For What It's Earth

This week, I am joined by fellow educator and nature lover, Willy Villalpando, as we discuss the importance of getting outside, exploring the natural world, and to continue learning throughout the summer vacation!

We talk about child development and the importance of play, having some tough conversations with kids, and how adults AND kids can learn and explore together for quality bonding time and to show kids that learning NEVER stops!

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May 22nd, which just passed (due to recording times), was International Day of Biodiversity! So this week, I want to highlight the amazing animals of the world, and how vital they are to the health of our ecosystems!

Right now, after all of the leaves have budded out and the flowers are starting to bloom more and more every day, we have another sign of spring - animal babies! As these babies are coming out and exploring their world, they may fall from their nest or get lost and we can play an important role in getting these wildlife babies back where they need to go.

Learn how to identify baby squirrels by age to determine if you can help them by getting their mom to come and find them, or by placing them in their nest yourself, or if you need to take them to a rehabilitation center.

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The end of season 2 is coming up! If you have any questions or topics you'd like to see in this podcast, let me know by emailing Marissa at [email protected]

Did you know that May is National Be Kind to Animals month? Chances are, if you're listening to this podcast, you're already an animal and wildlife-lover, yet even as caring environmental stewards, there are often animals that go unloved or are even despised (I'm looking at you invasive spotted lanternfly!).

During this episode, learn about some of the 10 creepy, gross, or unloved animals and how they are important members of our ecosystem! Once you learn about them, hopefully we can all appreciate them more and understand how important it is to be kind to ALL animals in their native habitats!

This week I am joined by Arborist climber and nature-enthusiast Zack Jacobs as we chat about the observations we've made about the changes in our moods and mental well-being now that spring is officially here and the sun it out!

We talk a little bit about how important it was for him to get out of the office life and enter a career outdoors, but also about some ways that everyone can make sure they get their 20 minutes (at least!) of nature-time into their busy lives, regardless of your job setting.

Links: Zack mentions Moosejaw.com and Red Bull Branched Out - go support them and check out what a climbing competition looks like!

Discover more about the incredible species that snakes are and their role in our ecosystems! We'll discuss the food chain & web, along with some cool anatomical features of the snake (such as the Jacobson's organ), and how we can be good environmental stewards by caring for these underdog-wildlife species.

As the flowers in our communities start to bloom and the first of the honeybees and bumblebees start to emerge and visit those wildflowers, let's start thinking about how we can make our own gardens and yards pollinator-friendly!

Find plants native to your area that will support threatened pollinators with the National Audubon Society's Native Plant finder HERE.

Dive into the murky and wonderous wetland habitats with Wetland & Waterfowl biologist, Jess Schmit, as we take a look at the birds and animals of wetland environments, as well as how she is studying habitats of rails!

We'll discuss her research project, what she hopes it accomplishes, and how people can actively conserve wetland habitats and the wildlife in them in a simple way.

(Podcast episode photo courtesy of Jess Schmit)

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This past week was Earth Hour around the world and we celebrated by turning off the lights at 8:30pm for at least one hour. During this episode, we'll talk a bit about the purpose of Earth Hour, as well as how turning off lights can reduce light pollution. We'll also take a look at how light pollution impacts animals, specifically birds, who are busy in their spring migration right now.

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Explore the wonderful world of orchids and how they have developed some unique adaptations to lure in pollinators. We'll also discuss some threats to local orchid species as well as some ways to support orchid conservation.

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