S5E25: The Vaquita Can Still Recover

The vaquita is the world’s smallest and most endangered cetacean, but the handful still living in Mexico’s Upper Gulf of California may be more resilient than recent headlines suggest. In 2025, researchers concluded that there was a 67 percent probability that seven to ten distinct vaquitas had be…

S5E24: Tree Sit at the Border

Border-wall contractors have destroyed three ancient Fremont cottonwoods in Lochiel, Arizona. Estimated to have been 200 to 250 years old, the trees stood in the path of two proposed 30-foot walls through the San Rafael Valley. One landmark cottonwood remains. Activists have occupied it in what ma…

S5E23: Beyond Laws: Building a Movement to Save Our Deserts

Federal environmental laws matter. They have prevented destructive projects, protected wildlife and cultural sites, and given communities a way to challenge powerful interests. But laws are only as durable as the political support behind them. As the Trump administration weakens environmental and …

S5E22: Morgan Sjogren on the War on Utah's National Monuments

On July 13, 2026, President Trump announced new reductions of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, removing protections from nearly three million acres. The action again places Tribal cultural landscapes, wildlife habitat, watersheds and public lands at risk from mining, dri…

S5E21: Don't Mine 29! Australian Company Threatens Joshua Tree

An Australian company has amassed mining claims across roughly 20,000 acres near Twentynine Palms and Joshua Tree National Park. Dateline Resources says its Music Valley project could produce heavy rare-earth elements. Residents and conservationists see the possibility of an enormous industrial ope…

S5E20: Our Love for Fireworks Could Harm the Desert

Fireworks are an American tradition—and a predictable source of wildland fires. Every year, July Fourth produces a sharp national increase in firework-related ignitions, with many occurring in the western United States. In desert landscapes, the danger is growing. Invasive annual grasses now carry…

S5E19: Greenlink West Carves a Costly Path Through Wild Nevada

We visit the Amargosa watershed to discuss Greenlink West, a transmission project now under construction that will ship energy from Vegas-area solar facilities to data centers near Reno. This project not only threatens to enable an explosion of data centers in Northern Nevada, but also incentivizes…

S5E18: Desert Heat: Who Really Pays the Price?

In this timely episode, Chris discusses the best ways to avoid becoming a statistic while hiking during desert heat waves. He also points out that the vast majority of people suffering injury and death from extreme heat have little other choice. Migrants, the incarcerated, and outdoor labor all fac…

S5E17: The Desert Needs Our Voice and We Need Your Help

In the wake of a personal loss and a several-week hiatus, our host Chris wonders about the future of the podcast and whether it's doing what we need it to do to get to the people who need to hear it. Listeners are encouraged to take a few easy and free (or cheap) steps to help spread the word of 90…

Short Update: Explaining Our Brief Hiatus

Content note: sadness. Due to the death of a close family member, we will return on June 5. Listen if you want a few details.  Pet Loss Resources and Support Hemangiosarcoma in dogs Donate to our Fellowship for Desert Reporting