The Backyard Naturalists

Welcome to The Backyard Naturalists, the show about anything and everything connected with nature.

How many times have you placed a bird feeder outside your home or business . . . only to take it back down a few weeks later because of the mess? There’s discarded seed all over the ground, unwanted weeds germinating and shells everywhere. If this has been your experience, Debbie and Laurie created this episode just for you.

Connect with the Backyard Naturalists on the Web, Facebook and Instagram.

Please visit and support our presenting sponsor, Backyard Birds at http://www.thebirdfoodstore.com/. A mecca for bird lovers and bird watchers, Backyard Birds is an independent family-owned business located in Matthews, NC (next to Dairy Queen), just southeast of Charlotte.

Thanks for listening to The Backyard Naturalists.  We hope you have a day filled with the wonders of nature. Get outside and take a walk on the wild side! Please don’t forget to leave a 5-star review for The Backyard Naturalists podcast.

Production services for The Backyard Naturalists podcast are provided by Downtown Podcasting. To start a conversation on how you can have a podcast, simply send an email to [email protected].

Welcome to The Backyard Naturalists, the show about anything and everything connected with nature.

In this weeks episode Rachel and Chrissy from The Learning Habitat visit Debbie and Laurie to introduce them to their organization that prides themselves as  “a group of caring, experienced, qualified and devoted tutors who love helping students grow intellectually, socially and emotionally.

The learner-centered education model includes hands-on learning and outdoor education, We use multi-modality methods to teach across curriculum...meaning history group will probably include some science and math.  The learners are the ones who determine how quickly a subject is mastered, which methods of instruction are the most effective, and we adapt our methods accordingly to help them excel.”

Make sure to listen throughout the entire episode to learn how your family can scan a fantastic offer from The Learning Habitat.

Connect with the Backyard Naturalists on the Web, Facebook and Instagram.

Please visit and support our presenting sponsor, Backyard Birds at http://www.thebirdfoodstore.com/. A mecca for bird lovers and bird watchers, Backyard Birds is an independent family-owned business located in Matthews, NC (next to Dairy Queen), just southeast of Charlotte.

Thanks for listening to The Backyard Naturalists.  We hope you have a day filled with the wonders of nature. Get outside and take a walk on the wild side! Please don’t forget to leave a 5-star review for The Backyard Naturalists podcast.

Production services for The Backyard Naturalists podcast are provided by Downtown Podcasting. To start a conversation on how you can have a podcast, simply send an email to [email protected].

Welcome to The Backyard Naturalists, the show about anything and everything connected with nature.

Reptile expert, Jay Bell from Reptiles 101 returns to the studio this week for a fun and entertaining episode on turtles. We’re focusing on two species this week, the eastern box turtle and the common snapping turtle.

In this episode, Jay teaches us about:

• Physical characteristics
• How to distinguish a male from a female turtle
• Their life expectancy
• The turtle habitat
• When where and how they breed

. . . and the answer to the age old question, “Why did the turtle cross the road?”

During each and every episode of The Backyard Naturalists podcast, we hope you have an, “AH-HA!”  moment as you learn something new. This week is full of those moments with one that you (or Chris) will never forget.

Connect with the Backyard Naturalists on the Web, Facebook and Instagram.

Please visit and support our presenting sponsor, Backyard Birds at http://www.thebirdfoodstore.com/. A mecca for bird lovers and bird watchers, Backyard Birds is an independent family-owned business located in Matthews, NC (next to Dairy Queen), just southeast of Charlotte.

Thanks for listening to The Backyard Naturalists.  We hope you have a day filled with the wonders of nature. Get outside and take a walk on the wild side! Please don’t forget to leave a 5-star review for The Backyard Naturalists podcast.

Production services for The Backyard Naturalists podcast are provided by Downtown Podcasting. To start a conversation on how you can have a podcast, simply send an email to [email protected].

Welcome to The Backyard Naturalists, the show about anything and everything connected with nature.

One of the questions folks have for the team at Backyard Birds is how to keep those pesky squirrels away from their bird feeders. In this week’s episode, Debbie and Laurie off a few affordable solutions and ideas to keeps our little bushy-tailed friends away from your bird food.

While recording the Backyard Naturalists podcast, Debbie and Laurie enjoy coffee provided by the Good Cup Coffee Company in Matthews, North Carolina.  Follow Good Cup Coffee on Instagram and look for them at the Matthews Community Farmer’s Market this Saturday morning. 

Connect with the Backyard Naturalists on the Web, Facebook and Instagram.

Please visit and support our presenting sponsor, Backyard Birds at http://www.thebirdfoodstore.com/. A mecca for bird lovers and bird watchers, Backyard Birds is an independent family-owned business located in Matthews, NC (next to Dairy Queen), just southeast of Charlotte.

Thanks for listening to The Backyard Naturalists.  We hope you have a day filled with the wonders of nature. Get outside and take a walk on the wild side! Please don’t forget to leave a 5-star review for The Backyard Naturalists podcast.

Production services for The Backyard Naturalists podcast are provided by Downtown Podcasting. To start a conversation on how you can have a podcast, simply send an email to [email protected].

Welcome to The Backyard Naturalists, the show about anything and everything connected with nature.

The team from Jabebo Earrings joins Debbie and Laurie for this week’s episode of The Backyard Naturalists and in the spirit of reduce, reuse and recycle, we invited them on the show to tall you about their special products. These are earrings made from recycled cereal box paperboard!

Our presenting sponsor, Backyard Birds is the only retail location to offer Jabebo Earrings in Matthews, NC and they’re giving away a free pair to the first person to drop by the store and mention this episode. There’s one pair of earrings available to the first person to stop by and you’re only allowed to win an offered prize once every 90 days.

While recording the Backyard Naturalists podcast, Debbie and Laurie enjoy coffee provided by the Good Cup Coffee Company in Matthews, North Carolina.  Follow Good Cup Coffee on Instagram and look for them at the Matthews Community Farmer’s Market this Saturday morning. 

Connect with the Backyard Naturalists on the Web, Facebook and Instagram.

Please visit and support our presenting sponsor, Backyard Birds at http://www.thebirdfoodstore.com/. A mecca for bird lovers and bird watchers, Backyard Birds is an independent family-owned business located in Matthews, NC (next to Dairy Queen), just southeast of Charlotte.

Thanks for listening to The Backyard Naturalists.  We hope you have a day filled with the wonders of nature. Get outside and take a walk on the wild side! Please don’t forget to leave a 5-star review for The Backyard Naturalists podcast.

Production services for The Backyard Naturalists podcast are provided by Downtown Podcasting. To start a conversation on how you can have a podcast, simply send an email to [email protected].

Welcome to The Backyard Naturalists, the show about anything and everything connected with nature.

Sometimes, folks can get overwhelmed and confused when they begin the hobby of bird feeding. Which feeder should you buy? Is there a certain type of seed you should purchase? How much money should you invest? How do you keep predators (and squirrels) from your feeders? These are all question Laurie and her team hears every day at Backyard Birds and, in this episode of the Backyard Naturalists podcast, Debbie and Laurie offer answers to these, and a few other, questions.

While recording the Backyard Naturalists podcast, Debbie and Laurie enjoy coffee provided by the Good Cup Coffee Company in Matthews, North Carolina.  Good Cup Coffee Company is giving away a free $20.00 gift card and if you’d like to win, please listen through the entire episode. There’s one gift card available to the first person to stop by and you’re only allowed to win an offered prize once every 90 days. Follow Good Cup Coffee on Instagram and look for them at the Matthews Community Farmer’s Market this Saturday morning. 

Connect with the Backyard Naturalists on the Web, Facebook and Instagram.

Please visit and support our presenting sponsor, Backyard Birds at http://www.thebirdfoodstore.com/. A mecca for bird lovers and bird watchers, Backyard Birds is an independent family-owned business located in Matthews, NC (next to Dairy Queen), just southeast of Charlotte.

Thanks for listening to The Backyard Naturalists.  We hope you have a day filled with the wonders of nature. Get outside and take a walk on the wild side! Please don’t forget to leave a 5-star review for The Backyard Naturalists podcast.

Production services for The Backyard Naturalists podcast are provided by Downtown Podcasting. To start a conversation on how you can have a podcast, simply send an email to [email protected].

Welcome to The Backyard Naturalists, the show about anything and everything connected with nature.

A few weeks ago, Dr. Bill Hilton, Jr. joined Debbie and Laurie to talk about his organization, Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History, located in York, SC. Bill was twice named the South Carolina Science Teacher of the Year and was also honored as the state's outstanding biology teacher, Discover Magazine, named him as one of the 50 Best Brains in Science and one of the top 10 amateur scientists. He was also an active member of the Sierra Club Campaign, which made Congaree Swamp in South Carolina and National Park. The Charlotte Observer named him as a Carolinas Guardian of the Environment because of a project that he participated in to protect the Catawba River.

In this week’s episode, Bill returns to have a conversation about his project, Operation Ruby Throat, a cross-disciplinary international initiative in which people collaborate to study behavior and distribution of the Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris).

“In Operation Ruby Throat, participants observe the Ruby-throated Hummingbird in their home countries and share information with peers across North and Central America. Data they collect about hummingbird behavior and distribution are submitted to a central clearing house, analyzed, and then disseminated through this Operation Ruby Throat Web site. Participants learn not only about natural history of hummingbirds but reinforce skills in math, writing, geography, foreign language, art, drama, and other disciplines AND gain deeper understanding of the need for environmental cooperation among people of the Americas.”

Connect with the Backyard Naturalists on the Web, Facebook and Instagram.

Please visit and support our presenting sponsor, Backyard Birds at http://www.thebirdfoodstore.com/. A mecca for bird lovers and bird watchers, Backyard Birds is an independent family-owned business located in Matthews, NC (next to Dairy Queen), just southeast of Charlotte.

Thanks for listening to The Backyard Naturalists.  We hope you have a day filled with the wonders of nature. Get outside and take a walk on the wild side! Please don’t forget to leave a 5-star review for The Backyard Naturalists podcast.

Production services for The Backyard Naturalists podcast are provided by Downtown Podcasting. To start a conversation on how you can have a podcast, simply send an email to [email protected].

Welcome to The Backyard Naturalists, the podcast about anything and everything related to nature.

In this week’s episode, Debbie and Laurie have a conversation with Conservation District Manager, Leslie Vanden Herik around the history, purpose and offerings of the Mecklenburg County Soil and Water Conservation District, including conservation, planning and technical assistance, as well as their cost share and financial assistance programs.

The mission of the Mecklenburg Soil & Water Conservation District is to conserve and improve soil, water, and related resources within Mecklenburg County watersheds for all current and future land users by promoting, implementing, and publicizing programs built on best management practices.

Connect with the Backyard Naturalists on the Web, Facebook and Instagram.

Please visit and support our presenting sponsor, Backyard Birds at http://www.thebirdfoodstore.com/. A mecca for bird lovers and bird watchers, Backyard Birds is an independent family-owned business located in Matthews, NC (next to Dairy Queen), just southeast of Charlotte.

Thanks for listening to The Backyard Naturalists.  We hope you have a day filled with the wonders of nature. Get outside and take a walk on the wild side! Please don’t forget to leave a 5-star review for The Backyard Naturalists podcast.

Production services for The Backyard Naturalists podcast are provided by Downtown Podcasting. To start a conversation on how you can have a podcast, simply send an email to [email protected].

Welcome to The Backyard Naturalists podcast. The show about anything and everything related to nature. The week, Debbie and Laurie take the show on the road, on-site and on-location at Matthews Community Farmer’s Market. This episode was recorded Saturday, May 21, 2022.

Matthews Community Farmer’s Market prides themselves as “the largest, most diverse producer-only farmers' market in the greater Charlotte area”. Their “founders wanted to create a space which would not only support local farms as a viable part of the community, but would also bring back a sense of community to Matthews”.

During this week’s episode, Debbie and Laurie sit down to talk to the following volunteers, leaders and vendors from the farmer’s market:

• Josh Chopas, Good Cup Coffee & Café
• Jessica Thomas, Market Manager
• Josh Gadberry, Uno Alla Volte Cheese
• Ben Street, Street Fare Farms
• Hiram Ramirez, Urban Gourmet Farms
• Jeff Knight, Dancing Bees Farm
• Sammy Koenigsberg, New Town Farms
• Commissioner Renee Garner, Town of Matthews

Please make sure to listen throughout the entire episode for your opportunity to score a prize pack from Matthews Community Farmer’s Market, our coffee sponsor, Good Cup Café and our presenting sponsor, Backyard Birds.

Connect with the Backyard Naturalists on the Web, Facebook and Instagram.

Please visit and support our presenting sponsor, Backyard Birds at http://www.thebirdfoodstore.com/. A mecca for bird lovers and bird watchers, Backyard Birds is an independent family-owned business located in Matthews, NC (next to Dairy Queen), just southeast of Charlotte.

Thanks for listening to The Backyard Naturalists.  We hope you have a day filled with the wonders of nature. Get outside and take a walk on the wild side! Please don’t forget to leave a 5-star review for The Backyard Naturalists podcast.

Production services for The Backyard Naturalists podcast are provided by Downtown Podcasting. To start a conversation on how you can have a podcast, simply send an email to [email protected].

Welcome to The Backyard Naturalists podcast. The show about anything and everything connected with nature. In this week’s episode, Randall York with Cloister Honey joins Debbie and Laurie to talk about the organization was founded from a simple Christmas gift from his wife, Joanne, back in 2007.

Cloister Honey has received awards and honors from Southern Living, Our State Magazine and Charlotte Magazine and their products are carried by retailers such as William Sonoma, Whole Foods, Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, Dean & DeLuca, and our show’s presenting sponsor, Backyard Birds.

Listen for a super, secret code word during this episode to win a Cloister Honey gift pack.

Connect with the Backyard Naturalists on the Web, Facebook and Instagram.

Please visit and support our presenting sponsor, Backyard Birds at http://www.thebirdfoodstore.com/. A mecca for bird lovers and bird watchers, Backyard Birds is an independent family-owned business located in Matthews, NC (next to Dairy Queen), just southeast of Charlotte.

Thanks for listening to The Backyard Naturalists.  We hope you have a day filled with the wonders of nature. Get outside and take a walk on the wild side! Please don’t forget to leave a 5-star review for The Backyard Naturalists podcast.

Production services for The Backyard Naturalists podcast are provided by Downtown Podcasting. To start a conversation on how you can have a podcast, simply send an email to [email protected].