This is the second installment of a miniseries about amphibian conservation and determination called For the Frogs. In each episode, we will meet to one native amphibian that can be found in California's national forests. These creatures are important to ecological health and can deepen our connections with public lands, but they are also in a stat…

This is the first installment of a miniseries about amphibian conservation and determination. We're calling the miniseries For the Frogs. In each episode, we will meet to one native amphibian that can be found in California's national forests. These creatures are important to ecological health, and once we get to know them, they can deepen our conn…

In this episode, we learn how to snow groom trails. Uh, wait, scratch that, we try to learn. We travel to the Shasta-Trinity National Forest in March to meet up with Jeremiah Tabor, a Recreation Technician, and speak to him about his job, seasonal tasks, and how do you get that corduroy look in groomed trails.…

There are portals within many national forests that offer entry into realms of the most curious forms of biodiversity. These underground chambers and hallways are called lava tubes or caves. In these landscapes below the ground, tiny creatures creep in the shadows in costumes of faded hues. Their pallor is paired with neighboring life forms that sp…

The gray wolf (Canis lupus) became extirpated, or locally extinct, in California in the 1920s. But this large member of the dog family was once a native species in California that ranged widely here and throughout much of the United States. In recent years, gray wolves have been returning to California. Their slow comeback is a natural progression …

The Pacific Southwest Research Station is part of the Forest Service's research and development organization. R&D employs more than 500 scientists as well as several hundred technical and support personnel located at 67 sites throughout the U.S. In this episode, we focus on three employees to share who they are and what they do at the station.…

When it comes to getting perspective on forest health, sky-high observations are a big help in California. With over 30 million acres of forested land throughout the state, there is a lot of ground to cover. So, each summer, Forest Service aerial tree survey specialists spend several weeks in the aircraft gathering observations on tree mortality in…

[Croak. Ribbit. Croak. Ribbit.] This is the anthem of Frog Fridays. This May-time wildlife survey is held within a stream on the Tahoe National Forest, where foothill yellow-legged frogs lay their eggs. Each outing is part training exercise, part data collection for future habitat restoration and part protection mission. And it is where we will lit…

Species are designated as endangered when their population is in significant decline, which often means documentation of these species in their natural habitat is increasingly challenging. Perhaps as difficult as landing on a conclusive verbal description of how they look. But knowing where endangered species, like the fisher, are in the landscape …

National Forests are locations where we can listen to a concert of wildlife sounds. The caws, croaks, howls, growls and squeaks we might hear are gems of information about wildlife and their habitat. The USDA Forest Service and partners work together to conserve and restore land that wildlife species need to survive but to avoid unintended negative…

This is the audio version of our first Videocast from one of the four Cone Camps held in 2023. The camps are built around a day in the classroom and a day in the field. Participants network and learn from industry experts from American Forests, USDA Forest Service, CAL FIRE, and the California Cone Corps. On the agenda: cone phenology, monitoring a…

In the episode we learn the valuable connection between beavers and meadows. In a meadow, the squish of mud and splash of a slightly flooded landscape are signs of health. It can be easy to overlook meadows with national forests, perhaps simply because our attention is more often drawn to things that fill a space - a lake, a mountain, a grove of tr…

Have you ever wondered why some trees — in certain locations, a lot of trees — are brown and dying? The connection between bark beetles, drought and tree mortality is a topic of this episode and how researchers are looking into making trees less attractive...to bark beetles, not tree huggers.By USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region

In this episode, we'll meet Forest Service conservation geneticist Dr. Jessica Wright within a post-fire landscape on the Plumas National Forest. In collaboration with others out there with her, Jessica is planting three very different tree species - ponderosa pine, incense cedar, and valley oak, within an experimental plot as part of a study on as…

Springtime is defined as an early or flourishing stage of development, and after a wildfire damage the landscape, we sometimes see teams of people replanting trees within the burn scar during the early part of the year. Jamie Hinrichs helps explain reforestation efforts in a very special place in the forest.…

In this episode, we return once again to our series on Nature's Benefits. Today, we will focus on a benefit you can't see. Well, you can see the effects of it... it's a bit hard to explain. Luckily for me, we have Lara Buluc back to handle the reins, along with experts to talk about: Carbon.By USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region

In this episode, we learn about tree disease and how it affects forest health from Jamie Hinrichs. Jamie was featured in Episode 29 - Trails and Transformation when she took us to the Inyo National Forest backcountry to hear from a California Conservation Corps trail crew. Expect to hear more from Jamie and her adventures into the forest in future …

In this episode, we focus on another nature's benefits: recreation. This continues our series on the many benefits forests provide so let's take a long hike and chat about how we understand outdoor activities. The diverse landscapes and climates in California's 18 National Forests provide many outdoor recreation opportunities to nearly 24 million p…

In this episode, we meet up with a backcountry trail crew on the Inyo National Forest. California Conservation Corps members and the United States Forest Service staff tell us what it takes to live and work on the trail. As we shall soon learn, the combination of partnership, funding from the Great American Outdoors Act, the true grit brings transf…

In this episode, we focus on how reforestation and restoration projects begin. It all starts with a seed. What happens when a national forest in California needs to replant trees after the damage of a wildfire, insects or other harmful activity that has scarred the landscape? What they need are seedlings adapted to grow in specific elevations and c…

National Forests are loved by many people for many things beyond the recreational benefit they provide. We will tie in Episode 22: Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month with another amazing benefit carved into the national forest landscape: History. Historical markers can be found throughout California's forests, parks, cities and towns th…

In this episode, we focus on National Invasive Plant, Pest and Disease Awareness Month. With the U.S. Forest Service under the Department of Agriculture there is certainly a connection between these harmful invaders and the threat they pose to our nation's food security, backyard gardens and natural resources. Episode 26: National Invasive Plant, P…

In this episode we focus on our collaboration with the State of California and particularly CAL FIRE. Since 2015, the U.S. Forest Service and our partners have received roughly $209 million in grants fudning for work on and around National Forest System lands. This funding is managed by CAL FIRE's Forest Health and Fire Prevention grant programs, w…

In this episode, we focus on National Native American Heritage Month and speak with a former Modoc National Forest employee about his career, his Choctaw heritage, and his chance of a lifetime to work with Bison and the Modoc Nation. Episode 24: Native American Heritage MonthBy USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region

In the episode, Ted Weller, an ecologist with the Pacific Southwest Research Station, helps us go batty for bats. Each year, Bat Week is observed the week before Halloween and is used by bat enthusiasts, scientists, conservation groups, and others to educate the public, dispel myths, and bring attention to the struggles they face. The beneficial im…

In this episode, we focus on Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by speaking with three employees about their childhood, how they got involved in the Forest Service and more. So, join us in welcoming a hydrologist, a shared stewardship coordinator, and the acting National Forest Stewardship Program manager in Incorporative Forestry. …

We learned in Episode 19 about Ecosystem Services or Nature's Benefits in an introduction-type show. This show, we dive back in with Part 2 of that series with our first forest benefit spotlight shining on - Water. A research associate with the Public Policy Institute of California Water Policy Center joins us to talk about this critical need. Epis…

In this episode, we speak with Sarah LaPlante, a Forest Service employee, about her challenges of working as a District Ranger on the Stanislaus National Forest during the COVID-19 pandemic and balancing her workload with her new role as a mother. Episode 20: This Is Who We Are—Working During The Pandemic…

The focus of this episode is recycling. What happens when a large wildfire requires the creation of a fire camp or incident command post, where hundreds or even thousands of personnel support the firefighting effort? The amount of trash that accumulates could match that of a small town. We speak with the National Greening Fire Team, ambassadors, an…

Millions of us understand what the benefit of being outdoors has on our mind, body, and spirit. But, what other benefits does the natrual world provide on your national forests? Well, this episode we explore how nature benefits our daily lives with an introduction into ecosystem services, otherwise known as nature's benefits. Episode 19: Nature's B…

In this episode we explore backcountry and wilderness packing with the Pacific Southwest Region's Pack Stock Center of Excellence. Have a listen to a tradition, one covered in over a hundred years of trail dust, that is still critical and relevant today in supporting fire management, ecosystems and forest management. Episode 17: Pack Stock Center o…

In this episode, Steve Dunsky, a videographer and historian of the Forest Service for more than 30 years, speaks with Char Miller about the 50th anniversary of NEPA, the National Environmental Policy Act. Episode 16: NEPA's 50th AnniversaryBy U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region