Nature's Archive

Today we dive into the captivating world of Sandhill and Whooping Cranes with wildlife biologist Bethany Ostrom from the Crane Trust.

These majestic birds have a rich history, with fossil records showing them to be some of the oldest modern birds. Today, they continue to amaze us by congregating in massive numbers along their ancient migration route through Nebraska.

In this episode, Bethany helps us understand the unique phenomenon of crane migration, and why the Platte River in Nebraska is such an important stopover for over 1 million cranes each spring.

Bethany also provides a broader perspective on Sandhill Cranes and Whooping Cranes, helping us to understand how these birds live, from their diets, to their unique dancing displays. She also helps us understand why Sandhill Cranes are generally increasing in numbers despite massive changes to their environment.

However, Whooping Cranes have not been as fortunate, with populations dropping to only 15 individuals at one point. Bethany helps us understand how this occurred, and how recent conservation efforts have helped to increase their populations.

These magnificent birds are truly a wonder to behold, and we encourage you to seek them out if you have an opportunity. Sandhill Cranes can be found in nearly every state at various times of the year.

You can find the Crane Trust on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, as well as at their website.

Check out the FULL SHOW NOTES for photos and more.

Links From Today's Show
People and Organizations
Crane Trust
Rowe Sanctuary

Books, Documentaries, and Other Things
PBS Nature "Flight School" Episode
The Nature Makers documentary

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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 Krystle Hickman. Krystle is a TEDx speaker, artist, photographer, and community scientist. However, it is her passion for native bees that has led her to appear on Nature’s Archive today.

Krystle has combined her tenacity and photographic talent to make a number of discoveries about native bees. She’s determined to raise awareness about the decline of native bees and their habitats, and she was recently profiled in the LA Times for these efforts.

Today, we embark on a journey of discovery with Krystle as she introduces us to our native bees.

We will explore several genera of bees and delve into their habits and remarkable life histories. Krystle will also share her expertise on photographic techniques for bees and how to find them in the wild.

Also, Krystle has just launched a Kickstarter campaign for a new project featuring photographic flashcards of 40 of the most common native bees, complete with interesting facts and identification techniques.

To stay connected with Krystle and her work, you can find her at beesip.com, or follow @beesip on Instagram, or @beesiponline on Facebook and Twitter.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Additional Links
BugGuide - one of the original online communities for insect enthusiasts to share, learn, and identify insects
Discover Life - resource for learning about bees (and other organisms)

Books and Other Things
Note: links to books are affiliate links

Bees of the World by Charles Michener
Bumble Bees of North America: An Identification Guide
Krystle's Kickstarter campaign for her native bee flashcards
My Garden of a Thousand Bees - documentary
The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America's Bees by Wilson and Carril

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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!

Are you ready to uncover the mysterious world of bats? Join us on an exciting journey as we explore the secrets of these enigmatic creatures with renowned wildlife ecologist and bat expert, Dr. Dave Johnston. Hailing all the way from Costa Rica, Dr. Johnston will guide us through the incredible diversity of bats, from tiny dragonfly-sized species to those with wingspans as large as eagles. 

But that's just the beginning! We'll discover astonishing bat behaviors, from echolocation to singing bats to altruistic behavior. With so many different species filling various niches worldwide, we'll learn about the challenges bats face, from urbanization to wind turbines and the devastating white-nose syndrome. So, buckle up and get ready to unravel the mysteries of these extraordinary creatures on this captivating episode with Dr. Dave Johnston.

You can find some of Dr. Johnston's work on research gate.

FULL SHOW NOTES

LINKS TO TOPICS DISCUSSED

Bat Conservation International
Bernal Rodriguez-Herrera
Brock Fenton - Bat Biologist
California Bat Working Group
Corky Quirk
High frequency hearing test - the YouTube video I mentioned
North American Society for Bat Research (nasbr.org)
Western Bat Working Group
Youth Science Institute (YSI)

Recommended Books
Bats of British Columbia by Cori Lausen, Mark Brigham, et al. 2022.
A Miscellany of Bats. M. Brock Fenton and Jens Rydell. 2023.

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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!

Snorkeling can be a life changing endeavor for those who take it up. A new world of aquatic life is revealed before your eyes - sometimes colorful, sometimes cryptic, and always changing.

I’ll forgive you if you are thinking about ocean snorkeling, because as you’ll hear today, there’s magic waiting just beneath the surface of your nearby freshwater streams and rivers.

Keith is a freshwater underwater naturalist, educator, writer and photographer. He has a BS in Environmental Biology and MS in Ecological Teaching and Learning. He is the author of multiple books, most recently “Snorkeling Rivers and Streams: An Aquatic Guide to Underwater Discovery and Adventure”, and is the owner of Freshwater Journeys, which organizes snorkeling trips to show people the amazing life in freshwater systems close to home.

Today we discuss Keith’s own journey into freshwater systems, and then get into the ecology of these environments. If you are like me, this will serve as a great primer for the basics of these systems. And even if you are more advanced, Keith’s descriptions of river herring, trout, chubs, salmon, caddisflies, and more will have you longing to get into a nearby stream.

And if you do decide to take the plunge, Keith tells us what equipment is needed and how to do it safely - both for you and for the ecosystem you are observing.

What a fun conversation - you’ll hear Keith’s enthusiasm shine through. You can find Keith at freshwaterjourneys.com, and also on Facebook at freshwaterjourneys.

FULL SHOW NOTES

People and Organizations
Jeremy Monroe, Freshwaters Illustrated
Shannon White PhD - brook trout research [twitter]
Dr. Shigeru Nakano
Freshwater Journeys

Books and Other Things
Note: links to books are affiliate links
Desert Solitaire, by Edward Abbey
Down the River, by Edward Abbey
RiverWebs movie
Snorkeling Rivers and Streams: An Aquatic Guide to Underwater Discovery and Adventure, by Keith Williams

Credits
Emily Smith provided rough cut editing for this episode.

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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!

Are you ready for an in-depth look at the challenges and solutions of wildlife connectivity? The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, or Y2Y, is working on a grand scale to connect and protect habitats from Yellowstone to the Yukon, for the benefit of both people and nature.

Today, we're joined by Kelly Zenkewich, Senior Communications and Digital Engagement Manager at Y2Y. We delve into the unique challenges of both the region and the scale of Y2Y’s vision.

As you’ll hear, even if thinking about this area conjures up images of vast open spaces, there are still numerous highways, cities, fences, railroads, ranches, farms, and other human infrastructure that fragments the landscape.

We discuss the charismatic animals of the area - from grizzly bears and wolverines to caribou and pronghorn - the diverse challenges faced by these animals, and the ways Y2Y is working to conserve them.

We'll also learn about the unique approach of Y2Y, which works across 5 states, and 4 Canadian provinces and territories, as well as the territories of at least 75 indigenous groups. Kelly describes how they positively engage people across these communities using communication techniques such as asset framing and community-based social marketing.

You can find more about Y2Y at y2y.net, and find them on instagram and facebook.

FULL SHOW NOTES

LINKS
People, Animals, and Organizations
Anat Shenker-Osorio - created approach similar to "Asset Framing"
COP15 - recent biodiversity agreement was announced at COP15
Doug McKenzie-Mohr - creator of community-based social marketing
Jodi Hilty, PhD - corridor ecology and connectivity expert
Mark Hebblewhite, PhD - studies ungulates including mountain caribou
Michael Proctor, PhD - studying grizzly bear movements in BC
Pluie The Wolf
Stoney Nakoda Nations
Tony Clevenger, PhD - wolverine researcher
Trabian Shorters - creator of Asset Framing

Books and Resources
Note: links to books are affiliate links
Article about the new Trans-Canada Highway wildlife overpass that Kelly mentions
Beth Pratt discussing P-22 and Wildlife Crossings (Nature's Archive Episode 38)

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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!

If you're listening to this, chances are that you have seen a snowflake, or perhaps a few billion covering the streets or ski slopes. Maybe you’ve even caught one on your tongue. But despite being such a common part of nature, until recently, snowflake formation largely remained a mystery.

Today, I’m thrilled to be joined by Dr. Kenneth Libbrecht, a renowned expert in the field of snowflake physics.

Dr. Libbrecht is a professor of physics at the California Institute of Technology, where he has been studying the mysteries of snowflakes for more than two decades. His research has helped to demystify some of the longstanding questions surrounding these complex and beautiful crystals.

Dr. Libbrecht and his work has been featured on NPR, Scientific American, The New York Times, and many other publications. In addition to his work as a physicist, Dr. Libbrecht has authored multiple books about snowflakes, had his photos featured on US Postal Service stamps, and even served as a snowflake consultant for the popular Disney movie Frozen.

In my conversation with Dr. Libbrecht, we explore the world of snowflake crystals, learn how they form and why they usually have 6 sides. Dr. Libbrecht discusses his discoveries and his innovative lab, and provides a primer for finding and photographing snowflakes. We also talk about snow in general, such as why some snow is light and fluffy, while other snow is heavy and dense, why a particular bacterium plays a role in artificial snow production at ski resorts, and what "diamond dust" is.

And if you do nothing else, check out Dr. Libbrecht and his lab in the Veritasium video called “Why are snowflakes like this?” - it’s fascinating. You can find it on YouTube, or linked in the show notes.

And if you are a naturalist stuck inside in the winter, or visiting somewhere cold, take a moment and go outside, catch some flakes, and see what you've been missing. And be sure to check Dr. Libbrecht’s website, snowcrystals.com, for photos, facts, science, projects and more!

Get ready to learn about stellar dendrites!

FULL SHOW NOTES

LINKS
People and Organizations
Snowcrystals.com - Dr. Libbrecht's website
USPS Snowflake Stamps featuring Dr. Libbrecht's photos
Veritasium Episode with Dr. Libbrecht - a must see!

Books and Other Things
Kenneth Libbrecht's books on Amazon

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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!

Today’s episode is a special one. A few weeks ago I had the wonderful opportunity to fill in on the Strange By Nature podcast, and I’m cross-posting that episode here.

Nature is amazing, and often a bit strange. And Strange By Nature presents curated stories of the weird and unbelievable side of nature.

Kirk, Rachel, and Victoria, the hosts of Strange By Nature, are a ton of fun, and it shows in their production. In this episode, we cover such diverse topics as the demon core, poisonous birds, and nature’s genetic engineers.

So be sure to check out their podcast on any podcast app, on their website, and on twitter.

And the more traditional Nature’s Archive episodes will be back in two weeks! We have topics ranging from bats to snowflakes to landscape-scale connectivity coming soon!

And one more thing. Nature’s Archive and Jumpstart Nature are starting work on a new podcast concept, and we need your help!

We’re looking for stories about people who have had a sudden and unexpected connection with nature.

In particular, we’d like to hear about turning points, where someone was disconnected from nature - perhaps ignoring it, unaware, or simply taking it for granted. But then there was an event that suddenly opened their eyes.

Perhaps it was a wildlife encounter, a career change, a health event, or meeting a particularly charismatic nature advocate.

Whatever it was, we’d like to hear about these “a ha” moments that caused people to shift and become nature advocates.

Maybe it is your story. Or maybe you’d like to connect us to someone you know. If you can help, please email [email protected] with a summary of the story. We’ll read every submission, and we may be in touch to interview you! Thank you!

FULL SHOW NOTES

LINKS
Note: links to books are affiliate links
Book: Russo’s Western Galls book
Webinar: Plant Galls for the Curious Naturalist – Presented by Dr. Merav Vonshak and Michael Hawk
Webinar: Finding and Appreciating Bay Area Plant Galls – Presented by Dr. Merav Vonshak and Michael Hawk
Podcast: Dr. Doug Tallamy discussed incredible oak trees – Episode #26
Podcast: Adam Kranz discussed plant galls – Episode #29

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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!

No matter who you are or where you live, you depend on water. Often, water access is so reliable and ubiquitous that many of us rarely stop to consider the natural and human-made systems that capture, store, and transport water to where it is needed. But climate change and decades of growing consumption are forcing us to reconsider the ways of the past.

Water management and hydrology are huge topics, and I couldn't have found a better guest than Dr. Sam Sandoval Solis to help us understand it. Sam is an assistant professor and cooperative extension specialist at UC Davis, and is involved in many water management education and outreach efforts.

Today, Sam helps us understand landscape-scale water management. We discuss water storage and transport, including natural systems such as snowpack and rivers, and human made systems such as reservoirs and aqueducts. We discuss the importance of groundwater, and the dramatic subsidence, or land sinking, caused by overuse of groundwater.

Sam also helps us understand why building more reservoirs is disproportionately costly and ineffective, and gives us insights into how and where our water is used.

Despite our challenges, Sam is an optimist, and also provides solutions we can pursue, and helps us bust some water management myths.

Water management could easily be a series of podcasts - and in fact, Sam and some colleagues host a podcast called Water Talk, so please check that out. Also, Sam's website, watermanagement.ucdavis.edu, is full of wonderful resources and webinars that anyone wishing to learn about hydrology will love.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Links

Human Right to Sanitation (no website yet)
latinosforwater.org
watermanagement.ucdavis.edu - Dr. Sandoval's website. Be sure to check out the cooperative extension section for numerous videos and resources!
eflows.ucsdavis.edu - an interactive exploration of California's hydrology
Water Talk Podcast

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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!

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. 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 50,000 followers.

Today Alison tells us what a slime mold is - and no, it is not a mold or fungi. She describes a typical 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.

Find Alison on Facebook, and on iNaturalist.

FULL SHOW NOTES

People, Groups, Organizations
Alison's interview with Allan Walls and Rik Littlefield
The Art of Mushroom Photography - Madeline Island School of the Arts photography class Alison co-taught with Alan Rockefeller
Damon Tighe - Episode 36 talking Fungi
Nikon Small World 2022 Winners
Slime Mold Identification and Appreciation - Facebook Group

Books, Camera Equipment, and More
links may be affiliate links
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 - highly recommended pocket camera for naturalists
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!

Today we're going to discuss an animal that can make wind sails, cast nets, produce its own antifreeze, and is an A-list impersonator. Well, it's not one animal, but a category of animals - spiders!

And my guest today, Dr. Sarah Rose, is here to tell us all about it. Dr. Rose is the author of a spectacular new field guide, Spiders of North America from Princeton University Press, is chair of the American Arachnological Society's Common Names Committee, and has a PhD in Restoration Ecology from The Ohio State University.

Today we discuss Sarah's journey to spiders, including her research into how spiders function as indicator species for habitats and ecosystems. Sarah tells us about the varied lifestyles of spiders, ranging from orb web weavers to sensing web weavers to ambush hunters, and more. We talk about different types of webs, spider guilds, profile some particularly interesting species such as the trash-line orb weaver, bolus spiders, and ant mimicking spiders, and much more.

There is so much more that we could have discussed, so please let me know what else you'd like to hear, and perhaps we can have a part two!

And be sure to check the full show notes on naturesarchive.com for links to what we discussed as well as Sarah's YouTube channel, which has lots of fun spider videos.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Links
All Bugs Go To Kevin - Facebook group
American Arachnological Society
Jack Pine Forests
Lucas the Spider - a YouTube channel with a cute animated jumping spider. 3.5 Million subscribers!
Spider Guilds - Cardoso et al
Spiders of North America, An Identification Manual, by Darrell Ubick (Editor), Pierre Paquin (Editor), Paula Cushing (Editor), Nadine Dupérré (Illustrator)
Spiders of North America, by Dr. Sarah Rose [Princeton University Press | Amazon] 

Note: links to books are affiliate links

Support Us On Patreon!
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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!