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PODCAST

Nature Notes

Marfa Public Radio

Why do rattlesnakes rattle and hummingbirds hum? How do flowers market themselves to pollinators? Why do tarantulas cross the road? Nature Notes investigates questions like these about the natural world of the Chihuahuan Desert region and the Llano Estacado. Through interviews with scientists and field recordings, this Marfa Public Radio original series reveals the secrets of desert life. Join host Dallas Baxter for new episodes on each week on Thursdays. Episodes are written and produced by Andrew

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All Episodes

4:00

At Indio Mountains, Scientists Track the Secret Lives...

Nature Notes ·

2026/10/01

Rock rattlers are small, rarely exceeding 2 ½ feet. Their coloration reflects their environment. Rock rattlers in limestone landscapes are typically light grey, while those found in the Davis Mountain are often pink.

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4:00

While the Risks Here are Low, West Texans Are Still...

Nature Notes ·

2026/09/28

Alpha-gal Syndrome is a potentially dangerous allergy to red meat, and it’s transmitted by the lone star tick. The tick gets its name not from our state, but from the single white spot found on the backs of females.

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4:00

In New Research, Alpine Geologist Traces the Forces...

Nature Notes ·

2026/09/10

The American West is slowly being torn apart by tectonic forces. One element of this “extension” is the Rio Grande Rift, a growing rip in the continent, traced by the river itself, from Colorado to Big Bend.

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4:00

On the Rio Grande’s “Forgotten Reach,” Border Wall...

Nature Notes ·

2026/09/03

The Trump administration’s planned 30-foot-high border wall, stretching more than 160 miles from Hudspeth County to the western boundary of Big Bend Ranch State Park, will impact a landscape as wild as any in Texas, with profound impacts for both desert wildlife and desert science.

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4:00

Border Projects Could Complicate the Return of Bears...

Nature Notes ·

2026/08/27

How will the Trump administration’s new border-infrastructure projects impact these bears? Scientists at Alpine’s Borderlands Research Institute, or BRI, are seeking answers to this timely question.

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4:00

Archeologists Mobilize as Border Projects Threaten...

Nature Notes ·

2026/08/20

In the coming months, the Trump administration’s construction of border barriers could impact hundreds, even thousands, of archeological sites in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands, where the Pecos River and Devils River join the Rio Grande

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4:00

With Community Science, Big Bend BioBlitz Documents...

Nature Notes ·

2026/08/17

The Trump administration’s plans for an unprecedented expansion of border-policing infrastructure in Big Bend have also triggered an ambitious scientific initiative. The Big Bend Borderlands BioBlitz aims to document the biodiversity here before it’s damaged or destroyed.

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4:00

From Balmorhea to Big Bend, Geologist Jesse Kelsch...

Nature Notes ·

2026/07/23

Alpine geologist Jesse Kelsch is seeking insight into the groundwater that sustains the San Solomon Springs as part of her broader research into the region’s aquifers.

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4:00

Trans-Pecos Wildlife Conference to Connect...

Nature Notes ·

2026/07/16

August 5th to 7th, the Trans-Pecos Wildlife Conference will bring together landowners and scientists – to explore practical solutions for sustaining our region’s wild creatures.

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4:00

At Hueco Tanks, Archeologists Discover Hundreds of...

Nature Notes ·

2026/07/09

Hueco Tanks, east of El Paso, will always inspire wonder. Its red volcanic mountains create a desert oasis. And the prehistoric imagery painted on its cliffs and cave walls is deeply evocative.

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4:00

Seeking the “Blue Birds of Happiness” in West Texas

Nature Notes ·

2026/07/02

Far West Texas is home to several species of azure-hued avians. Some of these bird species are full-time residents, while others are summering now in our region.

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4:00

When It Comes to Birds, the West Texas Summer is Red Hot

Nature Notes ·

2026/06/25

Each spring, hepatic tanagers journey from as far away as Central America to the Chisos, Davis and Guadalupe mountains, to breed in the Ponderosa pine forests of these West Texas sky-island ranges.

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4:00

Amidst Changing Landscapes, Scaled Quail are West...

Nature Notes ·

2026/06/04

Scaled quail – also known as blue quail and “cottontops” – are quintessential creatures of the arid grasslands and the dominant quail species in West Texas. Researchers at Alpine’s Borderlands Research Institute are learing how adaptable these seemingly vulnerable creatures are.

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4:00

Montezuma Quail: Alpine Researchers Unlock the...

Nature Notes ·

2026/05/28

Montezuma quail are an avian conundrum. They’re among the most visually stunning birds in Far West Texas: The males have sky-blue bills, black-and-white striped faces and chestnut bellies covered in white polka dots. But they’re also masters of concealment. You could spend a lifetime here and never see one.

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4:00

The Wild West of Weevils: Entomologist Robert...

Nature Notes ·

2026/05/21

Robert Anderson, a senior research scientist at the Canadian Museum of Nature, has journeyed from South America to Southeast Asia studying this group of insects. And in our region, he’s discovered creatures previously unknown to science, including some found nowhere else on Earth.

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4:00

Exploring the “Weird White World” of Parks Ranch Cave

Nature Notes ·

2026/05/14

An interstate might seem an arbitrary boundary. But an attentive West Texas traveler driving north of Interstate 10, on Highway 54 from Van Horn to the Guadalupe Mountains, can see they’ve entered a different landscape.

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4:00

Puchy

Nature Notes ·

2026/04/29

Órale, the onda this week of Caló is puchy. It comes from the name of the Mayan god of Death, Ah Puch, who’s iconic representation is that of a rotting corpse. In Caló, puchy is the expression one would use to express revulsion or even nausea over something or someone. “Puchy! Who has the upset stomach back there?”

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4:00

In Planning a Mars Mission, Scientists Find an Analog...

Nature Notes ·

2026/04/16

How can we limit our contamination of other planets? And how can we prevent bringing potentially harmful life forms back home? To address those questions, scientists have turned to an unlikely place: Carlsbad Cavern.

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4:00

Wild Women for Good: April 25th Book Event Celebrates...

Nature Notes ·

2026/04/09

On April 25th, Alpine’s Front Street Books hosts an event to celebrate the publication of “Wild Women for Good,” from Texas A&M University Press.

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