If you’ve spent any amount of time exploring the fields, forests, or rivers of New Hampshire through Something Wild on NHPR, you’ve heard Chris Martin’s familiar voice—warm, steady, and brimming with delight for the natural world. After 16 years of co-hosting the beloved segment alongside Dave Anderson of the Forest Society, Chris is retiring from the show.
You can listen to Chris's last show as co-host, here.
“New Hampshire is blessed with truly amazing natural beauty and with people who appreciate the importance of nature in our daily lives, “ says Chris Martin. “I’ve been honored to share this gift with NHPR listeners through our collaboration here on Something Wild.”
For decades the program has invited listeners to slow down and notice the birds overhead, the stone walls threading through our woods, the giant trees anchoring our sense of place.
And for the past 16 years, Chris has been a familiar voice guiding that curiosity, helping us understand not just what we’re seeing, but why it matters.
“What makes Chris’s segments so memorable isn’t just his knowledge, but the way he carries it,“ says Something Wild producer Jessica Hunt. “He always has a sense of wonder, and he’s delighted to learn something new.”
“Being part of Something Wild has been one of the great joys of my career. If I’ve helped anyone feel more connected to the wild places around them, then I’ve done what I hoped to do.”Chris Martin
But Chris's impact reaches far beyond the radio waves.
Long before he ever stepped into a recording booth, Chris Martin had already spent decades safeguarding New Hampshire’s raptors.
As a NH Audubon wildlife biologist for over 35 years, he coordinated recovery and monitoring efforts for Bald Eagles, Peregrine Falcons, and Ospreys—species that today soar more widely thanks in part to his persistence and partnership with state and federal agencies.
"I can't think of anyone else who has had as direct, lasting and significant a positive impact on New Hampshire raptor populations,” says Dave Anderson, co-host of Something Wild. “On his watch, several local raptor populations have experienced historic rates of recovery."
More recently, Chris has focused on the state-endangered Northern Harrier, guiding efforts to keep this graceful marsh-dwelling raptor nesting in the Granite State.
So… what’s next?
Stepping into Chris’s role is a voice many listeners already know: Grace McCulloch, community science project leader at NH Audubon.
“We protect what we love,” Grace says. “If I can help people fall in love with the birds and habitats around them, that’s the best kind of conservation work.”Grace McCulloch
Grace brings a deep commitment to wildlife conservation and an infectious enthusiasm for connecting people to the natural world.
In 2024 she completed a master’s degree at the University of New Hampshire, where she studied Saltmarsh Sparrows—a vulnerable species whose entire nesting cycle is shaped by the rhythm of tides. Her field days included everything from falling into marsh holes to recapturing the first bird she ever banded.
“It’s impossible not to fall in love with nature when you’re surrounded by it every day,” Grace says. “I hope to bring that sense of love and passion to my work as I connect people to science and to the real impact they can have right here at home.”
Grace has conducted bird surveys in northern Vermont, supported education programs at the Schoodic Institute in Acadia National Park, and recently worked as a graduate research fellow at Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, advising on best practices for working in salt marshes where vulnerable birds nest.
She currently serves on the board of the Seabrook-Hamptons Estuary Alliance working to preserve, restore, and advocate for the estuary’s health and ecosystem services.
At NH Audubon, she now leads New Hampshire Bird Records, NH eBird, the Volunteer Naturalist Program, and the Backyard Winter Bird Survey. And she’s eager to bring her stories, humor, and love of wildlife to Something Wild.
“We protect what we love,” Grace says. “If I can help people fall in love with the birds and habitats around them, that’s the best kind of conservation work.”
As Chris steps back from the show, he does so with immense gratitude.
“Being part of Something Wild has been one of the great joys of my career,” he reflects. “If I’ve helped anyone feel more connected to the wild places around them, then I’ve done what I hoped to do.”
Grace is honored to carry that legacy forward. “Chris is a role model for so many of us,” she says. “It’s a privilege to follow in his footsteps.”
Does this mean Chris’s voice and insights are gone from NHPR’s airwave?
No way. We’ll continue to air favorite episodes, and Chris has said that he’s available to be a guest of the show in the future.
Chris Martin may be retiring, but the birds he dedicated his career to will keep soaring. And thanks to Grace McCulloch, the stories they inspire will keep soaring too.
