Chris Martin
Host, Something WildChris Martin has worked for New Hampshire Audubon for over 31 years as a Conservation Biologist, specializing in birds of prey such as Bald Eagles, Ospreys, and Peregrine Falcons.
Chris Martin has climbed to eagle nests in Alaska's Katmai National Park, counted seabirds near the Aleutian Island archipelago, coordinated Peregrine Falcon restoration at Lake Superior’s Isle Royale, and studied how a southern Indiana forest responded after a devastating tornado.
Since moving from the Midwest to New Hampshire in 1990, Martin has worked frequently with colleagues at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, and other agencies to recruit and train volunteer wildlife observers. He has advised electric utilities on how to establish safe nesting sites for Ospreys, partnered with rock climbers to collect Peregrine Falcon eggs to sample for contaminants, and studied New Hampshire's only known breeding population of American Pipits in the alpine zone atop Mt. Washington.
Martin received an Environmental Merit Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Boston in 2006 for outstanding efforts in preserving New England's environment. “I love motivating folks to document what's happening with wildlife populations in the Granite State, and also helping people hone their wildlife observation skills. That's one of the reasons why contributing to Something Wild is so much fun.”
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It's a crucial part of the ecological health of our living lakes.
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Listening to as little as six minutes of bird song has been shown to reduce anxiety. No wonder an estimated 50 million people enjoy feeding feathered friends at a bird feeder. But who really benefits from feeding birds?
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A phenomenon called "thermonasty" causes rhododendron leaves to curl up when it’s really cold out. This adaptation allows these broad-leaved evergreens to thrive in the doubly-challenging conditions of damp soil and freezing temperatures.
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There's a reason you may never have found a shed antler in the woods, despite New Hampshire's population of approximately 100,000 deer (not to mention a few thousand moose). A whole host of forest-dwellers recognize the value of nutrients provided by found antlers.
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The weather in New Hampshire’s White Mountains has, over millennia, created forests that are specifically suited to extreme weather conditions.
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Many species in New Hampshire have made adaptations to flourish in the cold. It’s also why you see more trees with light-colored bark the farther north you go.
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The elusive yet bold spruce grouse is a little-known NH inhabitant that relies on forests that are specifically adapted to colder temperatures.
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'Tis the season for Christmas carols! Something Wild decided to rewrite the "Twelve Days of Christmas" and put the focus on local birds.
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The North American river otter population is doing swimmingly! They are found in abundance in New Hampshire’s waterways, but they can be hard to spot until winter brings them out to play on the ice and snow.
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From unexpected sightings in backyard gardens to near-misses — or worse — on our roads, white-tailed deer seem to be everywhere. An extensive study is uncovering new insights into this iconic creature of eastern forests.