In Our Backyard WAMC Northeast Public Radio is proud to present a new, weekly environmental program called In Our Backyard. Hosted by Dr. Ward Stone, distinguished wildlife pathologist with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the weekly, half-hour show will explore a wide range of environmental areas. We love your letters on In Our Backyard! Please e-mail us at green@wamc.org. In Our Backyard can be heard Monday at 8:30pm, repeated Saturday at 1:30pm. We love your letters on In Our Backyard! Please e-mail us at green@wamc.org. When you listen to In Our Backyard you'll hear the latest environmental news - from PCB cleanups... to new contaminants and hazards... to key environmental law cases. You'll also get a unique historical perspective on the environment, social activism, as well as inspiring stories about specific people and what they have done to protect the environment. Listeners send in photos pretty regularly - you can view them here . Coming up this week on In Our Backyard... Ward Stone is here after a Fund Drive break to discuss such diverse issues as spiders in the snow, the deer population and more sightings of big cats. We will open up the mailbag as well and discuss what is at your birdfeeders. Spruce Grouse The Spruce Grouse (Falcipennis canadensis) is the smallest of three species of North American forest grouse; the blue grouse, ruffed grouse and spruce grouse). Adults weight approximately one pound (450-550g) and are about 16 inches (40 cm) long. Males have black and white horizontal markings on their chests and a distinctive scarlet eye comb...Read more. Montana Stone in her garden with Scarlet Runner Beans One highlight of my summer was gardening with my children. Here with the corn and the scarlet runner beans is my daughter Montana Stone. The scarlet runners have beautiful flowers, and the small beans can be eaten as snap beans. They will grow to about twelve inches in length when mature and when dried can be shelled for dry bean dishes. Squash grows nearby so it is an example of the "three sisters" of the Iroquois. The Native American gardeners gave the world corn, squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, potatoes, sunflowers, and Jerusalem artichokes. Our food would be a lot less interesting, nutritious, and tasty if we didn't get these and other foods from the Native Americans. Children watching seeds grow and produce their own food learn about plants, nature, and what it takes to produce food. That is something everyone should know. New! Ward Stone's report on his trip to Little Galloo Island, 8/21/06. "The trip made it clear that botulism is still an active cause of mortality on the island and especially important for the Caspian terns (Cates). They still have some nestlings and young that can walk and hide in weeds, but that have little-to-no flight capability..." Read more. In Our Backyard is made possible in part by The T. Backer Fund.