Taking cues from the black bear and other signal species

We’re surrounded by wildlife that tells us something about our ecosystem if we’ll take just a moment to stop and smell the roses (or, in this case, take a gander at the kudzu). With our partners in the Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom, we’re investigating so-called “signal species,” starting with the lovable black bear. As their population has rebounded, so have human interactions – both positive and negative.

You can watch — and chime in live — during the show on our YouTube stream.

Guests

• Caroline Eggers, WPLN environmental reporter
• John Boyle, deputy managing editor, Appalachia + Mid-South Newsroom
• Janelle Musser, black bear support biologist, Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency
• Mark Thurman, director of conservation collaboratives in Tennessee, The Nature Conservancy

Further reading

• Black bears are threatened by climate change. How can we help? (WPLN)
• Young black bear spotted in Putnam County (WVLT)
• “I saw a bear” submission form (TWRA)