Michelle Aldredge / The Harris Center
Get ready to grab your magnifying glasses and lace up your mud boots! New Hampshire Public Radio and the Harris Center for Conservation Education are teaming up to bring you Wild at Home, a 12 episode series created for curious kids and young-at-heart adventurers.
Starting Sept. 6, join local naturalists Karen Rent and Susie Spikol as they uncover the everyday outdoor magic waiting right in your backyard. “The natural world is full of wild, untamed stories just waiting to be noticed,” said Susie Spikol, Community Programs Director for the Harris Center. “We just need to take a moment to stop, listen, and pay attention.”
How to Listen & Extra Learning Resources
- On-Air Broadcast: Tune in to NHPR during Weekend Edition Sunday at 9:35 a.m. every other week, starting September 6.
- On-Demand & Apps: Stream episodes anytime at NHPR.org, listen on the NHPR app, or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts on Apple | Spotify | Amazon .
- Web Features & Show Notes: Visit the Wild at Home page for companion show notes that extend the learning, including recommended children’s literature tailored to different reading levels and hands-on outdoor activities to try at home.
The series covers everything from insects, spiders, and mushrooms to local squirrels and wild turkeys. As the seasons change, you and the family can learn to spot winter birds, identify evergreen trees, track white-tailed deer, and explore the worlds of porcupines and owls.
“We’re really excited to partner with the Harris Center, an organization widely respected for connecting the dots between nature and education here in New Hampshire,” said Emily Quirk, NHPR Program Director. “This collaboration allows us to deepen our community connections, and explore new programming for young listeners, families, and educators. Also, the theme song is absolutely amazing.”
Meet the Hosts
Karen Rent | Teacher-Naturalist & School Program Assistant Director
Karen grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where her family’s outdoor adventures mostly involved camping in a pop-up camper along the East Coast. It wasn’t until college that she slept in a tent, went on her first real hike, and saw a shooting star. Hooked on nature, she changed her major to environmental education and never looked back. Today, when she isn’t leading school programs for the Harris Center, she spends her time raising her own outdoor-loving children.
Susie Spikol | Community Programs Director & Teacher-Naturalist
Susie spent her youth searching out bits of wildness in Brooklyn, New York, and exploring the rolling green hills of southern Vermont. After taking a college statistics class, she happily set aside her childhood dream of becoming a wolf scientist, deciding that teaching kids in the outdoors was just as thrilling as working with a wild pack. A long-time leader at the Harris Center, Susie brings a deep sense of wonder and a hands-on approach to helping communities connect with local wildlife.
