Today’s episode is about one of the coolest plants that I can think of - both figuratively and literally! 

Stick with me for a moment. When you think of a parasite, what comes to mind? Maybe mosquitoes, ticks, tapeworms. Probably nothing you want to invite into your house or property.

But there are parasites that are super beneficial to ecosystems.

The parasite I’m speaking of is also the cool plant I alluded to. Well, it’s actually a large category of parasitic plants. In fact, they’ve separately evolved on five different occasions. What are they?

Well, mistletoes, of course! 

Dr. David Watson joins us all the way from Australia to talk about these spectacular plants. Today you’ll learn why mistletoes are beloved by birds, provide food for many other animals, are key to nutrient cycling, and why they are literally cool plants.

There are even mistletoes that grow on, get this, other mistletoes!

Find Dr. David Watson on Bluesky. 

FULL SHOW NOTES including photos!

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Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.

Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

Have you ever wondered why some rainshowers turn into thunderstorms? Just what happens in the atmosphere to create these dynamic, exciting, and sometimes damaging storms?

I find it fascinating, because so many interesting principles are at play - things we often overlook. Like, did you know that the sun doesn’t actually directly warm the air? Yes, you heard that right.

Today we take a look at how thunderstorms develop, how they can turn tornadic, and of course, I tie this back to ecology. We discuss the three ingredients needed for thunderstorms - moisture, lift, and instability - and how sometimes even that is not enough. And then there is the fourth ingredient needed to create tornadic thunderstorms.

You may know that I’ve been a weather nut since I was a kid. Back in grade school, I was so obsessed with tornadoes that I decided I’d write a book about them. My mom would take me to the library so I could check out every weather book I could find. Then I’d head home, pull out my dad’s old typewriter, and create my own newsletter — Weather Extra. My subscriber list? Just me. But I was hooked.

So I hope you enjoy this topic, a bit different than our typical episodes!

FULL SHOW NOTES

LINKS

Example Forecast Discussion available on your National Weather Service website.

Soil Moisture and Convection: https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/apme/49/4/2009jamc2146.1.xml

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Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.

Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

When we think about habitats, it’s easy to picture the rich diversity on land—vast prairies, scorching deserts, lush forests, and intricate wetlands. But what if I told you the ocean is just as diverse, filled with ecosystems as unique and vital as any on land? The only difference? We can’t see them as easily—but that doesn’t make them any less important.

Today’s guest is Dr. Judith Gobin, joining us all the way from Trinidad and Tobago. Judith is a recently retired professor of Marine Biology from the University of the West Indies. 

And she’s here to tell us about tropical marine habitats, such as mangroves, sea grass, and coral reefs. She has a particular interest in deep sea habitats, such as cold methane seeps and even whale falls. It’s a bit morbid, but weighing up to 300,000 pounds, in the case of a blue whale, a dead whale literally creates its own habitat.

To my surprise, I learned that the ocean floor more than 200 kilometers away from national coast lines is basically a free-for-all for exploration and resource extraction. Judi tells us about a new treaty that aims to better control these operations, which can disproportionately harm island nations such as Trinidad and Tobago.

It’s a deep dive into ocean science, conservation, and awe-inspiring ecosystems.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Links

Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Treaty

Deep Sea Videos mentioned by Dr. Gobin

Dr. Diva Amon

Dr. Robert Ballard

The E/V Nautilus

Lamellibrachia judigobini

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Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
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Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.

Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

Today’s guest is the brilliant Dr. Wendy Bohon, an earthquake geologist who has a passion for making the complexities of our planet accessible and engaging. Dr. Bohon is known for her dynamic science communication - in fact, you may have seen her viral videos through her Dr Wendy Rocks channels on YouTube and other social media.

Today, Dr. Bohon delves into the fascinating world of geology and earthquakes, exploring their impact on our environment and society.

In this episode, you'll discover how earthquakes occur, how earthquake geologists figure out how often faults rupture through fascinating paleoseismology, and what terms like magnitude and epicenter really mean, and how they can mislead us, too!

And did you know that the Richter Scale is actually no longer used? In fact, it began phasing out of use in the 1980s! What’s replaced it? Check in around 49 minutes to hear the story. In fact, it turns out that earthquake magnitude is a pretty poor way of understanding earthquake impacts. Dr. Bohon has some excellent metaphors to help us visualize what really happens to a fault during an earthquake rupture.

Dr. Bohon also tackles common myths about earthquakes, from breaking down the misconception of earthquake weather to clarifying the real risks of seismic events. For example, did you know that in some respects, people in the eastern United States face greater potential impacts from earthquakes? We discuss how you can prepare.

And can people cause earthquakes? The answer is a resounding yes. But can we use that power to release pressures in fault systems and avoid “the big one?” - well, you’ll have to listen to find out.

 Today's episode was one of the most fun ones that I've done in a long time.

You can find Dr. Wendy Bohon at wendybohon.com, and DrWendyRocks on YouTube, Instagram, and BlueSky, and DrWendyRocksIt on TikTok. I promise you - her content is great, so check her out.

FULL SHOW NOTES

LINKS

Earthquakes in All The States - Dr. Bohon's YouTube series

LESSONS FROM COVID-19 LOCKDOWNS WITH RASPBERRY SHAKES

Lisa Wald

My Shake App - free earthquake warning app

Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country - a great FREE resource for anyone with earthquake hazards (i.e. nearly everyone)

Raspberry Shake - make your own at-home seismometer

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Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.

Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

Dr. Jonny Hanson is an environmental social scientist, conservationist, and former community farmer. He's also the author of Living with Lynx, Sharing Landscapes with Big Cats, Wolves, and Bears.

He spent months traveling Europe and the United States learning about the real-life challenges of reintroducing apex predators to landscapes, and how to make coexistence successful for everyone involved.

Today, we discuss Jonny’s travels, stories, and lessons learned. And of course, we begin with “why reintroduce apex predators in the first place”. 

As an environmental social scientist, Jonny spends much of his time learning how to bridge the gaps in how different communities consider living with predators, and by the time we were done, I felt more confident than ever that we can and should allow these magnificent animals back into our landscapes. 

This episode is full of amazing insights, and Jonny seems to be a quote machine. There were so many well stated tidbits throughout that I know I’m going to use in the future.

Not only that, but you’ll get to hear how Jonny actually bred mosquitos for money, and how that influenced him. And if you stick around to the end, you’ll also get to hear about his experience with concentrated bobcat urine.

If you can’t tell, this is a nutrient dense episode, but with plenty of fun stories, too.

Be sure to check out Jonny at jonnyhanson.com, and on facebook, instagram, youtube, and tiktok.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Links:

Dr. Hanson's New Book - Living With Lynx

Coexisting with Carnivores - Dr. Hanson's TEDx Talk

Joanna Lambert

Trailer for Dr. Hanson's Snow Leopard documentary

Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network

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Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com

Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.

Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

Today’s episode is very timely. Our guest is Margo Robbins, cofounder and Executive Director of the Cultural Fire Management Council. Margo advocates for the return of cultural burning practices as a way to strengthen community, support biodiversity, and mitigate out of control fires that plague so many areas.

But before I get further into the details of today's episode, I want to note that it was recorded just a few days prior to the tragic and devastating wildfires that affected the Los Angeles area in January. 

We’ve had numerous interviews on Nature’s Archive with wildfire and prescribed burning experts, so if you’ve heard any of those, you know that fire frequency, intensity, and management practices vary dramatically depending on what habitats and climates we’re talking about. Los Angeles is predominantly shrubland and chaparral, which has been invaded by numerous invasive grass species, further enhancing fire risk.

Today’s episode focuses largely on the forested lands of Northern California, specifically, Yurok tribal lands. So while the topics discussed here may apply to other habitats, the specifics will vary.

Despite all of the past episodes relating to wildfire, we’ve had a notable gap - that is, no one has been able to speak to traditional indigenous use of fire. That is, until today.

So today you’ll hear why cultural fire is so important across so many dimensions of life. You’ll hear how cultural fire can be safely practiced, and how it has strengthened the Yurok community. 

If the idea of purposeful fire being beneficial to the land is new to you, I invite you to check out episode #89 with Lenya Quinn-Davidson - it’s one of our most popular and provides good baseline information for today’s episode. In fact, we have several other episodes that discuss wildfire, prescribed burning, and more - all are listed below.

I was incredibly grateful for Margo spending the time with us today. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Links
Cultural Fire Management Council

Indigenous Peoples Burning Network (IPBN)

Tending the Wild by M. Kat Anderson

Related Nature's Archive Episodes

#89: Burning Questions: Understanding Fire Management with Lenya Quinn-Davidson

#82: Amanda Monthei – Life with Fire

#24: Justin Angle – On The Fireline -Wildfires in the Western USA

ENCORE: Rick Halsey – Wildfire Ecology in the Chaparral and the American West

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Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.

Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

As a nature lover, I’m often asked about my favorite plants, animals, and insects. And I always struggle to answer those questions, because I have so many favorites, and they are context dependent. But when it comes to birds, woodpeckers often come to mind first. 

They’re often colorful, charismatic, and have such an amazing set of adaptations that let them drill into trees, excavate insects from bark, and some even fly catch on the wing. 

One of the most interesting woodpecker species is the Acorn Woodpecker, found in much of the west and southwest. They live in large groups, are loud, have a clown face, and can store thousands of acorns in specially drilled holes that are just acorn sizes.

Today’s guest is Dr. Walt Koenig, who has spent several decades studying these birds, in affiliation with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and UC Berkeley. Today we’ll learn about their behaviors, why you don’t find acorn woodpeckers in the east, despite a nice variety of oak trees, and get this - acorns aren’t even their preferred food! 

Dr. Koenig has studied their breeding behaviors and group compositions, which is perhaps the most fascinating part of the interview, and I can’t do it justice in a short intro - so you’ll just have to listen.

And if one studies acorn woodpeckers, it follows that one studies acorns, too. So we also discuss the phenomenon of masting - that is, when oak trees produce bumper crops of acorns, in synchrony across wide geographic ranges! In fact, this past year was a mast year for some oak species in California. So if you are interested in what causes masting, you might want to jump to the last 23 minutes or so of the interview.

FULL SHOW NOTES

LINKS
Acorn Woodpeckers at All About Birds

Dr. Koenig's Website

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Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
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Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.

Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

Slime molds (Myxomycetes) are beautiful, weird, and amazing organisms. Often mistaken for fungi, they are actually single celled, yet they grow and efficiently move in search of food, can start and stop their life cycle based on environmental conditions, and even change colors several times during their brief life cycle. They can be beautifully colored, frequently iridescent, and can be ornately shaped. And better still, they can be found in much of the world - maybe even in your yard.

My guest today, Alison Pollack, is a renowned slime mold photographer and unabashed enthusiast of slime molds and their habitats. If you follow nature photographers on Instagram, perhaps you count yourself as one of her nearly 60,000 followers.

Today, Alison tells us what exactly a slime mold is - and no, it is not a mold or fungi. She tells us about their fascinating lifecycle, where they grow, and how to find them. 

Alison then tells us about her astonishing macro photography of slime molds - both in the field and in her home studio. She walks through her process, technique, and equipment she uses to create her acclaimed photos. If you do nothing else, follow her on Instagram @marin_mushrooms, or check the photos below to get a hint of the beauty of the slime molds, and Alison's artistic skill in capturing them.

You can also find Alison on Facebook at AlisonKPollack, and on iNaturalist at alison_pollack.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Links To Topics Discussed

From Macro to Micro: The Art of Fungi Photography with Alison Pollack

Damon Tighe - was on Episode 36 talking Fungi

Nikon Small World Master of Microscopy

Slime Mold Identification and Appreciation - Facebook Group

All the Rain Promises and More by David Arora

Laowa ultra macro lens - there are models for each major camera manufacturer.

Les Myxomycètes

Myxomycetes - A Handbook of Slime Molds by Steven Stephenson

NOVA Slime Mold episode

Olympus Tough TG-6 - this seems to be the most recommended pocket camera by naturalists of many types

Raynox DCR-250

Where the Slime Mould Creeps by Sarah Lloyd

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Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com

Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.

Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

I spent several hours assembling the highlights of the 24 episodes we produced in 2024, all packaged in this nice short recap. It was a lot of work, so I hope you like it!

If you want to hear any of these episodes in their entirety, simply check our feed or naturesarchive.com. And for easy reference, the full year's episodes are listed below.

And I'd love your feedback on Nature's Archive in general! I made a short survey (probably only takes 1 minute). Please fill it out:

https://naturesarchive.com/survey

#106: Why Ants Might Be the Most Interesting Creatures on Earth with Chloe Jelley
#105: From Fear to Fascination: Kevin Wiener on His Journey at All Bugs Go to Kevin
#104: Wasting Away: The Battle to Save Sunflower Sea Stars and Kelp Forests with the Sunflower Star Lab
#103: Exploring Wildlife Forensics with Ashley Bray
#102: Sophie Osborn – From the Brink: Reintroducing Endangered Birds
#101: Connecting Climate, Carbon, Tree Leaf Phenology and Genetics with Dr. Hanna Makowski
#100: The Biggest Nature Lesson I’ve Learned from 100 Nature’s Archive Episodes
#99: Into the Wild: Snow Leopards and Wildlife Photography with Jake Davis
#98: Ocean’s Green Giants: The Vital Role of Kelp with Tristin Anoush McHugh
#97: How to Love a Forest with Ethan Tapper
#96: From Rattles to Kings: Unraveling the Secrets of Snakes With Dr. Emily Taylor
#95: The Rare 2024 Cicada Double Emergence with Dr. Chris Simon
#94: Secrets of the Octopus with Sy Montgomery and Warren Carlyle
#93: Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant – Carnivore Ecology, Wild Life, and Environmental Justice
#92: Secrets of Beautifully Fuzzy Velvet Ants with Dr. Joseph Wilson (and a bit about native bees, too!)
#91: Examining Tree Physiology with Dr. Lucy Kerhoulas: Insights into Drought Adaptation and the Carbon Smoking Gun
#90: From Invasive Species to Allergenic Pollen with Allasandra Valdez (The Happy Botanist Podcast) and Dr. Daniel Katz

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Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
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Artist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com

Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.

Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

I love discovering overlooked plants and animals that play outsized roles in the environment. I’m also fascinated by complex systems, especially when they’re easy to observe.

And nothing ticks all three of those boxes better than ants.

One estimate says that for every human on earth, there may be as many as 2.5 million ants. And these ants form complex societies with unique roles. They communicate in mysteriously complex ways, and can range in size from almost microscopic to an inch and a half long.

Ants can build colonies in acorns, hollow twigs, leaf baskets, massive tree branches, and of course, in the ground. The largest super colonies stretch for hundreds of miles - and by the way, you can find such super colonies in California and in southern Europe. They can farm fungi, and ranch aphids.

My guest today helped unveil all of this and more. Chloe Jelly is a graduate researcher at Cornell University in the Moreau lab. She particularly enjoys outreach, which made her an ideal guest for today’s episode.

People sometimes say that viruses and microbes rule the world, but after today’s discussion, you’ll see that ants aren’t very far behind.

Find Chloe on her website, at the Moreau Lab, and on BlueSky.

Check our Full Show Notes for photos and videos that were discussed today.

Links Discussed In The Show
Chloe's website, and Chloe on BlueSky

Chloe Jelley's papers (Google Scholar)

In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall

Moreau Lab at Cornell

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Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com

Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.

Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!