https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1190816.rss Summary 2024 is going to be another year of the cicada, with the emergence of two periodical cicada groups, or broods (Brood XIII and Brood XIX), at the same time, roughly in late April to early May. Now, throughout much of the world, cicadas serenade us in summer afternoons – you might be familiar with that, and wonder “what’s the big deal”. Dr. Chris Simon, photo courtesy Dr. Simon But in a few special locations, periodical cicadas emerge on a specific cycle, every 13 or 17 years. These emergences are like clockwork – somehow these insects know exactl ..read more

https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1190816.rss Note: it sometimes takes WordPress a few hours to update the podcast player to the latest episode. Apologies for the delay. You can, however, hear the latest episode on all the usual podcast players, even if the link above is still showing the previous episode. Summary When it comes to understanding nature, it often seems like the ocean surface – that undulating reflective layer of water – is more like an impenetrable curtain than just a layer of water.  There is just so much we don’t know about, and are too quick to dismiss, all because we can’t e ..read more

https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1190816.rss Summary My guest today is Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant. Dr. Wynn-Grant is the co-host of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, is a wildlife ecologist and affiliated researcher at the UC Santa Barbara Bren School of Environmental and Science Management.  She’s also an author, with her new memoir entitled “Wild Life” coming out on April 2.  Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant, photo by Celeste Sloman Today we discuss Dr. Wynn-Grant’s unique and inspiring personal journey into wildlife ecology, her awakening to the world of environmental justice, triggered by Hurricane Katrina ..read more

https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1190816.rss Summary Have you ever seen a fuzzy looking ant? Maybe it looked like a little pipe cleaner with fuzzy red or yellow hair?  If so, you probably saw a velvet ant. And here’s the thing – it’s not even an ant at all. They’re wingless wasps, and they often turn up along hiking trails, roadsides, and sometimes even in your backyard! And if you haven’t seen one, hit pause and check out the show notes on naturesarchive.com for a few photos. Dr. Joseph Wilson (image courtesy Dr. Wilson) What’s more, these wasps have quite the reputation and an amazing natur ..read more

https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1190816.rss Summary In nature, tree physiology is like the engine that keeps forests running smoothly, similar to how human physiology keeps our bodies going. Just as we study how our bodies’ metabolism, respiratory systems, and other systems work to keep us healthy, biologists can look at tree physiology to understand how trees grow, use energy, and cope with challenges in their environment. Dr. Lucy Kerhoulas, image courtesy Dr. Kerhoulas Today’s guest, Dr. Lucy Kerhoulas, is an Associate Professor of Forest Ecophysiology at Cal-Poly Humboldt. She specializes in ..read more

https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1190816.rss Summary You’re in for a treat today – it’s like two episodes in one. My guest today is Allasandra Valdez, a botanist working on her PhD in plant physiology in  Cornell University’s Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department. Allasandra also has a background studying invasive species, and is the creator and host of The Happy Botanist podcast. Allasandra Valdez at work (photo courtesy Allasandra Valdez) Today’s wide-ranging discussion touches on everything from studying plants’ response to climate change through looking at carbon 13 isotopes, to inv ..read more

https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1190816.rss Summary Many of you might recall the dramatic 2020 fire season in the western USA. In California alone, close to 4 million acres burned. Cities were clouded with smoke and unhealthy air for many weeks. I had ash fall at my home in San Jose, CA on several occasions. But did you know that based on pre-colonial historical estimates, 4 million acres burned would be considered “below average”. How can that be? Does that mean that every summer in the 1700’s had smoke filled air and devastating fires? Spoiler alert: the answer is no. Lenya Quinn-Davidson at wo ..read more

https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1190816.rss Summary I bet you’ve heard of the National Park Service. Or the US Forest Service which manages all of our National Forests.  But did you know that there is another land management agency that manages more public land than either the National Parks or National Forests? This overlooked agency is the Bureau of Land Management, or BLM. Josh Jackson in the field Josh Jackson has become one of the BLM’s top enthusiasts, with a huge following on his forgottenlandscalifornia instagram. He’s also a writer and conservationist, and is working on a new book a ..read more

https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1190816.rss Summary California Condor (stock photo) Today’s episode is all about California Condors with Tiana Williams-Claussen, who is the director of the Yurok Tribe’s wildlife department. This episode is actually from my friend Michelle Fullner of the Golden State Naturalist podcast. If you don’t know Golden State Naturalist, I think this episode is pretty indicative of Michelle’s work. She travels around California to meet and interview interesting people in the field. There is a definite advantage to in-person interviews, and I wish I could do more ..read more

https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/1190816.rss Note: it sometimes takes WordPress a few hours to update the podcast player to the latest episode. Apologies for the delay. You can, however, hear the latest episode on all the usual podcast players, even if the link above is still showing the previous episode. Summary Dr. José Martínez-Fonseca Charles Hood Let’s dive into the enchanting world of hidden wonders that come to life after dark! Our guests today are Charles Hood and José Martínez-Fonseca, authors of the new book “Nocturnalia: Nighttime Life of the Western USA” from Heyday Books. Cha ..read more