Radiolab15 Aug 2025

Weighing Good Intentions

In an episode first released in 2010, then-producer Lulu Miller drives to Michigan to track down the endangered Kirtland’s warbler. Efforts to protect the bird have lead to the killing of cowbirds (a species that commandeers warbler nests), and a prescribed burn aimed at creating a new habitat. Tragically, this burn led to the death of a 29-year-old wildlife technician who was dedicated to warbler restoration. Forest Service employee Rita Halbeisen, local Michiganders skeptical of the resources put toward protecting the warbler, and the family of James Swiderski (the man killed in the fire), weigh in on how far we should go to protect one species.

EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by - Lulu Miller

Signup for our newsletter!! It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!

Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.

Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org.

Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Simons Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(652)

Open Outcry

Jad presents a piece by one of his favorite producers: Ben Rubin. Rubin created this audio portrait called 'Open Outcry' as a part of a sound installation called Sonic Garden commissioned to celebrate...

20 Mai 20089min

Jad and Robert: The Early Years

Ever wonder how Jad and Robert met? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

6 Mai 200819min

Pop Music

This hour of Radiolab: pop music's pull. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

21 Apr 200857min

(So-Called) Life

In a world where biology and engineering intersect, how do you decide what's "natural"? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of pe...

7 Apr 200857min

Laughter

We all laugh. This hour of Radiolab asks why. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

25 Feb 200857min

Our Podcast comes in all shapes and sizes

Jad plays one of his favorite pieces of all time, 'IF' by Sherre DeLys. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for ...

11 Feb 20088min

Salle Des Departs

Imagine that you're a composer. Imagine getting the commission to write a song that will allow family members to face the death of a loved one. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswiz...

29 Jan 200810min

The Ring and I

On this Radiolab/WNYC Special, we explore the impact and influence of Wagner's Ring Cycle on the Metropolitan Opera's 2004 Presentation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com f...

1 Jan 200858min