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 easily observe what’s going on down there.Thankfully, octopuses are having a renaissance in popular culture, and as a result, serve as sort of an ambassador to the oceans. And this is in no small part due to the efforts of my guests today, Sy Montgomery and Warren Carlyle.Sy Montgomery is the author of Soul of the Octopus and Secrets of the Octopus, among her many works.And Warren Carlyle is the founder of OctoNation, a nonprofit octopus fan club boasting over a million members, and they have information on and photos and videos of nearly every octopus species on Earth.Today we discuss just how incredible octopuses - and I admit, standard words like amazing and incredible just seem to fall short when describing these creatures. They can contort and fit through tiny holes, change their color and texture in the blink of an eye, they can reason, some can use tools, and they are incredibly strong. They range in size from a kernel of corn to 300 pounds.We cover a range of topics, but we delve deepest into exploring their intelligence. This, coupled with their distinctive lifestyle, physiology, and abilities, often leaves us humans astounded.Sy and Warren had a new book, Secrets of the Octopus, released on March 19 2024, and are contributing to an exciting three part National Geographic TV series coming out on Earth Day 2024.You can find Sy at symontgomery.com, and check out Warren’s efforts at octonation.com and @octonation on most social media platforms.Get ready for a jaw-dropping and mind bending discussion about octopuses with Sy Montgomery and Warren Carlyle.FULL SHOW NOTESLinksBig Eye Jellyhead video ballooning like a parachuteOctoNation (and Octopedia) - Instagram , Facebook, TikToksecretsoftheoctopus.com - The new book!www.symontgomery.comDr. Alex SchnellWarren on Social Media: IGSy on Social Media: IGSupport Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

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.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, as well as some of her active research pursuits, including her work with bears and mountain lions that seem to have a propensity for visiting the beach.I really enjoyed both the book and the conversation today, because Dr. Wynn-Grant has so many facets of her story that I can relate to, and that I find inspiring, and I think you will too.Find Dr. Wynn-Grant on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or her website.FULL SHOW NOTESLINKSDangermond PreserveGoing Wild PodcastMapping Environmental JusticeWild Life - Finding My Purpose in an Untamed World - by Rae Wynn-GrantThanks to Kat Hill for editing help on this episode.Support Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

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.What’s more, these wasps have quite the reputation and an amazing natural history.With me today is Dr. Joseph Wilson, an evolutionary ecologist and associate professor of biology at Utah State University. Dr. Wilson is also the co-author of the new book, Velvet Ants of North America, as well as the wildly popular The Bees in Your Backyard. I reached out to Dr. Wilson because I’ve always been fascinated with velvet ants, but found precious little information about them. I purchased the book and reached out to Dr. Wilson, and he graciously agreed to share some of his knowledge. For example, did you know that some velvet ants have an auditory warning? And half of velvet ants are nocturnal? We discuss why we seem to usually see velvet ants deterministically wandering near trails, why they are often - and inaccurately - called cow killers, and more.But I couldn’t have a chat with Dr. Wilson and not talk bees, so we kick things off with some discussion of bees, buzz pollination and more before transitioning to velvet ants.Find Dr. Wilson on The Bees in Your Backyard, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.FULL SHOW NOTESMORE LINKSAlso check out our interview with Krystle Hickman (episode #66) - about finding and photographing native bees.The Bees in Your Backyard by Olivia Messinger Carril and Joseph WilsonCommon Bees of Western North AmericaCommon Bees of Eastern North AmericaVelvet Ants of North America by Williams, Pan, and WilsonNote: books are affiliate links to Bookshop.org. Support independent bookstores AND Jumpstart Nature by purchasing through these links or our bookshop store.Other Insect-oriented PodcastsJust BugsBug BanterBugs Need HeroesSupport Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

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.Today’s guest, Dr. Lucy Kerhoulas, is an Associate Professor of Forest Ecophysiology at Cal-Poly Humboldt. She specializes in the forest physiology of northwestern California, which includes redwoods, Douglas fir, oaks, and more. Today Dr. Kerhoulas explores various aspects of forest physiology including how they  adapt to different conditions such as fire and drought. She delves into the scientific tools used to study how trees respond to environmental changes, including measuring carbon isotopes in tree tissues to assess impacts of drought. And this understanding of carbon isotope preferences provides interesting insights into historical atmospheric carbon levels, dating back hundreds of years. In fact, this is sometimes called “the smoking gun”, because it provides strong evidence of fossil fuel contributions to atmospheric carbon.Dr. Kerhoulas also discusses how trees can share resources and signal each other during times of stress, possibly creating a cooperative environment within a forest. This was a jam-packed discussion, and I hope you enjoy it.FULL SHOW NOTESLinks to Topics MentionedBigfoot Trail AllianceCDFWCNPSCZU Complex Fire MapKerhoulas Forest Physiology LabMichael Kauffmann in Nature’s Archive Episode #41 discusses conifer trees and the Klamath Mountains Thanks to Kat Hill for editing help in today's episode.Support Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

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.Today’s wide-ranging discussion touches on everything from studying plants' response to climate change through looking at carbon 13 isotopes, to invasive species including the Hemlock wooly adelgid, to the surprising behaviors of an invasive grass called Johnson Grass.We also discuss Allasandra’s work in science communication and her podcast, The Happy Botanist. As you know, my Jumpstart Nature organization seeks to amplify great work being done by others, and after meeting Allasandra and learning about her work and her vision, I felt that she fit the bill. So the last 30 minutes or so of today’s episode is a re-share of one of her episodes with Dr. Dan Katz. Dr. Katz studies airborne pollen - specifically allergenic pollen. If you’ve ever wondered why some pollen causes so much havoc, or if those pollen forecasts you sometimes see on the local weather are accurate, stay tuned to learn more.Find Allasandra on Instagram and TikTok, and her podcast is on all of the usual podcast services, and the web at The Happy Botanist podcast.FULL SHOW NOTESLinksDaniel Katz: https://www.thekatzlab.com/The Happy Botanist podcastSupport Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

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.In today’s episode, we reconcile how it was possible for more acres of land to burn every year, but with less dramatic impact. In fact, that historical fire was largely beneficial to the land.Our guest today, who helps us decipher historical fire and how we can add more beneficial fire back to the landscape is Lenya Quinn-Davidson.And when you have a guest who’s first name literally means “firewood” in Spanish (alternative spelling), you know you’ve found the right person to discuss wildfire management. But Lenya Quinn-Davidson’s qualifications extend well beyond her name. She’s the Director of the FIRE network for the University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources organization. She focuses on the various ways humans connect with fire, including the use of prescribed fire for habitat restoration, invasive species control, and ecosystem and community resiliency. She’s actively engaged in local and national prescribed fire communities, and is an advocate for increasing diversity in the world of wildfire. A quick aside before we get into the interview. Obviously, climate change is a huge component for why we see bigger fires. Heat has a disproportionate impact on fire intensity. So while we don’t talk about climate change much today, it is absolutely an amplifying factor in wildfire intensity and frequency.You can find Lenya at LenyaQD on twitter.FULL SHOW NOTESLinksCalifornia Prescribed Burn AssociationsDixie FireScott Stephens  - wildfire reconstructions from UC BerkeleyUCANR Fire AdvisorsWTREX - Women-in-Fire Prescribed Fire Training ExchangesThanks to Kat Hill for editing help in this episode.Support Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

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 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 all about BLM lands.Today we dig into what turned Josh on to these fascinating places. He gives us a nice overview of what they’re like, the amazing sites and plants and animals you may see, and how you can enjoy them too.  We also learn about his upcoming book, to be published with Heyday Books. It sounds intriguing , and aims to fill a major gap in the literature. You can find volumes about national and state parks and national forests - but try to find similar literature on BLM lands. Good luck on that!I strongly suggest you follow Josh on his forgottenlandscalifornia instagram to see and hear about some of these amazing places.FULL SHOW NOTESLINKSPeople and OrganizationsBaba DioumBureau of Land Management's visitors websiteHeyday BooksObi KaufmannBooks and Other ThingsCalifornia Desert Plants, by Kauffmann, Rundel, and GustafsonFederal Land Policy and Management ActIn Defense of Public Lands, by Steven DavisSand County Almanac, by Aldo LeopoldThese American Lands: Parks, Wilderness, and the Public Lands, by Zaslowsky and WatkinsThe Trouble With Wilderness - William Cronon's essaySupport Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

Today’s episode is all about California Condors with Tiana Williams-Claussen, 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. Even though this episode is about California Condors, and the podcast is California-centric, today’s episode is still broadly applicable. California Condors historically lived in a large chunk of the western North America, from southern Canada to northern Mexico. And the challenges facing Condors, and the efforts to reintroduce and sustain them have many parallels.Now, I don’t want to take away from Michelle’s introduction for this episode coming shortly. But I do want to tell you why I wanted to cover Condors on Nature’s Archive.Right off the bat, condors are huge - boasting a 9 foot wingspan. They’re also critically endangered, which is why Tiana Williams-Claussen is such a great guest - she’s leading a reintroduction program with the Yurok Tribe in northern California.As long time listeners know, I particularly enjoy covering overlooked and misrepresented flora and fauna. And for today, I’m going to lump condors and vultures together. In fact, in North America, vultures and condors are in the same family of birds, and occupy similar ecological roles.And what role is that? Well, the textbooks say “scavengers”. And if you are like most people, you might have an unconscious negative bias towards scavengers. Why? So much of our human-centric perspective is based on how we live, and casts a negative light towards other evolved lifestyles, such as parasitism, or in this case, scavenging. To scavenge - that is, eat already dead animals - one must have some pretty amazing adaptations. Afterall, the moment an animal dies, bacteria starts to take over. And the fact the animal died in the first place might indicate that it was already diseased, especially if it didn’t die as roadkill.If a diseased carcass remains on the landscape for an extended period of time, it can become a disease vector. But vultures and condors are special. Their acidic stomachs and unique immune systems help protect them. I heard a great reframing of the role condors and vultures play - instead of scavengers, they are nature’s immune system. By rapidly clearing dead animals, they prevent and halt disease spread. And there are examples around the world where vultures had died off for various, usually human-caused reasons, and this resulted in significant increases in diseases in other animals - including rabies.FULL SHOW NOTESSupport Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

Double the nature content in the same amount of time as a typical Nature's Archive? Well, I think we've come close today, and no, we're not playing an interview at double speed.Here's your chance to hear two episodes of the Jumpstart Nature podcast from our pilot season, covering the topics of treating your yard like a habitat  (The Yard of the Future Full Show Notes), and how shifting baseline syndrome affects our perception of the health of the environment (We Live in a 10% World Full Show Notes).You might recognize bits and pieces of these episodes, because I aired a couple of the interviews in their entirety on Nature's Archive. But there is lots of new content that hasn't aired here.I hope you enjoy this format! Jumpstart Nature brings multiple perspectives to topics we cover, and ties it together with an entertaining and inspiring narrative from Griff Griffith.Let me know what you think! And if you like it, please subscribe to Jumpstart Nature on your favorite podcast app.Guests in this double feature include Dr. Doug Tallamy, Mary Phillips, Leslie Inman, Dr. Loren McClenachan, Dr. Alison Whipple, Ben Goldfarb, and Francisco Saavedra Jr.And regular Nature's Archive interview podcasts will be back in two weeks!LinksThe Yard of the Future Full Show NotesWe Live in a 10% World Full Show NotesSubscribe to the Jumpstart Nature PodcastOn AppleOn SpotifyOn OvercastOn Other AppsAdditional Music Used in this Project:Music: Sunny Morning by MusicLFiles Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/7813-sunny-morning License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license Music: Horde Of Geese by Alexander Nakarada Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9835-horde-of-geese License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseMusic: Lofi Prairie by Brian Holtz MusicFree download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9247-lofi-prairieLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseSupport Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

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. Charles is an author, poet, birder, and world traveler, and as you’ll hear, an exceptional naturalist, too. Jose has a PhD in Bat Ecology, and as a result, has extensive experienced studying animals of the night.Today we uncover the intriguing behaviors of nocturnal creatures such as nectar-feeding bats and vampire bats, scorpions that glow under UV light, and the often ignored but fascinating small owls - we’re talking owls the size of a American Robin - or even smaller! Observe how even the familiar environment of urban backyards transform into arenas of ecological discovery when the sun goes down. Tailored for nature enthusiasts and curious minds alike, this conversation is a gateway to a world less explored - the intriguing and overlooked world of nocturnal nature.FULL SHOW NOTES (with photos!)LINKSA Salad Only The Devil Would Eat, by Charles HoodCharles Hood's WebsiteJose Martinez-Fonseca on Instagram, and his photography websiteNature's Archive episode about Bats with Dr. Dave JohnstonSupport Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

Weather is like your mood, and climate is like your personality. Those are the words of today’s guest, Dr. Marshall Shepherd (Twitter,  Facebook and Instagram).Despite the clear differences between these two concepts, there are many topics of confusion that persist. For example, is El Nino, which we discussed a few weeks ago on this podcast, a climate condition or a weather condition? And how can forecasters be confident in their long term climate predictions when it is so hard to predict weather 10 days out?Dr. Shepherd is just the person to help us understand these concepts. He is the Director of the Atmospheric Sciences program at the University of Georgia. He’s also host of the Weather Channel series Weather Geeks, previously a research meteorologist for NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, and has had multiple popular TED talks.Today we talk about climate and weather and how they are predicted. We discuss the computer models used for both, how they differ, how they've improved, and  where they still need improvement.He also shares some of his research on how urban areas affect and change weather, and several other fascinating topics.This episode might sound different than a typical Nature’s Archive interview. That’s because we were planning to use this conversation in an upcoming Jumpstart Nature podcast. So, you might hear a few terms and concepts mentioned without explanation - but stick with it, because we end up defining everything later.Check these past episodes for more information on topics discussed today: episode #80 on oceans and El Nino and episode #62 on snowflake and precipitation genesisFULL SHOW NOTESDr. Shepherd's PublicationsEd Lorenz and Chaos TheoryExample Forecast Discussion available from the National Weather ServiceHurricane OtisSix America’s StudyTED Talks: 3 kinds of bias that shape your worldview (2018); Slaying the "zombies" of climate science (2013)Support Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

There are living trees in the United States that are approaching 5000 years old - and I’m not talking about trees that clone (I’m looking at you, aspen). Imagine if those trees could talk! Well, in a way, they can!That’s where dendrochronologists like Dr. Grant Harley come in.And it turns out that the science of dendrochronology is so much more far reaching than I ever imagined. Dr. Harley tells us how he reads the trees, inferring things like climate patterns, wildfire history, and community ecology. But this unique science even allows for dating artifacts, such as coffins, cabins, shipwrecks, and other wooden objects. We cover all of this and more, including how tree rings are assessed without killing the tree.  And how technology is used to make these assessments. Dr. Harley also answers why trees in the western US make better specimens for assessing historical climate. And just what is the medieval climate anomaly and why is it important to us today?I feel like Dr. Harley could make a series of podcasts out of dendrochronology, the history it tells us, and the mysteries it helps us solve. Find Dr. Harley on Twitter @dendrotrog.FULL SHOW NOTESLinks To Topics DiscussedNote: links to books are affiliate linksFundamentals of Tree Ring Research by James SpeerThe Fellowship of the Tree Rings RadioLab episode that Dr. Harley appeared onNorth American Dendroecological FieldweekThanks for Michelle Balderston for editing help this weekSupport Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

As you all know, I find wildfire to be fascinating. It’s complex, simultaneously necessary and at times devastating, and wildly misunderstood. And the landscape of fire is rapidly changing - literally and figuratively. So, I hope to continue to bring a variety of voices and perspectives on wildfire - including today.Have you ever wondered what it is like to be on the fire lines with a wildfire crew? Or what it takes to join a crew? Or the differences between crews, such as engine crews, hand crews, and hot shot crews? And how do they actually manage active wildfires? And where does prescribed and cultural burning fit into the picture? Today’s guest, Amanda Monthei, helps us get some answers. Amanda is a former wildland firefighter, having participated in a variety of crews, including a hot shot crew. She is now a writer, host of the Life with Fire podcast where she interviews a wide variety of people involved with wildfire, and she’s an occasional public information officer on wildfires.In addition to her podcast, you can find Amanda at lwf_pod on twitter, lifewithfirepodcast on Facebook, and lifewithfirepod on instagram.I hope you enjoy today’s episode - and be sure to check out the show notes on podcast.naturesarchive.com to see the video we referenced, and links to everything we discuss, including Amanda’s social media accounts!FULL SHOW NOTESLinks to Topics DiscussedLife with Fire Podcast (Amanda's Podcast)Good Fire PodcastHigh Country NewsRelated Nature's Archive PodcastsJustin Angle - On the Fireline Rick Halsey - Wildfire Ecology of the Chaparral and the American WestSupport Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

Dr. Emma Greig is a behavioral ecologist who has been leading Project FeederWatch, a multi-decade community science effort led by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Birds Canada.Today's discussion could be broadly characterized as "how to take care of the birds that visit your yard" - and you might be surprised at some of the recommendations.Our discussion begins in Australia, where Dr. Greig did her dissertation. Her work studied the amazing behavior of the splendid fairywren, a small and colorful Australian bird, who literally sing in the shadows of a predator. From there, we get into Project FeederWatch and the practice of bird feeding in general. Project FeederWatch has collected an immense dataset that reveals a lot about birds that visit feeders and people's yards in general. We discuss some of the findings, and how you can participate. It's easy!It's a wide ranging discussion, including topics like - does feeding birds affect their migration routes or timing, or their geographic ranges? How to minimize pests getting into your feeders? Does widespread feeding birds impact populations or the composition of bird communities?We also talk about best practices for feeding birds. Yes, we're taking on a responsibility of caring for wild animals, so there are several important things we need to do, such as paying attention to disease spread.Dr. Greig gets into all of this and more. So if you feed birds or are considering feeding birds, this is an important episode to listen to.Find Project FeederWatch on Twitter.Check out Jumpstart Nature's podcast episode #2, "Plant Your Birdfeeder", for more from Dr. Greig and other experts on birds and their habitats.FULL SHOW NOTESLinks To Topics DiscussedFeederWatch Scientific DataKilling with kindness: Does widespread generalised provisioning of wildlife help or hinder biodiversity conservation efforts? - scientific paper by Jack Shutt and Alex LeesPreventing Window StrikesProject FeederWatch - Begins on November 1!Support Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

Have you heard of El Niño? Some people call it the single biggest influence on winter weather in North America. But what is it, and how does it work? And we're in an El Niño event this year, and it's going to affect our weather (and ecology!)There is always much confusion about El Niño, what it is, why it occurs, and how it might alter our weather in the coming seasons. Today's episode looks at El Niño, which is one part of the El Niño Southern Oscillation, or ENSO. Consider this a primer - an accessible look at some of the mechanisms and impacts of El Niño, and how and why it can impact weather from India to California and beyond. And we also include a few ecological tidbits here and there.In order to give El Niño its due, we also cover some of the basics of how oceans influence weather.I tried hard to pack a lot of information into 50 minutes, along with a lot of analogies to help reinforce some of the points. Let me know how I did! And of course, these are very complex systems, so there is much that I couldn't cover.Looking ahead, we will have an expert climatologist later this year, so this episode will serve as good background for some of that conversation. I also have interviews with a dendrochronologist (tree ring expert!), a wildfire episode with an ex-firefighter, and an episode on nocturnal animals. So be sure to subscribe to the podcast in your favorite app to ensure you don't miss future releases.FULL SHOW NOTESLinks To Topics DiscussedDaniel Swain - Weather West, YouTube Office HoursJet Steam BasicsJet Stream Alignment in ENSO ScenariosNational Weather Service CPC ENSO Report (PDF)Rossby WavesSupport Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

Subscribe to the Jumpstart Nature Podcast!I started Nature’s Archive podcast in an effort to understand the stories of people making a difference for the environment. I needed to be inspired, wanted to learn how they did it, and share that inspiration and knowledge with anyone willing to listen.While we haven’t strayed too far from those initial aspirations, I do have many more topic-centric episodes than I did at the start.So today’s episode is a “back to my roots” episode. My guest is Leslie Inman, the founder of the wildly popular Pollinator Friendly Yards group on Facebook. With 184,000 members, it is perhaps the top spot for people to discuss sustainable personal landscaping. And even if you are not on Facebook, it’s pretty likely you’ve seen her images and infographics. Leslie’s story is an amazing example of how a little curiosity can be converted into a hugely impactful movement. Today, we discuss not only how the group formed, but the lessons that she has learned along the way. This includes how to “reach” people who may be skeptical about inviting insects to their yards, how to make it easy to get started, and more.Oh, and Leslie also has two books - Your Yard is Nature and The Butterfly Egg and the Little Tree.FULL SHOW NOTESLinks To Topics DiscussedPollinator Friendly YardsDave GoulsonDoug Tallamy & Homegrown National Park (TikTok)Doug Tallamy appeared on Nature's Archive Podcast Episode #26Leslie’s Books - Your Yard is Nature and The Butterfly Egg and the Little TreeMary Reynolds, We Are The ArkNancy Lawson, The Humane Gardener [Book]Travis Longcore (light pollution ecologist)Wild Ones - Wild Ones promotes environmentally friendly, sound landscaping to preserve biodiversity through the preservation, restoration, and establishment of native plant communitiesSupport Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

Subscribe to the Jumpstart Nature Podcast!Ever wondered how scientists unravel the ecological mysteries of bygone eras, long before systematic record-keeping? Believe it or not, one part of the answer is in pirate journals.And no, I'm not joking.Today, I have the privilege of hosting Dr. Loren McClenachan, an Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and History, and a Canada Research Chair in Ocean History and Sustainability at the University of Victoria. Throughout her career, Dr. McClenachan has been delving deep into historical marine ecology, unearthing ingenious ways to examine past ecosystems.Our focus today? The intriguing concept of shifting baseline syndrome, a topic that we've only grazed the surface of in previous Nature's Archive conversations. In 2009, Dr. McClenachan authored a pivotal paper examining the dwindling sizes of recreational trophy fish off the Florida Keys. This study unveiled what seasoned anglers had long grasped—the once-plentiful colossal fish had become elusive.Shifting Baseline Syndrome arises when your first interaction with an environment establishes your baseline—a perceived "natural" or "normal" state. Yet, this baseline could markedly differ from your grandparents'. And here's where the surprise sets in: the implications span conservation and society alike.Dr. McClenachan helps explain these implications through a variety of eye-opening examples. And yes, you'll even discover how pirates play a part in this narrative.FULL SHOW NOTESPeople, Papers, and Organizations3 billion birds lostAll of Dr. McClenachan’s publicationsAnecdotes and the Shifting Baseline Syndrome of Fisheries (Pauly)Daniel Pauly’s TED TalkDocumenting Loss of Large Trophy Fish from the Florida Keys with Historical Photographs (McClenachan)Dr. McClenachan's WebsiteEcology. Globalization, roving bandits, and marine resourcesUniversity of Victoria – history website; environmental studies websiteBooks and PodcastsNature’s Archive #57: Allen Fish – Raptor Migration from Hawk HillSupport Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

Subscribe to the Jumpstart Nature Podcast!It's hard to imagine a time without roads that connect us, facilitate commerce, allow us to reach hospital schools, family, and friends. And in plain sight, they grow in width, link density and traffic volume slowly and continually. Amidst to the sprawling network that shapes our lives. There's a realm often overlooked, but equally profound. A domain where the intersection between humanity and nature takes an unforeseen twist. Our guest today has Ben Goldfarb, author of the new book "Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet". You might remember Ben from a past episode where he discussed his book on beavers appropriately titled eager. And in typical Ben form, he reveals a hidden world in plain sight, full of surprises. From rapid adaptation by some animals to the intractable ways that 70 mile per hour traffic hack many animal's ability to cope. Ben's book will be released on September 12th. You can find more details at bengoldfarb.com.FULL SHOW NOTESLINKSBen Online: bengoldfarb.com,  Instagram, TwitterCrossings by Ben Goldfarb - Ben's new bookNature’s Archive #30: Dr. Jaret Daniels – Butterflies, Creating Habitat in Overlooked Landscapes, and Leveraging Creative OutreachNature’s Archive #35: Ben Goldfarb – Eager Beavers, The Quintessential Keystone SpeciesNature’s Archive #38: Beth Pratt – The Age of Wildlife CrossingsSandra Jacobson - A behavior-based framework for assessing barrier effects to wildlife from vehicle traffic volumeWare et al. - A phantom road experiment reveals traffic noise is an invisible source of habitat degradationMarcel Hauser - Dutch road ecologistSupport Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

Subscribe to the Jumpstart Nature Podcast!Griff Griffith is former host of Animal Planet’s Wild Jobs, current spokesperson for Redwoods Rising, and he’s a volunteer for Jumpstart Nature. Griff has dedicated his career to honing his expertise in effectively communicating and motivating people to care about the environment. From the youth he led in the California Conservation Corps, to people he engaged with at State Parks, to the 4 million people that watch his videos on TikTok. He’s also been on CNN, NBC Nightly News, Kelly Clarkson, and more, so he knows a thing or two about engaging people.And if you are like me, you care for nature, and want to share your love of nature with others.So today, Griff shares his secrets to success in ways that can work for anyone, regardless of your personality or approach.One of Griff’s messages is that you have to always make things relevant to your audience, so we try to do that today by including lots of specific examples, including stories like you just heard, discussion of goose pen trees (what? Yes goose pen, like goose like the honking bird), invasive clams, and the magic of photosynthesis. You’ll learn about analyzing an audience, being authentic, dealing with doubters, and more.So if you talk about nature with family and friends, lead walks or trips, or want to talk nature on Tik Tok or Instagram, we’ve got you covered.Follow Griff on TikTok and Facebook, or Redwoods Rising on TikTok or Facebook.FULL SHOW NOTESLinks To Topics DiscussedGriff's Past Appearance on Nature's ArchiveKeith Williams talking river snorkeling on Nature's ArchiveAlexis Nicole Nelson (The Black Forager)Native Habitat Project (Kyle Lybarger)Support Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

Today we hear from Dorian Anderson, who you might recognize from episode #1 of Nature’s Archive.Dorian has been a prominent figure in the birding world since 2014, when he bicycled nearly 18000 miles across the USA in what is known as a Big Year - an attempt to see as many bird species as possible.Dorian loves a challenge, so his Big Year was much more than just trying to find lots of birds. His was a bicycle powered trip that didn’t use fossil fuels. He maintained a strict budget, built community as he went, and continued his personal journey of overcoming substance abuse. Amidst the trials of essentially being an extreme endurance athlete, Dorian also faced the inherent safety challenges of cycling on roads not necessarily designed with bicyclists in mind.And today we have some exciting news - Dorian’s memoir, weaved into the story of the Big Year, is about to be released as a book titled “Birding Under the Influence”, which by the way is available for pre-sale now.So in this episode we recap the Big Year, discuss the book and all that went into that, and how the Big Year launched a new career for Dorian as an international birding guide.Dorian has some new stories to share. And if you aspire to be a bird guide, or just want to get some productive birding in on your next vacation, Dorian has some excellent advice and practical tips.As for the Big Year itself, we chronicled much of this exciting story in episode 1, and the last 40 minutes or so of this episode are excerpts from that first discussion so that you can get the full story.Find Dorian on Instagram or his photography website.FULL SHOW NOTESLinksPeople, Websites, OrganizationsChelsea Green PublishingDorian Anderson Photography - Dorian's photographic website.The Speckled Hatchback - Dorian's BlogTropical BirdingBooksNote: links to books are affiliate linksBirding Under the Influence: Cycling Across America in Search of Birds and Recovery by Dorian Anderson [Bookshop.org link]Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life by Dacher KeltnerPodcastsEpisode #1 of Nature's Archive, with Dorian! Notes that most of episode 1 is appended to this episode.Support Us On Patreon!Buy our Merch!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-licenseArtist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Gabe Brown, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!