Episodes

  • Chirp Chat: The story behind Bird City Wisconsin signs

    Chirp Chat: The story behind Bird City Wisconsin signs
    Aug 28 2025

    Did you know Milwaukee is a city for the birds? Bird City is a conservation program that brings folks together to create healthier communities for birds and people. And Milwaukee is just one of 82 official Bird Cities in Wisconsin.
    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
  • Chirp Chat: This Wisconsin band blends ‘birding and music’ in new album ‘Lifer’

    Chirp Chat: This Wisconsin band blends ‘birding and music’ in new album ‘Lifer’
    Jul 24 2025

    Aaron Grych, the lead singer, producer and songwriter for the indie rock band, says the new album combines his love for birding and music, while also telling stories through a bird's eye-view.
    Show More Show Less
    19 mins
  • Chirp Chat: All about Wisconsin’s state bird, the American Robin

    Chirp Chat: All about Wisconsin’s state bird, the American Robin
    Jun 19 2025
    The American Robin is one of the most common birds in North America. You’ve probably seen one in your backyard or been woken up by one before sunrise. But did you know this iconic bird is also Wisconsin’s state bird?
    Show More Show Less
    14 mins
  • Chirp Chat: Exploring what birds can teach us about ourselves through art

    Chirp Chat: Exploring what birds can teach us about ourselves through art
    May 29 2025
    Artist-in-Residence Hattie Grimm is the creator of the Charles Allis Art Museum’s new art exhibit called “BIRD BODY”. The exhibit features 20 wooden paintings and sculptures that she says explore “our bodies' intuitive wisdom.”
    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
  • Chirp Chat: The dazzling colors of warbler season in Wisconsin

    Chirp Chat: The dazzling colors of warbler season in Wisconsin
    Apr 25 2025
    Warblers are small songbirds that are among the most celebrated by birders for their flashy colors and sweet songs. But most warblers only spend a few weeks in Milwaukee.
    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
  • Chirp Chat: How do birds build nests in Wisconsin? With twigs, mud, spiderweb and more

    Chirp Chat: How do birds build nests in Wisconsin? With twigs, mud, spiderweb and more
    Mar 27 2025
    Spring is in the air — which means nest-making season is upon us! For this month’s Chirp Chat, Lake Effect’s Xcaret Nuñez spoke with Holly Walz, a park naturalist with the Wehr Nature Center, about the role nests play and the different types of nests that birds in Wisconsin make.
    Show More Show Less
    18 mins
  • Chirp Chat: How to meet other birders in Wisconsin

    Chirp Chat: How to meet other birders in Wisconsin
    Feb 27 2025
    Joining a local birding club or meeting other people at birding events can bring you a sense of belonging and teach you things you didn’t know. No matter how experienced you are.
    Show More Show Less
    21 mins
  • Chirp Chat: How to help birds survive Wisconsin’s winter

    Chirp Chat: How to help birds survive Wisconsin’s winter
    Jan 23 2025
    For this month’s Chirp Chat, Lake Effect’s Xcaret Nuñez spoke with Toby Seegert, the Regional Conservation Specialist for the Zoological Society of Milwaukee. He says winter is a great time to keep backyard bird feeders stocked so you can help birds stay nourished through the season.
    Show More Show Less
    14 mins