On this week’s Earth and Beyond program, host and producer Robin Song tells of a very infrequent sighting in the northern Susitna Valley. Text follows photos of some of the flowers at Birch Creek Ranch.

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It’s not everyday you get to check your number one item off your Bucket List, but it happened for me on August 17^th. For those who know me, it will come as no surprise that that item was a bird. A very special bird, for Alaska. (more…)

This is an altered photo (turned 180 degrees) to give the idea of what you might see AFTER the occultation on Monday. Venus has just “popped” out from behind the non-illuminated right side of the Moon.
Photo from a Canadian website, wildernessastronomy.com

In this Earth and Beyond program, StarDate Susitna writer and producer Kathleen Fleming explains the activities of La Luna, increasing darkness, the Perseid meteor shower, and the occultation of the crescent moon and Venus.

Earth and Beyond host and producer Kathleen Fleming reports on her experiences viewing the May Solar Eclipse and the June Transit of Venus from California. She also tells about Talkeetna locals’ viewing of these events. Audio runs about ten and a half minutes.

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 Photos by Kathleen Fleming, leafy tree photo by NASA

Host and producer Robin Song had the good fortune to cross paths with a least weasel, and it held still long enough for a couple photos! Audio for this Earth and Beyond program runs about six minutes thirty seconds. Text follows.

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Folks who’ve lived in Alaska awhile know about weasels. Encounters and stories abound. Fearless little animals, they can be seen at any time of the year, just about anywhere. In winter they turn snow-white. (more…)

Earth and Beyond host and producer Robin Song describes some of her observations of spiders, insects, birds, and a bat this season,  and the ways the web of nature is all connected. Audio runs  7 min 12 sec. Photos by Robin Song. Text follows photos.

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With another Alaska summer in full swing, life is burgeoning. From flowers to bears, everything is busy cramming what they need to do into a few short months. (more…)

In this Earth and Beyond program, host and producer Robin Song tells about a less familiar but easily recognized  fish-eating bird of prey, the osprey, which find unusual places to nest. Audio is 6 min 42 sec, text follows photos.

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Ospreys are magnificent raptors. The adults are distinctively brownish-black above and pure white below, with a wing span of 4 ½ to 6 feet and a body length averaging 23”. They have a white head with a dark eye stripe. (more…)

Photos by Robin Song

Host and producer Robin Song hikes and does some birding in the Anchorage bowl on summer solstice. Audio is 6 min 36 seconds. Text follows.

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 The plan for my annual Solstice hike was to make a trek up Campbell Creek Valley on the north side of Flat Top Mt in the Anchorage Bowl. I headed for Anchorage on the 20^th of June, Lyra riding beside me in the car. (more…)

Photos by Robin Song: Wilson’s warbler in May Day tree, crab spider, Lincoln’s sparrow, Lyra, gray jay with bumblebee, trumpeter swans

Earth and Beyond host and producer Robin Song finds some sunshine in the first half of June, and, as always, some interesting observations of the natural world in the northern Susitna Valley. Audio runs 8 min 40 sec. Text follows.

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Waking up and discovering yet another day of rain starting is a bit daunting to my spirit. Moisture can be disastrous to sensitive digital cameras, so my photo ops have been very limited so far this summer.

On June 5^th and 6^th we had what has become rare sunny weather. The May Day tree was in bloom in front of the cabin and full of insects and birds. (more…)

Fun run, photo by Diana Haecker

Earth and Beyond writer and host Dan Harrell covers a lot of ground in this show, including upcoming local trail races, and his dilemma of the stress of race training versus enjoying his runs and introducing his young son to the joys of getting outside to play. How does he decide to spend his precious hours of “off-time” this summer?

Listen to find out! 

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