Yarmouth and Dennis goes to court; and shark souvenirs are hot items, but Cape retailers are trying not to cross the line of good taste.

Twenty Summers was founded to restore the Hawthorne Barn in Provincetown, promote the creation of art and provide opportunities for the public to engage with art and artists. In cooperation with Twenty Summers, WCAI brings you the first of several conversations recorded at the Hawthorne Barn. The opening night of Season Six brought together two esteemed newswomen, photojournalist Susan Meiselas and writer Elizabeth Rubin. For decades, their work in strife-torn regions around the world has helped

What is mood and what causes it to get disordered? Our panel of mental health professionals talks about various mood disorders, how they are diagnosed and treated, and their effect on families. They also discuss controversy surrounding bipolar disorder.

On The Point, Host Mindy Todd and Wildlife Biologist Mark Faherty of the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary , bring us the highlights from the Avian world in the glorious month of May. This is the time of year that exotic migrants turn up at feeders, on the water, and in woods and thickets all around our region. Many birds both year-round and migratory, are well into breeding season, and the insects are beginning to proliferate, too.

WCAI News Director Steve Junker hosts a roundup of some of the top local and regional news of the week, including: a tweet from the president stalls a bill intended to protect Mashpee Wampanoag tribal land; Dennis town meeting rejects a new regional school pact, throwing a future middle school into jeopardy; and the body of a humpback whale washes ashore and is towed away.

The Cape and Islands are known for great recreational fishing. The sport is an economic driver for the state, a passionate pursuit for many, and recreational fishermen’s knowledge of fish species, habitat and historical trends help aid in the management of fisheries. On The Point, we talk about the science, sport and even some superstitions of recreational fishing, Steve Junker hosts.

Charter schools are public schools, but there are differences in how they are structured, funded, and overseen. On The Point, we talk with educators and public school administrators about why charter schools got started in Massachusetts, how they’ve evolved over the past two decades, and some of the distinctions between the public school and charter school models.