KNAU update for March 2

Congratulations to long-time KNAU contributing reporter and host Theresa Bierer, recipient of this year’s ATHENA Award from the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce. The ATHENA Award is presented to a local businesswoman who has achieved excellence in her field, served the community and assisted other women in the attainment of their goals.

Hikers in the high mountains of the West have long been charmed by the sight of American pikas peeking out of rocks in talus fields above treeline. But scientists are worried that Earth’s warming climate will drive these small mammals higher up the mountainsides-until they basically run out of habitat. Learn more at KNAU.org.

Northern Arizona is home to the largest ponderosa pine forest in the world. If you’ve ever hiked through it, you’ve probably seen trees marked with brightly colored paint. That paint is a kind of map for the logging companies that thin the woods and make them more fire-resistant. Learn more at KNAU.org.

When NASA launched the Voyager spacecraft in 1977, there were two golden records on board. They contain sounds and songs from Earth, sort of a musical time capsule for any extraterrestrial being that might come upon them. Learn more at KNAU.org.