Shows
Up From DustOne man's quest for a rare shellfish(Jessica Cornelison / KCUR 89.3)Trevor Starks is on a mission. He wants to help the humble but powerful creatures that clean the waters of the Neosho River: freshwater mussels. For decades, their populations dwindled due to overharvesting, pollution and dam construction. To right the wrongs of the past, Trevor and his colleagues are releasing rare mussels by the hundreds. Now, the only thing left is to find out if it worked.This episode was written, reported, produced and mixed by Celia Llopis-Jepsen. Up From Dust's editors are Mackenzie Martin and Stephen Koranda.Resources:True F...
2025-11-0324 min
Kansas City TodayCould Kansas get new nuclear reactors?Companies are racing to roll out nuclear reactor designs that would be faster to build and could meet rising demand for energy from AI data centers. Two nuclear companies have proposals for new reactors in Kansas. Plus: Data centers are fundamentally changing the landscape for electric utilities in Missouri and beyond.Two companies have revealed plans in recent weeks to potentially build nuclear reactors in Kansas. Their proposals are very different, but both are part of the race to open a new chapter in the history of U.S. nuclear power. Kansas News Service reporter Celia Llopis-Jepsen...
2025-10-2314 minUp From DustPrairie islands are popping up in a sea of corn and soybeans(Jessica Cornelison / KCUR 89.3)The Midwest has a reputation for vast fields of corn and soybeans that stretch to the horizon. But on some farms, strips of wildflowers and little bluestem now interrupt the crops, tiny glimpses of the prairie that once dominated the region. They’re an effort to hold back the fertilizer runoff that pollutes drinking water and then travels hundreds of miles downstream, where it fuels the Gulf of Mexico’s infamous Dead Zone.Read Rachel Cramer's reporting on prairie strips and see photos of prairie strips.This episode was reported by Rachel Cram...
2025-10-0628 minUp From DustWhy a prairie scientist spent years photographing a single square meter of land(Jessica Cornelison / KCUR 89.3)Have you ever wondered how much life a tiny patch of land can hold? Nebraska scientist Chris Helzer photographed one square meter of prairie from every angle for two years, getting to know the creatures that call it home. By blending art and science, he hopes to open people's eyes to this underappreciated ecosystem on the Great Plains that’s shrinking more and more every year.Mentioned in this episode:Chris Helzer's Square Meter Photography projectThe Nature Conservancy in NebraskaA few Nebraska hiking tips from Chris Helzer:Valentine Na...
2025-09-0529 minUp From DustKayakers vs. river pollution(Jessica Cornelison / KCUR 89.3)For decades, the world’s longest prairie river was treated as a convenient dumping ground by cities and industries. Government regulation dramatically improved water quality here and around the country. Today the Kansas River is a place to scope out beavers and bald eagles. But decades-old garbage and other pollution still plague the river, so a motley crew of kayakers took it upon itself to dig out the trash.Mentioned in this episode:Friends of the KawThis episode was written, reported and mixed by Celia Llopis-Jepsen. Up From Dust's editors ar...
2025-07-0227 minUp From DustSay no to skyglow: Smarter lighting can help save the stars(Jessica Cornelison / KCUR 89.3)We have inadvertently filled our world with poorly designed outdoor lighting. The price? We’re losing our starry skies, hurting our health, killing pollinators, wasting billions of dollars and releasing millions of tons of avoidable carbon dioxide. Now people in a Missouri college town and a state park are proving that picking the right bulbs and fixtures can curb light pollution and its harms.Resources:Better outdoor lighting: Steps for reducing light pollutionExamples of shielded light fixturesPlaces and organizations mentioned in this episode:Thousand Hills State Park and Tr...
2025-06-0328 minUp From DustLess lawn, more wildlife! Here’s how to ditch turf for native plants(Jessica Cornelison / KCUR 89.3)So you’ve been thinking about getting rid of your lawn, or at least having less. You’ll attract birds and bees and you won’t have to mow as much. Nice! But where to start? Master gardener Paula Diaz gives us the scoop on how to kill grass, where to look for the right native plant species to replace it, and how to start laying out your flower beds. Come learn from someone who’s been winning over her neighbors to give native plants a shot.Resources mentioned in this episode:Top 10 l...
2025-05-0624 minUp From DustThose soil health products may be a waste of money(Jessica Cornelison / KCUR 89.3)Symbiotic fungi are all the rage right now. Farmers want them in their fields, gardeners want them in veggie patches and flowerbeds. The excitement has given rise to a billion-dollar mycorrhizae market, but many products don’t deliver on their promises. Come visit the world’s biggest collection of these fungi to learn what makes them so great — and why you should think twice before buying them.Resources mentioned in this episode:News article: Soil health is big business, but KU researchers say many fungal products don't work as promisedScientific journal article: A.B. F...
2025-04-0126 minUp From DustCan we save millions of migrating birds?(Jessica Cornelison / KCUR 89.3)In 1978, a young scientist “brazenly trespassed” around a Chicago building in search of dead birds. He unwittingly began a 40-year journey that could help save countless warblers, thrushes and more. Most of America’s 10 riskiest cities for migrating birds lie in the middle of the country. We’ll find out why — and how every resident from Texas to the Canadian border can help reduce the death toll.This episode of Up From Dust was written, reported and mixed by Celia Llopis-Jepsen, with editing by Mackenzie Martin and Stephen Koranda.
2025-03-0425 minUp From DustThe case of the disappearing lake(Jessica Cornelison / KCUR 89.3)During times of drought, when the rains fail, man-made lakes come to the rescue of our cities and towns. Except the reservoirs we’ve come to depend on for drinking water are filling up with mud instead. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has an idea to tackle the problem, and they’ll try it for the first time ever — in Kansas.Up From Dust is hosted by Celia Llopis-Jepsen and David Condos. This episode was written and reported by Celia Llopis-Jepsen and produced by Mackenzie Martin. Mix by Celia Llopis-Jepsen.
2024-10-1441 minUp From DustDry times on the High Plains(Jessica Cornelison / KCUR 89.3)Ancient waters that lie deep beneath the dry High Plains helped to turn western Kansas into an agricultural powerhouse. But the Ogallala Aquifer’s wells have begun to run dry after decades of tapping it for our corn, wheat and cows. In the rain shadow of the Rocky Mountains, we’ll learn how farmers are adjusting as the water disappears and hear how some are prodding state leaders to finally act.Up From Dust is hosted by Celia Llopis-Jepsen and David Condos. This episode was reported by David Condos and written by Celia Llopis-Jepsen and p...
2024-08-0544 minUp From DustHealing the ground we broke(Jessica Cornelison / KCUR 89.3)After Europeans colonized America, their descendants plowed their way across the continent, seeking prosperity through farming. But breaking up the soil – that had built up over many thousands of years – made it wash away. So some farmers are retiring their tilling equipment. Amble through Kansas prairies and cornfields as we learn how treasuring the ground beneath our feet can lead to farms that better withstand climate change, use less fertilizer and suck carbon out of the atmosphere.Up From Dust is hosted by Celia Llopis-Jepsen and David Condos. This episode was written and reported by Ce...
2024-07-0137 minMy Fellow KansansIntroducing: Up From DustTrees are swallowing prairies. Bees are starving for food. Farmland is washing away in the rain. Humans broke the environment — but we can heal it, too. Up From Dust is a new podcast from the Kansas News Service about the price of trying to shape the world around our needs, as seen from America’s breadbasket: Kansas. Hosts Celia Llopis-Jepsen and David Condos wander across prairies, farm fields and suburbia to find the folks who are finding less damaging, more sustainable ways to fix our generational mistakes.
2024-06-0543 min
A People's History of Kansas CitySaving the Kansas prairieMost of Kansas was once covered by an ocean of grass and wildflowers. But that diverse prairie biome is collapsing, partly because of our obsession with trees. Humans have unleashed an aggressive “Green Glacier” that’s swallowing the Great Plains, and for these ranchers, saving the environment means being a tree killer — not a tree hugger. (This episode comes to us from the new KCUR Studios podcast Up From Dust, reported by Celia Llopis-Jepsen and David Condos.)
2024-06-0540 minUp From DustFor the love of dung beetles(Jessica Cornelison / KCUR 89.3)It’s easy to advocate for saving pandas and elephants, but bugs are a harder sell. Look closer, though, and you’ll find tiny superheroes propping up entire ecosystems as pollinators, decomposers, predators and prey. We’ll wander the prairie with bison ranchers, in search of the dung beetles that work quiet miracles in huge piles of poop. And we’ll meet people overcoming their insect fears to help scientists catch and release bees, before they disappear.Up From Dust is hosted and reported by Celia Llopis-Jepsen and David Condos. This episode was reported and writt...
2024-06-0334 min
A People's History of Kansas CitySaving the Kansas prairieMost of Kansas was once covered by an ocean of grass and wildflowers. But that diverse prairie biome is collapsing, partly because of our obsession with trees. Humans have unleashed an aggressive “Green Glacier” that’s swallowing the Great Plains, and for these ranchers, saving the environment means being a tree killer — not a tree hugger. (This episode comes to us from the new KCUR Studios podcast Up From Dust, reported by Celia Llopis-Jepsen and David Condos.)Support this podcast by becoming a KCUR member!: https://kcurwebdonate.umkc.edu/alleg/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=F13SOCIAL&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHEC...
2024-05-3040 min
A People's History of Kansas CitySaving the Kansas prairieMost of Kansas was once covered by an ocean of grass and wildflowers. But that diverse prairie biome is collapsing, partly because of our obsession with trees. Humans have unleashed an aggressive “Green Glacier” that’s swallowing the Great Plains, and for these ranchers, saving the environment means being a tree killer — not a tree hugger. (This episode comes to us from the new KCUR Studios podcast Up From Dust, reported by Celia Llopis-Jepsen and David Condos.)Support this podcast by becoming a KCUR member!: https://kcurwebdonate.umkc.edu/alleg/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=F13SOCIAL&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHEC...
2024-05-3040 minAD FREE - PHKC - YOUTUBE - RSSSaving the Kansas prairieMost of Kansas was once covered by an ocean of grass and wildflowers. But that diverse prairie biome is collapsing, partly because of our obsession with trees. Humans have unleashed an aggressive “Green Glacier” that’s swallowing the Great Plains, and for these ranchers, saving the environment means being a tree killer — not a tree hugger. (This episode comes to us from the new KCUR Studios podcast Up From Dust, reported by Celia Llopis-Jepsen and David Condos.)Support this podcast by becoming a KCUR member!: https://kcurwebdonate.umkc.edu/alleg/WebModule/Donate.aspx?P=F13SOCIAL&PAGETYPE=PLG&CHEC...
2024-05-3040 minUp From DustThe Green Glacier(Jessica Cornelison / KCUR 89.3)A vast ocean of grass and wildflowers once covered one-third of North America. But that diverse prairie biome is collapsing, partly due to greenhouse gases and to our obsession with trees. Humans have unleashed an aggressive canopy that’s swallowing the Great Plains. For ranchers, saving the environment means being a tree killer — not a tree hugger.Up From Dust is hosted and reported by Celia Llopis-Jepsen and David Condos. This episode was written by Celia Llopis-Jepsen and produced by Mackenzie Martin with editorial support from Scott Canon and Suzanne Hogan. Mix by Celia Llopi...
2024-04-2242 minUp From DustWhen good plants turn bad(Jessica Cornelison / KCUR 89.3)Humans opened a Pandora’s box by moving plants, animals and fungi around the planet where they didn’t live before. Some of those species become so successful in their new surroundings that they crowd out others. Come along on a hunt for rogue Bradford pears, meet the teens turning cityscapes into butterfly havens and learn how to turn invasive plants into delicious food.Up From Dust is hosted by Celia Llopis-Jepsen and David Condos. This episode was reported and written by Celia Llopis-Jepsen with help from Blaise Mesa and produced by Mackenzie Martin with...
2024-04-1734 min
Up From DustIntroducing: Up From Dust(Jessica Cornelison / KCUR 89.3)Trees are swallowing prairies. Bees are starving for food. Farmland is washing away in the rain. Humans broke the environment — but we can heal it, too. Up From Dust is a new podcast about the price of trying to shape the world around our needs, as seen from America’s breadbasket: Kansas. Hosts Celia Llopis-Jepsen and David Condos wander across prairies, farm fields and suburbia to find the folks who are finding less damaging, more sustainable ways to fix our generational mistakes. Coming soon from the Kansas News Service, KCUR Studios, and the...
2024-04-0201 min
My Fellow KansansOn 113th Day, Kansas Legislative Session 2017 Is A Wrap!With school finance, taxes, and a budget passed, the Kansas Legislature adjourned. Just after the final yays, nays, and hurrahs, podcast host Sam Zeff hopped into the Topeka studio with Kansas News Service reporters Celia Llopis-Jepsen and Jim McLean for a quick take on the legislative session that was.
2017-06-1117 min