Natural Selections

NCPR: North Country Public Radio•www.northcountrypublicradio.org

Conversations about the natural world with Dr. Curt Stager and Martha Foley, from member-supported North Country Public Radio.

Last refreshed: July 26th, 2025 at 11:44 AM ⓘ

Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.

Follow on

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

RSS

Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app

Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

The tawny crazy ant is coming to America

(Feb 28, 2019) What can take on the big agressive poisonous fire ants that invaded the U.S. decades ago? The tawny crazy ant, also an import from South America. This new "superorganism" is immune to fire ant poison, and they are displacing the previous invaders. Martha Foley and Curt Stager discuss a new addition to the invasive species list.

Feb 28, 2019•5 min0

Well-dressed birds of the North Country

(Feb 21, 2019) While the North Country is not exactly the tropics, we do have our share of exotically-colored birds. Blue creatures, for example, are rare in nature but we have the bluebird, the blue jay and the indigo bunting. Then there are the goldfinches and the cardinals, the ruby-throated hummingbird and more. Martha Foley and Curt Stager celebrate a little of the local color in colder climes.

Feb 21, 2019•5 min0

You're a moth: How do you defend yourself?

(Feb 7, 2019) The battle for survival among insects is not always carried out with mandible and stinger. This branch of the animal kingdom also employs chemical warfare.

Feb 07, 2019•5 min0

The other polar vortex at the bottom of the world

(Jan 31, 2019) While much of this winter's extreme weather has been blamed on polar vortex weather systems reaching farther south into North America, there is a another polar vortex in the Antarctic.

Jan 31, 2019•5 min0

Why opossums are coming to the North Country, and why they look like they're made from spare parts

(Jan 24, 2019) Opossums may be thought of as a southern animal, but they are becoming more common in the North Country as they expand their range north and west. They are the only marsupial, or pouched mammal, in North America. Martha Foley tells Curt Stager that they look a little weird, as if they were made from parts of other animals: the tail of a rat, the pouch of a kangaroo, funny little hands.

Jan 24, 2019•5 min0

How ice evolves over time

(Jan 10, 2019) Fresh ice, sometimes called black ice, can be nice and clear and great for skating, but after a while ice gets kind of funky.

Jan 10, 2019•5 min0

What isn't a GMO?

(Jan 3, 2019) While genetically modified crops are the result of the intentional introduction of "foreign" genes by humans for a specific agricultural purpose, it turns out that nature uses the same trick all the time.

Jan 03, 2019•5 min0

Humans pass the smell test better than we think

(Dec 27, 2018) Contrary to longstanding theories, the human sense of smell is roughly as acute as that of other mammals, with an equivalent amount of neural hardware devoted to the detection of odors. So why do we seem to be so nose-blind compared to the family dog? Martha Foley quizzes Curt Stager about a sense that often operates unnoticed by our conscious minds.

Dec 27, 2018•5 min0

Plants that punk pollinators

(Dec 20, 2018) Flowers get pollinated, bees get nectar; that's supposed to be the deal. Except that some plants cheat. Known as "food decepters," they advertise rewards they don't deliver. Orchids are notorious for variations on bait and switch, with fully one-third of species giving bupkis to the hard-working insects that help them to propagate their kind.

Dec 20, 2018•4 min0

← Prev

For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android