Episodes

Ironwood trees are among the ecological giants of the Sonoran Desert, supporting hundreds of species while helping entire ecosystems flourish. In the Season 1 finale, we celebrate this extraordinary tree, explore its biology and importance, and reflect on the first year of 90 Miles from Needles with thanks to the listeners who made it possible.

Despite decades of habitat loss and declining populations, there are still reasons for optimism about the Mojave Desert tortoise. This episode explores the threats facing this iconic reptile, the conservation efforts showing promise, and why protecting connected desert habitat remains essential to its recovery.

The debate over protecting California's western Joshua tree continued long after the initial proposal for legal protection. This episode provides an update on the political and scientific discussions surrounding the species and explains why decisions made today will shape the future of one of the Mojave Desert's defining plants.

At a demonstration in the Nevada Mojave, environmental advocate Shannon Salter discussed the growing pressures facing the desert Southwest and the campaigns working to protect public lands and wildlife. Together we explore grassroots organizing, effective advocacy, and why individual voices continue to make a difference.

Conservation work can be exhausting, especially when environmental setbacks seem relentless. In this personal episode, Chris reflects on activist burnout, the emotional challenges of protecting the desert, and the encouraging successes that remind us why the work is still worth doing.

The colorful balloons released at celebrations often end their journeys tangled in desert vegetation or scattered across remote landscapes. This episode looks at the surprising environmental impacts of mylar balloons, answers listener questions about Joshua Tree National Park, and explores how small choices can have lasting consequences for the desert.

Extreme drought and catastrophic flooding can seem like opposites, yet both are becoming defining features of the modern Southwest. This episode examines recent events in Death Valley and the Great Salt Lake, exploring what they reveal about climate change, water management, and the future of desert landscapes.

Bristlecone pines are among the oldest living organisms on Earth, surviving for thousands of years in some of the harshest environments imaginable. This episode pairs their extraordinary story and new threats to the trees with a reflection on resilience, asking what keeps people motivated to continue protecting the desert even when progress feels slow.

Mesquite, palo verde, and ironwood are often called the bean trees of the desert, providing food, shelter, and stability for countless other species. This episode explores the remarkable ecology of these legumes while also sharing how listeners can support independent desert journalism and conservation.

Desert heat is unforgiving, but many tragedies can be prevented with preparation and good decision-making. This episode offers practical advice for staying safe during extreme heat while explaining why deserts become dangerous so quickly when people underestimate the conditions.

Summer monsoons shape life across the deserts of the Southwest, bringing relief from extreme heat and sustaining plants and wildlife. This episode explores how the North American Monsoon works, why it varies from year to year, and what scientists are learning about its future in a changing climate.

Edward Abbey remains one of the most influential—and controversial—writers ever to write about the American desert. This episode takes a thoughtful look at Abbey's ideas, his enduring influence on environmentalism, and the ways his legacy continues to inspire both admiration and debate.

Phil Klasky devoted decades to protecting California's deserts, including the successful effort to stop a radioactive waste dump in Ward Valley. This episode honors his life and legacy while revisiting one of the most important environmental victories in modern desert conservation.

The western Joshua tree has become the center of one of California's most recognizable conservation battles. This episode explores the threats facing this iconic species, the debate over legal protections, and why the future of the Joshua tree is closely tied to the changing climate of the Mojave Desert.

The world's leading climate report contains thousands of pages, yet deserts often receive surprisingly little attention. This episode examines how the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change addresses arid lands, what was overlooked, and why deserts deserve a much larger role in conversations about climate change and adaptation.

For years, scientists believed this remarkable desert fish had disappeared forever—until an extraordinary rediscovery changed everything. This episode tells one of the desert's greatest conservation success stories and explores how determined scientists and conservationists helped bring a species back from the brink.

Coyotes are among the most adaptable animals in North America, thriving in deserts, suburbs, and cities alike. This episode explores the fascinating biology and behavior of coyotes while offering practical advice for peacefully coexisting with one of the Southwest's most misunderstood predators.

Wildflowers are among the desert's greatest spectacles, but many native plants are facing mounting pressures from climate change, invasive species, and habitat loss. This episode explores the ecology of desert wildflowers, why superblooms happen, and what disappearing flowers can tell us about the health of desert ecosystems.

For generations, the American West has relied on the assumption that water could always be found somewhere. That era is ending. This episode examines drought, the Colorado River, and the changing realities of water management across the Southwest, asking what the future of desert communities will look like as water becomes increasingly scarce.

Cima Dome was once home to the world's largest Joshua tree forest—until the 2020 Dome Fire transformed the landscape. This episode tells the story of one of the Mojave Desert's most iconic places, the fire that changed it forever, and the surprising signs of renewal now emerging across the burned landscape. It's a story about resilience, ecological change, and hope.

The Dixie Valley toad lives in just one warm spring in Nevada, making it one of North America's rarest amphibians. This episode explores the conservation fight to protect the species from geothermal development and examines how a tiny desert toad became the center of a much larger debate about renewable energy and biodiversity.

Welcome to 90 Miles from Needles, a podcast about the deserts of the American Southwest and the people working to protect them. In this inaugural episode, hosts Chris Clarke and Alicia Pike introduce the show's mission, explore why deserts deserve far more attention than they receive, and preview the science, politics, history, and storytelling that will shape future episodes. Whether you're a lifelong desert lover or a curious newcomer, this is where the journey begins.

A brief description of what we'll be doing with the podcast, partly to answer questions and partly to get practice with our equipment. All flaws and glitches included for transparency's sake. Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/ninetymilesfromneedles) Support our show!: https://90milesfromneedles.com/patreon See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Become a desert defender!: https://90milesfromneedles.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.