Nature's Archive

My guest in this episode is Tony Iwane. Tony is Outreach and Community Coordinator for iNaturalist, an environmental educator, contributor to Bay Nature Magazine, photographer, and just an all around interesting and knowledgeable naturalist.

As a key staff member for iNaturalist and one of its earliest members, Tony gives us an insider’s view of iNaturalist, what it is, and how it is used. Tony has also curated iNaturalist’s “Observation of the Day” for the past 5 years, and shared a selection of some of the most noteworthy observations from that catalog, including a serendipitous identification of an uncommon southern hemisphere hoodwinker sunfish in California, and an elusive Columbian Weasel photographed sitting on an outhouse toilet - still the only recorded observation of this species on iNaturalist.

Tony describes iNaturalist as both a social network for those interested in nature, and also a platform for community science. As a platform, we discuss how easy it is to engage with experts, and some of the creative and unique projects that people have created - and that you can view and contribute to! In fact, a couple past guests have successfully used iNaturalist to raise awareness for specific ecological concerns - Merav Vonshak and the Newt roadkill problem at Lexington Reservoir in California, and Charley Eiseman raising awareness of leaf mining insects.

We also discuss how iNaturalist has been an important discovery for many people to help them with purpose and focus during the pandemic.

And of course, we also learn about Tony’s personal journey that led him from counseling to the world of nature.

Be sure to check Tony's photos and follow him on iNaturalist. If you are new to iNaturalist, check out the getting started resources here.

Full show notes and links at podcast.naturesarchive.com

My guest today is Charley Eiseman. Charley is the lead author of the innovative and fascinating “Tracks and Sign of Insects and Other Invertebrates”, which digs deep into the details of insect identification through the clues they leave, such as egg masses, cocoons, galls, burrows, leaf mines and more.

This initial treatment of leaf miners led him to his current 10 year obsession, learning about and documenting these specialist insects. Leaf miners are insects whose larvae live part of their lives in between the epidermal layers of leaves, each with fascinating life histories and survival strategies. There are thousands of leaf mining species of moths, flies, beetles, and sawflies. Despite being so prevalent, there was very little readily available information about them, that is, until Charley turned his sights on them. Over the last decade, Charley has turned himself into the foremost expert of North American leaf miners and created an 1800 page guide to the leaf miners, which is also referenced against their host plants.

This is a truly fascinating subject - leaf miners are literally everywhere, and serve as a creative "hook" to open people’s eyes to incredible nature that is easily overlooked. I’ve included several fascinating photos in the show notes that you have to see to believe. 

In this episode we discuss Charley’s background, the unique University of Vermont Field Naturalist Masters program, the challenges of breaking new ground in publishing Tracks and Signs of Insects, how he has identified and described 50+ previously undescribed leaf miner species, the process of documenting those discoveries, the process of rearing leaf miners at home to identify the species, and much more. Charley offers a few pearls of wisdom as well, including approaches to continuous learning and developing structure and deadlines for audacious goals like his 1800 page leaf miner guide.

Charley offers occasional webinars and online courses, so be sure to check out his bugtracks blog, or charleyeiseman.com to see his upcoming schedule.

LINKS
Tracks and Sign of Insects and Other Invertebrates - a wonderful guide book to insect behavior
Mammal Tracks and Sign - A Guide to North American Species - by Mark Elbroch, and Bird Tracks and Sign by Mark Elbroch were inspirations for Charley's Tracks and Sign of Insects
Leafminers of North America - by Charley Eiseman, a PDF guide
bugguide.net
A Hard-Won Moth - story of Charley's mystery viburnum leafminer, previously undescribed - and ultimately named Marmara viburnella
Bugs In Winter - Charley's upcoming online class
Noah Charney - co-author of Tracks and Sign of Insects and Other Invertebrates
John Carlson, MD - entomologist who  contributed a chapter on "sign of insects on vertebrates" such as stings and bites
Paul Rezendes - his mammal tracking class helped cement Charley's "follow the trail of things you don't know well" approach
Owen Lonsdale - PhD who helps Charley document new species
Dave Smith - Smithsonian sawfly expert

Music: Kevin MacLoed

My guest in this episode is Mike Bergin, creator of 10,000 Birds, one of the oldest and most popular birding websites on the planet. 

Mike was an early pioneer of nature blogging, carving a playbook for others to follow, and creating a community of birding bloggers. This carries on today, where his site has expanded to include top tier writers with diverse interests from across the globe.

In this episode we discuss the 10,000 Birds evolution, including how Mike grew the site, the challenges he encountered and overcame, and "transferable lessons" that can be used in other online pursuits. We dig into the unexpected opportunities that arose, as well as the lifelong community of friends and colleagues that it has created.

Mike also runs a podcast of his own, Tests and the Rest, relating to his other craft of college admissions prep, where he's been able to apply many of these lessons he learned through 10,000 Birds.

We have a wide-ranging discussion beyond the nuts and bolts of building an online community, including bird names and moving away from "honorific" naming, ecotourism (and a great quote from Mike: "True ecotourism compels you to care about the place"), why birders make great neighbors, and some of Mike's favorite field guides and books. 

Links To Topics Discussed

People and Organizations

Corey Finger - Co-publisher of 10,000 Birds
Charlie Moors - early writer from Britain on 10,000 Birds
Rick Wright's Blog, which delves into many fascinating topics, including bird name etymology and history.
Clare Morton - the Australian writer that Mike mentions
Dragan Simic - the Eastern European write Mike mentions
The Bronx Zoo - one of Mike's childhood influences

Books and Other Items Discussed

Mike's Recommended Field Guides - Sibley's is his favorite, but he also likes the Crossley guides

The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Eastern North America - Sibley
The Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America - Sibley
The Crossley ID Guide: Eastern Birds - Crossley
The Crossley ID Guide: Raptors - Crossley
The Crossley ID Guide: Waterfowl - Crossley

Mike also recommends "What the Robin Knows" by Jon Young, which focuses on learning bird behavior - and especially vocalizations - to better learn what is happening in the environment. Jays and Crows "mobbing" behavior is an easy example, and this book gets much deeper.

Pilgrim on the Great Bird Continent: The Importance of Everything and Other Lessons from Darwin's Lost Notebooks, by Lyandra Lynn Haupt

Mike's article on "Wood-warbler Names Done Right"

Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival
Rio Grande Valley Birding Festival
Grey Treepie - one of the highlight birds Mike saw in Hong Kong
The Biggest Week in American Birding - Yes, it really is one of the bigger weeks in birding, held during migration in Ohio.

My guest today is noted wildfire and chaparral ecologist Rick Halsey.

Rick authored the book “Fire, Chaparral, and Survival in Southern California”, and has given countless talks on the subject.

Rick has a background in Environmental Studies, Anthropology, and Education, with degrees from University of California Santa Barbara and Cal State San Diego and UC Berkeley.

In this episode we discuss the myths and realities of wildfire. There are many eye opening insights that, even today, get lost in the political rhetoric. We discuss the ecosystems of the west and their natural fire behaviors and how those were determined through charcoal records and tree ring analysis, the surprising negative impacts of fuel removal and prescribed burns, how indigenous fire management techniques fit into the discussion, simple solutions at the wildland-urban interface (WUI) such as exterior sprinkler systems, and much more.

In particular, we discuss the causes and factors leading to the Camp Fire that destroyed the town of Paradise, CA in 2018, the Yosemite Rim Fire, Oakland Hills Firestorm of 1991, and more.

While we focus extensively on California, the principles discussed apply to much of the west.

We take a few tangents in the discussion, including an insightful view of Rick’s education experience and approaches.

As an educator, Rick was the recipient of the Christa McAuliffe Fellowship. Over the years he’s fine-tuned his delivery and has a wonderful essay on his transformation from lecturer to the engage model.

Through the years, Rick has combined his educational skills and knowledge of ecology to focus on chaparral habitats - the most important habitat at the wildland/urban interface in California’s major cities.

He is the founder and director of the California Chaparral Institute, which is dedicated to preserving what remains of California’s chaparral through scientific research, nature education, and activism. One of his quotes that really reflects his approach to nature education is "Our job as educators is not to convince everyone how smart we are. Our job is to convince people how smart they are.

See Full Shows Notes at podcast.naturesarchive.com

Links to People, Events, and Resources Discussed:
Keith Lombardo, Ph. D.
Jack Cohen, Ph. D.
California Chaparral Institute
WASP exterior sprinklers
Santa Monica National Recreation Area wildfire and chaparral resources
Fire, Chaparral, and Survival in Southern California - by Rick Halsey
Santa Rosa's Coffey Park - a community burned by the Tubbs Fire
The Rim Fire at Yosemite National Park
The Nature Fix - Why Nature Makes us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative - by Florence Williams

Music
Fearless First and Beauty Flow by Kevin MacLoed, obtained from https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/

My guest in this episode is Christian Shaw, adventurer and co-founder of Plastic Tides, a non-profit with a mission TO INSPIRE AND CATALYZE ACTION TOWARD A PLASTIC-FREE FUTURE THROUGH ADVENTURE, EDUCATION, AND YOUTH EMPOWERMENT, and as you’ll hear today, has a multi-faceted program to accomplish this. A graduate of Cornell University, Christian has become an expert on plastic pollution, its causes, and ways to mitigate the impact. He strikes an excellent balance of vision, science, and pragmatism in his approach.

Christian also talks about how he was able to merge his love for adventure with his passion for the planet. He’s circumnavigated Bermuda on a stand-up paddle board, led a multi-day expedition down the Erie Canal, and more. 

Today we’ll talk about how Christian turned a project idea into the non-profit Plastic Tides, including how he got fiscal sponsorship. We get into the weeds of plastic pollution in the ocean and our waterways, plastic waste management, plastic alternatives, and the full impact of plastic microbeads and how they accelerate the accumulation of toxins in the food chain. We also discuss some of the latest science, including enzymatic breakdown of plastics and the field of permaculture.

Also, Christian gives us the details on Plastic Tide's Global Youth Mentorship Program (GYM) and the Global Rising Tide Relay fundraiser, a wonderful cause to mentor high school students to make long lasting environmental progress.

Find Plastic Tides on Facebook and Instagram. And you can Find Christian @chriscrossshaw on Instagram.

People and Organizations Discussed

In chronological order

5gyres.org - The 5 Gyres Institute is a global leader against plastic pollution.

SEA Semester of Woods Hole

Dr. Sherri "Sam" Mason - plastic pollution researcher who helped Christian's team analyze Erie Canal water samples

Dr. Marcus Eriksen - environmental scientist and co-founder of 5gyres.org

The Foundation Group - Christian used this company to set up his 501c3

Anato - A zero-waste skin care line

Books and Things

Plastic Tides Four Part YouTube Series on the Bermuda Expedition

Microbead Free Waters Act of 2015 - H.R. 1321 - which Christian's research partially contributed to this outcome

Oceanic Gyres - permanent, large scale circular currents in the ocean that drive weather and result in accumulation of waste and debris

The Canal - Christian's hour long documentary of his Erie Canal expedition Watch it here.

Planet Money's Waste Land podcast, discusses the fallacy of plastic recycling 

Music

Fearless First and Beauty Flow by Kevin MacLoed from https://incompetech.filmmusic.io

My guest in this episode is Merav Vonshak. Merav is an ecologist, naturalist, and citizen science organizer located in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Merav is the founder of BioBlitz Club, a group that organizes BioBlitzes to raise awareness for environmental causes, often partnering with specific organizations, or simply to raise community awareness of nature that is nearby.

If you’re unaware of what a BioBlitz is - they are focused efforts to document all living organisms within a defined location and period of time. I’ve participated in a couple of these events now, and must say that I’m hooked. BioBlitzes provide a sense of exploration and discovery, they get you out in nature, and have a wonderfully enthusiastic community to learn from.

Back to Merav...prior to founding BioBlitz club, she received a Doctorate in Ecology at Tel Aviv University, and had postdoctoral fellowships at Tel Aviv University and Stanford University. She is an expert in ant biology, having studied impacts of alien ant species and human disturbance on ant communities.

Merav has a wealth of ecological information, and also a curator on iNaturalist.

In this episode we discuss the story of Merav’s formation of BioBlitz Club, some of the surprising discoveries from these events - including in highly urban areas, how to get people engaged and caring about nature, her ant research and how you can even identify ant species by smell (some smell like Banana Cream Pie!), using BioBlitzes and Citizen Science as part of a broader conservation awareness playbook, and much more.

Show notes at https://naturesarchive.com/2020/10/28/merav/

Welcome to my second in-between episode. These are short episodes in between my interview episodes.  I’m calling this one Cool Tools - Nature Identification Edition! I'll cover what I think are great tools to aid you in identifying, and thus, learning about the nature all around us. I cover phone apps and websites like eBird, iNaturalist, Merlin, BirdNet, and iBird Pro. I discuss optics like hand loupes, binoculars - and how to choose a good pair. I also discuss what makes for a great field guide (book) and have a long list of recommendations - from birds to butterflies to dragonflies to spiders and plants.

My show notes have links to everything mentioned.

NOTE: I begin this show with some discussion of the historically bad 2020 wildfire seasons. I wrote a bit about wildfire causes, policies, and more in this blog post. There are links to all of the studies I mentioned and more resources in that post.

Eddie Dunbar is an entomologist, the Founder and President of the Insect Sciences Museum of California and Adjunct Professor at Merritt College. With 38,000 species of insects in California alone, we need people like Eddie to help make sense of it all.

Eddie’s passion is to engage the public with insects so they can understand how they fit in our environment. Through the Insect Sciences Museum of California, Eddie promotes this engagement through numerous events such as “Bug Camps” and bioblitzes, and online through a popular Facebook group. The museum has portable displays, a large insect collection, and provides thorough field guides to parks of the Bay Area at bugpeople.org. In fact, Eddie and his volunteers have embarked on an immense project - creating an Insects of the San Francisco Bay Area virtual field guide.

Eddie’s unique background, including working with the UC Berkeley cooperative extension and researching pesticides, allows him to uniquely engage the public, who often see insects through the lens of pest control. Eddie has years of experience helping people change their views and understand the wide array of ecosystem services insects provide.

In this episode we talk about Eddie’s unique journey that led to the founding of the museum, his methods and tactics for engaging people online and in person, methods to create virtual field trips using Google Earth, ISMC’s projects, and how others can participate in ISMC or launch similar projects of their own.

Full show notes are on naturesarchive.com

Music Credits:
Opening: Fearless First by Kevin MacLoed
Closing: Beauty Flow by Kevin MacLoed
https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/

In this episode I discuss a project I started when the COVID-19 shelter-in-place began. In order to stay in-touch with nature, I decided I'd be more deliberate with investigating my own yard. The timing was perfect - Allen's and Rufous Hummingbirds were migrating through.

This simple decision to spend more backyard time quickly grew into a new Facebook group, and then a much bigger goal to photograph 365 species in 365 days.

I'm only 125 days into this, and now close to 180 photographed species. Along the way, I've learned a lot about my local ecology. I've also been able to connect to a number of new friends and experts through these Facebook groups and iNaturalist.

There have been so many lessons - large and small that I share in this episode, and I hope that it inspires you to start a simple nature observation practice, improve your backyard habitat, and just enjoy the nature available to you nearby. You never know where it may lead!

Full show notes with photos(!) are on podcast.naturesarchive.com

Music Credits:
Opening: Fearless First by Kevin MacLoed
Closing: Beauty Flow by Kevin MacLoed
https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/

Ever wondered how you can make a difference for nature, with or without a university degree? Or do you just want to learn about and be inspired by amazing plants, animals, people and nature in general?

I'm Michael Hawk, and I used to be a tech engineer and manager. I've always been a curious soul, asking great questions and eager to learn and share.

So, I started Nature's Archive Podcast, a journey deep into the heart of the natural world. Join me for captivating interviews featuring ecologists, renowned authors, passionate amateurs, and seasoned professionals, each sharing their remarkable stories and areas of expertise. Together, we explore the incredible complexity of nature, challenge old beliefs, and uncover unique perspectives.

From bird migration to wildfire ecology, from fungi to oak trees, and from the secret lives of spiders to the power of native plants in your backyard, we cover it all.

Visit podcast.naturesarchive.com to explore our most popular episodes and detailed show notes.

Nature's Archive is part of my lifelong commitment to nature conservation through Jumpstart Nature. I've left the tech world behind to dedicate 100% of my time to this cause.

But I can't do it alone. Join me on this journey to make a real difference for our planet. Subscribe to Nature's Archive Podcast today.