Rephonic
Artwork for 90 Miles from Needles: the Desert Protection Podcast

90 Miles from Needles: the Desert Protection Podcast

Chris Clarke
Climate Change
Mojave Desert
Public Lands
Desert Ecosystems
Desert Conservation
California
Environmental Justice
Conservation
Joshua Tree
Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge
Environmental Activism
Mexican Wolves
Joshua Trees
Chihuahuan Desert
Lithium Mining
Colorado River
Biodiversity
Death Valley National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Bureau Of Land Management

Join Chris Clarke and a variety of guests as they explore the challenges and opportunities of the American Southwest's fragile ecosystems. Engaging interviews with experts, activists, and advocates on conservation, land management, and environmental justice. Science and sentiment, politics and philosophy, hiking and history, culture and creativity all go into defending the desert. Be forewarned: W... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes153Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
NaturePlaces & TravelScienceSociety & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for 90 Miles from Needles: the Desert Protection Podcast

Latest Episodes

Episode thumbnail photo by Bo Insogna.

The deadly August 29 flood in Grand Canyon National Park received national attention, but it was not an isolated event. Flooding struck communities, parks and backcountry destinations across Utah, Arizona and ... more

YouTube

Journalist Kimon de Greef joins Chris Clarke to discuss his new book, The Ego Trip: Psychedelic Toads, a Trail of Deaths, and the Guru Who Peddled Transcendence.

The Sonoran Desert toad (Incilius alvarius) spends most of the year underground, emerg... more

YouTube

We think of range maps as static representations of where plants and animals belong. It doesn't often occur to us that maps are just snapshots of a constantly changing world. In the Mojave Desert, two sister species of desert ground squirrel coexist ... more

YouTube

The vaquita is the world’s smallest and most endangered cetacean, but the handful still living in Mexico’s Upper Gulf of California may be more resilient than recent headlines suggest.

In 2025, researchers concluded that there was a 67 percent prob... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Hidden Brain
Hidden BrainHidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam
Science Friday
Science FridayScience Friday and WNYC Studios

Recent Guests

Kimon de Greef
Author of The Ego Trip, Psychedelic Toads, A Trail of Deaths and The Guru Who Held Transcendence
Author
Episode: S5E27: Sonoran Toads and the Dirty Business of Ego Death
Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho
Arguably the world's leading expert on Vaquitas in the scientific community
Vaquita researcher/expert
Episode: S5E25: The Vaquita Can Still Recover
Kate Scott
Southern Arizona activist, co-founder of the Madrean Archipelago Wildlife Center
Madrean Archipelago Wildlife Center
Episode: S5E24: Tree Sit at the Border
Chance Wilcox
California Desert Program Director, National Parks Conservation Association
National Parks Conservation Association
Episode: S5E21: Don't Mine 29! Australian Company Threatens Joshua Tree
Laura Cunningham
Co-founder of Basin and Range Watch and California Director of Western Watersheds Project
Basin and Range Watch; Western Watersheds Project
Episode: S5E19: Greenlink West Carves a Costly Path Through Wild Nevada
Russ McSpadden
Southwest Conservation Advocate, Center for Biological Diversity
Center for Biological Diversity
Episode: S5E16: The Double Border Wall: A New Environmental Catastrophe
Cindy Bernard
Artist and activist with a conceptually oriented practice
Founder of SASASAS; co-founder/editor-in-chief of the Desert Trumpet
Episode: S5E15: When Commerce Meets Culture: Art Fairs in the Desert
Bernard Leibov
Founder and director of Boxo Projects; Joshua Triennial co-founder
Boxo Projects; Joshua Triennial
Episode: S5E15: When Commerce Meets Culture: Art Fairs in the Desert
Matt McGuire
Farmer active in desert agriculture since the 1980s
Episode: S5E14: River of Cheeseburgers: The Surprising Water Guzzlers of the West

Host

Chris Clarke
Host with strong focus on desert conservation, land use, and environmental justice; appears across multiple platforms including desert protection and related media networks.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 82 ratings
  • Beautiful and important

    I’m grateful for this podcasts’ breadth of subjects and quality of reporting. The episode I just listened to about borders and those searching for a better life brought me to tears. Thank you for sharing beautiful and tragic stories.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Vegan bmx
    United Statesa year ago
  • Liberal tears

    He cries about the current administration more than anyone I’ve heard. Tired of the whining from the left.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Bronzbakattak
    United Statesa year ago
  • A must-listen for desert lovers

    Informative, engaging, and deeply rooted in love for the desert—this podcast covers issues that matter while celebrating what makes the desert extraordinary.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    EchoZey
    United Statesa year ago
  • A breath of fresh dry air.

    A sane take on the threats to desert ecosystems and the beauty of the deserts themselves.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    manlike.
    United States2 years ago
  • Without the desert our collective futures are barren

    Good podcast, I like it.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jenandalo
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Guests and host are repeatedly described as informed, engaging, and genuinely passionate about the desert.
Many hear a strong, urgent call to protect desert ecosystems and communities.
Listeners praise breadth of topics and storytelling that blends science with heartfelt desert love.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#103
United States/Science/Nature
Apple Podcasts
#224
Canada/Science/Nature
Apple Podcasts
#174
South Africa/Science/Nature
Apple Podcasts
#226
Ireland/Science/Nature

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

S5E25: The Vaquita Can Still Recover
Q: What is the Vaquita, where is it, and why is it in trouble?
The Vaquita is a very small, critically endangered porpoise confined to the northern Gulf of California, and it is primarily threatened by bycatch in gillnets used for shrimp, totoaba, and other fisheries, with illegal trade amplifying risk; recovery hinges on halting bycatch, protecting habitat, and shifting to alternative fishing methods.
S5E24: Tree Sit at the Border
Q: What are the ecological stakes around the grandmothers and the nesting birds, and how do monitors fit into the plan?
The interviewee discusses nesting birds and cavity nests within the cottonwoods, the role of environmental monitors, and the insistence that construction pause until wildlife protections are respected, illustrating the balance sought between activism and ecological safeguards.
S5E24: Tree Sit at the Border
Q: Was this the first time a tree sit has taken place in the context of border wall construction, and how did it come about?
Kate explains that the tree sit emerged as a strategic point of the spear for a long-standing activist movement, born from a sense of urgency and collective leadership, and that it grew from conversations among local organizers who felt the moment called for direct action.
S5E22: Morgan Sjogren on the War on Utah's National Monuments
Q: What actions can listeners take beyond voting to protect these places?
Listeners can contact their representatives using letter-writing tools, support conservation groups, participate in local stewardship projects, and follow for ongoing updates on lawsuits and ground-level efforts.
S5E22: Morgan Sjogren on the War on Utah's National Monuments
Q: Do you remember when you first saw each monument and how that felt? When was it?
Morgan describes a recent but transformative experience visiting Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante, realizing how the landscapes speak to place and community, and how those early visits shaped her work reporting on potential reductions.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About This Podcast

What is This Podcast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show centers on desert conservation, policy, and landscape-scale threats in the American Southwest, pairing host-led explorations with on-the-ground reporting and expert interviews. Episodes span topics like biodiversity, border policy, energy development, water use, and community organizing, all framed around practical advocacy and grassroots engagement. Unique strengths include field reporting, a clear conservation lens, and a willingness to mix science, storytelling, and activism to move listeners toward action.

Where can I find podcast stats for this podcast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to this podcast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does this podcast get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for this podcast, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for this podcast?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for this podcast, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does this podcast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers this podcast has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to this podcast?

These podcasts share a similar audience with this podcast:

1. Desert Oracle Radio
2. Hidden Brain
3. Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
4. Fresh Air
5. Science Friday

How many episodes of this podcast are there?

this podcast launched 5 years ago and published 153 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact this podcast?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for this podcast?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for this podcast from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for this podcast?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of this podcast. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on this podcast?

Recent guests on this podcast include:

1. Kimon de Greef
2. Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho
3. Kate Scott
4. Chance Wilcox
5. Laura Cunningham
6. Russ McSpadden
7. Cindy Bernard
8. Bernard Leibov

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days