Source to Sink: A CompareCast

Fire ants! Whether you've felt the sting of these cultural icons or not, the drama surrounding them is unsurprisingly unsurprising. Join us as we talk about the story of how fire ants came to be in the American South and how they changed the economic, cultural, and actual landscape.    The Fire Ant Wars: Nature, Science, and Public Policy in Twentieth-Century America - by Joshua Blu Buhs: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/F/bo3639751.html    Them! Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4URRp39XOo 

Join us to learn more about FL scrub-jay surveys through FL Audubon's Jay Watch and the drama that has unfolded over the past 23 years in attempts to make the FL scrub-jay our state bird! The episode starts slow and cascades into chaos as we discuss the twists and turns of the case for and against the scrub-jay.    Jay Watch: https://fl.audubon.org/get-involved/jay-watch  Jay Watch Training Webinars: https://fl.audubon.org/about-us/florida-scrub-jay-webinars

Join us in talking about one of Florida's most social birds - the Florida Scrub-Jay! We love them and their dependence on fire!   Audubon FL Jays Watch training materials: https://fl.audubon.org/about-us/florida-scrub-jay-webinars  Florida Scrub-Jay: Field Notes on a Vanishing Bird by Mark Jerome Walter: https://upf.com/book.asp?id=9780813066721 In Defense of Plants Oak Episode: https://www.indefenseofplants.com/podcast/2021/4/4/ep-311-how-oaks-get-around    

Join us as we walk though a fire prescription and what happens on the ground the day of a prescribed burn! 

This season is on fire! We kick off our Fire Season by discussing fire ecology and prescribed (Rx) fire. We'll be back next week to continue the conversation. If you are interested in more in depth conversations about fire, check out the Life with Fire podcast: https://lifewithfirepodcast.com/

We're back with some summer updates! Mostly about Kyle's experience at geology field camp and the wildfires he experienced in New Mexico.    Taos News: https://www.taosnews.com/  Where to see wildfire incidents: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/

In our Season 3: Spring Season™ Finale, we dive into Rachel Carson's seminal work, Silent Spring! With a tangent on lovebugs (def engineered in a lab by UF), we go through the book chapter by chapter and talk about the backlash to and outcome from the book. We also discuss current problems similar to those presented by Rachel in the 1960s. We are big fans of Rachel Carson, and hope you can learn something from these episodes on her and her work. Kyle is off to field camp, and we will be releasing an episode as soon as we can when he returns!    Timefulness” How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Save the World by Marcia Bjornerud  - https://press.princeton.edu/books/hardcover/9780691181202/timefulness  The Desolate Year (by Monsanto) - https://iseethics.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/monsanto-magazine-1962-the-desolate-yeart.pdf  The Trueax - https://www.woodfloors.org/truax.pdf  Rachel Carson CBS Reports - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nriVjC0H8I  Werewolf Bar Mitzvah - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6V2oCX3Hn4 

Join us in the first part of our Season 3: Spring Season™ Finale extravaganza by learning about Rachel Carson! We dive into the life of this inspiring scientist and author, and learn a ton along the way.     "Rachel Carson" by Linda Lear - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27337.Rachel_Carson  Silent Spring - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27333.Silent_Spring  The Sea Around Us - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/542766.The_Sea_Around_Us?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=AnE0dhyNi8&rank=1  Under the Sea Wind - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/70824.Under_the_Sea_Wind?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=HFb3CTCeJC&rank=1  "Help your child to wonder" by Rachel Carson - https://rachelcarsoncouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/whc_rc_sow_web.pdf 

Come join us to learn more about community science (also known as citizen science)! We talk about the projects we've been involved in and the benefits and challenges associated with it. Check out some community science projects you can be involved in today:  iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/  Seek: https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/seek_app  Rockd: https://rockd.org/  eBird: https://ebird.org/home  National Phenology Network: https://www.usanpn.org/partner/volunteer-scientists  Audubon Christmas Bird County: https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count  Great Backyard Bird Count: https://www.birdcount.org/  Jay Watch: https://fl.audubon.org/get-involved/jay-watch 

Our spring season continues with a tale of water mismanagement in Florida, featuring the Ocklawaha River. Join us as we delve into the history of the Ocklawaha River, the drama that has unfolded around it, and the heroes who have advocated for it and continue to fight for it today. After you listen, you can join in the #freetheocklawaha movement by checking out the Free the Ocklawaha Coalition.    Bobcat/Python Article: Bobcats with a taste for python eggs might be the guardians of Florida's swamp: https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/environment/fl-ne-bobcats-python-eggs-nyt-20220328-b3nyfplapfhnhbjzvvmuvduxie-story.html?fbclid=IwAR1Sc8OyEb3nb6daz26dz-UK_VhkoC1hyHJF2ZzSmEE946yz_3e80sMQKNw    Free the Ocklawaha Coalition website: https://www.freetheocklawaha.com/    Activist Toolkit: https://www.freetheocklawaha.com/advocate/ 

Are you tired of changing your clocks twice a year? Do you know what part of the year is Daylight Savings Time and which is Standard Time? Do you know why Daylight Savings Time was even started? Join us this week as we dive into the history and science behind the practice of changing our clocks and what the future holds for those of us who just can't catch up on sleep after losing an hour in the Spring! 

Join us for a rousing discussion of our favorite Florida marine mammal: the West Indian Manatee!! Learn more about these slow-moving mammals as well as the drama surrounding them. While we talk about habitat and species lost, to quote Kyle, there is hope because “there's never been a time in the world where people have cared as much as now” :')   Save the Manatee Club:www.savethemanatee.org    Educator's Guide to Manatees: https://www.savethemanatee.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Educators_Guide_9-10-1.pdf  Manatee Scar Pattern Data: https://www.savethemanatee.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Blue-Spring-Scar-Sheet_2020-2021.pdf  Manatee Mortality 2016-2021: https://www.savethemanatee.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/mortality_2021.pdf

Join us as we celebrate the spring equinox and reflect on one year of the podcast! Thank you to everyone who has been along for the ride. 

In Part 2 of our spring series, we talk about the documentary "The Fellowship of the Spring." Florida springs, however magical they are, are facing threats to water quality and quantity. Listen to learn more about those threats and what you can do to help. While the documentary is being shown through screenings currently, it will eventually make its way to streaming platforms. The Fellowship of the Springs Documentary: https://www.floridasmagicwaters.com/  Books to Read:  Mirage: Vanishing Water of Florida and the Eastern US by Cynthia Barnett - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/641145.Mirage  Blue Revolution: Unmaking America's Water Crisis by Cynthia Barnett - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/212035/blue-revolution-by-cynthia-barnett/ Silenced Springs: Moving from Tragedy to Hope - Dr. Robert L Knight- https://floridaspringsinstitute.org/product/silenced-springs-moving-from-tragedy-to-hope/  Saving Florida Springs by Dr Robert L Knight - https://www.gainesville.com/story/opinion/2021/11/24/ron-cunningham-robert-knights-book-owners-manual-springs/8718453002/  Michelle Michi - Insta @freedivingmermaid   tiktok: @guardianofthesprings  NPR Article: Should Rivers Have Same Legal Rights As Humans? A Growing Number Of Voices Say Yes https://www.npr.org/2019/08/03/740604142/should-rivers-have-same-legal-rights-as-humans-a-growing-number-of-voices-say-ye 

A major geologic event happened in January! Don't worry if you didn't hear about it - we've got all the juicy details of the Tonga Tsunami, which was caused by a *wait for it* UNDERWATER VOLCANO. We talk tsunamis, climate, and the connection of earth systems.    Tonga Tsunami Wikipedia page (look at the gif): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Hunga_Tonga_eruption_and_tsunami  

Springs! What are they? How are they classified? Is there anything better than seeing a manatee in one? (absolutely not). We talked about everything from what a spring is to how Kyle's research involves them. Featuring our past topic Karst and our future topic Manatees!   The Color of Rivers: https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2020GL088946  Spring Classification: https://springstewardshipinstitute.org/key  The Fellowship of the Springs Documentary: https://www.floridasmagicwaters.com/

We made it to the end of our second season, and we decided to talk about our experiences in education and science at one of our favorite places - Philmont Scout Ranch! From ATVS to stargazing to real life first aid and search and rescue, Philmont is a place that has helped us grow as educators and as people. We're looking forward to taking a couple of weeks off before launching into Season 3!

In this episode, we discuss this article (https://www.vox.com/down-to-earth/22796160/invasive-species-climate-change-range-shifting?fbclid=IwAR31KGcTnp9eatpFCWRyjABAYXskgsFvPn5yu6R8hSJ89qz5XnRuDYO-Y90) about invasive species vs species shifting their range due to climate change. Through this winding conversation, we talk about a variety of topics from the moral dilemmas involved in invasive species management to the importance of language in science communication. This convo really sticks out like soup! 

Amy recently moved back to Florida and shares about what her job working for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) on a Wildlife Management Area is like. If you like listening to talk about invasive plant management, prescribed fire, and red-cockaded woodpeckers, have we got the episode for you. Also there's some career advice for folks looking to land jobs in conservation sprinkled in (TLDR: DO YOUR INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWS)

In a plot twist for this week, we did not talk about what we had planned for this episode. Starting with some reflection by Kyle on his journey in academia and some bonding over some quality memes, we ended up having a great conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the geosciences after Kyle shared about a workshop he attended recently by ADVANCEGeo (https://serc.carleton.edu/advancegeo/index.html). A little bit of a different episode than we've recorded before, but it was a great conversation and we're looking forward to continuing to talk about DEI in the sciences in the future.

This week we talk about our favorite science communicators!! From podcasts to tiktok to books, we fangirl over everyone we love to follow and talk about what makes for effective science communication! Below are the folks we talk about in the podcast - you should follow them, they're the best. Our audio was a little glitchy (we'll figure it out one day), and there are some interjections from Raleigh (Kyle's sweet pup!)   Podcasts:  Completely Arbortrary - Instagram: @completelyarbortrary Ologies - Instagram: @ologies Don't Panic Geocast - Website: https://www.dontpanicgeocast.com/  Everything Hertz - Website: https://everythinghertz.com/  People:  Nick Zentner - Instagram: @nickzentner website YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/GeologyNick Cate Larsen - Instagram: @groovygeologist TikTok: @rocktokcate Alexis Nikole Nelson - Instagram/TikTok/Twitter/Facebook: @blackforager Sarafina Nance - Instagram/Twitter: @starstrickensf Books:  Robin Wall Kimmerer - Instagram: @braidingsweetgrassbook Books: https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/  Hope Jahren - Instagram: @realhopejahren  Books: https://hopejahrensurecanwrite.com/  Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21.A_Short_History_of_Nearly_Everything  Marcia Bjornerud's Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39204074-timefulness

Kyle presented at a conference this past week! The Geological Society of America (https://www.geosociety.org/) annual conference to be specific! Kyle talks about scientific conferences in general, his experience at this conference (his first in-person one since the pandemic started!), his networking, and his favorite parts about the conference!  Nick Zentner (Central Washington University): http://www.nickzentner.com/ 

Join us for a trip in time back to 1974. And then back in time over 140,000 years ago! Amy visited The Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, South Dakota recently and tells Kyle about her experience. Sinkholes, karst, and mammoths - The Mammoth Site really has it all!

Kyle shares about his sinkhole research! Truly the worst background noises in this episode, but we'll work on improving it in future episodes.

Kyle shared today about the Environmental Capstone Course he is TAing this semester! We had a nice discussion about it, Kyle's experience as an educator, and experiential education as a whole. 

In this episode, we talk about gardening! Find out what Amy has growing in her garden, how gardens can be used as teaching tools, and about how shocking it is that either sibling can successfully grow plants based on their dismal childhood track record. Featuring - background sounds from Kyle's new pup, Raleigh!!

We're back!! Coming back from a summer hiatus of working and geology field camp, we're excited to start our season 2! We caught up and checked in about each others' summers. 

Moss!! Amazing plants that are even more amazing the closer you look at them! We talk about what defines a moss, moss reproduction, and the importance of disturbance. Plus there's a musical treasure if you make it to the end. The audio is weird in this one about halfway through, but at least we made it halfway through an episode with decent audio.    Gathering Moss: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/87040.Gathering_Moss  Braiding Sweetgrass: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17465709-braiding-sweetgrass 

More hydrology! Kyle shares his experience with hydrology and its various topics, how surface water and groundwater interact, and his own (potential) PhD work! Plus we follow a long tangent on Henri Philibert Gaspard Darcy and the unrecognized heroes of the Eiffel Tower. Also featuring the birds of Washington State in the background (as outside is the best place to record).

Hydrology! Water! Wetlands! Watersheds! Amy talks about how hydrology factors into her work, we discuss policy in working around water, and there's a several minute tangent on beavers!

Karst?! If you don't know what karst is, it's not your fault - just the fault of the public school system. Join us to learn about this widespread geologic phenomenon, along with some tangents on how geology should be included in K-12 schools and some volcano updates. 

Phenology! Cycles! Found! On! Earth! In this episode we chat about phenology, natural changes we're experiencing in our respective locations across the country as spring arrives, and the importance of studying these cycles. The audio was a little wonky in this episode, but in a different way - we'll figure it out eventually. 

VOLCANOES! Our favorite charismatic geologic feature! What are volcanoes and the types of volcanoes out there? How do volcanoes form? How do volcanoes go extinct? What's up with Iceland? Listen to find out! And as a bonus Kyle shares his favorite geology movie of ALL TIME.

Amy shares about her experience as an environmental educator! We dive into our environmental education experiences as students, the difference between formal and informal education, pedagogies commonly found in environmental education, and why environmental education is important. Amy stands on her soapbox of restoration education and Kyle even COMPARES experiential education to mRNA vaccines.

Geology! It's more than rocks! Kyle leads a rousing discussion on what geology is, the history of the field, and what studying geology looks like. You won't want to miss it! Our audio was wonky in this episode too, but we fixed it in Episode 3. 

We set the stage for the rest of our episodes by discussing what science is. We talk about definitions, science identity, and Indigenous science in a winding conversation. Our audio was a little wonky, and our second episode will be as well since we recorded it at the same time as this one. We plan to work on making it better in episode 3 though! 

Welcome to Source to Sink! We're excited that you're here. We spend 20 minutes or so to introduce to podcast and ourselves. Looking forward to learning more with you!