Summary: Georg Wilhelm Steller was a German explorer, botanist, zoologist, physician and pioneer of Alaskan natural history. Among the 6 animals he discovered during a visit there in 1741 are the Steller’s Jay and Steller Sea Lion. The latter, the largest of 5 extant species of sea lion in the world today, is in serious decline and scientists are at a loss to explain why. Several efforts are under way to find a cause and solution and producer Natalie Yuravlivker traveled to Vancouver, British Columbia to observe the progress. When you eat a vegetable or piece of fruit, chances are there is a honeybee to thank for the opportunity. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 25% of our diet is the result of pollination by the insect and the recent discovery of a rapid and widespread decline of America’s honeybee populations has scientists and beekeepers on high alert. We get a sense of how bad things are from Bret Adee, co-owner of the nation’s largest honey farm. Longview is a town in the southwest part of the state of Washington with a population of roughly 37,000. The area is famous for among other things, being home to the only bridges in the world designed and built strictly for a certain furry, four legged animal. We asked Tom Banse of Oregon Public Radio to find out more. Music: “Turtle Island” by Mike Oldfield”; “Flight of the Bumblebee” by Wynton Marsalis and Eastman Wind Ensemble
