Outdoors with Coggin Heeringa
Every Wednesday on Classical IPR, Coggin Heeringa takes us into the great outdoors. She is the program director and naturalist at Crossroads at Big Creek Learning Center/Nature Preserve in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. And she's taught environmental studies at the Interlochen Arts Camp since 1971.
Latest Episodes
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During Earth Week, Coggin reflects on her favorite things: all creatures, plants, soil, water, young people, fish whiskers and the fine arts. -
Discover how egg-based tempera paint gave medieval masterpieces their lasting brilliance — and what that has to do with your grocery store eggs. -
Rainbow trout infuse Michigan streams and rivers with essential nutrients, just as public radio streams nourish and inspire their listeners. -
The hymn tune "Beach Spring" tells a story of misprint and geography — it reminds Coggin Heeringa of the natural springs around Lake Michigan's sand dunes. -
Igor Stravinsky’s "The Rite of Spring" captures the fury of seasonal change, but the real story of renewal lies in the quiet process of seed germination. -
John Coltrane’s “Equinox” reflects his belief in celestial rhythms and the equal balance of day and night. -
Our moon appears reddish-orange during a total lunar eclipse due to the way light interacts with its surface. -
After the Little Ice Age, the Snow Maiden’s melting symbolized the end of harsh winters and the return of spring. -
Carnival, meaning "to remove meat," is a time for human indulgence before Lent and the season when animals scavenge carcasses for survival. -
Charles Burchfield’s "Oncoming Spring" captures the clash between winter’s lingering cold and the distant promise of spring.
