All Creatures Podcast

Chris and Angie return after a National Geographic event with photographer Amy Vitale and introduce an episode on sand dollars, prompted by Angie finding live sand dollars with her family and wanting answers to her kids’ questions.

They describe sand dollars as flat, burrowing echinoderms with an internal calcium-carbonate “test,” tiny spines and cilia, petaloid patterns with tube feet for respiration, slow movement and burrowing.

They also discuss global distribution, size variation, feeding as deposit feeders. Major threats include bottom trawling/dredging and ocean acidification; they suggest using Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch and highlight the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation and practical pollution-reduction steps.

Timeline

Another thank you to all our Patreon supporters. You too can join for one cup of "good" coffee a month. With your pledge you can support your favorite podcast on Patreon and give back to conservation. With the funds we receive each month, we are have been sending money to conservation organizations monthly. We now send a check to every organization we cover, as we feel they all are deserving of our support. Thank you so much for your support and for supporting animal conservation. 

Please considering supporting us at Patreon HERE.

We also want to thank you to all our listeners. We are giving back to every conservation organization we cover and you make that possible. We are committed to donating large portions of our revenue (at minimum 25%) to every organization we cover each week. Thank you for helping us to grow, and for helping to conserve our wildlife.

Please contact us at [email protected]

if you would like to advertise on our podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Imagine a shark swimming through the Arctic today that was already alive before the United States existed. Greenland sharks are thought to be the longest-lived vertebrates on Earth, with research suggesting they can live for around 400 years—and potentially longer. Even more astonishing, females may take approximately 150 years to reach reproductive maturity. These slow-growing inhabitants of the cold North Atlantic and Arctic oceans live on a timescale that is almost impossible to comprehend.

We’re revisiting this classic All Creatures Podcast episode following renewed headlines about a controversial proposal to kill 1,000 Greenland sharks. Earlier this year, Greenland’s Avannaata municipality approved a bounty scheme in response to fishers’ concerns about damaged equipment and lost catch. The scheme was subsequently dropped because the municipality lacked the legal authority to implement it, but the debate over killing these extraordinary animals continues.

Greenland sharks are classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Historically hunted for their liver oil, they now face ongoing threats from accidental capture in fishing gear, while climate change may alter their Arctic habitat. Their population size remains poorly understood, and their exceptionally slow growth and late maturity make them particularly susceptible to overfishing. Join us as we revisit one of the ocean’s most remarkable animals—and why protecting a creature whose life spans centuries requires thinking far beyond our own lifetimes.

Another thank you to all our Patreon supporters. You too can join for one cup of "good" coffee a month. With your pledge you can support your favorite podcast on Patreon and give back to conservation. With the funds we receive each month, we are have been sending money to conservation organizations monthly. We now send a check to every organization we cover, as we feel they all are deserving of our support. Thank you so much for your support and for supporting animal conservation. 

Please considering supporting us at Patreon HERE.

We also want to thank you to all our listeners. We are giving back to every conservation organization we cover and you make that possible. We are committed to donating large portions of our revenue (at minimum 25%) to every organization we cover each week. Thank you for helping us to grow, and for helping to conserve our wildlife.

Please contact us at [email protected]

if you would like to advertise on our podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From the archives of All Creatures Podcast, we're revisiting our inspiring 2021 conversation with Dr. Paula Kahumbu, one of Africa's most influential wildlife conservationists, a National Geographic Explorer, and recipient of the prestigious Whitley Gold Award.

As a leading voice in elephant conservation, Dr. Kahumbu has dedicated her career to protecting Africa's wildlife, combating the illegal ivory trade, and inspiring a new generation of conservationists. Through her leadership at WildlifeDirect and her groundbreaking television series Wildlife Warriors, she has helped bring African conservation stories to millions while championing local communities and African-led conservation efforts.

Fresh off our own live podcast event at National Geographic, we're celebrating another extraordinary Explorer whose passion, determination, and leadership remind us that protecting wildlife begins with empowering the people who share their world.

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How did life first take to the air? In this classic interview from 2022, Chris and Angie welcome evolutionary biologist Dr. Richard Dawkins to discuss his book Flights of Fancy: Defying Gravity by Design and Evolution. From tiny flying insects to soaring birds, Dawkins explores the many ways evolution has overcome gravity—and how those solutions compare with our own flying machines.

The conversation also reaches beyond flight to the wonder of scientific discovery, the importance of conservation, and the power of sharing science with others. Join us for a wide-ranging conversation about evolution and the creatures that inspire us to look up.

Another thank you to all our Patreon supporters. You too can join for one cup of "good" coffee a month. With your pledge you can support your favorite podcast on Patreon and give back to conservation. With the funds we receive each month, we are have been sending money to conservation organizations monthly. We now send a check to every organization we cover, as we feel they all are deserving of our support. Thank you so much for your support and for supporting animal conservation. 

Please considering supporting us at Patreon HERE.

We also want to thank you to all our listeners. We are giving back to every conservation organization we cover and you make that possible. We are committed to donating large portions of our revenue (at minimum 25%) to every organization we cover each week. Thank you for helping us to grow, and for helping to conserve our wildlife.

Please contact us at [email protected]

if you would like to advertise on our podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris recounts the recovery of New Zealand’s Chatham black robin (karure/keruru), an island species devastated by habitat clearing and introduced predators like rats and cats, until its range shrank to tiny Mangere Island.

Numbers fell from 18 birds in 1972 to seven in 1976, then to five by 1980 with only one breeding female, “Old Blue,” paired with “Old Yellow,” leaving the species’ future dependent on her.

Chris tells the story of how conservationists and the New Zealand Wildlife Service team, led by figures like Don Merton, combined translocation, predator control, habitat restoration (including planting about 120,000 trees), and pioneering cross-fostering led to this species survival.

Timeline

Another thank you to all our Patreon supporters. You too can join for one cup of "good" coffee a month. With your pledge you can support your favorite podcast on Patreon and give back to conservation. With the funds we receive each month, we are have been sending money to conservation organizations monthly. We now send a check to every organization we cover, as we feel they all are deserving of our support. Thank you so much for your support and for supporting animal conservation. 

Please considering supporting us at Patreon HERE.

We also want to thank you to all our listeners. We are giving back to every conservation organization we cover and you make that possible. We are committed to donating large portions of our revenue (at minimum 25%) to every organization we cover each week. Thank you for helping us to grow, and for helping to conserve our wildlife.

Please contact us at [email protected]

if you would like to advertise on our podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What kind of animal can see light we cannot and strike with enough force to crack a crab’s shell? In this classic episode from 2022, Chris and Angie meet the mantis shrimp: a small marine predator with extraordinary eyes and one of the most powerful hunting strikes in the animal world. Some species smash hard-shelled prey, while others use sharp, spear-like limbs to catch fish.

“Mantis shrimp” refers to hundreds of species, so there is no single conservation status for them all. Some face pressure from fishing and the loss of the reefs and seabed habitats they call home. Join us for one of our favorite classic episodes and discover why this remarkable creature deserves attention far beyond its famous punch.

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In this classic episode from 2019, Chris and Angie explore the cheetah’s incredible speed, from its flexible spine and gripping claws to the long tail that helps it turn during a chase. But there is much more to this remarkable cat than its sprint.

Cheetahs are currently listed as Vulnerable globally, while the remaining Asiatic cheetahs in Iran are Critically Endangered. Across their range, shrinking and fragmented habitat leaves cheetahs with less space and fewer wild prey. Many live alongside farmers, where conflict over livestock can lead to cheetahs being killed; cubs are also taken for the illegal pet trade.

Join us to discover why the cheetah’s future depends on protecting connected landscapes and finding ways for people and wildlife to live together.

Another thank you to all our Patreon supporters. You too can join for one cup of "good" coffee a month. With your pledge you can support your favorite podcast on Patreon and give back to conservation. With the funds we receive each month, we are have been sending money to conservation organizations monthly. We now send a check to every organization we cover, as we feel they all are deserving of our support. Thank you so much for your support and for supporting animal conservation. 

Please considering supporting us at Patreon HERE.

We also want to thank you to all our listeners. We are giving back to every conservation organization we cover and you make that possible. We are committed to donating large portions of our revenue (at minimum 25%) to every organization we cover each week. Thank you for helping us to grow, and for helping to conserve our wildlife.

Please contact us at [email protected]

if you would like to advertise on our podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris speaks with Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Drew Kann about Georgia’s Okefenokee Swamp and its new status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

They explore the swamp’s blackwater wetlands, remarkable wildlife, and delicate balance of fire and water. Drew explains how a proposed titanium mine raised concerns about water loss, severe fires, and damage to nearby rivers—until public opposition and a conservation land purchase stopped the project. They also discuss the power of local journalism and why continued protection remains essential.

Another thank you to all our Patreon supporters. You too can join for one cup of "good" coffee a month. With your pledge you can support your favorite podcast on Patreon and give back to conservation. With the funds we receive each month, we are have been sending money to conservation organizations monthly. We now send a check to every organization we cover, as we feel they all are deserving of our support. Thank you so much for your support and for supporting animal conservation. 

Please considering supporting us at Patreon HERE.

We also want to thank you to all our listeners. We are giving back to every conservation organization we cover and you make that possible. We are committed to donating large portions of our revenue (at minimum 25%) to every organization we cover each week. Thank you for helping us to grow, and for helping to conserve our wildlife.

Please contact us at [email protected]

if you would like to advertise on our podcast

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Chris and Angie will record a special live episode of the All Creatures podcast on Sunday, October 11 at 6:00 PM at the Grosvenor Auditorium in National Geographic’s new Museum of Exploration in Washington, DC. The live 90-minute event will feature National Geographic explorer, photographer, filmmaker, and conservation storyteller Amy Vitale, whose work documents relationships between people, wildlife, and shared landscapes, including major conservation projects. The event includes audience Q&A, images shown onstage, a post-show meet-and-greet, and tickets can be purchased below.

Live Podcast Tickets HERE

You can also visit the National Geographic Museum of Exploration website and search under What's On- Events.

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Chris talks with ecotherapy facilitator Shaz Audibert about how reconnecting with nature can support wellbeing, ease overwhelm, and inspire conservation. Shaz explains that ecotherapy recognizes humans as part of nature and shares accessible ways to reconnect—even in cities—through parks, street trees, houseplants, the sky, and simple practices such as a daily 10-minute mindful walk.

Connect with Shaz:

Or access her Linktree https://linktr.ee/wildhuman.nature

Timeline:

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