Sy Montgomery and illustrator Matt Patterson with Fire Chief the snapping turtle. (Photo: courtesy Sy Montgomery)
Something Wild on NHPR airs every other Friday on Morning Edition at 6:45 a.m. and 8:45 a.m. with a rebroadcast on Weekend Edition. These segments are hosted by Dave Anderson & Chris Martin, and produced by NHPR's Jessica Hunt.
This summer the Something Wild team meets up with New Hampshire nature writer, naturalist and children's book author, Sy Montgomery. Some of her more recent publications are Book of Turtles, Of Time and Turtles and The Humming Birds' Gift.
Sy Montgomery's gift is getting into the heart and soul of an animal, and her extraordinary worldview is what makes spending time with her, and the animals she loves, so special. We hope this 3-part summer series of Something Wild gives you a glimpse into Sy’s world.
Something Wild: Sy & the Blanding's
In the first episode of this series we learn about the Blanding's turtle hatchlings that Sy fosters until they are big enough to release into the wild.
There may be fewer than 3,000 of this freshwater turtle species still remaining in the Northeast, and releasing them after they grow a bit larger gives them a 30% greater chance of surviving the many challenges they face.
Something Wild: Sy & the Baby Hummingbirds
In the second episode, Sy Montgomery talks about her experience as one of the few people ever to raise orphaned baby hummingbirds.
Few people have even seen a baby hummingbird - they are the size of a bee and require special care and feeding around the clock. Despite these hummingbirds being raised by humans, they still have the innate knowledge to migrate unerringly to their winter homes in South America.
Something Wild: Sy & Fire Chief
Friday, July 26 & Saturday July 27
Most people have pictures of their children or spouses on their desks —Sy has a picture of a 60 year-old, 42-lb snapping turtle named Fire Chief. In the third episode, we learn how Sy, and nature illustrator Matt Patterson, have helped Fire Chief recover from being run over. There is such a thing as turtle physical therapy!