Constant Wonder

Explore the hidden world of nematodes. These tiny—less than one millimeter long—organisms are everywhere in the soil, some as plant parasites, others as pest predators. With 57 billion nematodes in the soil for each human standing on it, turns out their importance in genetic research and biomedicine is immense.

Join us as we delve into this fascinating field and tap into the excitement and humor of nematologists on the cutting edge of discovery.

Guests:

Byron Adams, biology professor at Brigham Young University

Adler Dillman, nematology professor at UC Riverside

Michael Werner, microbiology professor at the University of Utah

Songs from "The Plant Parasitic Nematode Songbook" were written by Kathy Merrifield and sung by Brian Tanner, Becca Hurley, and Sam Payne

Constant Wonder continues its pursuit of awe and wonder in all creation, human or wild, vast or small. Here's a sample of what we've got coming up over the next weeks: We'll meet a pair of married poets, perched at Yale University, whose shared lives have been shaped for two decades now by the looming threat of cancer, but the also the redemptive promises of love and faith. We'll hear from a Japanese-American farmer about how he discovered his "lost" aunt, whose mental disability had led to her becoming a ward of the state, and whose very existence had been hidden from the family for decades.  We'll look in on the cutting edge of nematology and nematodes, tiny, microscopic and ubiquitous worms that have kindled a kind of Wild West of discovery where surprise and delight are a matter of course.  And then we'll speak with a father and son who are rebuilding their shared lives after the father's memory of his identity and past were erased by a traumatic brain injury. All of that and more is coming up in Season 8 of Constant Wonder, kicking of May 8.

While we're busy working on Season 8 of the Constant Wonder podcast, we're pleased to bring you an episode from a podcast we think you'll love. In Curator's Choice, Ayla Sparks goes behind the scenes at museums and other points of interest, getting the stories that explain why they're so special. In this episode, you'll learn the quirky and litigious history of Luray Caverns' discovery. You'll also hear the world's largest lithophone, aka the "stalacpipe organ." If you enjoy this episode be sure to check out more Curator's Choice adventures at Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. And join us on May 8 for the launch of Constant Wonder Season 8, which gets going with an episode on nematodes, the astounding, ubiquitous and sometimes, you might say, iniquitous microscopic worms beneath your feet.

Facing the loss of her Elkmont cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains—a family treasure for five generations—Lynn Faust began to pay more attention to the fireflies there, the "light show," as the family called it, where thousands of fireflies would light up in unison. When she read that synchronous fireflies did not exist in North America, she knew that scientists were wrong. The creatures were right in her own yard! Realizing just how little was known about these enchanting insects, she set out to observe them, becoming a self-taught firefly expert and unveiling the mysteries of nature's tiny lanterns.

Guest: Lynn Faust, author of "Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs: Identification and Natural History of the Fireflies of the Eastern and Central United States and Canada"

Learn more about Lynn's book: https://www.ugapress.org/9780820348728/fireflies-glow-worms-and-lightning-bugs/

Photo credit: SmokyMountains.com

Businesswoman Françoise Malby traveled the world for work, until a chance encounter in a London tube station changed her life. Within a year, she'd quit Paris for South Africa, where she and her partner, Lawrence, would eventually establish a wildlife preserve to shelter troubled and orphaned elephants and rhinos. The two would eventually marry and spend 14 years together operating the Thula Thula preserve. When Lawrence passed away suddenly, the responsibility for these animals fell to Françoise. In this episode of Constant Wonder, a tale of love and loss, and a touching connection beyond the grave.

Guest: Françoise Malby-Anthony, owner of Thula Thula Private Game Reserve and author of "The Elephants of Thula Thula"

Learn more about Françoise and the THula Thula reserve on their website: https://thulathula.com/our-story/

Thula Baba traditional lullaby accessed on the Soweto Gospel Choir YouTube channel.

Emmett Hoops was seven when he determined to help save the nearly extinct American chestnut tree. He's 64 now, but his hope and passion are unabated. In this episode of Constant Wonder, you'll meet Emmett, but you'll also hear voices from the past: people who grew up under the leaves of the chestnut tree and who relied on its nutritious nuts—before blight drove it from the American forest around 1940.

Guests:

Emmett Hoops, Director for District 5 and Vice President for Outreach, New York Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation

Andy Newhouse, Director of American Chestnut Project at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry

Want to get involved with Chestnut restoration? Visit the American Chestnut Foundation online to learn more about their mission! https://www.americanchestnut.org/

Special thanks to Bethany N. Baxter for archival interviews from Appalachia conducted in 2008.

Though his life looked calm from the outside, Douglas Wood's undiagnosed ADHD and dyslexia dragged him down—until he received a personal letter from the famed wilderness writer Sig Olson. Olson's encouragement set him on a path to become a wilderness guide and a noted children's author.

Guest: Douglas Wood, author of over 40 books, retired wilderness canoe guide, and most recently the author of "A Wild Path," a collection of essays for adults

Visit Douglas Wood's website to learn more about his work: https://douglaswood.com/

Originally aired March 13, 2024

Though his life looked calm from the outside, Douglas Wood's undiagnosed ADHD and dyslexia dragged him down—until he received a personal letter from the famed wilderness writer Sig Olson. Olson's encouragement set him on a path to become a wilderness guide and a noted children's author.

Guest: Douglas Wood, author of over 40 books, retired wilderness canoe guide, and most recently the author of "A Wild Path," a collection of essays for adults

Visit Douglas Wood's website to learn more about his work: https://douglaswood.com/

Raised in landlocked Soweto, Zandile Ndhlovu didn't have easy access to a pool or the ocean, and she grew up hearing tales of monsters lurking in rivers and the sea. When she was nearly 30, she went on a snorkeling trip in Bali and felt a startling feeling of "coming home" beneath the waves. She would soon give up her management consulting career to become the first female Black South African freediving instructor. She can hold her breath for nearly five minutes underwater! As an ambassador for the sea, she travels the globe sharing the wonder of the ocean and the power of human breath.

GUEST: Zandile Ndhlovu, freediving instructor, Founder and Director of the The Black Mermaid Foundation, author of the children's book "Zandi's Song"

Find Zandile on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zandithemermaid/?hl=en

Learn more about the Black Mermaid Foundation: https://www.blackmermaid.co.za/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theblackmermaid_foundation/?hl=en

Born just after Emancipation, Anna Maria Threewitts and CG Garrett grow up to become pillars of their Black community. Their ten children must decide if they'll embrace their parents' high expectations for achievement in the Jim Crow South, or head north as part of the Great Migration that forever changed the face of America.

Guest: David Nicholson, author of "The Garretts of Columbia: A Black South Carolina Family from Slavery to the Dawn of Integration"

Readers: Othello Richards, John Pilmer, and Peachie Jones

Explore more of David's writing on his website: https://davidnicholson.info/

"A Charge to Keep I Have" written by Charles Wesley, sung by Hasan Green, accessed at TheHasanGreen YouTube channel

"Manual Typewriter Sound Effect" accessed at Sound Effects YouTube channel