Outside/In

In Aspen, Colorado, bears descend from the mountains to gorge on unlocked restaurant dumpsters. In India, drunk elephants crash into bodegas searching for food. And behind these human-wildlife conflicts are the researchers and scientists who are trying to prevent us from killing each other. Author Mary Roach is no stranger to squirmy subjects: she’s written about the science of decomposition, digestion, and sex. By comparison, her latest book sounds almost cute: It’s called Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law. But don’t be fooled, because this book is “wilder” than anything else she’s ever written.Reminder: you don’t need to read the book to enjoy Outside/In Book Club! The conversation is open to all. In this episode, we speak with Mary about humanity’s drive to keep wild animals out of our kitchens, communities, and crops, and the absurd -- and sometimes disturbing -- lengths we’ll go to do it. Our next pick for the Outside/In Book Club is Rising: Dispatches from the New American Shore, by Elizabeth Rush. Again, you don’t have to read it to enjoy the show, but if you do,  don’t forget to tag us @OutsideInRadio on Twitter and Instagram, and use the hashtag #ReadingOutsideIn to share your thoughts and questions.SUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our newsletter.LINKSMore about Mary RoachCREDITSProduced by Taylor Quimby and Jessica HuntEdited by Justine ParadisExecutive Producer: Rebecca LavoieMixed by Taylor QuimbyAdditional Editing: Jessica Hunt, and Felix PoonTheme: Breakmaster CylinderAdditional Music by Blue Dot Sessions Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Who moved the giant monolithic statues of Rapa Nui, a remote island in the South Pacific? And how did they do it? These questions have been at the center of much speculation and debate since Europeans first arrived there on Easter Sunday, 1722, and called it “Easter Island”. The most popular theory was that this remote civilization destroyed itself -- cutting down all the trees to make contraptions for moving statues.But according to the indigenous people of Rapa Nui, their ancestors didn’t need to cut down any trees to transport the statues. In fact, their oral history has always been clear about how the moai were transported.This is a story about storytelling: what happens when your community becomes the subject of a global mystery? A parable of human failure and ecological collapse? What’s the true story? And who gets to tell it?Featuring: Sergio Rapu Haoa, Carl Lipo, Terry Hunt, Sergio Mata’u Rapu, and Gina PakaratiSUPPORTOutside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our newsletter.LINKSA profile of Sergio Rapu Haoa for the 2002 Rotary World Peace Scholars program at BerkeleyEating Up Easter -- a documentary film produced by Sergio Mata’u Rapu, about how the people of Rapa Nui are grappling with environmental and social changes brought on by tourism and economic development.The NOVA-National Geographic DocumentaryA team of 18 volunteers move a 10-foot 5-ton statue for the NOVA-National Geographic documentary, Mystery of Easter IslandA figurine animation demonstrating five different theories of moai-transport through the years.Mystery of Easter Island -- The NOVA-National Geographic Documentary in its entiretyLectures by Terry Hunt and Carl LipoNational Geographic Live Lecture -- Terry Hunt and Carl Lipo: The Statues That WalkedLong Now Foundation Lecture: The Statues Walked -- What Really Happened on Easter Island | Terry Hunt and Carl LipoCREDITSReported and produced by Felix PoonEdited by Taylor QuimbyExecutive Producer: Rebecca LavoieMixed by Felix PoonAdditional Editing: Justine Paradis, Jessica Hunt, Rebecca Lavoie, and Erika JanikSpecial thanks to Effie Kong, and Daniela Allee for her Spanish and Rapanui voiceovers.Theme: Breakmaster CylinderAdditional Music by Blue Dot Sessions Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There’s a type of travel industry which defines itself as different: ecologically minded, even “responsible.” It’s a type of travel meant to support the conservation of threatened ecosystems. This is not just tourism, but “ecotourism.” This specific brand of tourism is a crucial part of the plan to conserve the Great Himalayan National Park in northern India, a gorgeous patchwork of forests, glaciers, mountains, and rare wildlife. From one perspective, the strategy is working: tourism is on the rise, which provides jobs to locals and incentivizes conservation. But from another perspective, the very thing meant to help conserve the area might also be one of its biggest threats. In our last episode, journalist Yardain Amron reported on the conservation strategy -- and the controversy -- around the creation of the GHNP in the 1980’s and ‘90s. Here, Yardain turns to 21st century ecotourism, and explores just how much the Tirthan Valley of India is changing. Who profits from tourism based on exploring wilderness? And just how eco-friendly is ecotourism? Featuring Raju Bharti, Karan Bharti, Dimple Kamra, Upi Kamra, Rosaleen Duffy, Stephan Marchal, Robert Fletcher, Narottam Singh, and a traveler named Nishant. Translation by Vibha Kumar. SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter. LINKS To learn more about this approach to conservation, check out our episode on the origins of Yellowstone National Park, “Fortress Conservation.”  Dorceta Taylor, “The Rise of the American Conservation Movement.” Bram Buscher and Robert Fletcher, “The Conservation Revolution.” CREDITS Host: Justine Paradis Reported and produced by Yardain Amron Edited by Taylor Quimby with help from Justine Paradis Executive Producer: Rebecca Lavoie Mixed by Yardain Amron and Taylor Quimby Additional Editing: Felix Poon and Jessica Hunt Special thanks to: Guman Singh, Tony Gaston, and Hema Marchal. Theme: Breakmaster Cylinder Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Great Himalayan National Park in India is among the most dramatic landscapes on Earth. Count the layers in a single panoramic photo of the park and you might see mountains, glaciers, old-growth forests, and alpine meadows. But National Parks are defined by two things: first, an abundance of wildlife and majestic landscapes; and second, no permanent human presence. So, before anybody was ever invited to visit the park, authorities first told about 15,000 local people to stay out. This episode is the first of two stories reported by freelance journalist Yardain Amron.  In this tale, he explores the strategies of conservation at work in India’s Tirthan Valley, and what it took to create The Great Himalayan National Park over the course of two decades. What does it mean to “protect” the natural world? Who is doing the protecting, and who should it be protected from? SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter. LINKS To learn more about this approach to conservation, check out our episode on the origins of Yellowstone National Park, “Fortress Conservation.” Dorceta Taylor, “The Rise of the American Conservation Movement.” Bram Buscher and Robert Fletcher, “The Conservation Revolution.” CREDITS Host: Justine Paradis Reported and produced by Yardain Amron Edited by Taylor Quimby, with help from Justine Paradis Executive Producer: Rebecca Lavoie Mixed by Yardain Amron and Taylor Quimby Additional Editing: Felix Poon and Jessica Hunt Translation: Vibha Kumar Special thanks to Guman Singh and Tony Gaston. Theme: Breakmaster Cylinder Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We introduce our new mailbag segment: the Outside/Inbox, where we answer your questions about the natural world. This time:  Question 1: What are those blue boxes sticking out of East Coast salt marshes? Question 2: A bunch of wasps swarmed into my friend’s bowl of ramen and died. What poisoned the wasps?  Question 3: Did life begin on Earth just once? Or could it have happened multiple times during the same period? Question 4: If you ironed out all the mountains in a place like New Hampshire - how much bigger would the surface area of the state be? Do you have a question about the natural world? Submit it to the Outside/Inbox! Send a voice memo to outsidein@nhpr.org or call our hotline: 1-844-GO-OTTER. Featuring: Gabrielle Sakolsky, Luke Steller, Jared Dyer, Debbie Maciecki, Larry Garland, and Russell Congalton SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter. CREDITS Produced and Reported by Taylor Quimby, Jessica Hunt, Justine Paradis, and Felix Poon Host: Justine Paradis Edited by Taylor Quimby Additional Editing: Cori Princell and Rebecca Lavoie Executive Producer: Rebecca Lavoie Mixed by Taylor Quimby, Jessica Hunt, Justine Paradis, and Felix Poon Theme: Breakmaster Cylinder Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Once upon a time, potpourri was a popular way to freshen up a space. Now, for some, it feels a bit like the lava lamp of fragrance: an outdated fad from a bygone decade. So, why was potpourri so popular in the 1980’s, and what happened to it? Did the trend dry up… or just evolve? We explore the transformation of potpourri, from the fermented mush of the Victorian era to the perfumed and colorful bag of pine cones of the eighties, and talk to a few of the people still making potpourri today. Featuring: Yvette Weaver, Carly Still, Laure Moutet, Autumn Anderson, Paulus, and Ednita Tingle. SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter. LINKS An 1895 recipe from Sweet from Sweet Scented Flowers and Fragrant Leaves for 50-year moist potpourri (the recipe begins on page 42). From Death Scents: more fascinating info on the history of medieval trends that predate potpourri and the rise of “rotten pot” potpourri. Fragrant Potpourri Preserves the Floral Scents of Summer: A 1975 NYT article that bridges the gap between moist and dried potpourri recipes. A 1988 Glade Potpourri Spray commercial CREDITS Hosted by Justine Paradis Reported and produced by Taylor Quimby Edited by Justine Paradis Executive Producer: Rebecca Lavoie Mixed by Taylor Quimby Additional Editing: Felix Poon and Jessica Hunt Special thanks to Rosalyn LaPier, Mark Nesbit, and to NHPR’s voices from the ‘80s: Nick Capodice, Josh Rogers, Emily Quirk, Patricia McLaughlin, Rick Ganley, and Rebecca Lavoie. Theme music by Breakmaster Cylinder Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions and Ben Nestor Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Science journalist and sci-fi novelist Annalee Newitz thinks and writes a lot about the future. But in their latest book, Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age, Annalee looks at the distant past in four ancient cities: Pompeii (of the Roman Empire), Angkor (of the Khmer empire in modern day Cambodia), Catalhoyuk (the first known city in the world in today’s Turkey), and Cahokia (an indigenous city near what’s now St. Louis, Missouri). Through these four cities, Annalee explores the past to understand our future. And, in the face of the existential threat of climate change, we talk about what the stories of these cities can tell us about humanity’s possible future. The next Outside/In book club pick is Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach. It comes out on September 14, 2021. Don’t forget to tag us @OutsideInRadio on Twitter and Instagram, and use the hashtag #ReadingOutsideIn to share your thoughts and questions about Four Lost Cities or Fuzz! SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with member-support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. Subscribe to our newsletter LINKS Four Lost Cities: A Secret History of the Urban Age CREDITS Host: Justine Paradise Written and reported by Felix Poon Edited by Justine Paradise, Erika Janik, and Taylor Quimby Executive Producer: Erika Janik Mixed by Felix Poon Music by Breakmaster Cylinder Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, we’re sharing an episode from The Experiment, a podcast from The Atlantic and WNYC that tells “stories from an unfinished country.” Sign up for the Outside/In newsletter. Each episode explores elements of the experiment that is the United States, from the evangelical influence on American politics to alcohol use in the United States… and to “America’s best idea:” its national parks. In an essay for The Atlantic, David Treuer, an Ojibwe author and historian, says we can make that idea even better—by giving national parks back to Native Americans. “By virtue of the parks returning to Native control, I would like people, when they’re standing at the foot of El Capitan, to look up knowing they’re on Native lands, to look up knowing that they’re standing on the graves of Native people,” says Treuer, who grew up on the Leech Lake Reservation in northern Minnesota as the nearby Voyageurs National Park was being established. “I would like, when people look up at vistas, like at Yosemite or at Yellowstone, that they’d look up as a way to look back at the history of this country.” Outside/In is a member-supported production of New Hampshire Public Radio. You can donate at outsideinradio.org/donate. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As we wave off our erstwhile host as he moves on to new adventures, we recall a drive through the mountains and assemble (what else?) a riotous montage. Sign up for the Outside/In newsletter. If you’ve got a question for the Outside/In[box] hotline, give us a call! We’re always looking for rabbit holes to explore. Leave us a voicemail at: 1-844-GO-OTTER (844-466-8837). Don’t forget to leave a number so we can call you back. One more throw-back of Sam, one of our more “creative” fundraising ideas from a few years back. Outside/In is a member-supported production of New Hampshire Public Radio. You can donate at outsideinradio.org/donate. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

To be profitable, the offshore wind industry requires vast sums of money only accessible to some of the world’s biggest companies. But is the environmental movement ready to welcome oil majors and devoted capitalists into their ranks? Ready or not, here they come. Windfall is the story of a promising renewable technology and the potential of wind power in a changing climate. It’s a story about who has the power to reshape our energy future. Featuring: Henrik Stiesdal, Nat Bullard, Jason Jarvis, and Mijin Cha. Part 5 of 5. SUPPORT Windfall is made possible with member-support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Subscribe to our newsletter. LINKS A note about our reporting process CREDITS Co-hosts: Sam Evans-Brown and Annie Ropeik Written and reported by Sam Evans-Brown Senior Producer: Jack Rodolico Executive Producer: Erika Janik Mixing: Justine Paradis Fact-checking: Sara Sneath Editors: Erika Janik, Annie Ropeik, Justine Paradis, Felix Poon, and Hannah McCarthy Special thanks to Sandeep Pai, Bo Quinn, Sammy Roth and Kim Delfino. Music: Ben Cosgrove, Blue Dot Sessions, and Breakmaster Cylinder Windfall Graphic Design: Sara Plourde Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.