Outside/In

NHPR
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Outside/In: Where curiosity and the natural world collide. Look around, and you’ll find everything is connected to the natural world. At Outside/In, we explore that idea with boundless curiosity. We report from disaster zones, pickleball courts, and dog sled kennels, and talk about policy, pop culture, science, and everything in between. From the backcountry to your backyard, we tell stories that expand the boundaries of environmental journalism. Outside/In is a production of NHPR. Learn more at outsideinradio.org

  1. Red is the warmest color

    4 DAYS AGO

    Red is the warmest color

    There’s few certainties in life. But the sun will always rise, the seasons will change, and the Outside/Inbox will forever remain answered.  From lighthouse paint hues to polar bear lovers, this week the team takes up your questions on all things red.  What makes cardinals red?  Why do albino animals have red eyes? ⁠ ⁠Why are so many lighthouses painted red? ⁠ Do our dogs love us?  ⁠Do some animals have same-sex relationships?⁠ ⁠How do environmental changes affect pair-bonding? ⁠ Featuring Alex Funk, Jeremy D'Entremont, Karyn Anderson, and Francesco Ventura.  Thanks to Outside/In listeners Liz, Tyler, Monica and Lera for their questions. We’re looking for new submissions to the Outside/Inbox! Give us your weirdest, nichest, most bizarre questions you can think of. Send us those questions by recording yourself on a voice memo, and emailing that to us at outsidein@nhpr.org.  Or you can call our hotline: 1-844-GO-OTTER. SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. ⁠Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In. ⁠ Follow Outside/In on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠BlueSky⁠, or join our private ⁠discussion group on Facebook⁠. LINKS Here’s Karyn’s paper on how ⁠same-sex behavior⁠ in animals is far more common than previously thought.  Olney, Illinois is known as “the home of the white squirrels.” Learn more about ⁠how they’re trying to protect these rare albino animals⁠ in this small Midwest town. Here’s the ⁠Northeast District’s 2025 US Light List⁠, which lists an astounding 40,000 different lights, sound signals, and other visual aids to navigation. Francesco Ventura’s paper analyzing divorce rates in albatrosses came out in 2021. ⁠You can find it here⁠.   CREDITS Produced by Marina Henke, Felix Poon and Nate Hegyi. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    32 min
  2. Safe to Drink, Episode 1: You don’t know about this?

    29 JAN

    Safe to Drink, Episode 1: You don’t know about this?

    A New Hampshire town finds out its water has been contaminated by a chemical. The most basic question — whether the water is safe to drink — doesn’t have a clear answer. Nobody seems to know much about this so-called forever chemical, which is weird… because all of this has all happened before. From the Document team at New Hampshire Public Radio, Safe to Drink is a four-part series about a water contamination story that keeps repeating in town after town — and about the people who fought for answers through a maze of chemistry, regulations, and illnesses. You can binge the whole series now: subscribe to Safe to Drink on Apple Podcasts, or check out their page on NHPR’s website.  Reported by Mara Hoplamazian. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Celebrate our 10th anniversary with us! Join the Outside/In team for Stories from Outside on Friday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. at 3S Artspace in Portsmouth. Tickets are available here. Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    33 min
  3. Return of the Kiwi Apocalypse: 10 years of Outside/In

    31/12/2025

    Return of the Kiwi Apocalypse: 10 years of Outside/In

    ** We’re celebrating our 10 year anniversary and want you to come! Join us in Portsmouth, New Hampshire for a night of storytelling, featuring former Outside/In guests and hosted by our very own Nate Hegyi. Get your tickets here! **  In celebration of Outside/In’s 10th anniversary we’re looking back at our very first episode: “The Kiwi Apocalypse,” first published in December of 2015. Afterwards, we’ll get an update to the story and talk about how weird it is to have a podcast old enough to be in middle school.  Here’s our original description for The Kiwi Apocalypse:  Iago Hale has a vision: it’s one where the economy of the North Country is revitalized by local farmers selling delicious cold hardy kiwi berries to the masses. Meanwhile, Tom Lautzenheiser has been battling a hardy kiwi infestation in Massachusetts for years, and is afraid that this fight will soon be coming to the rest of New England. Should we worry about the cold hardy kiwi and what does the quest to bring it to market tell us about what an invasive species is? Featuring Iago Hale, Tom Lautzenheiser and Bryan Connolly. This episode was produced by our original host, Sam Evans-Brown. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Grab a ticket for our 10 year anniversary live show here!  Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    35 min
  4. The FernGully Effect

    17/12/2025

    The FernGully Effect

    When Avatar came out in 2009, it shattered box-office records.  And even though it was billed as a sci-fi epic featuring blue aliens on a far-away moon, the movie didn’t shy away from a pretty Earth-based message of environmental conservation. So, with a third Avatar hitting theaters this weekend, we were inspired to bust out the popcorn, dim the lights, and play the part of pop culture critics.  How do movies – from blockbusters to documentaries to Disney films –  shape our conception of the natural world? Featuring Alyssa Vitale, David Whitley, Salma Monani, and Erin Trahan.  SUPPORT To share your questions and feedback with Outside/In, call the show’s hotline and leave us a voicemail. The number is 1-844-GO-OTTER. No question is too serious or too silly. Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram and BlueSky, or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKS Similar to Avatar, the animation required to pull off Finding Nemo was a technological feat for its time. Here’s a documentary showing you behind the scenes. Listen to all of “Little April Showers” (that catchy tune from Bambi) here.   You can find Alyssa Vitale’s movie reviews on her Youtube channel, Mainely Movies.  Salma Monani’s academic work within ecocinema extends far beyond that of FernGully. Her faculty page at Gettysburg College can be found here. Find some of Erin Trahan’s recent work on her website, including a recent documentary following Michael Dukakis. You can find David Whitley’s book on Disney animation here.  CREDITS  Produced by Marina Henke. For full credits, transcript, and a list of movies mentioned in this episode visit outsideinradio.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    35 min
  5. Operation Night Cat, Episode 1: Why Did the Deer Cross the Road?

    05/11/2025

    Operation Night Cat, Episode 1: Why Did the Deer Cross the Road?

    “Operation Night Cat” is a special three-part series from NHPR’s Document team and Outside/In. Episode 1: Why Did the Deer Cross the Road?  A New Hampshire Fish and Game warden follows a tip to a man’s backyard. He finds a twisted game of one-upmanship with digital trophy rooms. This episode contains strong language. For a full list of credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org.   SUPPORT Operation Night Cat is made possible with listener support. Click here to support independent, investigative journalism.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    31 min
  6. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

    29/10/2025

    Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

    According to our unscientific office poll, the annual changing of the clocks has all the popularity of a root canal. With few exceptions, people described the shift to and from Daylight Saving Time as disorienting, arbitrary, and unwelcome. On a more existential level, winding the clocks back and forth reminds us that no matter how concrete minutes and hours may feel, the way we perceive time is fluid. Time flies when you’re having fun. A watched pot never boils.  So to celebrate (or perhaps protest) another year setting back the clocks, the Outside/In team has uncovered four mini-stories that will poke at, stretch, or even obliterate your perception of time. From “time expansion experiences”, to time-space synaesthesia, to the slow-motion life of a fly, prepare for a totally different type of time warp. Featuring Steve Taylor, Rhitu Chatterjee, Kevin Healy, Katherine Akey, and Patricia Lynne Duffy. This episode was produced by Felix Poon. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKS “To reignite the joy of childhood, learn to live on ‘toddler time’,” by Rhitu Chatterjee, is part of NPR’s special series “Finding Time.” “Can you see time?” (BBC News), by Victoria Gill, includes a drawing depicting an example of what a year might look like to a synesthete. Research reveals which animals perceive time the fastest (ScienceDirect) “When Seconds Turn Into Minutes: Time Expansion Experiences in Altered States of Consciousness,” by Steve Taylor (ResearchGate) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    36 min
  7. Critical Mast

    22/10/2025

    Critical Mast

    Every so often, oak trees go into overdrive. During these so-called mast years, the gentle patter of falling acorns grows into a mighty downpour and ripples across and over ecosystems like a flood.  What happens when a small thing goes from scarce to plentiful? When a player usually hidden behind the scenes vaults onto the main stage?   From swimming squirrels and bug-infested weddings, to an explosion in babies named Oaklee, we investigate the myriad ways a sudden surge in abundance can trigger unexpected consequences.  This episode is part of a playful exercise in community podcasting, with 6 different shows each producing their own stories about or inspired by the mystery of masting, and releasing them at (approximately) the same time.  For other masting stories, check out: Future Ecologies Golden State Naturalist Jumpstart Nature Learning from Nature: The Biomimicry Podcast Nature's Archive We’ll populate this Spotify Playlist with all our stories as they come out! Featuring Jim Salge, Dave Kelly, Lorén Spears, DeAnna Beasley, Claire Adas, David Wilson, Amelia Pruiett, and Cleveland Evans. This episode was produced by Felix Poon, Marina Henke, and Justine Paradis. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org.Editor's Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly referred to "the Church of Latter-day Saints." Their correct title is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.   SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook.   LINKS Check out the “Who remembers The Great Squirrel Apocalypse of 2018?” Reddit thread. You can watch the home video from David and Claire’s wedding. The US Forest Service keeps a helpful map of active cicada broods in North America, and their expected emergences. Nameberry’s 2024 list of the “Reddest and Bluest Baby Names” NPR’s coverage of the “Oakley, Oakley, Oakleigh” trend . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    38 min
  8. The Brick Lady of St. Louis

    08/10/2025

    The Brick Lady of St. Louis

    Ever since a tornado tore through one of St. Louis, Missouri’s poorest neighborhoods, there are piles of bricks all over the place.  It’s not just a debris problem. Bricks in St. Louis have a long and complicated history here – the darling of many historic preservationists and a good source of profit to just as many demolition crews.  Producer Marina Henke spent a week in North City, tagging along with a brick layer who’s racing against the clock to build back homes. Can North City keep its bricks? Should they even try? Featuring Natalie Hughes, RJ Koscielniak, and Rasheen Aldridge. Produced by Marina Henke. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to become a sustaining member of Outside/In.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram or join our private discussion group on Facebook. LINKS The STL Vacancy Collaborative runs a Demolition Dashboard, showing all approved and completed demolitions in St. Louis City.  The 2011 documentary Brick By Chance and Fortune provides a more in-depth look at brick’s history in St. Louis, including its architectural variance.  For a comprehensive social and economic history of St. Louis check out Walter Johnson’s The Broken Heart of America. The apocryphal headline and its report of a struggling St. Louis still exists in the New York Times’ archives: In St. Louis Even the Old Bricks Are Leaving Town.  In 2017, the podcast 99% Invisible took a closer look at St. Louis brick theft. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    34 min
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Hosts & Guests

About

Outside/In: Where curiosity and the natural world collide. Look around, and you’ll find everything is connected to the natural world. At Outside/In, we explore that idea with boundless curiosity. We report from disaster zones, pickleball courts, and dog sled kennels, and talk about policy, pop culture, science, and everything in between. From the backcountry to your backyard, we tell stories that expand the boundaries of environmental journalism. Outside/In is a production of NHPR. Learn more at outsideinradio.org

Information

  • Channel
    NHPR
  • Creator
    NHPR
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    381
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © New Hampshire Public Radio
  • Show Website
    Outside/In

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