Park City radio episode highlights local bird census, conservation books and community science
A KPCW episode aired December 9 covered the Park City area Christmas bird count, local natural history writing, and reclaimed land management stories, offering residents context on species monitoring and conservation. The broadcast emphasized community science participation, cultural interest in naturalists past and present, and implications for local conservation and the winter economy.
KPCW aired an episode of This Green Earth on December 9, 2025 at 2:05 PM MST that focused on local species monitoring and conservation minded reading. The roughly 55 minute and 41 second program opened with local birder Nate Brown guiding listeners through this year s Park City area Christmas bird count, including discussion of which species turned up and how citizen observations contribute to broader monitoring efforts. That segment began at 01 minutes and 30 seconds of the program.
Hosts Claire Wiley and cohost Chris Cherniak framed the count as local data gathering with tangible value for land managers and community planners. Community science counts such as this supply repeated observations over time, enabling officials and conservation groups to detect shifts in species presence and timing that can signal habitat change. For Summit County residents those signals matter for decisions about open space management, winter trail maintenance, and habitat protections that intersect with seasonal tourism and recreation economies.
The episode also featured a segment at 17 minutes and 48 seconds with Beth Tobin discussing her book Loving Insects, which profiles early American artist and naturalist John Abbott and his specimen hunting. Tobin s account tied local interest in natural history to a longer tradition of documenting species, reinforcing why local records matter today. A rebroadcast started at 38 minutes and 05 seconds with award winning science journalist Judith Schwartz discussing The Reindeer Chronicles and stories about working with nature to heal landscapes.
From an economic perspective, ongoing monitoring and public engagement support the county s outdoor recreation economy by informing habitat stewardship that visitors and residents value. Reliable species records can strengthen grant applications for habitat projects and guide municipal investments in infrastructure that protect wildlife while sustaining winter visitation. Over the long term, sustained citizen participation in projects like the Christmas bird count helps create the datasets needed to adapt policy to shifting climate and land use patterns.
This Green Earth offered Summit County listeners both local reporting and practical context, connecting volunteer observation, conservation literature, and policy relevant implications for the community.
