St. Louis on the Air

There are roughly 2.8 million people living in Greater St. Louis, many of whom would be surprised to know that they share the space with a good variety of wildlife. The St. Louis Wildlife Project now has four seasons of data that they hope will give insight into how wildlife occupy and utilize the region’s urban spaces. For the past year, they’ve collected images from 34 motion-activated cameras planted in parks and green spaces across St. Louis. They’ve spotted foxes, turkeys, river otters, and even a couple bobcats. In this interview, Sarah Fenske talks with the researchers involved to learn about their observations from the past year.

Host Sarah Fenske talks with Fran Caradonna, Schlafly’s CEO, about how St. Louis’ craft scene has changed in the last three decades, Schlafly’s expansion plans and what it’s like being a woman in a field long dominated by men. She's helped position the now 29-year-old brewery in a much-changed beverage landscape.

St. Louis Public Radio morning newscaster and reporter Wayne Pratt joins host Sarah Fenske to talk about all the excitement in the city as the National Hockey League kicks off festivities for this weekend’s all-star tournament. It’s the first time the Blues will host the league’s all-star events since 1988.

In some ways, the concept behind St. Louis Public Library’s Creative Experience makerspace, located at its downtown branch, sounds pretty simple: It’s a space dedicated to creating things. But as makers of all sorts of stuff know, it can be difficult to bring even the best ideas to fruition without the right tools. That’s exactly where Creative Experience comes in — providing studio-quality software and equipment to help bring many different kinds of projects to life. Now, SLPL is adding a second such makerspace to the library district, reinventing existing space at its Barr branch located at Jefferson and Lafayette avenues.

The Commonwealth Project at Harvard University aims to model a new way for universities to engage with social problems through service and collaboration, with a special focus on St. Louis. A half-dozen local artists were selected for its new #IntheCity Visual Arts Fellowship last November. The goal of the program is to provide exposure and resources for up-and-coming artists in the region. Joining host Sarah Fenske to discuss the fellowship is Kareem "Tef Poe" Jackson and two visual artists and 2020 Harvard Commonwealth fellows: Collin Elliott and Nyara Williams.

On this month’s Sound Bites segment, produced in partnership with Sauce Magazine, managing editor Heather Hughes Huff gives an overview of the six up-and-comers the publication chose for its annual "Ones to Watch" feature that highlights local culinary talent. Host Sarah Fenske talks with Hughes Huff as well as featured restaurateurs, Alejandra Fallows and Bailey Schuchmann.

Host Sarah Fenske delves into the Salam Clinic’s impact on the region and the services its first psychiatric clinic will offer. Joining the discussion are cardiologist Dr. Zia Ahmad, founder and medical director of Salam Clinic, and psychologist Dr. Syed Mumtaz, coordinator of the clinic’s Mental Health Services.

Richard Geary is an actor, director and playwright. He frequently portrays the author Mark Twain, using only the words of Sam Clemens himself. Geary owns the Planters Barn Theater in Hannibal, and his 18th season there kicks off this May. This summer’s show is called “Mark Twain for President,” and it focuses on Twain’s satirical runs for the nation’s highest office. Before that, on February 21 and February 22, Geary will perform a show called “Mark Twain on Slavery.”

During this episode, in light of the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, host Sarah Fenske talks with Lucy Grimshaw, Courtney McDermott and Sha-Lai Williams about how the UMSL tour has influenced their perspective on the civil rights movement — and the connections they see to St. Louis events and issues, both past and present.

Host Sarah Fenske talks with the St. Louis Public Radio political correspondent who has been following this story.