Welcome back to the BioBlitz! Oklahoma podcast! In this episode we are chatting with RJ Baltierra, a field biologist from Washington state who spent two summers in Oklahoma collecting data for the Oklahoma Breeding Bird Atlas. RJ is a naturalist who also enjoys looking for herps (reptiles and amphibians), butterflies, and odonates (dragonflies and damselflies) while he’s out in the field. Listen to hear more about his time exploring Oklahoma and life as a field biologist, and his perspective on the unique biology of our great state! You can read more about the Breeding Bird Atlas or purchase a ..read more

Priscilla Crawford, conservation biologist with the Oklahoma Biological Survey, and Angelina Stancampiano, Oklahoma State Park Senior Naturalist, co-host this podcast, an extension of our BioBlitz! Oklahoma events.  Now we can celebrate Oklahoma's biodiversity with you all year round!   In this "Meet the Expert" Episode, Priscilla chats with Dr. Lara Souza, her colleague and the director of the Oklahoma Biological Survey.  As a plant ecologist she works on global change research at the University of Oklahoma.  Join us as we talk about what she loves about being a researcher ..read more

This is our first "JOIN THE EXPERTS" episode of our BioBlitz! Oklahoma podcast.  In these episodes, we will highlight citizen science projects that you can join.   In this episode, Angelina talks with OSU ornithologist Tim O'Connell. They highlight several winter bird projects – in particular the Christmas Bird Count.   Learn how researchers use citizen science data to understand bird populations and learn how you can participate!  They talk about several programs, projects, and information sources during the episode here are links to all of those: Dr. O’Connell's website ..read more

You can stay up to date on our Facebook page – BioBlitz! Oklahoma Twitter @okbioblitz Website: https://biosurvey.ou.edu/bioblitzok/ We are putting together "Ask the Expert" episodes.  Do you have a burning questions about Oklahoma's biota?  Curious about some natural history phenomena you have observed?  Send us your questions and we will work on answering them in future "Ask the Expert" episodes.  prill@ou.edu ..read more

In this "Meet the Expert" Episode, BioBlitz! OK co-coordinator, Priscilla Crawford, chats with Rusty Grimpe who leads the Discovery Walks during our fall BioBlitz! Events.  Rusty is a wonderful all around naturalist, but he also had a fascinating career in zoo keeping.  Join us as Rusty tells us some fun stories about caring for alligators and turtles and listen for his love of natural history from his descriptions of trips to the Galapagos to his explorations around his home near Skiatook, OK.  Please forgive the audio quality of Rusty's connection – we recorded his part of the ..read more

We are back again this week on the BioBlitz! Oklahoma podcast highlighting a state park, but also meeting an expert - long-time park naturalist Leann Bunn!     Angelina takes the reigns again in this episode.  She sits down with Leann Bunn to talk about Tenkiller State Park, Leann's passion for being a naturalist and talking with kids and adults about our state wildlife – eagles and loons in particular - and they talk about the annual Women in the Outdoors event that Leann has organized for 21 years!    More information on the Tenkiller SP Women in the Outdoors ev ..read more

This week Angelina Stancampiano, with Oklahoma State Parks interviews the new full time naturalist at Greenleaf State Park.  Kristen Perry is the newest park naturalists in one of our oldest state parks.  Listen in and learn about the park and all the fun things you can do at the park this fall!  I highly recommend hiking out to the swinging bridge!  It is one of my favorite things on any trail in our state parks!    https://www.travelok.com/state-parks/greenleaf-state-park  As you may know our fall BioBlitz! Oklahoma weekend is not going to be our tradition ..read more

In this "Meet the Expert" Episode, Priscilla chats with bee expert José Montalva.  You would never guess that a being on the college free diving team in Chile would lead him to a career in bees! We hope this episode can distract you from the blast of winter we have been experiencing and that our conversation has you dreaming about warm spring days, buzzing bees, and flower pollination.  We learn so much bee biology from José every time we talk!  You can read more about his work on his website and by following him on twitter.     Research website The Bee Hunter's D ..read more

This is our first "ASK THE EXPERT" episode of our BioBlitz! Oklahoma podcast.  Priscilla Crawford and Angelina Stancampiano, BioBlitz! Oklahoma Co-coordinators, chat with botanist Adam Ryburn, professor at Oklahoma City University.  How does mistletoe get up into trees?  Are all evergreens conifers?  What do plants have to do with the three wise men?  We talk about holiday traditions around some of our native and non-native plants and  discuss the biology, ecology, and cultural history of a wide variety of flowering and cone-bearing plants. We encourage you to l ..read more

In this "Meet the Expert" Episode, BioBlitz! OK co-coordinator, Priscilla Crawford, chats with Mark Howery, one of our BioBlitz! OK ornithologists who leads bird walks during our events.  Mark is a bird expert, but also covers a variety of fauna for his job as the senior wildlife diversity biologist at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation - which sounds like a dream job to many BioBlitzers!  Learn what that job is like day to day and hear about Mark's background that led him to being one of the state's most knowledgeable wildlife biologists.   Mark mentions a new dra ..read more