The Big Why : NPR Accessibility linksThe Big Why Answers to your questions — big or small — about anything under the Big Sky. Let's see what we can discover together!
January 17, 2024
How did the Ninepipe wetlands form — and how will climate change affect them?
January 17, 2024 • The Ninepipe wetlands cover thousands of acres across the Mission Valley. Nearly 15,000 acres are protected by federal, state and tribal agencies, and many more are on private lands. It's a sprawling complex of wetlands and grasslands tucked at the base of the Mission Mountains. A listener wants to know how the wetlands there formed and if climate change poses a threat.
How did the Ninepipe wetlands form — and how will climate change affect them?
December 22, 2023
Little kids, big questions — and dinosaurs!
December 22, 2023 • After a year of taking questions from our adult listeners across Montana, The Big Why team thought it would be fun to see what kids are curious about. They wanted to know 'why was the first dinosaur found in Montana?'
Little kids, big questions — and dinosaurs!
December 6, 2023
How does a small town rebuild after a devastating wildfire?
December 6, 2023 • A wildfire burned through the small town of Denton, MT in December of 2021. It burned more than 10,000 acres and destroyed 25 homes. So how is the town of Denton rebuilding, and what does wildfire resilient construction look like?
How does a small town rebuild after a devastating wildfire?
November 23, 2023
How much land have reservations in Montana lost to white settlement?
November 23, 2023 • One listener wants to know why non-Natives make up a majority of the population on the Flathead Reservation. Another listener asks how much land Montana's reservations lost to White settlement. The answer goes back to an 1887 law that ramped-up the federal government's efforts to assimilate Native people and erase their cultures.
How much land have reservations in Montana lost to white settlement?
November 8, 2023
What is Montana doing to address climate change: Part 1
November 8, 2023 • Following a lot of news about climate change, protests, presidential directives and court cases, a listener wants to know what Montana is doing to address climate change. It's a big question, so the answer will come in three parts. Here's part 1.
What is Montana doing to address climate change: Part 1
October 25, 2023
What's happening with the glaciers in the Mission Mountains?
October 25, 2023 • A listener is curious about how glaciers are faring in the south end of the Mission Mountains, those big peaks you can see from Highway 93 on the Flathead Reservation. Learn more about them now, on The Big Why.
What's happening with the glaciers in the Mission Mountains?
October 11, 2023
Why is there no sales tax in Montana?
October 11, 2023 • Montanans hate it. Politicians fear it. Supporters discuss it in hushed tones after the blinds are closed and the kids are tucked safely into bed. Yet, It doesn't exist in Montana. What is it? Today we're talking about the sales tax. Wait, don't go! The tax debate is actually pretty hot right now, and a listener wants to know why Montana remains one of the few states without a sales tax.
Why is there no sales tax in Montana?
September 27, 2023
What's the story behind Montana's old state orphanage?
September 27, 2023 • A Helena listener had a long-simmering curiosity about a relic of Montana history that still sits just across the Beaverhead River from Twin Bridges: The old Montana State Orphanage built in 1894. We took a look around with one of the previous residents. Join us for the tour, on this episode of The Big Why.
What's the story behind Montana's old state orphanage?
September 14, 2023
Did you know Montana has a state lullaby?
September 14, 2023 • You may know Montana has an official state animal, a state bird, a state gemstone and a state fruit. But did you know we have a state lullaby? Neither did we. Here's what we learned.
Did you know Montana has a state lullaby?
August 17, 2023
What makes Montana's Ringing Rocks ring?
August 17, 2023 • The Ringing Rocks is a roadside attraction people have been visiting for a long time. It's a big heap of boulders that give off a resonant bell-like ringing sound when struck with metal; at least theoretically. A listener wants to know what makes these rocks ring.
What makes Montana's Ringing Rocks ring?
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