Border Episodes

Kate Scott reports from a tree sit in Lochiel, where activists occupied the last of four landmark cottonwoods after contractors destroyed the others for double-wall construction through the San Rafael Valley.

Russ McSpadden documents plans for a second wall through Organ Pipe and Cabeza Prieta, including damage to sacred geoglyphs, groundwater and wildlife habitat made possible by sweeping REAL ID Act waivers.

Chris follows Colorado River water through irrigation districts, alfalfa fields, dairies and beef production, showing why livestock feed dominates consumptive use and how food choices intersect with tribal rights, farm policy and river survival.

Laiken Jordahl describes the unusually broad Big Bend coalition opposing border-wall construction, where ranchers, conservationists and local officials are defending wildlife, the recovering Rio Grande and cross-border community life.

Conservation biologist Nick Graver explains how climate change, invasive grasses and human-caused fire undermine Joshua tree recruitment—and why shutdowns and federal cuts obstruct the long-term research and coordination recovery requires.

Andrea Hoerr explains why 27 miles of border wall through the San Rafael Valley would fragment a major wildlife corridor, damage waterways and threaten exceptional grassland biodiversity—and how residents are organizing resistance.

Rubén Martinéz reads an essay connecting the deadly U.S.–Mexico border desert with the spiritual desert of monastic retreat, exploring migration, silence, trauma, faith and the possibilities of refuge.

Mason Voehl celebrates Rover Critical Minerals' withdrawal from lithium exploration near Ash Meadows and explains how local residents, conservation groups and legal advocacy produced a rare desert-protection victory.

Basin and Range Watch co-founder Kevin Emmerich explains how Nevada's Greenlink West transmission project threatens desert tortoise habitat, rare plants, cultural sites and intact landscapes while serving industrial growth.

A lyrical argument against border violence traces migrant deaths across the Sonoran Desert and asks listeners to imagine a borderland restored to wildlife, Indigenous communities and human freedom.

Humane Borders chair Laurie Cantillo describes placing and maintaining life-saving water stations in the Sonoran Desert while confronting migrant deaths, militarization and disinformation at the U.S.–Mexico border.

Three surprising examples show deserts protecting human health and climate: tortoise blood suppressing tick-borne bacteria, desert soils storing carbon, and desert pavement reducing harmful dust.

Chris examines why diversity, equity and inclusion are inseparable from desert protection, from Indigenous dispossession and border militarization to inequities within the environmental movement itself.

Mason Voehl explains how community organizing and scientific advocacy produced an interim halt to new mining claims near Ash Meadows—and what must happen to secure a 20-year mineral withdrawal.

Season Four opens with the Los Angeles fires, the designation of Chuckwalla National Monument, and the emerging Moab-to-Mojave network of protected lands across the Southwest.

Released on Election Day 2024, this episode argues that voting is only one part of protecting North America's deserts and calls for sustained public engagement, advocacy, and participation in environmental decisions.

Chris Clarke talks with Ben Goldfarb about road ecology: roadkill, habitat fragmentation, altered hydrology, wildlife crossings, tortoises, pronghorn, and the far-reaching ecological effects of transportation infrastructure.

Chris Clarke talks with Kyle Roerink about Colorado River over-allocation, proposed dams and diversions, direct lithium extraction in Green River, and difficult choices facing Lakes Mead and Powell.

Surviving and thriving in desert heat require a combination of knowledge, preparation, and vigilance. Understanding the immediate dangers, recognizing early symptoms of heat injuries, and taking practical precautions can help ensure safety for everyone venturing into these extreme conditions. By sharing these insights, we can better equip ourselves and our communities to handle the increasing temperatures and enjoy the desert’s unique beauty responsibly. Become a desert defender!: https://90m...

Great Salt Lake is shrinking, threatening an ecosystem of hemispheric importance to migratory birds. Chris Clarke travels to Utah to examine efforts to protect the lake and the Wilson's phalarope, a remarkable shorebird that depends on saline wetlands during its enormous migrations. Scientists and advocates consider whether the Endangered Species Act could provide another tool for protecting both the bird and its habitat, while Utah residents gather at the State Capitol to demand action for the lake.

The U.S.–Mexico border wall doesn't divide only people. It cuts across wildlife habitat, migration routes, watersheds, and some of North America's most biologically diverse desert landscapes. Chris Clarke talks with conservation scientist Myles Traphagen of Wildlands Network about the ecological consequences of border barriers and the humanitarian crisis unfolding alongside them. They discuss wildlife movement, habitat fragmentation, border policy, and what a more humane and ecologically informed approach to the border might look like.

Arizona's Great Bend of the Gila holds an extraordinary concentration of Indigenous cultural sites, wildlife habitat, and largely intact Sonoran Desert landscape. Chris Clarke talks with advocates Skylar Begay and Mike Quigley about efforts to secure permanent protection for the region. They discuss its cultural and natural history, threats from development and destructive recreation, habitat for species including Sonoran pronghorn, and why protecting the Great Bend means recognizing a landscape shaped by thousands of years of human history.

Groundwater and surface water may have different names, but ecologically they're often the same resource. Chris Clarke talks with Patrick Donnelly of the Center for Biological Diversity about a major Nevada Supreme Court decision involving Coyote Springs, a proposed desert city whose groundwater pumping could damage the Muddy River and endangered wildlife. The ruling affirms Nevada's ability to consider interconnected groundwater and surface-water systems together, with potentially important consequences for water management throughout the state's arid landscapes.

Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most extraordinary desert oases on Earth, home to crystal-clear springs and species found nowhere else. This episode explores the refuge's unique ecology, the conservation challenges it faces, and why protecting desert water is vital for preserving biodiversity throughout the Southwest.