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Northland radio station 97.7 WRNC to air new monthly environmental program

October 7, 2011

Northland College radio station WRNC will begin airing a new monthly environmental program developed in collaboration with Northland College and the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center. The program will air Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 9 a.m. on 97.7 WRNC-LP. Each month, WRNC will produce a show on a topic or series of subjects related to the environment.

"It seems natural for the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center to collaborate with WRNC to develop environmental programs," says Jason Maloney, Center Director of the Northern Great Lakes Visitor Center. "By working together we can positively multiply our ability to convey important information and ideas about environmental issues to more people. The mix of learned Northland College faculty and professionals from the NGLVC partners and linkages will provide excellent contributions to the program."

The topic of the first program is climate change and examines a new exhibit at the NGLVC/Ashland. The exhibit, called "Changing Climate...Changing Culture," links the effects of climate change to Ojibwe culture. WRNC spoke with Joe Rose, Associate Professor of Native American Studies at Northland, on the cultural significance of wild rice or "manoomin." Rose is also a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, as well as a representative for the tribe on the Voigt Inter-Tribal Task Force. Monica Magari, former Climate Change Educator for the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Bayfield, also sat down with WRNC to talk about the connection between the traditional harvest of wild rice and climate science.

"We want to bring to the forefront that climate change is not just about plants and animals, it's about people. We are part of this world and part of the systems," says Magari.

In addition, WRNC interviewed Tom Fitz, Associate Professor of Geoscience at Northland, about his expertise on climate change from a geological perspective. Listeners may stream the program live online at www.wrnclp.org.