Wildlife's answer man on
radio show

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This article first appeared in INHF's Summer 2008 magazine.

Iowa State University

Each month, Jim Pease answers Iowans' wildlife questions on Iowa Public Radio's Talk@12 program. INHF provides financial support for this fun and informative show.

Where do butterflies go during the winter?
What is this strange critter in my yard?
Will bats really attack my hair?

As Iowa’s Extension Wildlife Specialist, Jim Pease answered nearly 5,000 such questions last year. Despite his recent retirement from 34 years with the extension service and Iowa State University faculty, this natural teacher is still answering Iowans’ wildlife questions.

Jim—often accompanied by his “wild” friends—is a monthly guest on Iowa Public Radio’s Talk@12. This live, call-in show is available statewide on most Iowa Public Radio stations—or any place/time through computer simulcast or downloadable podcast.

Though he welcomes questions on any topic, Jim sets a theme for each program—often based on the season, such as baby animals in the early summer. His popular Valentine’s edition focuses on wildlife courtship. (“When you put sex and violence on the air, people love it,” he laughs.) He’s even hosted a couple of Wildlife Joke editions.

Beyond habitat
In July 2008, INHF began supporting Jim’s program through our Upper Midwest Wildlife Habitat Protection grant. Though most Initiative funds protect habitat, we’ve learned that conservation can’t stop with acres alone.

As Jim notes, “We can no longer take for granted that people are connected to the natural world. We have to provide wild places and ways for people to connect with wild things.”

Katherine Perkins, longtime host of Jim’s program on WOI’s Talk of Iowa and now on Talk@12, says the experience has helped her better see and appreciate even small things around her.

She recalls a boring commute suddenly transformed when a huge flock of pelicans circled gracefully overhead. “I was the only person on the Interstate who actually slowed down to look. It was so cool—but then kind of sad because no one else saw it.”

As a result, “I make a conscious effort to point out to my daughters all the things around us—from identifying birds to looking at a toad in the yard,” Katherine adds. “Doing those small things has an impact on how we see the world.”

Tune in to Jim’s show—and tune in to wild Iowa!

 

For more information, e-mail Cathy Engstrom, Communications Director, or call (515) 288-1846.