Best WCAI Podcasts (2025)

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News Roundup: A freshwater strategy report for Cape Cod; a new police chief of New Bedford; endangered turtles are released 49:30

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3d ago49:30

49:30

This week on The News Roundup: The Cape Cod Commission has released a new freshwater strategy report; New Bedford gets a new police chief; and 17 sea turtles, including nine critically endangered Kemp's ridley were released in Dennis. Mindy Todd hosts.By Mindy Todd

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The River Is Waiting 49:30

4d ago49:30

49:30

An interview with author Wally LambBy Mindy Todd

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Restoring the American Chestnut 4:33

5d ago4:33

4:33

All over eastern North America right now, chestnut breeders are pollinating tree flowers.By Elspeth Hay

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More birds are enjoying the cicada buffet 3:33

5d ago3:33

3:33

Last week I covered the Brood XIV 17-year cicadas and the birds that love them, but it turned out the birds weren’t quite done adding to this story.By Mark Faherty

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The documentary How to Sue The Klan and present-day civil rights struggles 49:29

6d ago49:29

49:29

We discuss the short documentary How to Sue The Klan, and present day civil rights struggles.

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The garden can wait when the beach is calling 4:05

6d ago4:05

4:05

July is coming quickly, so it’s almost time for my gardening motivation to go into hibernation.By Susan Moeller

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News Roundup: 'No Kings' protests bring the crowds; ICE aftermath continues; Martha's Vineyard celebrates 50 years of 'Jaws' 47:32

10d ago47:32

47:32

We will check in with area journalists to talk about the week's top stories, including: Thousands across the region turn out for the No Kings Protest. We get an update on what happened to some of the people picked up by ICE. And the Vineyard prepares for the 50th anniversary of the film Jaws.By Mindy Todd

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A round-table talk on immigration and treatment of non citizens, with local faith leaders 49:34

11d ago49:34

49:34

A roundtable of faith leaders from our community discuss immigration.By Mindy Todd

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The connections between fire and native food plants 4:49

11d ago4:49

4:49

Our native forests are full of food. The understories are packed with blueberries and huckleberries and for thousands of years, local overstories have been full of nut trees: hickories and chestnuts and walnuts and oaks.By Elspeth Hay

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Family estrangement 49:33

12d ago49:33

49:33

The pros and cons of cutting ties.By Mindy Todd

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Seventeen years later, cicadas return to Cape Cod — and birds are stuffed 4:20

12d ago4:20

4:20

The much-heralded Brood XIV 17-year cicadas have finally arrived. Have they been serenading you? If you’re in the emergence zone, this is really old news at this point, as they emerged weeks ago and most have probably laid eggs and kicked the bucket at this point. But how does this apparent bonanza affect birds?…

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Gardens in June 49:28

13d ago49:28

49:28

Gardening with horticulturist / entomologist Roberta Clark.By Mindy Todd

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Perpetuity and horseshoe crabs 3:13

14d ago3:13

3:13

Isn’t everything we make temporary in the grand scheme of things? My day to day work is to promote historic preservation on Nantucket. We talk about preserving things in perpetuity. But on an eroding pile of sand, perpetuity is a relative term.By Mary Bergman

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Valiant Ambition 47:55

18d ago47:55

47:55

Author Nathaniel Philbrick brings to life the American Revolution.By Mindy Todd

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A farmer on Martha’s Vineyard works to fine-tune the relationships between cattle and grass 4:18

18d ago4:18

4:18

Mob grazing is a strategy Dan Athearn is working with to try to control what’s growing on this unique stretch of grassland. His family took over managing the land with a group of other local growers and cattle farmers in 2021.By Elspeth Hay

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Bird News in June 47:58

19d ago47:58

47:58

Birds and other wildlife on The PointBy Mindy Todd

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A screech owl love story 4:41

20d ago4:41

4:41

For several years, I’ve had a mostly unoccupied screech-owl box on an oak tree in the narrow strip of woods in my backyard. I hung it about 14 feet up, positioned so we can see the hole from the house, and have monitored it expectantly ever since.By Mark Faherty

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HORSE: a novel 48:04

20d ago48:04

48:04

An interview with author Geraldine BrooksBy Mindy Todd

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Old Wharf Road 3:33

21d ago3:33

3:33

One of the most beautiful spots in Wellfleet, or for that matter, on the entire Lower Cape, is Old Wharf Road. It is one of those headlands that, along with Indian Neck and Lieutenant’s Island, thrust out into greater Wellfleet Harbor.By Robert Finch

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Growing, foraging and catching our food 49:27

25d ago49:27

49:27

A bountiful two acres on Cape Cod...By Mindy Todd

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A farm family on Martha’s Vineyard reflects on 50 years 4:11

25d ago4:11

4:11

When Debbie Athearn’s father bought the 25 acres that started Morning Glory Farm in Edgartown, times were different.By Elspeth Hay

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Flaco, the world’s most famous bird 49:31

27d ago49:31

49:31

Flaco was a Eurasian eagle owl who escaped from the Central Park Zoo.By Mindy Todd

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The kites are getting cozy 4:22

27d ago4:22

4:22

Back on Memorial Day, as we Harwich Fahertys discussed what to do, I coyly suggested a family hike with some Upper Cape friends of ours. But where?By Mark Faherty

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News Roundup: ICE sweeps up 40 on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket; businesses brace for uncertain summer 49:33

1M ago49:33

49:33

This week: Federal agents in masks and unmarked cars arrest some 40 people accused of immigration violations on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, jarring the local community. And, the summer business outlook right now? Uncertainty.By Steve Junker

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The cicadas are back! 49:40

1M ago49:40

49:40

Get ready for the cicada emergence!By Mindy Todd

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The purple color on local quahog shells—and why it might matter for fisheries management 4:49

1M ago4:49

4:49

Almost fifty years ago, when Haraldur Sigurdsson first came to the University of Rhode Island from Iceland, he got interested in what makes some clam shells more purple than others.By Elspeth Hay

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Books on swimming 48:07

1M ago48:07

48:07

We dive into books on swimming.By Mindy Todd

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What a week for birds on Cape Cod 4:05

1M ago4:05

4:05

This has been one of those rare weeks where enough happened to fuel several weeks of bird reports — a spring nor’easter that poured rare seabirds into Cape Cod Bay, a colony of at least five apparently nesting Swallow-tailed Kites in Mashpee that also shattered the state high count, and, most importantly, the cuteness overload of baby owls fledging…

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Live Theatre in our region 49:48

1M ago49:48

49:48

Members of our creative community share their live performance schedule for the season.By Mindy Todd

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The house that almost wasn’t 4:10

1M ago4:10

4:10

As we drove off, disappointed, I said I don’t want to JUST be on Cape Cod. I want to feel like I’m here, really here, sand between my toes, waves crashing, gulls calling out for a meal.By Tom Moroney

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It's pollen season in the kitchen 4:19

1M ago4:19

4:19

My friend Nicole Cormier is a registered dietician and studying for a masters in herbalism. And when she told me she eats pine pollen — and that in fact, it’s one of her favorite things to forage, I had to tag along.By Elspeth Hay

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A rare bird that resembles a snake is found on Cape Cod 3:40

1M ago3:40

3:40

Rebekah Ambrose was asking for help identifying a bird she photographed in Barnstable, and her photos showed the first-ever Anhinga for the Cape and Islands.By Mark Faherty

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You can’t save it all 3:12

1M ago3:12

3:12

We are running out of space at the Nantucket landfill. I spent the winter driving by dumpsters, unable to stop myself from looking over the edge.By Mary Bergman

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The beautiful, intricate relationships between native bees and native food crops 4:49

2M ago4:49

4:49

Many of our native bees — and a few other surprising insects — evolved with and rely on many native edible species.By Elspeth Hay

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Watch for warblers 4:30

2M ago4:30

4:30

After a bleak winter, and a reluctant, rainy spring, we Cape and Islands year-rounders deserve a flowery and mild May.By Mark Faherty

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What happened to biking etiquette? 4:19

2M ago4:19

4:19

Despite what might be in your head, the 25-mile path from Yarmouth to Wellfleet is not just a bike trail. There are runners and skateboarders and walkers, many of us with dogs.By Susan Moeller

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The changing soundscape of early May 4:13

2M ago4:13

4:13

While the turn of the calendar to May brings an avalanche of phenological change to yards and woods, maybe none is so obvious, and welcome, as the change in the morning soundscape.By Mark Faherty

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What you learn while hitchhiking 3:58

2M ago3:58

3:58

The most important teacher I ever had was not some Harvard professor, or one of many newspaper editors who carved up my prose. It wasn’t even a person, a whole person anyway. It was an appendage.By Seth Rolbein

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The kites are back 3:43

2M ago3:43

3:43

It’s not even May, and the “Swallow-tailed Kite triangle” of Cape Cod is already popping off with early sightings. There were no fewer than five reports of this improbably graceful hawk over the last week.By Mark Faherty

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Lichen on a drizzly day 3:25

2M ago3:25

3:25

What really impresses me at this time of year, at any time of year, actually, are the lichens. These otherworldly beings, growing on tree bark and branches, spreading on the ground or on rocks or gravestones, seem to thrive in any weather.By Dennis Minsky

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Expanding access to local food is more important than ever 4:46

2M ago4:46

4:46

By Elspeth Hay

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New arrivals are coming every day 4:23

2M ago4:23

4:23

Let’s talk about everyone’s favorite garden accessory, the Ruby-throated Hummingbird. Quite a few have been reported already, with the first sighted back on the 17th in Brewster.By Mark Faherty