Nature Now

Nan Evans talks with Port Townsend photographer Kerry Tremain about the beauty of his bird photography and the emotional connections we all have to birds once we open ourselves to honor that we humans co-evolved with birds. (KPTZ airdate: May 7, 2025) Learn more:Kerry Tremain PhotographyKerry Tremain's newsletter Wild ThingsBird sound recording: Jay McGowan, ML66621141, courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay LibraryMusic by Rick Bauer Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and can support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Debaran Kelso welcomes back guest Peter Harrison, this time joined by his wife Shirley Metz. Peter is a world-renowned seabird expert, artist, and conservationist, and Shirley is an avid adventurer and conservationist in her own right. This show highlights their remarkable joint conservation efforts (part 2 of a two-part program). (KPTZ airdate: April 23, 2025) Learn more:The Mouse-Free Marion ProjectSEABIRDS: The New Identification Guide autographed by Peter HarrisonPeter HarrisonBird sound recording by Penguins International Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and can support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Whales of Alaska have been studied by NOAA scientists for many years. For a third of a century, Dave Rugh flew in small aircraft, stood on sea cliffs, rode various ships, and spent a lot of time on sea ice documenting the abundance of whales around Alaska. This included the enigmatic bowhead whale, belugas (which are white whales) in Cook Inlet near Anchorage, and gray whales which migrate from the Arctic to Mexico's warm lagoons. (KPTZ airdate: April 16, 2025) Learn more:NOAA in Alaska Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and can support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Nan Evans and Christie Lassen are at it again in part two of "Birds and Their Feathers" as they explore such topics as: What is the impact of diet on feathers? How do feathers keep birds warm? And cool? How do feathers help birds fly? (part 2 of a two-part program). (Airdate: April 9, 2025) Learn more:Wild Birds Unlimited in Gardiner, WAFeathers: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle by Thor HansonWhat It's Like to Be a Bird by David Allen SibleyBird sound recording: Gerrit Vyn, ML128932, courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay LibraryNature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and can support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Please join host Debaran Kelso as we welcome our special guest Peter Harrison. Peter is a world-renowned seabird expert, artist, and conservationist, and this week we will be speaking about writing and illustrating his beautiful new book Seabirds: The New Identification Guide. We end with exploring the world of the albatrosses, in anticipation of his upcoming public lecture sponsored by the Port Townsend Marine Science Center on March 30, 2025 (part 1 of a two-part program). (Airdate: March 26, 2025) Learn more:SEABIRDS: The New Identification Guide autographed by Peter HarrisonPeter HarrisonOldest known wild bird, Wisdom, has a new chick!Bird sound recording by American Bird Conservancy Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and can support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Hosts Jackie Canterbury, Nan Evans, and Debaran Kelso get together to share their best reads and top "wish list" books to read in the coming year. As naturalists, the choices include some great natural history picks. But their eclectic tastes range across poetry, philosophy, history, personal reflections of authors, and art. Tune in to hear their conversation and to share in the fun they all had doing this program. (Airdate: March 5, 2025) Books discussed (in alphabetical order):The Outermost House by Henry BestonThe Good Rain by Timothy EganA Naturalist's Year in the Pacific Northwest by Geoffrey HammersonApprentice to the Wild by Kurt HoeltingWild Forest Home by Betsy L. HowellThe Laws Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling by John Muir LawsThe Parrot and the Igloo by David LipskyWhat It's Like to Be a Bird by David Allen SibleyBirdwatching with American Women, edited by Deborah StromThe Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan Find more to read in the Jefferson Land Trust Natural History Society Book Club reading list. Bird sound recording: Matthew D. Medler, ML43973911, courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay LibraryNature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and can support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Envision a bird – any bird. What do you first notice? The feathers, of course. But, what do you really know about those beautiful and amazingly variable structures? Join Nan Evans and Christie Lassen to explore feather forms and structures, colors and patterns, and the incredible usefulness and functions of feathers (part 1 of a two-part program). (Airdate: March 19, 2025) Learn more:Wild Birds Unlimited in Gardiner, WAFeathers: The Evolution of a Natural Miracle by Thor HansonWhat It's Like to Be a Bird by by David Allen SibleyBird sound recording: Andrew Spencer, ML32411761, courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay LibraryNature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Jackie Canterbury talks with Brittaney Drake about science visualization which is 'art in service of science' and how bird illustration is used to teach art and nature in her democratic classroom. Brittaney uses a variety of bird illustration tools including black ink, gouache watercolor, colored pencil, and digital illustration to teach bird illustration (part 2 of a two-part program). (Airdate: February 26, 2025) Learn more:The Pearl Remote Democratic High SchoolBrittaney Drake's artwork on instagramArt Pearl, Democracy and Education: Remembering a LegendGouache as a witness to historyBird sound recording: Thomas G. Graves, XC663793, accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/663793. License CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Are we diminishing our lives of the senses? Nan Evans talks with special guest Richard Louv, author of many books examining the crucial connections between the natural world and human physical, mental, social and even cultural health. Richard Louv first developed the concept of a nature-deficit disorder in his 2005 book, Last Child in the Woods. You will be inspired to get yourself and those you love outside to explore, play, watch and listen. (Airdate: February 19, 2025) Learn more:Richard LouvRegister for Jefferson Land Trust's 2025 Conservation Breakfast (free and virtual)Child and Nature NetworkMusic by Laura Martin Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Buzzz... Think of a bee. Do you see a honey bee gathering pollen and making honey in its hive? Is it native to the Western Hemisphere? No! Think of another bee. Do you see a bumble bee? Peraps a picture or a drawing? Think of another bee. Having problems? Do you know that there are over 600 native bee species in Washington? Nan Evans talks with Dr. Karen Wright from the Washington Department of Agriculture to learn more about our native bees and the Washington Bee Atlas. (Airdate: January 29, 2025) Learn more:Washington Bee AtlasWashington Native Bee SocietyBuzz: The Nature and Necessity of Bees by Thor HansonBird sound recording courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay LibraryNature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Jackie Canterbury talks with Brittaney Drake about her work at The Pearl Remote Democratic High School in Seattle, Washington where she teaches about nature using a visual arts curriculum. Her teaching style follows the fundamentals of Dr. Art Pearl who developed the Democratic classroom in Eugene, Oregon. He inspired the words Democracy and Education. "His message was about the primacy of democracy, the fragility of it, the assaults against it, how far we are from a nation that truly cherishes it and practices it — and the essential role of public education in any chance for a healthy democracy in the future." The founder and director of the Seattle Democratic school is Dr. Robin Harwick who has served as a mentor to Brittaney. In this program we talk about the importance of using the democratic process as a backdrop to teaching about art and nature. Globally and as a nation, we are now realizing the fragility of democracy. In this program Brittaney discusses how she uses a visual arts curriculum, particularly bird illustration, as a way to teach about nature and science. (Airdate: February 5, 2025) Learn more:The Pearl Remote Democratic High SchoolBrittaney Drake's artwork on instagramThe Democratic Classroom: Theory to Inform Practice (Understanding Education and Policy)Art Pearl, Democracy and Education: Remembering a LegendBird sound recordings: Donald R. Gunn, ML57586, and John Patterson, ML93401111, courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Join Debaran Kelso and guest wildlife biologist Betsy Howell of the US Forest Service, as they review recent wildlife research projects being conducted in the Olympic National Forest. (Airdate: January 15, 2025) Learn more:Betsy HowellWild Forest Home: Stories of Conservation in the Pacific Northwest by Betsy L. HowellThree Cool Ways USGS is Studying Bats in National Parks2022 Marmot Monitoring ResultsMarmot MonitoringBird sound recordings: Geoffrey A. Keller courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay LibraryNature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Host Debaran Kelso speaks with author Betsy Howell about her recently published book of essays, Wild Forest Home: Stories of Conservation in the Pacific Northwest. Betsy is a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Forest Service and has been on our program several times over the years speaking about her work on the Olympic National Forest, but this interview focuses on her personal experiences as a writer working in the forests she's come to love. (Airdate: December 11, 2024) Learn more:Betsy HowellWild Forest Home: Stories of Conservation in the Pacific Northwest by Betsy L. HowellBird sound recordings: Nora Petrich; Gregory Budney, ML74563211, courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay LibraryNature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Jackie Canterbury talks with Dr. Steve Hampton from the local Rainshadow Bird Alliance, formerly Admiralty Audubon, about the oldest citizen science program of its kind, the Audubon Christmas Bird Count or CBC. The CBC began on Christmas Day 1900 as a way to count birds rather than shoot them as people began to become visibly concerned about declining bird populations. The Port Townsend CBC occurs on December 14, relying on volunteer birders and encompassing much of the Quimper Peninsula. The Rainshadow Alliance administers our local CBC and submits data to National Audubon where Audubon and other organizations use the data to guide conservation efforts for birds, including the greatest challenge of all, climate change. "There is nothing else like the CBC in terms of geographic coverage and time," says Geoff LaBaron of National Audubon. And none of it would happen without dedicated volunteers. (Airdate: November 27, 2024) Learn more:Rainshadow Bird AllianceRainshadow Bird Alliance's 2024 Port Townsend Christmas Bird CountAudubon Christmas Bird CountChristmas Bird Count bibliography of studies2024 Seattle Christmas Bird CountBird sound recording: Thomas Magarian, XC524805, accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/524805. License CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

The bad news – losses of bird and wildlife populations, extinction of species, and destruction of habitats. The good news – find hope and empowerment in your own home through the Backyard Wildlife Certification Program. Join host Nan Evans and Christie Lassen, co-owner of Wild Birds Unlimited in Gardiner, as they explore both the good and the bad news. (Airdate: November 20, 2024) Learn more:National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Wildlife Certification ProgramWild Birds Unlimited in Gardiner, WAState of the Birds 2022 from the North American Bird Conservation InitiativeSteve Hampton's The Cottonwood PostDoug TallamayBird sound recordings: Nora Petrich; William R. Fish, ML22874, courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Join us as we explore new perspectives on the critical topic of climate change! Host Debaran Kelso speaks with celebrated author David Lipsky on the subject of his latest book, The Parrot and the Igloo: Climate and the Science of Denial. (Airdate: November 13, 2024) Learn more:The Parrot and The Igloo by David LipskyBird sound recording: Robert Dobbs, ML200282711, courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Jackie Canterbury talks with Malloree Weinheimer, founder of Chickadee Forestry, a female owned and operated small business she started in 2018. Malloree works to find solutions in forest management to support the land and its people in a new and different way. Join Jackie as she talks with Malloree about Chickadee Forestry which serves Jefferson County and the greater Pacific Northwest. Malloree answers questions about forest health, climate change, and the resources and strategies available to small forest landowners who want to conserve their forest lands. (Airdate: November 6, 2024) Learn more:Chickadee ForestryWhy Keeping Mature Forests Intact Is Key to the Climate FightBird song recordings: Jackie Canterbury; Thomas Magarian, XC464517, accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/464517. License CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Community forestry? What is that? Find out as Nan Evans meets up with Jefferson Land Trust staff and advisors on Chimacum Ridge to explore what is happening there now that the Land Trust owns the property. (part 2 of a two-part program). (Airdate: October 23, 2024) Learn more:Chimacum Ridge ForestCommunity Forests: A path to prosperity and connectionCommunity forests in the Pacific Northwest Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Community forestry? What is that? Find out as Nan Evans meets up with Jefferson Land Trust staff and advisors on Chimacum Ridge to explore what is happening there now that the Land Trust owns the property. (part 1 of a two-part program). (Airdate: October 9, 2024) Learn more:Chimacum Ridge ForestCommunity Forests: A path to prosperity and connectionCommunity forests in the Pacific Northwest Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Join Nan Evans as she heads into a local forest with another Nature Now host, Jackie Canterbury. Jackie will help Nan and listeners learn to better identify birds by ear and understand some of their special behavior. (Airdate: September 25, 2024) Learn more:Red CrossbillWinter WrenValley View ForestWhat The Robin KnowsBackyard Bird Chronicles Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Host Debaran Kelso speaks with Scott Brinton, co-founder and executive director of the CedarRoot School, about tracking and its importance to wildlife conservation (part 1 of a two-part program). (Airdate: September 18, 2024) Learn more: CedarRoot School Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Dungeness crabs are hugely important in the Pacific Northwest – commercially, recreationally, ecologically, and traditionally. Yet scientists and resource managers don't know how big the population is, how and why it varies over time, or how significant natural and human caused factors impact these populations. Join Nan Evans to explore how new and cooperative efforts (and some very simple techniques) are trying to better understand the dynamic Dungeness crab populations. (Airdate: September 4, 2024) Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Join us as we continue on our field trip to explore the world of wild edible and medicinal plants! Debaran Kelso is invited to the wild gardens of herbalist Nancy Slick to speak about some of her favorite medicinal plants (part 2 of a two-part program). (Airdate: July 24, 2024) Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Join us on a field trip to explore the world of wild edible and medicinal plants! Debaran Kelso is invited to the wild gardens of herbalist Nancy Slick to speak about some of her favorite medicinal plants (part 1 of a two-part program). (Airdate: July 10, 2024) Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Nourish your curiosity about the natural world around us. Join Nan Evans as she talks with Kelly Brenner, Seattle author, artist and urban naturalist, about projects and experiments you can do around your home to explore the hidden worlds of life that share our spaces. (Airdate: June 26, 2024) Learn more:Kelly BrennerKelly's suggestions for a naturalist's field kitThe Naturalist at Home: Projects for Discovering the Hidden World Around UsSlime molds are gorgeous (you just never knew it!) from Oregon Public BroadcastingMacroinvertebrates Of The Pacific Northwest: A Field GuidePlants of the Pacific Northwest Coast Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

We're all familiar with Washington's state flower, the native Pacific Rhododendron. Did you know there is a classification for that ecosystem – it's called the Rhododendron forest. Remnants of the Rhododendron forest are on the Toandos Peninsula in Puget Sound and are technically part of a "globally imperiled plant association". This forest type has been confirmed by botanists with the Department of Natural Resources' Natural Heritage Program. Over the past decade biologists have mapped this globally rare type of forest which represents the largest occurrence of its type left in the world. Although this native forest type was once common west of the Cascades in Washington state, it has largely been eliminated by conversion to tree plantations and development. Join Jackie Canterbury as she talks with Peter Bahls, Director and Biologist for the Northwest Watershed Institute, and Heidi Eisenhour, Jefferson County Commissioner, about their collaborative efforts to protect this globally rare remaining Pacific Rhododendron forest. (Airdate: June 19, 2024) Learn more:Northwest Watershed InstituteWA DNR Seeks Public Comment on Expansion of Dabob Bay Natural Area until June 28Rare Rhododendron Forests by Peter Bahls in the Natural History Society Newsletter WA DNR Natural Heritage Program Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Nan Evans and Dr. Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens continue to explore the weird world of plankton. Did you know some plankton can make water go bad? Cyanobacteria can produce a wide range of toxins poisoning waters and threatening humans and other animals (part 2 of a two-part program). (Airdate: May 29, 2024) Watch Dr. Stephen Bollens' and Dr. Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens' lecture: The Mysterious World of Plankton: Cascading Migrations in a Fertile Fjord. Learn more:Aquatic Ecology Lab at WSU VancouverEutrophication: Causes, Consequences, and Controls in Aquatic EcosystemsThe Secret Life of Plankton from TED-EdWhy Are Plankton the Most Vital Organisms on Earth? from BBC Earth Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Host Debaran Kelso delves into the amazing world of secretive wetland birds with guest Cindy Easterson from the Puget Sound Bird Observatory. She is program manager for the Regional Wetland Secretive Bird Monitoring Project and shares details on this grand new research effort in our region. (Airdate: May 22, 2024) Learn more:Puget Sound Bird ObservatoryThe Wetland Secretive Bird Monitoring project Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Nan Evans welcomes back Ric Brewer to continue their "snail tales" conversation with a discussion of the native snails and slugs of the Pacific Northwest. Our moist temperate climate is just right for these gastropods (that means "stomach-footed"). And, for a final conversational treat, consider eating snails (i.e., escargots) on your pizza or pasta (part 2 of a two-part program). (Airdate: May 8, 2024) Join Ric on a Gastropod Gallop, a guided walk exploring the inhabitants that dwell at ground level: snails and slugs. Learn more about:Little Gray FarmsMeet the Snail Farmer – Ric BrewerJefferson Land TrustNative Northwest Snails by Ric Brewer Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

During a 2-mile walk, host Jackie Canterbury talks with John Goldwood about the history and nature of Teal Lake near Port Ludlow. As a resident of Port Ludlow, John shares his knowledge about the history and complications of living at the interface between timber country and residential development. He engages us about the Teal Lake trail, the trail system in Port Ludlow, the surrounding forest, the local geology, and the plants and birds of the area. (Airdate: May 1, 2024) Learn more:Nature out of balance in Port Ludlow Books:Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin SheldrakeFinding the Mother Tree: Discovering the Wisdom of the Forest by Suzanne SimardNature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Join host Debaran Kelso and puma specialist Dr. Mark Elbroch as they continue to explore both mountain lion ecology and how we might learn to share our world with this large successful predator (part 2 of a two-part program). (Airdate: April 24, 2024) Learn more about the Jefferson Land Trust's 2024 Conservation Breakfast. Learn more about Panthera's Olympic Cougar Project. Learn more about the work of Mark Elbroch and his field guides and books, including The Cougar Conundrum. Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Dr. Virginia Armbrust, Director of the University of Washington School of Oceonography, joins host Nan Evans to continue the conversation about the weird world of microscopic organisms that populate the world's oceans, and why we should know about them and even care (part 2 of a two-part program). (Airdate: August 15, 2018) Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Dr. Virginia Armbrust, Director of the University of Washington School of Oceonography, joins host Nan Evans to talk about the weird world of microscopic organisms that populate the world's oceans, and why we should know about them and even care (part 1 of a two-part program). (Airdate: February 7, 2018) Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Ancient bacteria, single cells and long strands of strange little plants, plus minute single-celled animals and weird fantastical animal larvae – these are the members of the Earth's massive and hugely important planktonic ecosystems. Come with Nan Evans as she talks with Dr. Gretchen Rollwagen-Bollens about this strange world and its significance to global ecology and human well being. Consider eutrophication, the world's biggest threat to water quality, or cyanobacteria, one of the causes of toxic algal blooms such as the ones in our local Anderson Lake. (Airdate: April 10, 2024) Learn more:Aquatic Ecology Lab at WSU VancouverEutrophication: Causes, Consequences, and Controls in Aquatic EcosystemsThe Secret Life of Plankton from TED-EdWhy Are Plankton the Most Vital Organisms on Earth? from BBC Earth Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Curious about the role played by snails in shaping human history? Fashion? Diet? Economics? Class and politics? Or even, what makes snails such a huge, diverse and successful group of creatures? Join Nan Evans as she talks with snail conservationist, farmer, and all-around snail lover, Ric Brewer, to explore these, and other, questions. (Airdate: April 3, 2024) Learn more about:Little Gray FarmsMeet the Snail Farmer – Ric BrewerJefferson Land TrustNative Northwest Snails by Ric Brewer Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Host Jackie Canterbury talks with Bev McNeil about the nature of Anderson Lake State Park. The park encompasses 496 acres of land with a diversity of plant communities, wetlands, and forests. The park bears the family name of an earlier owner, Amanda Anderson. The land was purchased in 1947. The park now offers trails that pass along the lake and through grassy marshes, patches of salmonberries and huckleberries and through forests of young and older western red cedar and Douglas-fir. (Airdate: March 27, 2024) Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Join host Debaran Kelso and puma specialist Dr. Mark Elbroch as they explore both mountain lion ecology and how we might learn to share our world with this large successful predator (part 1 of a two-part program). (Airdate: March 6, 2024) Learn more about the Jefferson Land Trust's 2024 Conservation Breakfast. Learn more about Panthera's Olympic Cougar Project. Learn more about the work of Mark Elbroch and his field guides and books, including The Cougar Conundrum. Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Many of us who live near an ocean know in our hearts, bones and minds about the wonders of living near the water. Join Nan Evans as she talks with Paola Espitia of Ola-Pi Creative about marine biology and the science behind these benefits. (Airdate: February 21, 2024) Learn more about the Blue Mind effect. Watch Paola's Conversations with Wavemakers in blue spaces around the world. Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Host Debaran Kelso dives once again into the fascinating world of humpback whales with Dr. Fred Sharpe. This week we focus on the phenomenon of “bubble ring" formation, and what they might mean as a form of communication (part 2 of a two-part program). (Airdate: February 14, 2024) Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Mary Robson and Gary Bullock share experiences while observing nature, basing their thoughts on Rachel Carson's essay A Sense of Wonder. (Airdate: February 7, 2024) Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Join host Debaran Kelso as we explore the mysteries of the universe with Dr. Fred Sharpe. Fred has been studying humpback whale social behavior for many years, and for the past decade has joined with SETI to think about intelligent life in the cosmos, and how understanding animal behavior in general, and whale vocalizations in particular, might serve as a model to understand messages from extrasolar planets far, far away (part 1 of a two-part program). (Airdate: January 17, 2024) Whale sounds recorded under NOAA Research Permit #19703Learn more about:Interactive Playback with a Humpback WhaleSETI InstituteHumpback whale interventionsOrca Network Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Nan Evans talk with local "thalassophile" Nam Siu about his love for the ocean, his work and adventures protecting marine life and ecosystems, and his artistic pursuits. Nam is a wizard of the traditional Japanese art of making fish impressions and at creating beautiful pressings of marine algae. His science inspires his art and, in turn, his art provides meaning for his science. (Airdate: January 10, 2024) Listen to previous Nature Now programs with Nam Siu: Seaweeds (Part 1) and Seaweeds (Part 2). Learn more about the WA Invasive Species Council's Safeguard Our Shellfish campaign. Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Hosts Debaran Kelso, Nan Evans, and Jackie Canterbury have a good time sharing their favorite recent natural history books. Join the fun and start your 2024 "to read" list. (Airdate: January 3, 2024) Books discussed:An Immense World by Ed YongThe Mind of a Bee by Lars ChittkaPassings by Holly HughesAlfie & Me by Carl SafinaOwls of the Eastern Ice by Jonathan SlaghtTake Heart by Kathleen Dean MooreHorizon by Barry LopezEmbrace Fearlessly the Burning World by Barry LopezA Naturalist's Year in the Pacific Northwest by Geoffrey HammersonSalmon Cedar Rock & Rain by Tim McNultySibley Birds West by David Allen SibleyA Field Guide to Western Birds by Roger Tory PetersonPeterson Field Guide to North American Bird Nests by Casey McFarland, Matthew Monjello and David MoskowitzCoastal Fishes of the Pacific Northwest by Andy Lamb and Phil EdgellPlants of the Pacific Northwest Coast by Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnonPacific Northwest Insects by Merrill PetersonCascadia Field Guide: Art, Ecology, Poetry by Elizabeth Bradfield, CMarie Fuhrman and Derek Sheffield Find more to read in the Jefferson Land Trust Natural History Society Book Club reading list. Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Jackie Canterbury talks with Dr. Steve Hampton about the oldest citizen science program of its kind, the Audubon Christmas Bird Count or CBC. The CBC began on Christmas Day 1900 as a way to count birds rather than shoot them as people began to become visibly concerned about declining bird populations. Today the CBC occurs each year from December 14 through January 5 relying on volunteer birders. Audubon and other organizations use the 122 years of data to guide conservation efforts, including the greatest challenge of all, climate change. "There is nothing else like the CBC in terms of geographic coverage and time," says Geoff LeBaron, Christmas Bird Count Director for the National Audubon Society. And none of it would happen without dedicated volunteers. (Airdate: December 27, 2023) Learn more:History of the Christmas Bird CountThe 122nd Christmas Bird Count SummaryFrom Steve Hampton's blog: Heading south for winter, more birds are choosing the PNW Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Thousands of crab pots go untended yearly in the Salish Sea; their release causes crab loss and ship damage. Nan Evans talks with Nathaniel Ashford about the efforts of Port Townsend's STEM Club (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) to salvage those lost pots using robotics. Olivia Reinhart joins the conversation to share her experience working with the Sea Dragons team (part 2 of a two-part program). (Airdate: December 20, 2023) Learn more:The project to remove lost crab potsThe Port Townsend STEM ClubThe Sea Dragon derelict crab pot recovery project has won the ESRI 2023 student Storytellers of the Year award Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Join host Debaran Kelso as we explore the fascinating world of screech owls! Renowned ecologist Dr. Carl Safina is our guest, speaking about his most recent book Alfie and Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe, which describes his family's raising of an orphaned Eastern Screech Owl and how this changed their lives. (Airdate: December 13, 2023) Learn more:Alfie and Me: What Owls Know, What Humans Believe by Carl SafinaCarl Safina's websiteThe Cornell Lab of Ornithology Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Nan Evans talks with Jim Bodkin about what scientists have learned about sea otter ecology and conservation since otters were nearly forced into extinction by fur hunters – specifically how important sea otters are to healthy, diverse and resilient ocean ecosystems. How do we know if and when the sea otters have been restored to pre-hunting conditions? Is there a relationship between climate change and healthy sea otter populations? (Airdate: December 6, 2023) Learn more:Elakha Alliance – Bringing Back Oregon's Sea OttersMonterey Bay AquariumSeattle AquariumSea Otter Foundation & TrustWhy the return of sea otters to Canada's west coast is making waves Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Join Debaran Kelso on a fall mushroom hunt with fellow fungiphiles Maxwell Fisher, Baylin Speidel, and Shawn Gisriel (part 2 of a two-part program). (Airdate: November 22, 2023) Learn more about mushrooms with:All That the Rain Promises and More by David AroraMushrooms Demystified by David AroraMushrooms of the Pacific Northwest by Steve TrudellProfiles of Northwest Fungi by Buck McAdooFantastic Fungi Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Nan Evans and Jim Bodkin, Scientist Emeritus of the U.S. Geological Survey, finish their discussion of sea otters off the outer Washington coast (part 2 of a two-part program). (Airdate: January 2017) Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Nan Evans talks about sea otters with Jim Bodkin, Scientist Emeritus with the U.S. Geological Survey, in a wide-ranging discussion of the animals off the Washington coast (part 1 of a two-part program). (Airdate: December 2016) Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Nan Evans delves further into the background and lives of sea otters in a discussion with wildlife biologist Jim Bodkin (part 2 of a two-part program). (Airdate: May 2016) Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and want to support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!