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Red-Cockaded Woodpecker at Noxubee Refuge. USFWS Photo.

The vulnerable red-cockaded woodpecker is known to be found in national park units throughout the southeast.  Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park in Florida, Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee are just a few of the parks that either are, or once were, home to the woodpecker.

Recently the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service moved to downlist the red-cockaded woodpecker from being an endangered species to being threatened. While that normally would be welcome news, the decision has been criticized as being premature and ignorant of climate-change threats to the species.  

This week the Traveler’s Lynn Riddick discusses this decision with the southeast program director of Defenders of Wildlife…and the thinking behind that organization’s belief that this decision comes at a questionable time.

0:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
0:12 Episode Intro with Kurt Repanshek
0:53 Blue Mist - Randy Petersen - The Sounds of Shenandoah
1:12 Smokies Life
1:36 Friends of Acadia
2:01 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
2:24 NPT NewsMatch Drive
3:41 Episode 301 - Red-Cockaded Woodpecker--A Decision Too Soon?
3:51 Red Cockaded Woodpecker Call
40:27 Caribbean Song - Tim Heintz - The Sounds of the Everglades
40:51 Episode Closing
41:11 Xeno-Canto.org
41:26 Orange Tree Productions
41:59 Splitbeard Productions
42:10 National Parks Traveler footer

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National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 303 | Change Happens

Change happens…and sometimes it doesn’t.

Change certainly is underway in Washington, where the incoming Trump administration is putting its players in position with promises of changing, or maybe upsetting, the status quo.

Against that, the National Park Service continues to face long-standing problems with not enough staff or funding, compounded by National Park System damage from hurricanes, tornadoes, sea level rise, wildfires, just about everything under the sun.

December 1st, 2024 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 302 | Omnibus Lands Bill

As the calendar runs down on the current session of Congress, there are a number of pieces of legislation that would involve or possibly impact the National Park System if they find their way into an omnibus lands bill that gains passage before the session adjourns.
 

November 24th, 2024 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 301 | Red-Cockaded Woodpecker--A Decision Too Soon?

The vulnerable red-cockaded woodpecker is known to be found in national park units throughout the southeast.  Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park in Florida, Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee are just a few of the parks that either are, or once were, home to the woodpecker.

November 17th, 2024 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 300 | Wildlife at Play

Humans like to play, right? We play cards, we play baseball and basketball, we go fishing or take a hike into the mountains. It’s our play time, time to recharge, refocus, relax.

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National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 299 | Essential Coverage

Whether this is your first listen of our weekly podcast or number 299, welcome and thank you for listening. We hope you find these episodes interesting and present information or a side to the parks that you previously didn’t know about.

November 3rd, 2024 Read More

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