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 or below!

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 on Instagram. David Shaw’s introduction to the contest starts right around minute 47 on the video or...

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

“White-faced Black-capped Petrel” photo by Kate Sutherland Mesoplodon europaeus or Gervais’ Beaked Whale, photo by Kate Sutherland 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’ book at Amazon at this link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1526711745/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_bYo2CbTP8D7P9 The clip of Giant Otters...

DCIM\100GOPRO\GOPR0136.JPG DCIM\100GOPRO\GOPR2102.JPG 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’ in the news.

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 Horned Lizards to Amazonian Rainforest, the guys find lots of common ground in appreciation of global biodiversity, and the urgent need to find working conservation...

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, as well as discussion of terrestriality in unexpected groups and lots of talk of squirrels. David’s work can be found on his website here:...

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 Cod, red tide along the coast of Florida, and the marvelous eyes of scallops.  Rita’s work can be found at scicommonground.com and @ritasteyn, where she shares her science...

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 behavior of crows. Brendan’s blog can be found at https://wingtrip.org, and his photo catalog is located at https://www.brendanmcgarry.com And...

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 Lev and Sea (but especially Lev) have issues with 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:  http://david-w-shaw.com Dave’s Rusty Blackbird Article in Living Bird Magazine Rusty Blackbirds are Rising from Obscurity but Falling in Number

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 last several years, including finding Black Rails!  Janna gives us a spring report for north Louisiana, and John shares some of his insights into keeping teens interested in Natural History and getting...

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 talk about close calls with big cats, squirrel diversity, and the fauna of backyards in North America. Some of the links: The Mammal Collection:...

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 the new iNaturalist application ‘Seek’ for Natural History kids.  

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 Forsyth and Miyata.  Don’t forget your headlamp!