Chris Martin
Host, Something WildChris Martin has worked for New Hampshire Audubon for over 31 years as a Conservation Biologist, specializing in birds of prey such as Bald Eagles, Ospreys, and Peregrine Falcons.
Chris Martin has climbed to eagle nests in Alaska's Katmai National Park, counted seabirds near the Aleutian Island archipelago, coordinated Peregrine Falcon restoration at Lake Superior’s Isle Royale, and studied how a southern Indiana forest responded after a devastating tornado.
Since moving from the Midwest to New Hampshire in 1990, Martin has worked frequently with colleagues at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and other agencies to recruit and train volunteer wildlife observers. He has advised electric utilities on how to establish safe nesting sites for Ospreys, partnered with rock climbers to collect Peregrine Falcon eggs to sample for contaminants, and studied New Hampshire's only known breeding population of American Pipits in the alpine zone atop Mt. Washington.
Martin received an Environmental Merit Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Boston in 2006 for outstanding efforts in preserving New England's environment. “I love motivating folks to document what's happening with wildlife populations in the Granite State, and also helping people hone their wildlife observation skills. That's one of the reasons why contributing to Something Wild is so much fun.”
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Sue Morse’s wildlife tracking courses are training citizens to look and listen to their natural surroundings, to collect data, and to get involved in conservation planning. -
The North American river otter population is doing swimmingly! They are found in abundance in New Hampshire’s waterways, but they can be hard to spot until winter brings them out to play on the ice and snow.
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In the new year, resolve to get outside, be still, listen and observe. And revisit Jane Yolen's Owl Moon for inspiration to go owling.
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Something wildly obsessive drives us to clean-up or “improve” the woods near our homes, dragging branches and tree trunks into piles, which are often fuel for a bonfire. But letting those brush piles decay provides benefits for the forest.
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The rough-legged hawk is an Arctic visitor that spends the winter in New Hampshire. It has a unique ability to hover in mid-air while hunting, and tracks its prey using UV vision.
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We talk with the Maine state moose biologist, about the state’s study of an innovative moose population management approach. Does fewer moose mean fewer winter ticks, and a healthier moose population?
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Some years there are more acorns than others, because oak trees follow a boom or bust cycle. What does this mean for the animals that depend on acorns for food — and for humans?
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The season of falling apples and longer nights has arrived. Whether you go to an orchard, or stumble across a wild apple tree, it’s a chance to use all your senses.
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A book explores how to prowl for an owl, make snail slime and catch a frog bare-handed.
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It can be hard to embrace the transition to fall, with shorter days and cooler temperatures. The subtle songs of birds in fall is a sweet reminder of summer if you listen carefully.
