Field Stories

This week we speak to bat ecologist and researcher Jessica Dangerfield! Jessica spoke to us about bat conservation in England and why it’s arguably the most bat crazy country in the world! Her extensive work with bats includes monitoring and research projects in addition to bat rehabilitation. She also shared stories about some of her exciting international projects, including a doozy of a field story involving the rainy season in Malawi and spending a night with colleagues inside of a stuck truck in the middle of the Savannah!

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Hosted by Chris (@chrisketola), Michela (@michiganbiologist) and Nick (@nick_smith_wildlife_photos)

Theme Music:

"Honey Bee" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons:By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week we speak to ornithologist, author and tour guide Phil Chaon. Phil’s career has taken him literally across the world, first for research and more recently as a tour guide. Phil also recently co-authored the amazing book Habitats of The World, and is hard at work on a follow up called Habitats of North America. Phil spoke about the differences between the life of a field biologist versus a tour guide, and also the responsibilities of leading ethical ecotours. Finally Phil shared the most Peruvian field story ever, let’s just say we doubt he will ever need to buy that many onions again in his life! Another fantastic episode with a very interesting guest!

Instagram - @uropsalis

This week sees the return of an OG guest, several field stories and an in person chat at Snake Patrol Suriname about all things snakes and Suriname live from the country 🇸🇷

This week we spoke to Miriam Boucher, a Canadian Herpetologist who specializes in researching crocodilians. Miriam talked about her work with crocodilians across the Americas, and discussed her current PhD project focusing on bioaccumulation within alligator populations in the United States. She also explained her groundbreaking device used to prop open crocodilians mouths for research. Finally she shared her field story with us, and let’s just say it invoked a massive American Crocodile zooming towards her at full speed while she was in a canoe!

Nick also made a return to the podcast, and shared a tease of the amazing stories he’s been accumulating in Suriname.

A jam-packed show that’s can’t be missed!

Follow Field Stories - 

Instagram - @field_stories_podcast

Hosted by Chris (@chrisketola), Michela (@michiganbiologist) and Nick (@nick_smith_wildlife_photos)

Theme Music:

"Honey Bee" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons:

By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/

licenses/by/4.0/

Michaela is born and raised in Beverly, MA and has been involved in whale conservation since 2016. Starting as an intern on a whale watch, she found all sorts of channels to get people excited about whales!!

Our guest this week is Alex Troutman! (@n8ture_al on IG). Alex is a Fish and Wildlife Biologist and Environmental Educator, and his work has taken him across the United States, with an amazing stop in Asia working with bats as well. Alex is a prominent voice for the black in STEM community, and he shared some of his experiences and perspectives on this extremely important topic. This episode touched on some very intense subjects and is very much worth the time to really take in what Alex had to say about the challenges the black community face when trying to break into conservation. Finally Alex shared his field story about his encounter with “dinosaurs” during one afternoon of fieldwork!
Follow Alex:Instagram - @n8ture_alX - @n8ture_alFollow Field Stories - Instagram - @field_stories_podcastHosted by Chris (@chrisketola), Michela (@michiganbiologist) and Nick (@nick_smith_wildlife_photos)Theme Music:"Honey Bee" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons:By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This week we speak to Jody Allair! Jody is the Director of Community Engagement at Birds Canada. Through fieldwork and educational initiatives, Jody has been dedicated to bird conservation for the past 20 years. Jody and Chris spoke about the important role of environmental education and how it has evolved over the last decades. Jody also gave his insights into how young people with a passion for wildlife can contribute to conservation and find a successful career path. Finally Jody shared his field story involving an unfortunate skunk and Great Horned Owl, and needless to say you can almost smell the skunk in his story while listening!

On this weeks episode we speak to the director of Osa Conservation, Andy Whitworth! Andy has worked across the Neotropics for more than 10 years and is currently focusing his work on conserving the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica while also supporting projects in Peru.

Andy shared his thoughts on conservation in Costa Rica, why it’s such a biodiversity hotspot and how climate change in particular is such a major threat to biodiversity across the Neotropics.

Finally Andy shared his field story with us, and needless to say anytime a story involves caimans, it’s a banger!

This week we speak to Liliana Tobar González. Lili is a Mexican biologist who specializes in ornithology, with a focus on two pretty distinct groups: grassland and pelagic birds! In addition to her fieldwork, Lili is also very active on social media through her @bioloversdelmundo IG account. We spoke to Lili about why she is so passionate about promoting environmental science education in Spanish and in Latin America. She also shared very personal insights into the state of the environment in Mexico and the very complicated challenges facing conservation efforts there. A great episode with one of the most passionate and energetic guests we have had to date!

Instagram - @bioloversdelmundoYouTube -  @Biolovers  Follow Field Stories - Instagram - @field_stories_podcastHosted by Chris (@chrisketola), Michela (@michiganbiologist) and Nick (@nick_smith_wildlife_photos)

In this episode of Field Stories, we're thrilled to welcome J. Spahr, a masters-educated professional scientific illustrator from New Hampshire. J. Spahr, creates stunning infographics and illustrations that highlight endangered habitats and animals from around the globe. Her passion for wildlife and conservation has taken her to diverse locations such as Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, and across the United States. Throughout her travels, J. has worked closely with a variety of species, including brown bears, salamanders, fish, and many more. J. also demonstrates that you don't need to be a scientist to contribute to conservation, and she shares how others can follow in her footsteps. Join us as we dive into her fascinating journey and learn about the vital role of scientific illustration in environmental awareness and conservation.