Smashing Pumpkins: The Gourd That Changed A Town
In the early '90s Keene, New Hampshire created a pumpkin festival to bring the community together, but after 24 years the quaint festival tore the town apart.
Champagne on the Rocks
We reported this story back in 2015. There have been a couple of changes which we mention in the version you see below: Episode 39: Champagne on the Rocks. Both versions of this episode are included in this post for the sake of keeping our archival ducks in a row. Enjoy!
In the summer of 2015, Scott Jurek set a new record for running the 2,181 miles of the Appalachian Trail. But on his triumphant day atop the last mountain in Northern Maine, his 21st century campaign for the trail's record ran afoul of a park founded on ideas about wilderness from a decidedly earlier time.
Scott Jurek Celebrating at the Top:
Ginkgo Stink
In this episode:
Ginkgo Biloba is a beautiful tree with an incredible history that dates back millions of years – it’s also a popular street tree among urban foresters. So why are some cities clamoring to have all their ginkgoes cut down, while others are planting them in the thousands? The answer has to do with your dirty gym socks, 19th century London smog, and maybe, the curious appetites of long-dead dinosaurs.
Editor’s Note: This episode, as it was originally published, contained insensitive and offensive language and is not currently available. For more information, listen to the updated episode here.
Photos
A selection of articles about the infamous "Ginkgo Stink"
Ginkgo Trees Stink Up Cities When Seeds Fall (The Wall Street Journal)
Ginkgo Trees That ‘Smell like Vomit’ Causing Trouble Nationwide (Huffington Post)
The Female Ginkgo Tree’s Acrid Smell of Success (The New York Times)
Pedestrian Raises Stink Over Ginkgo Berries (Chicago Tribune)
Seoul Embarks On Citywide Effort To Clean Ginkgo Stink (The Straits Times)
It’s Ginkgo Season. Watch Where You Step (The Washington Post Express)
Pier Pressure
...or I'll Give You My Dock When You Pry it From My Cold, Dead Hands
In 1998, Forest Quimby spent thousands of dollars building one of the most beautiful, most elaborate docks on Franklin Pierce Lake in New Hampshire. There was just one problem – it was illegal.
In this story, we hear about Quimby’s seventeen-year battle with the NH Department of Environmental Services, and find out why small-scale environmental regulations are so hard to enforce.
Listen to the episode:
Before and after shots of the dock.
The Moose Whisperer
...or, why moose hunting is like watching a soap opera.
In 2015 about 2,700 of the 50,000 people who applied will receive a moose permit in Maine and if you’re one of the lucky ones who has waited 20 years for this moment, you’re going to want an expert on your team. You’re going to want a moose whisperer.
Listen to the episode:
Photo Gallery
10x10 - Vernal Pools
....or, why you should always be careful where you step when you're traipsing through the woods in the springtime.
But first, what is 10x10?
Occasionally, we're going to be looking really, really closely at certain really cool spots. We're calling these types of segments 10x10, because--hey--we've got to draw the line somewhere. But it could be a 10x10 plot anywhere: in the woods, on a mountain, in the water, in the air. And really it could be 10 anything by 10 anything: feet, inches, miles, FATHOMS...we're not big on making any hard and fast rules.
credit: sara plourde
For this first foray out into the woods, we're checking out something called vernal pools. Vernal, meaning springtime, and pools as in... pools. These are little (and sometimes not so little!) pools that form when spring rains combine with winter snow-melt to make some really wet spots. These puddles might look a little gross, especially after they have been sitting there for a few weeks--and are full of all sorts of sliminess--but they are absolutely essential to all sorts of bizarre critters.
You'll never listen to the spring peepers the same way again.
Listen to the episode:
A video of frogs, uh...doin' their thing
As promised, here's a video of a Frog Orgy. We're not entirely sure what's going on here, but watching it made Maureen and Logan very uncomfortable.
Photos from the field
The Kiwi Apocalypse
…or, how Sam Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Cold Hardy Kiwi.
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?
Listen to the episode:
Check out photos of Sam's new favorite fruit:
Trailer: What is Outside/In?
Sam introduces our new podcast, and previews some of the voices you'll hear on upcoming episodes.
Listen to the trailer: