Playa Country Airs on Mondays at 10:30 a.m. during High Plains Morning and 10:30 a.m. on Saturdays during Western Swing & Other Things. Playas are shallow, seasonal wetlands that serve as recharge basins for the Ogallala Aquifer and provide critical habitat for hundreds of wildlife species.  The wetlands are a distinctive feature of the High Plains region. There are more than 60,000 playas in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.  Playa Country focuses on the importance of playas and efforts to conserve them.  Shows feature interviews with landowners, biologists, resource managers, community leaders and others.  Playa Country is produced by the High Plains Public Radio news team of Mark Haslett and Lindsey Fields. The program is funded and distributed by the Playa Lakes Joint Venture. Sign up for an automatic download of each new episode of Playa Country through HPPR's Podcast service:  Podcast signup  Learn about HPPR Podcasts

Listen to recent episodes of Playa Country: The Farm Bill - The ways to track the Farm Bill and make your voice heard. (aired 2/8/10) Being a conservation professional - Working in the conservation field no longer means that one necessarily is a government employee. (aired 2/1/10) Mid-winter survey - Every year the mid-winter waterfowl survey is conducted. Here's more on how and why they count them. (aired 1/25/10) Project BEAK - There's new, content-rich educational website about the birds of Nebraska. You don't have to be student or a Nebraskan to find the site informative and fun. (aired 1/18/10) Landowners and Wind Energy - Landowners can learn the process of leasing space for wind energy and what they should be aware of when approached about a potential project. (aired 1/11/10) Who you gonna call? - When it comes to deciphering the twists and turns of public policy- or voicing your opinion on those policies- who do you contact, and how? (aired 1/4/10) Wing Bees -  What impact do wing bees have in determining the annual waterfowl harvest? (aired 12/28/09) Oklahoma Burn Indemnity Fund -  Landowners in Oklahoma may soon have a new source of insurance to protect against losses associated with liability for prescribed burn accidents. But the fund needs money. (aired 12/21/09) Liability for Prescribed Burns- What's the liability faced when landowners participate in a prescribed burn? (aired 12/14/09) Wetlands Reserve Program - A Natural Resources Conservation Service program can help landowners afford to restore playas that have been lost to development. (aired 12/7/09) Restoring Riparian Areas, the Neighborly Way - the National Wild Turkey Federation is making efforts to restore riparian areas along the Canadian River. (aired 11/30/09) The Child's Playa - In Southeast Colorado, one local school district is making a special effort to teach fifth-graders about the playa lakes in their home region. (aired 11/23/09) Long-Billed Curlew Status -The Curlew population is higher than originally anticipated, but the bird isn't out of the woods yet. (aired 11/16/09) Texas Playa Maps - The Center for Geospatial Technologies at Texas Tech has mapped the playas of the High Plains in West Texas...and the work continues. (aired 11/09/09) Duck Stamps - More on what the program is and how it benefits ducks and other waterfowl. (aired 11/02/09) Texas Tech aquifer map series - Researchers at Texas Tech have mapped the Ogallala Aquifer in Texas. Maps also depict center-pivot locations. (aired 10/26/09) Playa Ecosystem and Cycle - Here are the basics of seasonal wetlands on the High Plains and their changing roles in providing habitat. (aired 10/19/09) Texas Panhandle aquifer levels - How much of the Ogallala Aquifer in the Texas Panhandle should be remaining in 50 years? 80 percent? 50 percent? 40? Desired future conditions differ by locality. (aired 10/12/09) Kearney County CRP - Hear about a fellow farmer's experience with the Conservation Reserve Program. (aired 10/05/09) Clovis works to save its "urban" playa - The Nature Conservancy is one of several groups helping to turn one playa into a both a haven for wildlife and also a community resource. (aired 09/28/09) Eastern Red Cedar Removal in Oklahoma - Follow the efforts of the High Plains RC&D as they come up with creative solutions to remove the Eastern Red Cedar in Oklahoma. (aired 09/21/09) Lesser Prairie Chicken status under review - The Lesser Prairie Chicken's aversion to wind turbines could spell trouble if wind development pushes the bird into threatened or endangered status. (aired 09/14/09) Long-Billed Curlew  - Take a journey with the Long-Billed Curlew in Nebraska and learn about a Curlew tracking project. (aired 09/07/09) The Ogallala in Oklahoma  - The Ogallala Aquifer lies underneath most of the Oklahoma Panhandle. Those areas with the most groundwater are also the areas with the highest rates of groundwater depletion. (aired 8/31/09) Re-introducing the Lesser Prairie Chicken  - The Lesser Prairie Chicken requires a habitat free from human development. This presents a challenge for re-introducing the bird into its former range. (aired 8/24/09) Revising maps of the Ogallala in Kansas  - Ongoing efforts to provide accurate measurements of current Ogallala Aquifer levels in Western Kansas will result in some new maps soon. (aired 8/17/09) Playa numbers exceed old estimates - Researchers at the University of Kansas have revised the estimated number of playas. (aired 8/10/09) Ducks Unlimited helping conserve playas - Not only do ducks from other regions use the playas of the High Plains during migration, but some species also call the High Plains home. Organizations like Ducks Unlimited rely on corporate sponsorship to help preserve the birds' fragile wetland habitats. (aired 8/3/09)