The Old Naturalist

The Old Naturalist may get his vocabulary tangled up from time to time, but he does know a thing or two about the world's most dangerous snakes. Join Brandon as he learns about some of those serpents from Eric's world travels.

The natural world is always changing. The lives our backyard birds are no exception. In this episode, Eric takes Brandon on a tour of the natural history of some of our more common backyard birds. And to match the theme of the episode, the boys decided to record at a great place to watch the birds: Secor Metropark's Window on Wildlife.

In this month's episode Eric regales Brandon with stories from the tropics. Specifically, the spotlight will be on the country of Venezuela and The Old Naturalist's many trips there. Eric also shares the source of his wanderlust for exploration...something that began when he was a young boy.

Brandon and Eric make their radio debut, streaming live from the campus of Bowling Green State University. With BG in mind, Brandon crafted a little quiz for Eric that is fitting for the city that serves as the seat of Wood County Ohio. Listen in (or watch on Spotify) to see if you can match the Old Naturalist's score. Pictures provided by photographer and friend Brian Zwiebel were much appreciated.

Happy 2025 everybody. Brandon and the Old Naturalist are kicking off the new year with a tail from Africa. As a reminder, we'll be doing video podcasts this year so the best way to follow us will be on Spotify. Our Apple Podcast listeners will still be able to listen in, but you won't be able to see us...which is probably not all bad.

It all comes down to this. Will the Old Naturalist pass the quiz in our final episode of the year? Tune in for that and what the plan is for 2025. Thanks again to our friend Brian Zwiebel for the episode art. Happy New Year everybody!

Well the Christmas Bird Count season is in full swing, so the boys decided to have their pal Tom Kemp stop by to talk about one of our favorite counts: The Grand Rapids Waterville Christmas Bird Count. Learn about the history of what for many is a wonderful winter pastime.

The Old Naturalist dug up an old TNA publication he'd like to share with all of you! People tend to take for granted the great experiences that are right in their own backyard. Listen in to hear about some of the 111 places you should visit in the Toledo area.

As we near the Christmas Bird Count Season, Brandon thought it would be fun to quiz Eric over birds that have been found at a hot spot within the Toledo Christmas Bird Count circle: the Bayshore Power Plant. With an assist from friend Greg Links, Brandon challenges the Old Naturalist to finish the year on an intellectual high note. Thanks to our friend Brian Zwiebel for the episode art.

If you live in Northwest Ohio and you're in to birds, there's a pretty good chance you've heard of Tom Kemp. Mr. Kemp has been birding in our area for well over a half century! He's kind of expert on any local bird species, but gulls are his specialty. With that in mind, Eric and Brandon decided to spring a pop quiz on their birding buddy.

In today's episode Eric enlightens Brandon with a biography of Jim Nessle. Mr. Nessle was a Toledo area radio and TV personality who's love for nature was infectious for kids of all ages. Listen in to learn about someone who really excelled at the Toledo Naturalists' mission in "promoting popular interest in the study of natural history."

In November's edition of three for Thursday Eric's knowledge of local area bird records is once again tested by Brandon, the grand inquisitor. One of the species launches Eric down memory lane, to a night in June in the year 1980 at Irwin Prairie with friends Chris Manzey and Elliot Tramer.

Yes...that episode title is misleading. But we promise it will make sense when you listen to the Old Naturalist breakdown the differences between our local owls. Thanks to our friend Brian Zweibel for the episode art.

Eric continues to be inspired by the ongoing discussion regarding the changing of bird names. In this episode he quizzes Brandon with another set of old bird names. Play along and see if you can get all three! Thanks to our friend Rick Nirschl for his image that we used for the episode art.

He's fine. Only some minor injuries to his pride. In this episode Brandon and Eric kick it up a notch with a considerably harder butterfly quiz submitted by listener and friend John Michael Durback. Lets see how well you know your butterflies and skippers!

Friend and professional bird namer Greg Links stops by again to chat with the boys about possible edits to your next edition of the Peterson's Field Guide to the Birds. And if you didn't know what the word furtive meant before, you will know what it means by the end of this episode. (Episode art obtained from Wikicommons)

In a follow up to last week's episode, Brandon takes a shot and answering the impossible question. Listen in to see what is his favorite bird! Episode art provided by friend Jamie Cunningham.

Every birder has been asked this question a million times. The reality is it's an impossible one to answer for a serious birder. But why let that stop us! In Part I, Eric attempts this Herculean task.

The Old Naturalist may just turn Brandon into an orchid hunter yet. This month's edition to the boys' continuing series on Oak Openings native orchids is kind of an oddball. Listen in to learn all about putty-root.

Neither Eric or Brandon claim to be butterfly experts. But they think they're pretty! So the Old Naturalist put together a quiz that includes some of our more common butterflies. See if you can beat Brandon's score as he's challenged with 5 of the gaudier members of the lepidoptera family.

September's edition of the orchids of Oak Openings is Great Plains Ladies Tresses. In addition to being a rather showy orchid, this one has the added benefit of being located by scent. So get the details about this beautiful plant, then go sniffing for orchids.

In this week's episode Brandon and Eric discuss the recent publication The Birds Audubon Missed by Kenn Kaufman. Listen in to see how the boys liked the read, and whether you might want to delve into the world of early American ornithology.

Certain groups of birds can be very frustrating for even the best of birder. Shorebirds, gulls, sparrows all have their challenges. But the warbler family presents birders with many identification challenges in the fall. In this episode, Eric's wife Diane quizzes the boys on these drab fall migrants to see how good they really are. Thanks to our friend Brian Zwiebel for the episode art.

The times they are a changin'. They always are. And sharing bird sightings, like anything else, has been impacted by those changes. Listen in to see how birders in Northwest Ohio used to get their information about rare bird sightings. For this episode the boys invite friend Tom Kemp over to help tell the story.

Eric Durbin has been known to occasionally have some questionable ideas. Today's episode is perhaps one of those examples. Listen in to learn all about his suggestions to do a hearing only big day. If you get inspired, don't forget to draft someone as your driver/caretaker, and be sure you don't leave your blindfold at home.

In August's edition of Three for Thursday's, the Old Naturalist will attempt once again to pass the test. Ever the minimalist, Eric will be happy to pass with a score of 2 out of 3. See if you can top that! Additionally, the boys attempt the new frontier of video podcasting. Clearly it's not advisable, as both participants have faces for radio.

Friend and horticulturist Nancy Bucher stops by to educate and potentially humble the boys with a quiz on wildflowers. Play along to see if you know more then the Old Naturalist!

August offers naturalists in Northwest Ohio a variety of adventures. Shorebirds will be on the move south, along big flocks of purple martins and a variety of winged migrants. But today's episode focuses on an extremely rare plant of the Oak Openings. Listen in to learn about spotted coral root.

As Brandon gears up for his second trip to the tropics he thought he'd see if the Old Naturalist remembers his Costa Rican birds. See how well you fair in another addition of Three (or Four) for Thursday's. Thanks to our friend Brian Zwiebel for the episode art.

What does Brandon do when Eric plans to quiz him over local reptiles and amphibians? He calls his other buddy Greg to be his lifeline. In this episode Greg and Brandon talk through Eric's inquisition to see if they can get a 100% on another edition of Three for Thursdays. Play along to test your knowledge on Northwest Ohio herps.

The changing of bird names continues to be a source of interest (and consternation) for the boys, so Eric decided to write up a little quiz that centers around some bird names from the past. And although plants are more her wheelhouse, friend Nancy Bucher joined in on the fun. See if you can ace the quiz!

In another monthly orchid installment, the Old Naturalist schools Brandon on not one, but two orchids native to the Oak Openings. But hold on to your hats because with these beautiful plants you got to get out on the fringes.

In this episode Eric takes Brandon way back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries to discuss one of his naturalist heroes: Edwin Lincoln Moseley. Although Eric never met Moseley, his impact on Northwest Ohio nature lovers is immense. The boys talk about Moseley's teaching career, research in the Oak Openings, exploits to the Far East, and his thrifty way to make tomato soup.

It's quiz time again! But for this go round Brandon was too lazy to come up with any questions so he enlisted the help of someone far more qualified: Nancy Bucher. Listen in to see if Eric continues to be The Old Naturalist's star pupil.

A tom boy. A nautical nut. A very curious mind. All may be apt descriptions of geologist Jane Forsythe. In this episode Eric fondly remembers a serious scientist who made a serious impression on him when he was a young 18 year old freshman in her intro to geology class.

The parade of beautiful orchids continues as Eric tells us all about the Grass Pink orchid this month. This showy orchid is one you'll want to seek out, and the Old Naturalist has a couple of suggestions on where you should begin your search.

Brandon and Eric once again hop in the way back machine and stop off in 1950. The boys comb through the Toledo area bird report and discuss all the things that have changed in the last 70 plus years. Learn about car crushing blackbirds and get a recommendation for your next purchase of Irish whiskey.

In this month's orchid episode, Eric educates Brandon on the very showy large yellow lady's slipper. This one is far more common in our area than the frog orchid, so listen in for some suggestions on where to view this beautiful orchid.

Bonus Episode! Eric and Brandon got together to record a few episodes last week and didn't think they should sit on this one. More bird names, but Eric picked out some real winners for Brandon's quiz. Let's see if you also get stumped by Fly-Up-The-Creek.

Against his better judgement, Brandon switches roles with Eric for May's edition of Three (or Four) for Thursdays. Listen in to see if Brandon survives the grilling from the new Quizmaster.

Remember Car Talk on NPR? Well...this is not that. But it's close! The Old Naturalist ventures into talk radio to answer the public's burning questions about nature in Northwest Ohio.

Since the guy gets mentioned almost every other episode, the boys felt Harold Mayfield deserves his own spotlight. Listen to learn about a marvelously curious guy with an infectious love for nature.

When people think warblers in Northwest Ohio inevitably the month of May pops into their heads. But there are a handful of early birds in this family that generally show up in April. In this week's episode the boys discuss the very interesting but often overlooked Louisiana waterthrush. Thanks to friend Brian Zwiebel for the episode art.

If you're a birder, you most likely have heard the hubbub about the changing of names. For this episode we're not going to focus on whether this is a good or bad thing, because we're kind of indifferent about it. Instead, we've enlisted the help of our friend Greg Links to come up with new names for the birds in question. Listen in to see what might be in your next edition of the Peterson's Field Guide to the Birds. (Thanks to friend Joe Hildreth for the episode art.)

When you have the foremost authority on native orchids of the Oak Openings on staff, it only makes sense to take advantage of that wealth of knowledge. Over the next few months the Old Naturalist is going to educate us on these unique plants, starting with the Frog Orchid. Get out there in those wet woods and see if you can spot this rarity.

In this episode Brandon and Eric hop in the time machine and travel all the way back to the year 1933. Once there, the boys take a look at the birds and investigate how people got around the Toledo area in the midst of the Great Depression.

In March's edition of Three for Thursday, Eric once again must get two out of three questions correct to pass the test. Will he do it? You'll have to listen to find out. Thanks to our friend Brian Zwiebel for the episode art.

So why is this eclipse thing such a big deal? A lot of people around our area have been asking this question recently about the upcoming total eclipse. Well, Brandon encouraged Eric to invite friends Greg Links and Elliot Tramer over to share their experience of witnessing a total eclipse in Venezuela way back in 1998. Perhaps a little perspective is needed when discussing what could be for many, a once in a lifetime opportunity.

What do you get when you have a determined nature lover and little bit of money? Well a nature preserve of course. In this week's episode Eric enlightens Brandon and listeners about the significant contributions of another TNA legend: Jeanne Hawkins. It's a tale of concerted effort, failure, explosives, but ultimately...success.

Can you say bonus episode? Eric decided to surprise Brandon with an impromptu quiz focused on the calls of our local frogs and toads. Play along and see if you can beat Brandon's mediocre effort.

March is a month that many Northwest Ohio birders associate with early migrants. With that in mind, Eric and Brandon decided to discuss one of the more quirky early birds: the American woodcock. Joining the boys is their friend and former University of Toledo professor Dr. Elliot Tramer who like Eric and Brandon, has a love for this weird little shorebird. Thanks to our friend Joe Hildreth for the episode art.