The train in the pines is a great getaway provided you can get there and then get away. Hidden lore poetry by Annie McAndrew. Annie is a writer of speculative fiction from the edge of the Texas Hill Country. She can be found exploring the local creek trails and other odd, fantastical worlds.

The quiet folk are there. Sort of. Let’s not call too much attention to them.

The CryptoNaturalist gets philosophical about meaning, life, magic, and you.

Special thanks to Jo Firestone for today’s field report. Jo Firestone is a Brooklyn-based comedian who can be seen on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Joe Pera Talks With You, High Maintenance, Shrill, The Chris Gethard Show, and others. She can be heard on Maximum Fun’s Dr. Gameshow, a podcast she co-hosts with Manolo Moreno. Her album, "The Hits" is available on Comedy Central Records, and if you like puns, check out Punderdome: A Card Game for Pun Lovers. She is very willing work...

Some of my favorite trees are actually fifty-foot insects. Special thanks to Jesse Thorn. Jesse Thorn is the host and producer of Bullseye and Jordan, Jesse, Go!, and the co-host and producer of Judge John Hodgman. He's also the founder and proprietor of the Maximum Fun podcast network. I must say, that if it wasn’t for the Maximum Fun network, I’m not sure that I ever would have taken an interest in podcasts or started this show. So, thank you, Jesse. Hidden Lore poetry by Terry Maggert....

There are many voices in the woods. The more you listen, the more you’ll here. Special thanks to Ella Watts for voicing Juniper Grey. Ella Watts is a podcast producer for BBC Studios, and executive producer for the science fiction drama podcast The Orphans, a terrifying adventure about robots, clones and friendship. You can find Ella on Twitter @GejWatts , or follow her podcast @OrphansAudio. Find out more about The Orphans at orphanspod.com Exclusive stickers, pins, shirts, and access to...

Owls know about you. The least you can do is know about them. Special thanks to Hank Green. Hank Green is the CEO of Complexly, a production company that creates educational content, including Crash Course and SciShow, prompting The Washington Post to name him "one of America's most popular science teachers." Hank co-hosts Dear Hank and John, an advice podcast, and Delete This, a review of his Twitter feed. Find out more about Hank’s many delightful projects at HankGreen.com.

There’s a cemetery that has never had a proper gate, but we’ll explore it all the same. The CryptoNaturalist has been nominated for the 2019 Audio Verse awards in the categories of: Spoken Word – Program; Spoken Word – Writing; and Spoken Word – Performance. Visit https://audioverseawards.net/ before October, 31st to vote.

When a landscape chooses a rhyme scheme, we must join in the poetry. This episode is written as a series of Shakespearean sonnets. Hidden lore by Leslie J. Anderson

If you crawl into a burrow to meet its owner, it’s good to keep an open mind and a close eye on all your body parts.

Cats are cats, even when they’re also trees or crustaceans. This episode was co-written by Alice Pow. You can find Alice on twitter @AlicePow8. Special thanks to Matt Young for playing Skipper McCloud. You probably know Matt as Usidore the Blue from (one of my favorite podcasts) Hello from the Magic Tavern. The premiere of Magic Tavern season three that starts on July 22nd. Hidden Lore poetry by Aspen Hougen. Aspen Hougen is a poet and anti-racist educator. She lives in Montana's Gallatin...

I don’t want to alarm you, but today’s creature is a lot closer to you than it is to me.

This is a bonus episode from the CryptoNaturalist Patreon page. Subscribing to our Patreon page supports the show and unlocks more bonus content. Visit www.patreon.com/cryptonaturalist for details.

You are a cryptid worthy of study, a creature of the marshland night, a fascinating animal who is about to make a new friend.

Today we learn about the small, migratory songbird that’s bigger than all existence.

You can’t always believe your ears and you shouldn’t trust cute, furry faces peering up from the sea.

The patchwork islands of greenery nestled on the edges of roadways hold secrets worth our attention.

Beneath our feet, the under hawks glide in search of shadows to pluck from the surface of the world.

There’s a wilderness inside every library. This episode visits one of the nocturnal residents after closing time.

A strange visitor joins the CryptoNaturalist around the campfire for a pleasant, if one-sided, conversation.

The Cryptonaturalist is lost and then found in the usual place, a twisted scientist’s volcano lair.

The CryptoNaturalist is missing, but Cassandra is on the case.

Today we visit an elusive cryptid that hides in plain sight and borrows human voices.

We’re all made of star stuff, some of us more literally than others.

This week we visit home territory and visit a special grove of sassafras trees.