Allegheny County isn’t as green as it used to be. In the last five years, 11,044 acres of trees were lost. The nonprofit Tree Pittsburgh is trying to figure out why.
These little shorebirds are an endangered species in the Great Lakes region. But they’re making a comeback thanks to conservation efforts and even some heroics.
The Erie Bird Observatory will continue the long-running bird banding program at Presque Isle. One of the founders, Mary Birdsong, says studying birds is the first step to learn and appreciate the natural world.
Western Pennsylvania has rich biodiversity and large chunks of forests, but looming threats. A new effort will prioritize funding to save wildlife like brook trout and golden-winged warblers in key regions to restore forests and waterways.
A group of physicians has compiled every scientific study and credible report they can find about the public health risks of fracking. One of their conclusions: No amount of regulation makes fracking safe.
Kara Holsopple likes to tell environmental stories that surprise listeners, and connect them to people and places nearby, and in the wider world. Kara is a lifelong resident of southwestern Pennsylvania, except for her undergraduate years at Sarah Lawrence College. She earned a masters degree in professional writing from Chatham University, and has been a features writer for regional magazines. Kara got her start in radio working with Pittsburgh Indymedia’s Rustbelt Radio. She produced "The Allegheny Front Rewind" series, celebrating the show's 20th anniversary, and her work has been heard on The Environment Report, Inside Appalachia and Here & Now. One summer she read all of Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple & Poirot detective novels.
