Programs

BP's pending sale to Hilcorp could change the nature of philanthropy in the state. Plus: U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski discusses federal issues impacting Alaskans. And, another take on an almost century-old sled dog tale, from Nenana to Nome.

Late summer and fall are the time for picking blueberries, hunting for mushrooms, and getting ready for winter. Gathering edible berries and plants has many benefits besides their great taste. Jackie Qataliña, Tony Perelli, and Dana Diehl join me, your host Paul Twardock, to discuss what their favorite edible and medicinal plants and mushrooms are, their uses, the physical and emotional benefits of foraging, and ethical considerations.

Instead of hiding in our cozy little radio studio at Alaska Public Media or out on the sparsely populated Iditarod Trail, we took the Iditapod to the Beartooth Theatrepub in Anchorage on Monday, March 2 for a live, onstage event, where about 300 people joined reporters Zachariah Hughes, Tegan Hanlon and Casey Grove for a wide-ranging discussion with Iditarod mushers Jessica Klejka, Matthew Failor and Jeff King.

In a forested area outside of Fairbanks, the U.S. Army operates a remote facility where it trains military servicemen and women in cold, mountainous environments. It’s called the Northern Warfare Training Center. And in August, they hosted an elite unit of Army Rangers. Download Audio

KSKA: Wednesday March 15, 2017 @ 2pm and 8 pm. SB 91, Alaska's criminal justice reform bill that passed last year, may be adjusted in this legislative session. What changes are legislators looking at, and why? LISTEN NOW

https://youtu.be/JM0dAYL8JuU

The mayor of Pilot Station dies falling through the ice on the Yukon River. Also, ventilation problems forced an Alaska Native charter school in Anchorage to move into a high school. And University of Alaska Fairbanks scientists study how water got from Earth to the moon.

Some local leaders are unhappy with Governor's Dunleavy's reluctance to implement a mask mandate. And, a vote to close a significant portion of Upper Cook Inlet to commercial salmon fishing. Plus, how a Canadian man ended up driving an American family a thousand miles to the border.

“I packed one suit, two shirts and two ties,” Dad said to Mom the night before he left Portland. He had accepted a job with the Bureau of Land Management in Anchorage and needed to be presentable for work, but had little room in the old Plymouth for much of anything in addition to camping equipment, food, fishing gear and his beloved guns. Read more.

In Alaska, the Lieutenant Governor has duties beyond backing up the Governor and keeping custody of the State Seal. The Lieutenant Governor oversees the enactment of regulations and the Division of Elections. Two Democrats are vying for that nomination in August, and your chance to get to know them is coming up on “Talk of Alaska.” Bob Williams was Teacher of the Year and now wants to be Lieutenant Governor. APRN: Tuesday, 7/15 at 10:00am Download Audio

In this episode, we hear from Iditarod mushers in the midst of their required 24-hour layovers and from our current Red Lantern musher. We also have a chat with a former top 10 musher who’s returning to the race and running a team of mostly rookie dogs, plus a look at the Iditarod's new pilot program for tracking dropped dogs. And as always we have our Dog of the Day -- not a new dog but a dog who got a new name -- and a listener question with answers from several mushers this time. (Hint: This one might make you hungry).

Beneath political firestorm on Arctic Ocean drilling, two projects make steady progress; For third year in a row, Alaska seabirds wash up dead; Stampede suspected in dozens of walrus deaths; National labs to field test microgrid tech in Cordova; State denies ballot initiative on salmon habitat; Arctic climate change researchers still conflicted over UAF’s coal-fired powerplant; Ahtna rejects continued public use of Klutina Lake Road; Terror Lake hydroelectric project expansion gets the go-ahead; Igiugig is set to embark on its Native Foods Challenge; Unalaska-bound cruise ship changes destination to Sitka Listen now

A group of dedicated teenagers and young adults in the rural community of Nikolai, Alaska gathered together for a week in June 2011 to craft short ethnographic films about their lives and community. Now two youth filmmakers, Dante Esai and Joricha Thomas, have been chosen to present their films "The Medicine of Nikolai" and "My Motherhood" at the Alaska Native Film Festival this Sunday the 16th from 1 – 6 pm at the Anchorage Museum. Click for video

Alaska will see an influx of funding for trails and other outdoor infrastructure this year, and it couldn’t be coming at a better time. How will the proposed Alaska Long Trail between Seward and Fairbanks play into that?

Anchorage Opera was one of the first major performing arts institutions established by Americans in the Circumpolar North. The current Golden Anniversary season is celebrating 50 years of designing, manufacturing, and producing grand entertainment in Alaska. Read more.