Come Rain or Shine

What's the first thing you think of when you hear “bat”? Some people might be scared of these flying mammals. But bats do so much for our ecosystems and our economies – and they need our help to overcome declining populations. In this episode of Come Rain or Shine, we interviewed Dr. Kristen Lear, director of the Agave Restoration Initiative with Bat Conservation International (BCI).

BCI works to conduct bat research, protect and restore their habitat, and educate the public on why bats are so important. Kristen talks to us about the biggest threats bats are experiencing, how BCI is...

If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? In this episode of Come Rain or Shine, we interviewed Zander Evans and Cody Dems, respectively the executive director and Southwest program manager, of the Forest Stewards Guild. Based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Guild supports ecologically, economically, and socially responsible forestry through active stewardship, outreach, and education.

Evans and Dems talk about how they got interested in forestry, the collaborative nature of their work, and the importance of working in and across communities to create...

Water is one of the most important resources in the Southwest. What can we learn from a climate adaptation professional who has spent decades in this line of work? In this episode of Come Rain or Shine, we interviewed Kathy Jacobs, Professor Emeritus in Environmental Science at the University of Arizona. Jacobs was also the founder and director of the Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions at the University, under the Arizona Institute for Resilience. 

Jacobs recently retired from her multi-decade career focused on water resources and climate adaptation and assessment. She reflects on highlights and i...

Rock glaciers, ice worms and wolverines, oh my! In this episode of Come Rain or Shine, we interviewed Dr. Scott Hotaling, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Watershed Sciences and the Extension Climate Resiliency Specialist at Utah State University (USU). Hotaling leads the USU Climate Change in Mountains Lab, where he explores how mountain ecosystems in the western U.S. and elsewhere are impacted by a shifting climate. Hotaling studies mountain water resources and biodiversity, with an emphasis on rock glaciers – large masses of debris-covered ice that flow downhill. 

Dr. Hotaling discussed his diverse wor...

What are "May Gray" and "June Gloom"? How does the southwestern U.S. monsoon season impact low-level clouds on the California coastline? In this episode, we talked with Dr. Rachel Clemesha, a Project Scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California - San Diego, to help answer those questions. Dr. Clemesha's research focuses on the climate of coastal California and western North America. She examines climate extremes, marine layer clouds and fog, relationships between regional weather phenomena and large-scale climate variability, and explores the consequent impacts on public and ecosystem health.

Dr. Clemesha spoke...

In this episode, we spoke with Roy Petrakis, a Geographer with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Geographic Science Center. Roy’s expertise includes using remote sensing and GIS to understand how landscapes in the southwest are changing over time, including shifts in wildfire behavior, vegetation dynamics, and water availability. His research addresses wildfire and fuel treatments, climate variability, watershed management, and more.

He talked with us about the long-standing partnership between the San Carlos Apache Tribe and the USGS, where collaborative research supports land management decisions and riparian restoration efforts. From tracking invasive species like ta...

In this episode, we spoke with Dr. Camille Stevens-Rumann, interim director of the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute at Colorado State University and associate professor in the Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship. Dr. Stevens-Rumann’s research focuses broadly on disturbance ecology, including post-fire forest recovery. She examines how ecosystems respond to disturbances like wildfire, to help improve restoration and management strategies. She shares how fire regimes in the western U.S. are changing, what drives extreme wildfire events, and how the presence of a specific type of tree can help mitigate fire risk.

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A snow drought happening across the western U.S. is creating dramatic shifts. In this episode, we spoke with Dr. McKenzie Skiles, Director of the Snow Hydrology Resarch-to-Operations Laboratory (Snow HydRO Lab) and associate professor at the School of Environment, Society & Sustainability at the University of Utah. Dr. Skiles specializes in snow monitoring, modeling and remote sensing, and investigates the impacts of mineral dust and other light-absorbing particles on snow. She explained why changing snowfall and snowmelt patterns have implications for recreation and water security in the west.

To learn more about Dr. Skiles and her research...

In this episode we spoke with Dr. Flavie Audoin, an Assistant Professor in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona and Assistant Rangeland Management Specialist for the UA Cooperative Extension. Dr. Audoin’s research examines solutions for livestock producers who are seeking to raise animals and manage rangelands in a sustainable way. She talked with us about how targeted grazing can help minimize invasive plants and reduce wildfire risk, and shared the potential benefits and drawbacks of new virtual fence technology.

If you’re enjoying this podcast, plea...