90 Miles from Needles: the Desert Protection Podcast
Join Chris Clarke as he explores the challenges and opportunities of the American Southwest's fragile ecosystems. Engaging interviews with experts, activists, and advocates on conservation, land management, and environmental justice. Science and sentiment, politics and philosophy, hiking and history, culture and creativity all go into defending the desert. Be forewarned: We are out to recruit you to the cause.
90 Miles from Needles: the Desert Protection Podcast
Join desert environmental journalist Chris Clarke as he explores the challenges and opportunities of the American Southwest's fragile but vibrant ecosystems. Hear engaging interviews with experts, activists, and advocates on conservation, land management, and environmental justice. And we take roadtrips!
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Aug. 15, 2025
S4E31: 5 Years On: Cima Dome After the Flames
Chris Clarke reflects on the fifth anniversary of the Dome Fire, which devastated over 44,000 acres of the Joshua Tree forest in the Mojave National Preserve. The episode explores themes of loss, recovery, and environmental impact, as Clarke recounts his personal connection to the area and its tran…
Aug. 8, 2025
S4E30: Episode 100 | Former Wildland Firefighter Ruth Nolan's Literary Mission
A distinguished voice in desert poetry and a former wildland firefighter, Ruth Nolan shares her insights into the ecological challenges and intrinsic beauty of California's deserts through her evocative poetry.
Aug. 8, 2025
S4E29: Episode 100 | Two Deserts, One Story with Rubén Martinéz
Rubén Martinéz, an instructor, writer, and performer from Loyola Marymount University, shares a captivating reading exploring the duality of deserts—both physical and metaphorical. This reflection ties into broader themes of human migration, spiritual discovery, and personal healing. With insights …
Aug. 8, 2025
S4E28: Episode 100 | Three Sonorans and Tucson's Stand Against High-Tech Ecological Threats
Discover how grassroots activism and environmental awareness halted a resource-intensive project threatening water and energy supplies in the Arizona desert. Learn about the vital role of unified community voices and progressive city leaders in this victory.
Aug. 8, 2025
S4E27: Episode 100 | Poetry and Plants with Cameron Mayer
This chapter of our 100th episode showcases poetry and prose, celebrating the Mojave and Amargosa regions' beauty and resilience. Cameron Mayer shares poetry on plants like the Honey Mesquite and Mojave Aster, exploring themes of nature's resilience and connection.
Aug. 8, 2025
S4E26: Episode 100 | Morgan Sjogren's Tales of Beauty, Rage, and Uranium
Morgan Sjogren shares an evocative reading from her recent book Path of Light : A Walk Through Colliding Legacies of Glen Canyon discussing uranium mining's impact on red rock country and the broader implications for desert landscapes.
Aug. 8, 2025
S4E25: Episode 100 | Desert Protection Chronicles: The Amargosa Victory
This chapter of our 100th episode highlights the inspiring victory against the proposed lithium mining project near Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge.
Aug. 1, 2025
S4E24: Desert Communities Need Public Broadcasting Now
We discuss crucial topics affecting public media, including funding cuts to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and their impact on stations serving rural and tribal communities.
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