TahoeLand

Two years after making TahoeLand, host Ezra David Romero finds himself reporting on a major wildfire threatening the beloved region.

In our final episode of TahoeLand, you’ll hear from scientists, leaders and locals who feel they’ve been left out of the climate-crisis conversation. This live version — recorded in Tahoe — is a little different and longer than our other episodes.

When it comes to politics, Tahoe is a blue island in a sea of red. But this episode isn’t only about political alliances. It’s also about seeing the lake differently: What if we view the lake as part of our identity, not just place we visit?

Last night we were in Tahoe doing a special live taping of our final episode, so we won’t have one for you this week. Next week it’s all about the politics of climate change.

Fire plays no favorites. And even though a lot is being done to make Tahoe fire-ready, the region remains vulnerable. Huge swaths of forest and hundreds of homes require cleaning up — because just one blaze could destroy the Tahoe we know today.

Climate change is impacting everyday life for Tahoe’s locals, who are having to rethink their jobs, businesses and the tourism industry in order to make it. For some, it's heart wrenching. But others are seeing a new vision for Tahoe’s future.

The TahoeLand team is busy working on the next episode which is all about Tahoe’s tourist economy. Here’s a sneak peek of what’s coming next week.

Climate change could mean more garbage for dinner and shorter life spans for Lake Tahoe’s black bears — not to mention a lot less hibernating. This is supposed to worsen as more visitors descend on the region.

Tahoe’s identity as a winter wonderland is in jeopardy. The climate is warming, and the region’s snowpack is retreating up the mountains. Extreme fluctuations in snow not only have huge ramifications for Tahoe, but also communities across the globe.

Invasive shrimp are threatening Lake Tahoe’s iconic clarity. But removing them might keep Tahoe blue — and it also could be a solution for other communities grappling with climate change.

More people visit Lake Tahoe every year than Disneyland. They all want to witness its iconic blue hue — but rising temperatures threaten that clear alpine water. In this episode, we look at how Tahoe may hold answers to our climate crisis.

Lake Tahoe is a jewel in the Sierra Nevada, but climate change threatens everything we love about it. CapRadio’s Ezra David Romero takes us inside this petri dish for scientific research to see how Tahoe helps us confront the global climate crisis.

In this final episode of YosemiteLand, Ezra answers listener questions! He follows up with characters from previous episodes, and talks about everything from rock-climbing safety to remedies for parking and congestion.

Like many major U.S. tourist destinations, Yosemite is dealing with a housing-affordability problem and the arrival of short-term rentals like Airbnb. In this episode, Ezra speaks with residents who are dealing with the housing issue near Yosemite.

We won’t have an episode on Labor Day, but we want to hear from you! Is there a issue we neglected to discuss? Or did you want to hear more about a particular topic? If so, shoot Ezra a voice memo or a note at ezra.romero@capradio.org.

In this episode, Ezra tours Yosemite Valley on a "green dragon" — an open-air tour bus — and also learns about rock falls and why historic places in the park have been renamed.

Hey everyone, Episode 6 will be out Tuesday. In the meantime, here's a taste.

For more than four decades, the Ahwahneechee people — the Native Americans with ties to Yosemite Valley — had no place to call home. Now, one of their villages is being resurrected.

Hey listeners, we’re still hustling away on Episode 5. In the meantime, check out this teaser.

In this episode, Ezra looks at the future of fire in Yosemite. He hikes with a scientist studying how climate change could transform its landscape, talks with the park's first female fire chief, and learns about life growing up in a fire zone.

In this episode, Ezra chats with rock climbing legends, explores how gyms are diversifying who climbs, and gets out on the rock near Glacier Point. He also talks with women climbers who are leading the way.

Traffic in Yosemite during peak tourist months is often compared to rush hour in Los Angeles. Join host Ezra David Romero as he sits in a snarl-up of tourists and learns how all these cars put wildlife at risk.

As tourism increases in Yosemite, how is the park's identity — its sense of place — changing?

YosemiteLand, a new podcast from Capital Public Radio, is about how decisions made today in Yosemite National Park will impact millions of visitors in the years to come.