Outside/In

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. 5 days ago

    A dry river runs through it

    Albuquerque and the Rio Grande go hand in hand. The river cuts right through town, which means if you leave your office at closing time, you could have your feet in the water before 6.  But, not this past summer. This August, along the river’s middle section, more than a hundred miles ran dry. What scientists have warned about for decades – the gradual aridification of the desert Southwest – finally arrived in Albuquerque.  So, what was it like for the people who flocked to the river daily? Our producer Marina Henke went to Albuquerque to hear from them directly. Featuring Laura Paskus, David Gutzler, Matt Springer, Kim Eichorst and Alida Davila. Produced by Marina Henke. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org   CONNECT WITH US Outside/In is made possible with listener support. ⁠Click here⁠ to join our Patreon and get ad-free episodes of the podcast.  To share your questions and feedback with Outside/In, leave a voicemail on our listener hotline, 1-844-GO-OTTER, or email outsidein@nhpr.org. We answer questions about nature, climate change, sustainability, humans and evolution, and more. No question is too serious or too silly.  Follow Outside/In on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, or join our private ⁠discussion group on Facebook⁠. ADDITIONAL MATERIALS Laura Paskus wrote a whole book about climate change in New Mexico. It’s called ⁠At the Precipice⁠. ⁠You can also find her work on Substack.  You can find out more about the Bosque Ecosystem Monitoring Program (BEMP) ⁠here⁠. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    A dry river runs through it
  2. 19 Aug

    City Summer, Country Summer

    Growing up, Kiese Laymon thought of himself as a city kid. But he spent his childhood with a foot in two worlds: his mom’s house in the capital city of Jackson, Mississippi and his grandma’s house in a rural country town. It wasn’t until Kiese left Mississippi that he came to understand that this question of city versus country actually meant a lot more. It carries a lot of baggage: the tensions between north and south, tectonic historical forces, and the contradictions of life in Mississippi. In this episode, originally published in 2025, our producer Justine Paradis sits down with writer Kiese Laymon for a conversation on this question of country versus city, what that has to do with the history of Black life in this country, and the story of Kiese’s first children’s picture book, his latest in a lifelong exploration of a complicated love of Mississippi. Featuring Kiese Laymon. Produced by Justine Paradis. For full credits and transcript, visit outsideinradio.org. SUPPORT Outside/In is made possible with listener support. Click here to join our Patreon and get ad-free episodes of the podcast.  Follow Outside/In on Instagram, TikTok, or join our private discussion group on Facebook. ADDITIONAL MATERIALS Kiese Laymon’s first children’s book, City Summer, Country Summer.  If you’d like to read more by Kiese, we recommend “Da Art of Storytellin’ (A Prequel)”, his essay about Outkast, his grandmother, and stank. (Oxford American) Kiese adapted City Summer, Country Summer from this 2020 prose-poem essay. (New York Times) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    City Summer, Country Summer

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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

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