The Naturalist Podcast

Sea and Anthony have a chance to talk with Chris Ketola, who runs biodiversity programs for the not-for-profit “Fauna Forever” (http://Faunaforever.org) in Southeastern Peru. Talk of bats, reptiles and amphibians, and jaguars as Chris spins some of his greatest adventures to date. Video vailable on Youtube: https://youtu.be/bCR8EDSMJb4 And as a podcast on your favorite platform … Continue reading "The Naturalists Episode 34: Conserving Southeastern Peru with Chris Ketola"

We have Maggie Galbraith a naturalist from Southeast Australia with Sea and Lev to discuss fall in the Southern Hemisphere, BlackBirdersWeek, and the announcement of our first photography contest! You can find Maggie's photography under the account “Maggies_Lens” at Flickr. The hashtag for the photocontest is #Naturalistimages1 – shared on The Naturalists Facebook group, or … Continue reading "The Naturalists Episode 33: Exploring Southeast Australia with Maggie Galbraith"

Sea and Lev have a chance to catch up on a weird and quiet spring in the time of COVID, and try out video for the first time… available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/b29RmTyQBhg

Sea gets a chance to talk about Black-capped Petrels, Beaked Whales, and getting back into academic science with Kate Sutherland of Seabirding.com . Brief highlights from Kate's review of “Oceanic Birds of the World” by Howell and Zufelt.

In the heat of the summer, Lev shares his adventures from a trip to Ethiopia, a place of extremes of climate and spectacular biodiversity. From the Gelada and Ethiopian Wolves of the Bale Mountains, to Stresemann's Bushcrow of the plains, and many many Quelea, sounds like the sort of place naturalists dream of.

Sea had a chance to talk with ornithologist and science communicator Corinna Newsome about salt marsh nesting birds, finding routes to natural history as adult, and what diversity and representation mean in science.

Sea and Lev have a great conversation with science communicator and nature writer Jess Groenendijk about her recently published “The Giant Otter: Giants of the Amazon” , conservation in an era of change, and hope. Some of Jess' work and links to social media can be found on her website: https://www.jessicagroenendijk.com You can find Jess' … Continue reading "The Naturalist Podcast Episode 28: The Giant Otters of the Amazon with Jess Groenendijk"

In this episode Sea gets to talk with Lauren, Isaac, and Colin students from St. Mary's College of Maryland, The National Public Honors College (http://www.smcm.edu) about their first experiences at the Carrie Bow Cay Field Station (https://naturalhistory2.si.edu/ccre/) off the coast of Belize, marine biology, and sleeping in oceanfront hammocks.

Lev and Sea had a chance to talk with Marley Peifer, an educator with The Occidental Arts and Ecology Center about nature journaling, cognition, and the roots of our interest in the world around us. Marley's work can be found at http://marleypeifer.com

Lev and Sea have a chance to catch up and compare notes on spring. Lev talks about winter in the neotropics and the start of his guiding season with Humpback Whales, Ocellated Turkey, and upcoming trip to Ethiopia. Book review of Birds of Central America by Vallely and Dyer, and mention of several new ‘rediscoveries' … Continue reading "The Naturalist Podcast Episode 25: Awaiting Spring, and thinking about Warmer Weather"

Sea and Lev have a chance to talk with Dante Fenolio, Vice President of Conservation and Research at the San Antonio Zoo.  Dante's passionate approach to conservation takes him around the world from Appalachian streams to the huge cave systems of China.  Highlighting some of the many projects going on at the zoo, from Texas … Continue reading "The Naturalist Podcast Episode 24: Caves, Fishprints, and Conservation with Dante Fenolio"

In this episode, Sea and Lev get a chance to talk with David Hembry, an Evolutionary Ecologist who works on island insect-plant mutualisms, and has wandered extensively around the central Pacific islands.  Between David's islands and Lev about to travel to the Atlantic forests of Brazil, a comparison of island and continental faunas takes hold, … Continue reading "The Naturalist Podcast Episode 23: Islands, Continents, and Squirrels with David Hembry"

Lev and Sea have a chance to talk with Rita Steyn, a marine ecologist and science communicator newly in Florida by way of South Africa.  The conversation wanders from the change of seasons in North America and South Africa, the remarkable biodiversity and biogeography of the Cape Region, the recent shark attack off of Cape … Continue reading "The Naturalist Podcast Episode 22: Rita talks flowers, sharks, and scallops"

Lev and Sea are joined this week by Anthony Porter who is an environmental educator experiencing the first touches of fall in Minnesota.  Talk of kids, bears, wonder and flying squirrels.  And of course, Anthony's porcupine friend Thistle. Here is the link to Anthony's video introduction to Porcupines:  https://youtu.be/F0F7S0g16GE  

Our guest this episode is Brendan McGarry, a Naturalist living and working in the upper Skagit River Basin and the Cascade mountains.  We had a great conversation about the swifts living in his chimney, variability in wildflower season from year to year, his watershed ‘big year', challenges and rewards in environmental education, and the remarkable … Continue reading "The Naturalist Podcast Episode 20: In the Pacific Northwest with Brendan McGarry"

In this summer episode we wonder just how to define the season.  Dragonflies and damselflies prove to have more secret hiding spots in the Great Northern Boglands, as well as more common cousins to the south.  Lev fills us in on his adventures along the flow edge with Narwhal, Polar Bears, and Ross' Gull.  Both … Continue reading "The Naturalist Podcast Episode 19: Summer Dragonflies, Reports from the Flow Edge, and Strong Feelings about Jurassic World"

In this episode we compare the East and West arctic regions of North America with Alaska naturalist, wildlife photographer, and guide, David Shaw.  Dave introduces us to the arctic coastal plain, Lev plans out the check list for the ‘flow edge' region of Baffin Island, and the two discuss the mysterious Grey-headed Chickadee. Dave's website: … Continue reading "The Naturalist Podcast Episode 17: Arctic Natural History with David Shaw"

In this episode we get to talk to John Dillon and Janna, who are part of the Minden High School Nature Club in Louisiana.  We talk about what has made for the exceptional popularity of the club, and cover some of the amazing adventures that members and sponsors of the club have had over the … Continue reading "The Naturalist Podcast Episode 16: Nature Club Adventures"

In this episode, Sea talks with mammalogist Nicole Edmison of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of Natural History.  Nicole works on mammal diversity and helps to curate the national mammal collection of the USA.  Nicole talks with us about her work with an island population of Vervet monkeys, camera traps, and netting bats.  We also … Continue reading "The Naturalist Podcast Episode 15: Talking Mammals with Nicole Edmison"

With raptors migrating through Florida, and the first spring rains in Canada, we check in with some of the Master Naturalists around the continent for signs of spring. Lev is back from extensive travels, with news of birds and opossums in Costa Rica. A small discussion about avoidable snakebite and common names, and an introduction of … Continue reading "The Naturalist Podcast Episode 14: Migration North and South, iNaturalist Seek"

With Lev adventuring in Costa Rica, Sea talks to Adam Walleyn, a global Natural History guide about his recent trip to Cuba, Endemic bird species of Cuba (…Ivorybill?), Spring Migration starting up into North America, Marbled Salamanders, North Atlantic Right Whales, and how he got started into the field.

In Episode 12 Sea talks with Sadie Dingfelder, a reporter from the Washington Post in preparation for her first trip to Costa Rica as a naturalist.  Talk ranges from herons and quetzals to surfing snails and sleeping dolphins.  Two of the books mentioned are “The New Neotropical Companion” by John Kricher, and “Tropical Nature” by … Continue reading "The Naturalist Podcast Episode 12: Helping Sadie Get Ready for Costa Rica"

Season 2 of the Naturalist Podcast begins with Episode 11!  Lev goes on a hunt for big weasels. Sea checks out the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive with the King of the Soras and finds fish in the road.  A brief review of the new “Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco & Guianas”. … Continue reading "The Naturalist Podcast Episode 11: Weasel Hunts and Armored Fish"

In this episode Sea and Lev discuss the arrival of Fall and the coming of winter, some spectacular shearwater feeding flocks off of Cape Cod, Lev sees Blue Whales in person, a new book by Walt Judd, and some discussion of what are the things we carry with us in our field bags.

This episode starts with Lev and 300 of his closest friends singing for wolves, and quickly goes from there as we discuss the end of summer and the start of fall and all that means:  migrating birds and high calorie diets, and how life is just unfair to ‘teenagers'.  Sea pitches his favorite book of … Continue reading "The Naturalist Podcast Episode 9: Howling for wolves, eggs and pinecones for dinner, birds eating birds"

In this episode Lev goes to the bogs of Northern Ontario, Sea gets way excited about shrewmoles, talk of how to get into studying Odonates, and both guys would prefer not to be eaten by bears.

In this episode Sea gets to dig down deep into the leaf litter with “Creepy Crawly” specialist Casey Richart.  Casey studies harvestmen, millipedes, slugs, snails and has developed a unique perspective on evolution, biodiversity, and conservation from his studies.  The vocabulary might be a bit heavy, but we'll have some helpful notes on the Facebook … Continue reading "The Naturalist Podcast Episode 7: Interview with Casey Richart"

Lev and Sea catch up after some springtime adventuring.  Talk of the summer season, with turtles crossing roads, and herp hunting raptors. Lots of discussion of pelagic birds; petrels, storm petrels, and albatrosses.  In Natural History News, a new flying squirrel is described for North America, an extinct bird found in amber, and the possibility … Continue reading "The Naturalist Podcast Episode 6: Summer, Seabirding, Zombies in the Nest"

Spring is well underway in the North (finally!) and Lev and Sea have lots to talk about.  The hawks are back, the birds might freeze, a challenge is issued.  The iNaturalist city nature challenge, a spectacular insect collection, and a few new books are among the highlights, and Lev is gearing up for some amazing … Continue reading "The Naturalist Podcast Episode 5: Spring Freeze, Moose Potato Chips, books, trips, etc."

Spring is moving like a freight train into the North.  Salamanders are moving into breeding grounds with all sorts of mysteries, Lev gets started with his fish spotting for the year while Sea gets a new family in the Bahamas.  Nick investigates gulls in CT and Zach makes a video of interesting worm biology.  Moth … Continue reading "The Naturalist Podcast Episode 4: Spring! Salamanders, Inermiidae, Gulls and Epitokes, and the Upcoming Moth Season."

Lev guides innocent birders to boreal specialties and frozen frogs.  A warm weather spell gets some early migration going.  Feeder birds and food choices.  Ancient otters in the news.  Lev finds a new mammal in his park, and spring is on the way!