Wildlife Episodes
Investigating the unique and often imperiled animal species that call the desert home, from desert tortoises to bighorn sheep, and the threats they face from development, climate change, and human encroachment.
April 15, 2025
S4E12: We Need To Talk About "De-Extinction"
Chris explores the controversial claim of dire wolves' de-extinction, the ecological implications, and the potential risks tied to genetic modification. Get insights into recent political maneuvers, the delicate nature of ecosystems, and why reviving the past isn't as simple as it seems.
Nov. 19, 2024
S3E34: Hope the Mexican Wolf: A Tale of Survival and Loss in Northern Arizona
Join host Chris Clarke as he delves into the poignant tale of Hope, a Mexican wolf, with Greta Anderson from Western Watersheds Project. Discover the politics behind wolf recovery north of Interstate 40, and the broader impli...
Oct. 22, 2024
S3E31: Return of the Lobo: Restoring Texas' Mexican Wolves
About the Guest(s): Chris Clarke is the host of the "90 Miles from Needles: The Desert Protection Podcast." He brings a wealth of knowledge about wildlife and conservation topics, particularly relating to the American Southwe...
Oct. 8, 2024
S3E29: Barbed Wire and Border Walls: The Unseen Cost of Fragmented Habitats
About the Guest : Ben Goldfarb is an award-winning environmental journalist and prolific author known for his focus on the intersection of human activity and wildlife. His works, including Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shapi...
July 24, 2024
S3E22: Debunking Snake Misconceptions
Chris chats with Lucas Basulto, president of the Desert Advocacy Media Network, from a swelteringly hot living room about snakes in the desert. They trade snake stories, discuss common misconceptions about these reptiles, and...
April 3, 2024
S3E10: Can the Wilson's Phalarope Save the Great Salt Lake?
Episode Summary: In this thought-provoking episode of "90 Miles from Needles," the Desert Protection podcast, we journey with the host to the shores of the rapidly shrinking Great Salt Lake and the steps of the Utah State Cap...
Dec. 25, 2023
S2E16: Protecting Desert Bighorn Sheep from Habitat Loss and Disease
About The Guest(s): Dr. Christina Aiello is a bighorn sheep biologist and research associate with Oregon State University. She has dedicated her career to studying and conserving desert wildlife, particularly desert tortoises...
July 11, 2023
S2E10 Save Ash Meadows!
Mason Voehl from the Amargosa Conservancy joins hosts Chris Clarke and Alicia Pike to discuss the threat posed by a Canadian mining company's plans to conduct exploratory drilling for lithium near the Ash Meadows National Wil...
Jan. 18, 2023
S2E2: Remembering Phil Pister
Edwin P. (Phil) Pister, who died January 17, was a fisheries biologist long employed by the California Department of Fish and Game (now Fish and Wildlife.) He was involved in working to protect numerous fish in Eastern Califo...
Nov. 7, 2022
S1E21: The Desert Tortoise Still Has a Chance
The largest reptile in the Mojave faces threats ranging from predation to illegal collection to loss of habitat. But the desert tortoise has defenders. We talk to Tim Shields of Hardshell Labs about his campaign to use 21st c...
April 1, 2022
S1E7: This Desert Fish was Declared Extinct. Now It Thrives.
Considered extinct by the late 1950s, the Shoshone pupfish was rediscovered 36 years ago by a woman who changed her entire town to preserve the species. We talk to Shoshone resident Susan Sorrells about her life and the fish,...
March 16, 2022
S1E6: Co(yot)existence — how to live with coyotes
They're more complicated than the howling silhouette on your bespoke candle holder from Santa Fe, and more interesting. Chris and Alicia discuss living with coyotes in the desert, what they offer, what they don't offer, and h...
Jan. 17, 2022
Saving the Dixie Valley Toad
Discovered only in 2017, the Dixie Valley toad is found only in one 400-acre hot spring wetland in remote Nevada. Guess where a giant geothermal corporation is ready to build a wetland-draining power plant? We talk to Patrick...