A short check-in from Chris

12/07/22 • 5 min

1 Listener

Hi all - Chris here - I’ve missed you! I hope you’re doing well and finding a way to get out and enjoy a bit of nature....maybe a hike in the mountains, or a walk around your city park? There really is wildlife all around us, no matter where you are. We're busy working on Season 5 (! wow can’t believe that!)....and we’ve got some enticing episodes shaping up from the PNW, Ireland, England, the Arctic, and the Everglades! All places we're traveling to to uncover some really fascinating people and species. Season 5 will launch in March, so hang tight.

And it’s a really important time right now for the species we share this planet with. Because this week, world leaders are gathering at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Montreal. You can learn more about the conference by following this link. Also, a great video link just out from the Guardian that is about everything I talk about and COP!

Nature sounds in this episode provided by Gordon Hempton, the Sound Tracker.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nature sounds in this episode provided by Gordon Hempton, the Sound Tracker.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Previous Episode

The fiery spell of Desolation

One recent September I stopped at the side of highway 20 that crosses Washington state’s North Cascade Mountains. At the side of the road was a sign that grabbed my attention. About a storied fire lookout cabin on top of Desolation Peak in the distance, where author Jack Kerouac spent some time in the 50s. The irony was that I couldn’t see the peak because of the forest fire smoke in the air that day. But it fired my imagination....the mountain was calling me. This episode of THE WILD is the result.

The American west is a fire landscape. Since 1983, there’s been an average of 70,000 wildfires every year in the United States. And the wildfire season is getting longer. Warmer springs and long dry summers are the cause.

Things are changing fast in this ancient landscape...So how have wildfires and our philosophy of fighting them changed over the decades?

To answer that, I’ve climbed to the top of this mountain, to the famed fire lookout at Desolation Peak, to speak to Jim Henterly. He is the fire watchman who’s stationed at the lookout. Desolation Peak has long been a place to look for answers. I’m hoping to find a new perspective through him.

The job of a fire lookout is to be a step ahead, ever watchful - observe all around you - and warn of danger. But maybe also to remind us of our role in the ever evolving ecology of fire.

The WILD is a joint production of myself and KUOW Public Radio. One way to support this vital work and become part of THE WILD community is through small monthly contributions to my wildlife organization, Chris Morgan Wildlife. You can find more information at Patreon. Thank you!

Follow us on Instagram @thewildpod and @chrismorganwildlife

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Next Episode

Season 5 Trailer

Welcome (back) to The Wild. New episodes start on March 14!

Host Chris Morgan is back with another season of The Wild. Join him on new adventures from around the Pacific Northwest and the world. He’ll take you through the Irish countryside to learn how one endangered species is helping another endangered species to thrive.

We will follow the journey of two young bear cubs as they gain strength at a wildlife rehabilitation center after the tragic death of their mother. And we will learn about the healing powers of nature as we talk to one man who is using bees to recover from the loss of his brother.

Season 5 of The Wild will be full of the great storytelling you’ve come to love, from the songs of Orcas, snake hunting in Florida, and how the coyote conquered North America.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.