# Nature Notes Why do rattlesnakes rattle and hummingbirds hum? How do flowers market themselves to pollinators? Why do tarantulas cross the road? Nature Notes investigates questions like these about the natural world of the Chihuahuan Desert region and the Llano Estacado. Through interviews with scientists and field recordings, this Marfa Public Radio original series reveals the secrets of desert life. Join host Dallas Baxter for new episodes on each week on Thursdays. Episodes are written and produced by… Page: Feed: --- ## [With Community Science, Big Bend BioBlitz Documents Biodiversity Threatened by Border Projects](https://www.marfapublicradio.org/show/nature-notes/2026-08-13/with-community-science-big-bend-bioblitz-documents-biodiversity-threatened-by-border-projects) _2026-08-17 · andrew.producer@marfapublicradio.org (Andrew Stuart)_ The Trump administration’s plans for an unprecedented expansion of border-policing infrastructure in Big Bend have also triggered an ambitious scientific initiative. The Big Bend Borderlands BioBlitz aims to document the biodiversity here before it’s damaged or destroyed. [Listen](https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s957/audio/2026/08/ntn-260813-0818-big-bend-bioblitz.mp3) ## [From Balmorhea to Big Bend, Geologist Jesse Kelsch Seeks Insight into West Texas Aquifers](https://www.marfapublicradio.org/show/nature-notes/2026-07-23/from-balmorhea-to-big-bend-geologist-jesse-kelsch-seeks-insight-into-west-texas-aquifers) _2026-07-23 · andrew.producer@marfapublicradio.org (Andrew Stuart)_ Alpine geologist Jesse Kelsch is seeking insight into the groundwater that sustains the San Solomon Springs as part of her broader research into the region’s aquifers. [Listen](https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s957/audio/2026/07/ntn-260723-0728-groundwater-research.mp3) ## [Trans-Pecos Wildlife Conference to Connect Landowners, Scientists for Conservation](https://www.marfapublicradio.org/show/nature-notes/2026-07-16/trans-pecos-wildlife-conference-to-connect-landowners-scientists-for-conservation) _2026-07-16 · andrew.producer@marfapublicradio.org (Andrew Stuart)_ August 5th to 7th, the Trans-Pecos Wildlife Conference will bring together landowners and scientists – to explore practical solutions for sustaining our region’s wild creatures. [Listen](https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s957/audio/2026/07/ntn-260716-0721-trans-pecos-wildlife-conference.mp3) ## [At Hueco Tanks, Archeologists Discover Hundreds of Previously Unrecorded Pictographs](https://www.marfapublicradio.org/show/nature-notes/2026-07-09/at-hueco-tanks-archeologists-discover-hundreds-of-previously-unrecorded-pictographs) _2026-07-09 · andrew.producer@marfapublicradio.org (Andrew Stuart)_ Hueco Tanks, east of El Paso, will always inspire wonder. Its red volcanic mountains create a desert oasis. And the prehistoric imagery painted on its cliffs and cave walls is deeply evocative. [Listen](https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s957/audio/2026/07/ntn-260709-0714-hueco-tanks-new-research.mp3) ## [Seeking the “Blue Birds of Happiness” in West Texas](https://www.marfapublicradio.org/show/nature-notes/2026-07-02/seeking-the-blue-birds-of-happiness-in-west-texas) _2026-07-02 · andrew.producer@marfapublicradio.org (Andrew Stuart)_ Far West Texas is home to several species of azure-hued avians. Some of these bird species are full-time residents, while others are summering now in our region. [Listen](https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s957/audio/2026/07/ntn-260702-0707-blue-birds.mp3) ## [When It Comes to Birds, the West Texas Summer is Red Hot](https://www.marfapublicradio.org/show/nature-notes/2026-06-25/when-it-comes-to-birds-the-west-texas-summer-is-red-hot) _2026-06-25 · andrew.producer@marfapublicradio.org (Andrew Stuart)_ Each spring, hepatic tanagers journey from as far away as Central America to the Chisos, Davis and Guadalupe mountains, to breed in the Ponderosa pine forests of these West Texas sky-island ranges. [Listen](https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s957/audio/2026/06/ntn-260625-0630-red-birds.mp3) ## [Amidst Changing Landscapes, Scaled Quail are West Texas Survivors](https://www.marfapublicradio.org/show/nature-notes/2026-06-04/amidst-changing-landscapes-scaled-quail-are-west-texas-survivors) _2026-06-04 · andrew.producer@marfapublicradio.org (Andrew Stuart)_ Scaled quail – also known as blue quail and “cottontops” – are quintessential creatures of the arid grasslands and the dominant quail species in West Texas. Researchers at Alpine’s Borderlands Research Institute are learing how adaptable these seemingly vulnerable creatures are. [Listen](https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s957/audio/2026/06/ntn-260604-0609-scaled-quail.mp3) ## [Montezuma Quail: Alpine Researchers Unlock the Secrets of West Texas’s “Invisible Bird”](https://www.marfapublicradio.org/show/nature-notes/2026-05-28/montezuma-quail-alpine-researchers-unlock-the-secrets-of-west-texass-invisible-bird) _2026-05-28 · andrew.producer@marfapublicradio.org (Andrew Stuart)_ Montezuma quail are an avian conundrum. They’re among the most visually stunning birds in Far West Texas: The males have sky-blue bills, black-and-white striped faces and chestnut bellies covered in white polka dots. But they’re also masters of concealment. You could spend a lifetime here and never see one. [Listen](https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s957/audio/2026/05/ntn-260528-0602-montezuma-quail.mp3) ## [The Wild West of Weevils: Entomologist Robert Anderson Discovers New Lifeforms in West Texas](https://www.marfapublicradio.org/show/nature-notes/2026-05-21/the-wild-west-of-weevils-entomologist-robert-anderson-discovers-new-lifeforms-in-west-texas) _2026-05-21 · andrew.producer@marfapublicradio.org (Andrew Stuart)_ Robert Anderson, a senior research scientist at the Canadian Museum of Nature, has journeyed from South America to Southeast Asia studying this group of insects. And in our region, he’s discovered creatures previously unknown to science, including some found nowhere else on Earth. [Listen](https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s957/audio/2026/05/ntn-260521-0526-wild-weevils-in-west-texas.mp3) ## [Daily plans, scheduled by AI (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/0NmeqyZVAwZi) _2026-05-21 · **Sponsored**_ AI-made daily plans that schedule tasks and protect focus time. ## [Exploring the “Weird White World” of Parks Ranch Cave](https://www.marfapublicradio.org/show/nature-notes/2026-05-14/exploring-the-weird-white-world-of-parks-ranch-cave) _2026-05-14 · andrew.producer@marfapublicradio.org (Andrew Stuart)_ An interstate might seem an arbitrary boundary. But an attentive West Texas traveler driving north of Interstate 10, on Highway 54 from Van Horn to the Guadalupe Mountains, can see they’ve entered a different landscape. [Listen](https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s957/audio/2026/05/ntn-260514-0519-parks-ranch-cave.mp3)