90 Miles from Needles: the Desert Protection Podcast

Chris Clarke
  • 4.9 (53)
  • Nature
  • Updated Biweekly

Join Chris Clarke and a variety of guests as they explore the challenges and opportunities of the American Southwest's fragile ecosystems. Engaging interviews with experts, activists, and advocates on conservation, land management, and environmental justice. Science and sentiment, politics and philosophy, hiking and history, culture and creativity all go into defending the desert. Be forewarned: We are out to recruit you to the cause.

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  1. Aug 14

    S5E26: Maps, Vanished Lakes, and Two Desert Squirrels

    We think of range maps as static representations of where plants and animals belong. It doesn't often occur to us that maps are just snapshots of a constantly changing world. In the Mojave Desert, two sister species of desert ground squirrel coexist nearly side by side. A field guide's range maps will tell you where those species live right now. But those maps also convey hints out of Deep Time, and those hints can explain not only why the squirrels live where they do, but also how the two species evolved in their own directions. Host Chris Clarke shares the story of those sister species: the Mohave and Round-tailed ground squirrels. One is doing well and is abundant. The other has been designated as a threatened species. Each of them is a library of history... if we know how to read them. Chris also announces the launch of our Fellowship for Desert Reporting: prospective Fellows can start by filling out the application form at https://thedamn.org/fellowship-application. Resources  Mohave ground squirrels California Department of Fish and Wildlife: Mohave Ground Squirrel Species overview, conservation status, recordings and access to the state conservation strategy. CDFW Mohave Ground Squirrel Philip Leitner, “Current Status of the Mohave Ground Squirrel: An Update Covering the Period 2013–2020” Reviews the animal’s current distribution, apparent losses from portions of its historical range and continuing conservation concerns. Status update PDF Mohave Ground Squirrel Technical Advisory Group CDFW’s archive of technical documents and meeting materials from researchers, agencies and other specialists. Technical Advisory Group Mohave Ground Squirrel Conservation Council: Publications A bibliography covering the species’ taxonomy, ecology, genetics, distribution and conservation. Publications list Separation, contact and hybridization Kayce C. Bell and Marjorie D. Matocq, “Regional Genetic Subdivision in the Mohave Ground Squirrel: Evidence of Historic Isolation and Ongoing Connectivity in a Mojave Desert Endemic” Animal Conservation 14 (2011): 371–381. Examines genetic structure and historical isolation within Mohave ground squirrel populations. Article and abstract Philip Leitner, Jennifer S. Rippert and Marjorie D. Matocq, “Genetic Structure Across a Contact Zone Between Xerospermophilus Ground Squirrels in Southern California” Western North American Naturalist 77 (2017): 152–161. Documents both species and genetically admixed animals near Hinkley. It also reports expansion across the former barrier of no more than approximately 30 kilometers—an average of no more than five meters per year. Full article “Distribution and Genetic Status of Xerospermophilus Ground Squirrels in the Barstow Region” Includes useful maps of trapping records and genetically identified Mohave, round-tailed and hybrid or backcrossed animals around Barstow and Hinkley. CDFW-hosted report Mojave River and vanished lakes Marith C. Reheis et al., “Geomorphic History of Lake Manix, Mojave Desert, California: Evolution of a Complex Terminal Lake Basin” Geomorphology 392 (2021). A detailed modern synthesis of the lake basin’s development, changing river routes, tectonics and climate history. USGS publication page USGS: Surficial Geology and Stratigraphy of Pleistocene Lake Manix Detailed geologic mapping of Lake Manix, its component basins and the deposits exposed by the Mojave River and Afton Canyon. USGS Lake Manix map and report Marith Reheis and Joanna Redwine, “Lake Manix Shorelines and Afton Canyon Terraces: Implications for Incision of Afton Canyon” Discusses the overflow of Lake Manix and relatively rapid initial incision of Afton Canyon at approximately 25,000 calibrated years ago. USGS publication record USGS: Mojave River and Associated Lakes An accessible introduction to the Mojave River, Lake Manix, Lake Mojave and the modern Soda and Silver Lake playas. Mojave River and Associated Lakes Range maps and Joshua trees USGS: High-resolution distribution maps for western and eastern Joshua trees Describes empirical and modeled range maps for Yucca brevifolia and Yucca jaegeriana across four states. USGS Joshua tree distribution study Smith et al., “Genome-Scale Data Resolves the Timing of Divergence in Joshua Trees” American Journal of Botany 108 (2021). Estimates that the two Joshua tree species diverged approximately 100,000–200,000 years ago. Journal article Become a desert defender!: https://90milesfromneedles.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    S5E26: Maps, Vanished Lakes, and Two Desert Squirrels

  2. Aug 7

    S5E25: The Vaquita Can Still Recover

    The vaquita is the world’s smallest and most endangered cetacean, but the handful still living in Mexico’s Upper Gulf of California may be more resilient than recent headlines suggest. In 2025, researchers concluded that there was a 67 percent probability that seven to ten distinct vaquitas had been observed in the study area. That was a count of animals seen, not an estimate of the species’ total remaining population. Researchers also found evidence that vaquitas are continuing to reproduce. Dr. Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho, one of the world’s leading vaquita experts and chair of the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita, joins Chris Clarke to explain why the species is not necessarily doomed by its small population. Surviving vaquitas appear healthy, continue to produce calves, and retain the genetic capacity to recover—if people stop killing them in gillnets. The vaquita is also a desert porpoise. Its only habitat lies in a marine ecosystem made exceptionally productive by its desert setting. Evaporation, concentrated saltwater, tides, wind, and upwelling continually move nutrients through the Upper Gulf. Although the loss of Colorado River flow has profoundly changed the delta and harmed some species, Rojas-Bracho says there is no evidence that food scarcity or habitat degradation is driving the vaquita’s decline. The principal threat is bycatch in gillnets used for shrimp, fish, sharks, and especially totoaba. Totoaba swim bladders command extraordinary prices in an illegal international market, bringing organized crime into a conservation problem already complicated by government resistance and the legitimate needs of fishing communities. Saving the vaquita requires eliminating gillnet deaths while developing fishing gear and markets that allow Upper Gulf communities to make a living without driving another species to extinction. About the Guest Dr. Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho has studied the vaquita for decades and helped establish the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita, known as CIRVA, which he has chaired since its creation. His research has addressed vaquita abundance, bycatch, genetics, habitat, fisheries policy, and the species’ prospects for recovery. He is affiliated with the National Marine Mammal Foundation and has worked extensively with Mexican and international scientists, conservation organizations, fishing communities, and government agencies. Quotable Moments “Vaquitas are strong animals. If you stop killing them, they will recover. It’s amazing how resilient they are.” “I would be satisfied if I see the population trend being positive, or at least not declining. I can die peacefully if I see that.” “We cannot be stupidly optimistic, but we are optimistic because the data shows that we can be optimistic.” “I don’t want Mexico to be the country that loses the vaquita.” “Don’t give up. That’s the worst thing.” In This Episode Why seven to ten vaquitas observed does not mean only seven to ten exist How the vaquita became adapted to natural rarity Why genetic evidence shows that inbreeding does not necessarily doom the species How a desert evaporation basin creates an exceptionally productive marine ecosystem What ending Colorado River flow has—and has not—done to vaquita habitat How fisheries authorities used habitat degradation to deflect attention from bycatch Why totoaba gillnets are particularly deadly How the illegal swim-bladder trade brought organized crime into the Upper Gulf Why protecting vaquitas cannot mean abandoning fishing communities The need for effective vaquita-safe fishing gear and better markets for safely caught seafood What listeners can do to help Resources Viva Vaquita — Background on the species, its habitat, the totoaba trade, conservation work, and current developments. Act Now for the Vaquita — Suggested actions include writing Mexican officials, supporting conservation work, making sustainable seafood choices, and avoiding shrimp and fish caught with gillnets. 2025 Vaquita Research Campaign report — The complete acoustic and visual survey report, including the seven-to-ten observation range, its statistical limitations, and evidence of continued reproduction. IUCN Cetacean Specialist Group: Vaquita — Scientific background, distribution, conservation status, and updates from cetacean specialists. CIRVA reports and archive — Reports from the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita, including recommendations on eliminating gillnet mortality and developing viable fishing alternatives. The critically endangered vaquita is not doomed to extinction by inbreeding depression — The 2022 genomic study discussed in the episode. Researchers concluded that the vaquita’s longstanding natural rarity has reduced its burden of damaging genetic variation and that recovery remains possible if bycatch stops. Mexico must save the vaquita from gill nets — A 2024 Science commentary coauthored by Rojas-Bracho and other vaquita researchers. Bycatch in gillnet fisheries threatens Critically Endangered small cetaceans and other aquatic megafauna — A study coauthored by Rojas-Bracho placing the vaquita crisis within the worldwide threat that gillnets pose to small cetaceans and other marine animals. Take Action Visit Viva Vaquita’s action page for sample letters to Mexican officials and other ways to help. Seafood buyers can also ask where shrimp and fish were caught and whether gillnets were used. Public attention matters: it gives officials who want to protect the vaquita political support to act and makes continued inaction harder to ignore. The vaquita’s situation is desperate, but extinction is not yet inevitable. The animals are still feeding, reproducing, and surviving. The remaining question is whether people will give them the opportunity to recover. Become a desert defender!: https://90milesfromneedles.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    S5E25: The Vaquita Can Still Recover

  3. Aug 1

    S5E24: Tree Sit at the Border

    Border-wall contractors have destroyed three ancient Fremont cottonwoods in Lochiel, Arizona. Estimated to have been 200 to 250 years old, the trees stood in the path of two proposed 30-foot walls through the San Rafael Valley. One landmark cottonwood remains. Activists have occupied it in what may be the first tree sit organized against border-wall construction. Kate Scott joins Chris Clarke from the Casita de la Esperanza, the activists’ base at the former Lochiel port of entry. She describes the loss of the cottonwoods, the wildlife that depended upon them, and the apparent absence of meaningful environmental monitoring as the trees came down. She also explains why organizers are demanding protection for the surviving tree and an end to plans for a secondary wall through the community. The fight is about more than one cottonwood. The tree represents the ecological richness, cultural history and cross-border relationships threatened by wall construction throughout the Arizona–Sonora borderlands. Key Takeaways Contractors destroyed three of Lochiel’s four landmark cottonwoods to make way for border-wall construction. Activists are maintaining a tree sit in the remaining cottonwood and demanding that it be spared. Organizers also want the proposed secondary wall through Lochiel abandoned. The cottonwoods provided habitat for barn owls, flickers, kingbirds, insects and other wildlife. Scott also reports hearing a threatened yellow-billed cuckoo. Scott says Customs and Border Protection had promised protections for active bird nests, but activists saw no meaningful environmental monitoring during the tree removal. Organizers are combining direct action with art, music, ceremony and public gatherings. Wall construction threatens wildlife movement, a historic border community, neighboring ranchland in Sonora and potentially significant archaeological resources. Notable Quotes “We do not want a double wall through this historic community.” “Each one is unique—a universe in and of itself.” “This is not a crossing point. This is a wildlife migratory corridor.” “We’re not taking this anymore. We’re making our stand here.” “Don’t obey in advance.” About Kate Scott Kate Scott is a southern Arizona organizer and a co-founder of the Madrean Archipelago Wildlife Center. Her work includes community organizing and direct action to protect the San Rafael Valley and the wildlife, cultural resources and cross-border relationships threatened by border-wall construction. Resources Rally for the Valley on Instagram Support the Lochiel tree sit and campaign The Guardian: Protesters occupy a 200-year-old border cottonwood Episode image modified from a photograph by the Center for Biological Diversity. Become a desert defender!: https://90milesfromneedles.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    S5E24: Tree Sit at the Border

  4. Jul 24

    S5E23: Beyond Laws: Building a Movement to Save Our Deserts

    Federal environmental laws matter. They have prevented destructive projects, protected wildlife and cultural sites, and given communities a way to challenge powerful interests. But laws are only as durable as the political support behind them. As the Trump administration weakens environmental and cultural protections, Chris Clarke asks what happens when desert advocates rely too heavily on Washington. If federal law is the only defense a landscape has, one election or court decision can leave that landscape exposed. The alternative is not abandoning federal protection. It is building additional layers beneath it: local ordinances, community relationships, persuasive stories, political constituencies and a shared understanding of what people stand to lose. Protecting the desert requires more than winning a legal argument. It requires enough organized public support to make destruction politically difficult. Key Takeaways Federal environmental laws remain essential, but laws alone cannot provide permanent protection. Political administrations can weaken regulations, reduce enforcement and reinterpret longstanding statutes. Environmental harm commonly produces concentrated private profits while distributing costs across the public. Local ordinances and policies can add protection when federal safeguards fail. Desert advocates need durable relationships with residents, workers, businesses, Tribal communities and local institutions. Successful movements give people reasons to defend a place before a destructive proposal appears. Building political power requires narratives rooted in community needs as well as ecological facts. Notable Quotes “The public loses more than money. We lose wildlife habitat, we lose groundwater, we lose archaeological and cultural sites, we lose wilderness.” “Profits become concentrated by one party, and the costs are borne by the public.” “Those of us who love a place shouldn’t just rely on Washington to defend it.” “A president can weaken federal laws. And if federal laws are the only layer of protection that we have for places that we love, then we find ourselves in the position that we’re in right now.” Join the Conversation What has helped people protect a place in your community? Which local campaigns have built lasting support across political or cultural lines? Chris would especially like to hear about community and independent radio programs covering desert issues. Email: chris@90milesfromneedles.com 90 Miles from Needles Become a desert defender!: https://90milesfromneedles.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    S5E23: Beyond Laws: Building a Movement to Save Our Deserts

  5. Jul 17

    S5E22: Morgan Sjogren on the War on Utah's National Monuments

    On July 13, 2026, President Trump announced new reductions of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, removing protections from nearly three million acres. The action again places Tribal cultural landscapes, wildlife habitat, watersheds and public lands at risk from mining, drilling and other development. Writer Morgan Sjogren joins Chris Clarke from southern Utah. Sjogren has traveled these landscapes extensively and written about Glen Canyon, uranium mining and the conflicting legacies carried by public lands. She describes the disorienting contrast between an enormous political assault and the apparent quiet of the country itself. The conversation also considers what landscape-scale knowledge provides: an understanding that rivers, mesas, wildlife, plant communities, rural towns and Indigenous homelands cannot be separated by conveniently redrawn lines on a government map. Key Takeaways The July 2026 actions removed national-monument protections from most of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante. Bears Ears is an Indigenous cultural landscape whose protection was developed through years of Tribal leadership and advocacy. Reduced protections could expose lands to uranium and coal mining, drilling and other extractive uses. National-monument protection also safeguards rivers, watersheds, wildlife habitat, archaeological sites and public access. Sjogren argues that traveling through these places at landscape scale reveals connections that political boundaries conceal. Supporting organizations based in and near the monuments remains an important way to respond. Notable Quotes “The air is filled with tension, and the noise is mostly online, but outside it’s eerily quiet.” “Monuments are one of the most robust protections we have for rivers in this country.” “I’ve been getting to know my riverside neighbors: both the human and more-than-human, plant communities, wildlife, Tribes, rural Americans, urbanites, farmers.” “Vote like this landscape and our lives depend upon it.” About Morgan Sjogren Morgan Sjogren is a writer, adventurer and longtime traveler through the landscapes of the Colorado Plateau. Her books include Path of Light: A Walk Through Colliding Legacies of Glen Canyon, Outlandish: Fuel Your Epic, and The Best Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Hikes. Resources Morgan Sjogren’s Glen Canyon Backcountry Club Grand Staircase Escalante Partners Bears Ears Partnership Conservation Lands Foundation: Defend Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante Become a desert defender!: https://90milesfromneedles.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    S5E22: Morgan Sjogren on the War on Utah's National Monuments

  6. Jul 10

    S5E21: Don't Mine 29! Australian Company Threatens Joshua Tree

    An Australian company has amassed mining claims across roughly 20,000 acres near Twentynine Palms and Joshua Tree National Park. Dateline Resources says its Music Valley project could produce heavy rare-earth elements. Residents and conservationists see the possibility of an enormous industrial operation beside homes, wilderness, desert tortoise habitat, and one of the country’s best-known national parks. Chance Wilcox of the National Parks Conservation Association joins Chris Clarke to explain what has been proposed, how the Mining Law of 1872 gives mining interests unusual power over public land, and why Music Valley threatens more than scenery. Dust, noise, water use, traffic, habitat loss and diminished views could affect the landscape as well as the tourism economy supporting Twentynine Palms and the surrounding Morongo Basin. The project has also prompted a growing local response. Residents, small-business owners and conservation groups are finding common ground in a simple message: Twentynine Palms is a national-park gateway community, not a mining district. Key Takeaways Dateline Resources has acquired or staked claims across approximately 20,000 acres near Joshua Tree National Park and Twentynine Palms. Mining claims are not the same as an approved mine, but they establish the company’s interest in developing the area. Potential effects include habitat destruction, dust, noise, water demand, industrial traffic and damage to views from Joshua Tree National Park. Threatened Mojave desert tortoises and other desert wildlife occur within the affected landscape. The community’s tourism economy and residents’ quality of life are inseparable from the surrounding desert. The Mining Law of 1872 continues to give mining companies extraordinary access to minerals beneath public land. Notable Quotes “This is going to be about 20,000 acres of strip mine next to residential neighborhoods and Twentynine Palms.” “People live here to really be part of this landscape. And people live here for a reason.” “Twentynine Palms is not a mining town. It’s a gateway community to Joshua Tree.” “There’s so much more at stake. It’s about the interconnection of all of that to every small business in Twentynine Palms.” Resources National Parks Conservation Association: Five national parks threatened by mining exploration Los Angeles Times: Mining claims next to Joshua Tree National Park Recap of the Stop Music Valley Mine community meeting NPCA campaign concerning Dateline Resources’ activity at the Colosseum Mine Become a desert defender!: https://90milesfromneedles.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    S5E21: Don't Mine 29! Australian Company Threatens Joshua Tree

  7. Jul 3

    S5E20: Our Love for Fireworks Could Harm the Desert

    Fireworks are an American tradition—and a predictable source of wildland fires. Every year, July Fourth produces a sharp national increase in firework-related ignitions, with many occurring in the western United States. In desert landscapes, the danger is growing. Invasive annual grasses now carry flames through habitats where large, frequent fires were once uncommon. A single ignition can kill slow-growing native plants, destroy wildlife habitat, and begin a cycle in which fire encourages still more invasive grass. Chris Clarke examines the research on holiday fire ignitions, the fires that never become famous, and the growing strain on federal firefighting capacity. He also considers an obvious question: can we celebrate without setting the landscape on fire? Key Takeaways Fireworks cause a predictable surge in wildland-fire ignitions around July Fourth. A 2023 study found that firework-related ignitions are concentrated in the West and north-central United States, with a particularly large share recorded on Tribal lands. Invasive grasses have made many desert landscapes more vulnerable to fast-moving and repeated fires. Small ignitions matter even when they do not become spectacular disasters. Drone shows and other alternatives can provide communal celebration without the same fire risk. Notable Quotes “We remember the spectacular fires. We forget the thousands of ignitions that didn’t become disasters.” “The desert has already given us an incredible fireworks show: thunderstorms over distant mountains, meteor showers, the Milky Way visible in the background of silhouetted Joshua trees.” Resources The timing of fireworks-caused wildfire ignitions during the Fourth of July holiday season — Richard S. Vachula, Jake R. Nelson and Anthony G. Hall, PLOS ONE, 2023 Watch Duty wildfire map and alerts 90 Miles from Needles Become a desert defender!: https://90milesfromneedles.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    S5E20: Our Love for Fireworks Could Harm the Desert

  8. Jun 26

    S5E19: Greenlink West Carves a Costly Path Through Wild Nevada

    We visit the Amargosa watershed to discuss Greenlink West, a transmission project now under construction that will ship energy from Vegas-area solar facilities to data centers near Reno. This project not only threatens to enable an explosion of data centers in Northern Nevada, but also incentivizes solar developers to concentrate development in largely untouched desert in the Mojave and Great Basin. Key Takeaways: The Greenlink West transmission line is purportedly for energy distribution but appears to primarily serve data centers. NV Energy's developments misalign with publicized renewable energy goals, potentially increasing the burden on natural gas resources. The substation built in the Amargosa Valley indicates the impending rise of massive solar projects, with minimal benefits to local communities. Sallying efforts such as the strengthening of water rights control and military navigation illustrate the complex web of interests surrounding the project. The discourse reflects on broader energy infrastructure expansions, potentially at the expense of Nevada's untouched desert landscape. Notable Quotes: "It used to be the Greenlink was to fight carbon emissions and climate change. But the goal has been becoming more obvious over the years that no, it's just for hyperscale data centers that are going to suck up all of our energy and water." - Laura Cunningham "What if I told you, though, that there was a pretty good chance that data centers are going to seriously damage hundreds of square miles of the wild Mojave and Great Basin deserts in the state of Nevada?" - Chris Clarke "This public land needs to be put to use and it's not for people." - Laura Cunningham "The primary reason that so much solar was associated with Greenlink is because it was supposed to replace fossil fuel plants... they're gonna just go with the flow with whatever market is available." - Kevin Emmerich "To me, this is such an interesting area because 30 air miles that way is Area 51." - Laura Cunningham Resources: Basin and Range Watch Western Watersheds Project Taxonomic revision of the tarantula genus Aphonopelma within the United States Google Maps: Tahoe Reno Industrial Center, NV Become a desert defender!: https://90milesfromneedles.com/donate See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    S5E19: Greenlink West Carves a Costly Path Through Wild Nevada
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About

Join Chris Clarke and a variety of guests as they explore the challenges and opportunities of the American Southwest's fragile ecosystems. Engaging interviews with experts, activists, and advocates on conservation, land management, and environmental justice. Science and sentiment, politics and philosophy, hiking and history, culture and creativity all go into defending the desert. Be forewarned: We are out to recruit you to the cause.

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