Nature: Dope AF

Bonnie and Kenny are back to talk about the beautiful but dangerous snow phenomena of avalanches and blizzards. (Content warning: this episode contains several mentions of death, please listen at your own discretion.)

Highlights include:

2:00 - Should you try to see an avalanche? Debatable

4:28 - Large avalanche in North America can equal football fields of snow

6:30 - Avalanche debris 

8:15 - What to do if you're caught in an avalanche

11:28 - What criteria are needed to classify a storm as a blizzard

13:40 - The Long Winter

14:42 - The phone had been invented

16:13 - Deadliest blizzard in recorded history

19:17 - 5 Facts

Digital Snow Museum

Avalanche Links

Avalanches Explained

National Snow & Ice Data Center Avalanche Page

The Deadly Hazard of Avalanches

Blizzard Links

Atmospheric Research Blizzards

Deadliest Blizzard in History

National Geographic Blizzards

National Archives on the Dakota Territories

The Hard Winter of 1880-1881

Bonnie and Kenny are back with a truly bonkers episode full of lots of laughing and weird tangents all around carnivorous plants, perfect for some Halloween listening. 

Highlights include:

2:27 - Different trap types

5:14 - Honey I Shrunk the Kids tangent

7:32 - Where they grow

11:27 - What pitcher plants eat (including the biggest thing)

13:00 - Carnivorous plants also like poop

15:06 - 5 Carnivorous plant facts w/many tangents

24:24 - Snacks, stevia, sparkling water chat

Dope Carnivorous Plant Links:

Carnivorous Plants

Carnivorous Plant Facts

7 Wonders of the Carnivorous Plant World

20 Things You Didn't Know About Carnivorous Plants

How to Help:

International Carnivorous Plant Society

Thanks again to Cal and Debbie for the topic suggestion!

Gorillas, what's not to love? In this episode, Bonnie and Kenny chat all about these magnificent primates (and of course go on several tangents including Kenny's childhood gorilla stuffed animals and weird sock plan). 

Highlights include:

2:42 - Kenny's gorilla friends

3:11 - Gorilla species and subspecies

6:21 - Gorilla troops 

7:30 - Gorillas = lounge goals

7:50 - Random tangent on socks aka "year of comfort"

10:46 - 5 Gorilla Facts

14:45 - Tangent about the perception of gorillas

Dope Gorilla Links:

9 Gorilla Facts

5 Facts about Koko

Cross River Gorilla 

Biggest Gorilla Ever

Mountain Gorilla Facts 

Western Gorilla Facts

Gorilla Family Structure

Controversial Study on Gorilla Social Structure

How to Help:

The Gorilla Organization

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International

WWF Gorilla 

How good is your animal sound knowledge?  Play along as Bonnie and Kenny have some fun by trying to guess a variety of different animal noises, along with sharing the usual facts and pondering if everything does make a sound. 

Highlights include:

2:08 - Let the animal sound guessing begin!

16:01 - Dump zone

16:15 - 5 Animal noise facts 

20:30 - Does everything make a sound?

Dope Animal Sound Links:

(see Anchor page for easiest to read formatting)

This is the sound Giraffes make

The quietest animal - owls

The world's loudest animal might surprise you

Why do parrots talk?

5 Animals that make the craziest sound

Admit it, you had no idea these 15 common animals made these noises

15 Things you might not know about Rhinos (including pooping in a particular spot)

Do Jellyfish make a sound?

Teddy Bear the Porcupine eating 

Animal Sounds Played:

Koalas

Walrus

Elk

Marmots

Mice

Lyrebird

Porcupine

Desert Rain Frog

Rhino

Puffin

Alligator

Great Bustard

Brushtail Possum

August 25 is the birthday of our National Parks...and Kenny, what are the odds?! In this episode, Bonnie and Kenny talk about the history of the parks (including the not great parts), delve into interesting park facts,  and have a special guest chat! Our family loves the national parks, Kenny is trying to make it to all of them before he's 35, our mom taught about them and connected kids with park rangers as an elementary school teacher, and our famed Aunt Shannon, who we have mentioned in previous podcasts even worked in two of them. We have Shannon join us to talk about the parks and all things dope about nature. 

Highlights include:

2:07 - National Parks History

8:17 - Mentioning it all - including the racial disparities in parks/white supremacists in conservationist history

14:23 - 10 most visited parks in 2019

16:15 - 10 least visited parks 

23:55 - 5 fun park facts 

26:27 - Special guest Shannon

31:46 - How Shannon made a career in nature/parks

39:46 - Exploring in your own backyard

41:42 - Relationship test = boats

42:43 - National parks/monuments/spaces means education

44:15 - St. Louis Gateway Arch stories 

46:40 - Future podcast topics (including Phenology = the study of periodic plant and animal life cycle events and how these are influenced by seasonal and interannual variations in climate, as well as habitat factors)

52:18 - How to get into nature 

53:53 - *Important thing to keep in mind living on the Earth*

55:10 - Favorite Bonnie & Kenny stories

Dope Park Links:

(see Anchor page for easiest to read formatting)

General Info:

Quick NPS History

59 Fun Facts 

National Geographic Park Facts

Park Visitation Numbers

Obama's Every Kid in a Park Program

Racist roots, lack of diversity haunt national parks

Historic Park Figures:

Tina Short 

Women of the Park Service

Spark Ranger

Places Shannon Mentioned:

Acadia National Park 

Gateway Arch National Park 

Battle Creek Outdoor Education Center

How to help the parks:

6 Ways to Give to National Parks that Actually Make a Difference

Get Involved with NPS 

Wild horses, buckle up for some controversy! In this episode, Bonnie and Kenny are chatting all about the hotly contested history and management of these majestic creatures. As usual, hot takes and potentially depressing facts abound! *apologies for the background cat noises, she also had horse opinions*

Highlights include:

1:50 - Kenny witnessed a wild horse fight

3:28 - Theory that horses were introduced by Columbus is false??

5:40 - Theories challenged again saying Native Americans have always had relationships with horses

8:16 - A federal law was passed to protect "living symbols of the American west"

10:07 - Livestock grazing vs wild horses

16:00 - Recent historic horse amendment

18:35 - 5 fun horse facts

Dope Horse Links:

(see Anchor page for easiest to read formatting)

General:

Facts About America's Wild Horses

Myths and Facts about Wild Horses and Burros

Wild Horses, Wilder Controversy

Assateague's Wild Horses

History:

Wild Horses as Native North American Wildlife

Horse Teeth Evolution

People of the Horse

Yes world, there were horses in Native culture before the settlers came

Evolution of the Horse

Legislation:

American Wild Horse Campaign

Public Lands Grazing Info

House Passes Historic Wild Horse Protection Amendment

HR 7806

Film:

Unbranded

Moss, boring right? No way! In this episode, Bonnie and Kenny are chatting all about the splendors of moss. Join us to go on, well, quite a journey!

CW: There are mentions of dead bodies and possible murders, so skip this one or avoid 5:40-6:50

Highlights include:

1:07 - Moss - not just on the North sides of trees

3:00 - Moss is antibacterial and was used for bandages in WWI

5:40 - Peat moss bogs preserve bodies

7:35 - Interesting moss names 

10:25 - Haircap moss will NOT dissolve your gall bladder

12:18 - 5 mossy facts 

16:02 - bonus conversation about pigeons, bird clothes, and animals with people names 

Dope Moss Links:

(see Anchor page for easiest to read formatting)

General:

8 Surprising Moss Facts

7 Interesting Things About Moss

Moss Facts

Common Haircap Moss

Brittanica Moss Page

Moss Myth: It Doesn't Only Grow On North Side of Trees

How Humble Moss Healed the Wounds of Thousands in World War I

Effects on Climate:

First Land Plants Plunged Earth Into Ice Age

Scattering Moss Can Restore Key Carbon Sink

This Desert Moss has Developed the Ultimate Water Collection Toolkit

Extras:

How To Make Moss Graffiti 

Graphic Images Warning! List of Bog Bodies

The topic that inspired it all! In this episode, Bonnie and Kenny are chatting about geological wonders, Hoodoo and Tokangawhā (Split Apple Rock). Join us to learn just what the heck a hoodoo is! 

Highlights include:

1:41 - The many meanings of hoodoo

4:20 - How tall is a story? 

7:35 - Probably incorrect pronunciation of Tokangawhā 

8:50 - Kenny thinks it looks more like Pac man than an apple

10:45 - 5 fast rock formation facts

Dope Rock Formation Links:

General:

The World Weirdest Geological Formations

Giant's Causeway

Sailing Stones Mystery Solved

Turkey's Fairy Chimneys

Eye Of The Sahara 

Ha Long Bay

Hoodoo:

Hoodoo Definition

Bryce Canyon Hoodoos 

Hoodoo Wiki 

What And Where Is A Hoodoo

Tokangawhā / Split Apple Rock:

Atlas Obscura Tokangawhā / Split Apple Rock

Geology Page 

How to Help:

National Park Foundation

NZ National Parks and Conservation Foundation

Preserve UNESCO World Heritage Sites

There's something fishy going on! In this episode, Bonnie and Kenny are discussing the migrations of different fish, highlighting Salmon and Eel. Join us for the fourth and final episode in a series on migration where we chat about a few fun points about these epic fish journeys.

Highlights include:

2:43 - Salmon learn the scent of their home streams?!

5:25 - The tragic tale of eel migration

5:39 - Kenny's bad eel vibes start

6:49 - He's still creeped out by eels 

9:34 - Yep, still not about eels 

10:50 - 5 fast fish migration facts 

Dope Fish Migration Links:

General:

10 Fun Facts About Migratory Fish

21 Migratory Fish Facts That'll Make You Say, "I Never Knew That!"

Fish Migration

Salmon:

The How And Why Of Salmon Migration

Eel:

Bringing Back American Eels In The Susquehanna River

Epic Eel Migration Mapped for the First Time

Eel Migration Study Tells 'Romantic' Tale

Study Shows European Eel Migration Not As Uniform And Simple As Thought

How to Help:

Wild Salmon Center 

The Wildlife Trusts - Eel 

Potomac Conservancy - Why Eels Are Important 

Films Mentioned:

DamNation

Fishpeople

IRL Animal Crossing! In this episode, Bonnie and Kenny are discussing the migrations of different mammals, highlighting Caribou and Wildebeest. Join us for the third in a series on migration where we chat about a few fun points about these epic mammal journeys. 

Highlights include:

00:34 - we hope you're *fighting* racism, climate, change, xenophobia - kinda sounds like voting on the track 😅

2:52 - Did you know both male and female Caribou have antlers?

3:35 - Caribou/Reindeer have to be the longest migratory mammal because they take Santa around

5:00 - Wildebeest and Zebra eat different parts of the same grass - love an animal friendship! 

8:05 - Wildebeest have some pretty dope swarm intelligence

9:57 - 5 Fast Mammal Migration Facts

13:11 - Outtakes 

Dope Mammal Migration Links:

General:

Mammal Migration 

10 Amazing Mammal Migrations

Caribou:

Caribou Migrate Farther Than Any Other Known Land Animal

Caribou Facts 

12 Fascinating Facts About These Amazing Creatures

Wildebeest:

Serengeti Wildebeest Migration

How Does The Great Wildebeest Migration Work? 

Heart Of The Swarm – The Amazing Science Of Shoals, Flocks, Hives And Brains

10 Fascinating Facts About The Great Wildebeest Migration

How to Help:

African Wildlife Foundation - Wildebeest 

Defenders of Wildlife - Caribou 

Defenders of Wildlife - Gray Wolf 

Random:

Saiga Antelope Video