MTPR - Site Search | Montana Public Radio

Dark, swirling storm clouds seen from below the canopy of a tree

A La Niña event typically lasts from 9 to 12 months, and occurs roughly once every three to five years, often following its counterpart, El Niño. Both events influence weather throughout North America and beyond, though these changes manifest in different ways throughout various regions.

A closeup of a plains spadefoot toad on coarse, wet sand.

The Plains Spadefoot Toad: Singer, Burrower, and Essential Part of the Water Cycle

As spring rains tame the dust of the Montana plains and rinse the grasses briefly to green, spadefoot toads (Spea bombifrons) will stir for the first time in a year and clamber from burrows beneath the soil’s frostline to the surface. There they will congregate in pools of snowmelt and rainwater, and they will sing.

Green crowned brilliant hummingbird feeding on lantana flowers shown in Boquete, Panama.

Birds of an (Iridescent) Feather Flock Together

What do tree swallows, starlings, pigeons, hummingbirds, and mallard ducks all have in common? Besides being birds, of course, each of these species sports iridescent feathers that glimmer and shine when the light hits them.

Dutch national park with an insects hotel in a colorful garden

A Garden for Wildlife

Spending time in nature with its wild creatures has always been a way for me to rejuvenate my creativity, to fill my soul with happiness, tranquility, and relaxation. A way to let go of stress and worries, even for just a little bit. Recently I wondered how I could give back to the wildlife that makes itself at home around our five acres, to help it co-exist and thrive. Wanting to keep this little ecosystem as natural as possible, I came across the web page of the National Wildlife Federation’s Garden For Wildlife.

Mountain goat stands on cliff face in Glacier National Park

Mountain Goats: Fond of Salt, Snow, & Steep Slopes

Mountain goats, which aren’t actually goats but are considered “goat-antelopes” and whose closest relatives live in the Himalayas, prefer to live above the treeline and in high alpine meadows, beyond the usual range of predators like mountain lions. Beyond the range of many humans, too. They are one of the least-studied large mammals in North America.

3 Republicans challenge Rosendale; Democrats concede legislative seats; Knudsen goes to bat for OAN

Montana's latest congressional candidate calls the incumbent an "embarrassment." Democrats concede several legislative seats. A handful of Republicans continue to push for a special session. Rep. Rosendale and Sen. Tester want you to be able to fly without a mask. And Attorney General Austin Knudsen chastises Direct TV for dropping a channel that promotes conspiracy theories.

Hayduke lives!: ‘Was It Worth It?’ author Doug Peacock thinks wilderness is the only thing worth saving

This week, Lauren speaks with American naturalist, outdoorsman, and best-selling author Doug Peacock about his new book of essays, ‘Was It Worth It?: A Wilderness Warrior’s Long Trail Home.’

On the left, a black and white photo of poet Jennifer Huang; on the right, an image of Huang’s colorful book cover, ‘Return Flight’: A figure with dark hair in a red jumpsuit, standing in water and blowing a leaf or a petal into the air above them.

Bodily departures: Jennifer Huang’s ‘Return Flight’

This week, Lauren speaks with Taiwanese poet Jennifer Huang about their debut collection, ‘Return Flight.’

A black and white photo of Jos Charles sits on the left; her new book of poetry, 'a Year & other poems,' sits on the right: a pale yellow cover with a watercolored image in the center (a rainbow and black shape).

“It’s too late for safety”: Jos Charles’s ‘a Year & other poems’

This week during ‘The Write Question,’ Lauren chats with devotional poet Jos Charles, author of ‘a Year & other poems,’ her third full-length collection. These poems endure, as the poet has endured, loss and devastation—California wildfires, housing insecurity, the death of loved ones.

On the left, a black and white photo of the author, Greg M. Peters; on the right, an image of the book cover—the title OUR NATIONAL FORESTS mimics national forest markers with different wildlife and camping symbols spotted around it, all of which is overlaid over an illustrated forest of different color greens and browns.

‘Our National Forests’: Greg M. Peters sees the forest for the trees

This week during ‘The Write Question,’ Lauren chats with Greg M. Peters, author of ‘Our National Forests: Stories from America’s Most Important Public Lands’ (Timber Press).

Search results for