Épisodes

  • Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 42: Crawling in Caves

    Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 42: Crawling in Caves
    Feb 11 2026
    There are portals within many national forests that offer entry into realms of the most curious forms of biodiversity. These underground chambers and hallways are called lava tubes or caves. In these landscapes below the ground, tiny creatures creep in the shadows in costumes of faded hues. Their pallor is paired with neighboring life forms that sparkle when hit by a flashlight, as if dusted with glitter. And these subterranean spaces are also archives that contain records of our Paleolithic and climatic past. To explore within, a readiness for crawling will be required. Fortunately, we have an experienced caver to show us the way.
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    22 min
  • Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 43: Snow Groomer: A Recreation Technician's Artistry

    Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 43: Snow Groomer: A Recreation Technician's Artistry
    Feb 11 2026
    In this episode, we ride along with a Recreation Technician from the Shasta-Trinity National Forest while he grooms 55 miles of trails for snowmobilers and ask him more about his work throughout the year, how does he make that corduroy pattern, what is that big red button for, and other hard snowball hitting questions. Then, we get behind the wheel. How hard can it be?
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    42 min
  • Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 40: Pacific Southwest Research Station 101

    Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 40: Pacific Southwest Research Station 101
    Feb 11 2026
    In 2024, the Pacific Southwest Research Station was part of the Forest Service's research and development organization. R&D employed more than 500 scientists, as well as several hundred technical and support personnel, located at 67 sites throughout the U.S. In this episode, we focus on three employees to share who they are and how they have contributed at the station.
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    1 h et 57 min
  • Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 41: Wandering after Wolves

    Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 41: Wandering after Wolves
    Feb 11 2026
    The gray wolf (Canis lupus) became extirpated, or locally extinct, in California in the 1920s. But this large member of the dog family was once a native species in California that ranged widely here and throughout much of the United States. In recent years, gray wolves have been returning to California. Their slow comeback is a natural progression of population growth happening in others western states. Wildlife specialists with the USDA Forest Service and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife are working together to monitor and conserve this recovering species by looking for signs of their whereabouts with boots on the ground, satellite collars, and DNA analysis.
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    38 min
  • Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 39: Tree Mortality from a Bird's-Eye View

    Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 39: Tree Mortality from a Bird's-Eye View
    Feb 11 2026
    When it comes to getting perspective on forest health, sky-high observations are a big help in California. With over 30 million acres of forested land throughout the state, there is a lot of ground to cover. So, each summer, Forest Service aerial tree survey specialists spend several weeks in the aircraft gathering observations on tree mortality in lands of all ownerships.
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    14 min
  • Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 36: Seeing Our Forests With Sound

    Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 36: Seeing Our Forests With Sound
    Feb 3 2026
    National Forests are locations where we can listen to a concert of wildlife sounds. The caws, croaks, howls, growls and squeaks we might hear are gems of information about wildlife and their habitat. The USDA Forest Service and partners work together to conserve and restore land that wildlife species need to survive but to avoid unintended negative impacts on wildlife, it is essential to know what species are in a forest and where they are located.
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    22 min
  • Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 37: Finding Fishers

    Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 37: Finding Fishers
    Feb 3 2026
    Species are designated as endangered when their population is in significant decline, which often means documentation of these species in their natural habitat is increasingly challenging. Perhaps as difficult as landing on a conclusive verbal description of how they look. But knowing where endangered species like the fisher are in the landscape and how many of them are there, is essential for their conservation and recovery.
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    21 min
  • Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 38: Frog Fridays

    Forest Focus Podcast — Episode 38: Frog Fridays
    Feb 3 2026
    [Croak. Ribbit. Croak. Ribbit.] This is the anthem of Frog Fridays. This May-time wildlife survey is held within a stream on the Tahoe National Forest, where foothill yellow-legged frogs lay their eggs. Each outing is part training exercise, part data collection for future habitat restoration and part protection mission. And it is where we will literally get our feet wet in wildlife conservation.
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    22 min