Stranger in a Strange Land

The Greater Sage-Grouse is perhaps the most controversial bird in the West. In this new series, award-winning radio journalist Ashley Ahearn reveals what these strange and wonderful birds can teach us about hope, compromise and life in rural America. 

Host Ashley Ahearn burns out on the urban rat race, leaves her job at a top NPR member station, and moves to 20 acres of big sky and sagebrush in rural Washington state to try to better understand her country, and do better journalism in the process. And, she gets curious about a weird, troubled bird known as the Greater Sage-Grouse, that is native to the sagebrush ecosystem where she now lives - and fits in a whole lot better than she does. What the hell is a sage-grouse and why does everyone get so worked up about this bird?

This episode contains brief, explicit language at 6:00 and 12:07.

• Learn more about the status of the Dakota Access Pipeline
• More about living with rattlesnakes
• Listen to more episodes of Grouse
• Hear more stories from BirdNote Presents

This episode of BirdNote Presents was made possible with generous support from Jim and Birte Falconer.

^{Ashley Ahearn on her mare, Pistol, 
© Amber Goodman
Grouse artwork by Kima Lenaghan}