The Backyard Naturalists

Welcome to The Backyard Naturalists podcast. The show about anything and everything connected with nature. Debbie and Laurie, The Backyard Naturalists are absolutely thrilled for this weeks episode as they host and welcome Dr. Bill Hilton, Jr. to the show.

Bill is the Executive Director of Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History, which is located in York, South Carolina. He's also the principal investigator for Operation Ruby Throat, the hummingbird project.

He 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.

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 podcast about anything and everything connected with nature. In this week’s installment, Debbie and Laurie call Dr. Jeff Gillman, PHD to talk with him about the Botanical Gardens at UNCC.

Jeff has a Master’s degree in Entomology and a Ph.D. in Horticulture from the University of Georgia. He is the author of five books on gardening and the environment, a Contributing Editor to Fine Gardening Magazine, and has appeared on such shows as Martha Stewart and Growing a Greener World.

From 1998 until 2013 he worked as an Associate Professor in the Department of Horticultural Science at the University of Minnesota, but the cold finally got to him! For the past two years he has been an instructor at Central Piedmont Community College, teaching courses on Plant Propagation, Plant Materials, and Hydroponics among others. As of August 2015, he is our new Director of the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens.”

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].

This week, The Backyard Naturalists welcome Tony Lombardino back to the show for a conversation around the topic of bird migration. If you’ll remember, Debbie and Laurie hosted Tony earlier this year for an installment on Bird Identification.

Tony kicks off the episode explaining the ultimate and evolutionary reason why birds migrate. He discusses the ability birds possess to allow them to return to the same nesting location each year, where various species migrate to and from and the process around the preparation of migrating

Tony has led bird walks for the Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University and hosts our local bird walks on the second Saturday of the month at Col. Francis Beatty Park in Matthews.

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].

David Crowe returns to the show this week with a fun and entertain conversation about pests around you home. From the most destructive to the most harmful, he walks you through a few ideas and solutions to keep your home free of pesky (and expensive) creatures.

David has worked at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, has researched owls in Wyoming, and worked as a field biologist for the Florida Game and Wildlife Commission. Currently David and his family lives in Matthews, NC where operates Critter Control of Charlotte.  

Our hosts Debbie and Laurie share an impressive list of certifications between them such as Debbie being a Master Naturalist with the Central Carolinas Master Naturalist Program, both being Audubon Ambassadors and various certifications and affiliations with the National Wildlife Federation and North Carolina Wildlife Federation. Debbie currently serves as the Chair for the Town of Matthews Appearance/Tree Advisory Committee.

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]

Earth Day 2022 is coming up Friday, April 23 and in this installment of The Backyard Naturalists podcast, Debbie and Laurie offer you few facts, figures and statistics about Earth Day. They also review 27 inexpensive (and sometimes free) ways and methods for you to observe and celebrate the 52nd Earth Day.  

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].

Monica Macoubrie with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission returns to The Backyard Naturalists podcast to share a few incredibly interesting (and a few fascinating) animal myths with us. Can owls really spin their head, all the way around? Will a porcupine shoot quills at you from thirty paces? Will you really swallow twenty spiders during your lifetime while you sleep?

Once you’ve listened to this episode, make sure check out Nebraska Wildlife Education on the Web, Facebook, Instagram or their YouTube Channel.

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].

For some wildlife and nature enthusiasts, the most wonderful time of the year is almost upon us . . . hummingbirds will be back soon! In this installment of the Backyard Naturalists podcast, Debbie and Laurie spend a few minutes sharing interesting facts and figures about hummingbirds, courtesy of Cornell’s, Birds of North America Online. They also share with you a list of native plants you can incorporate into your natural wildlife habitat to attract hummingbirds.

In the second half of this week’s episode, The Backyard Naturalists have a conversation of feeders and food for hummingbirds, including a few do-it-yourself recipes.

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].

Last week, The Backyard Naturalists kicked off a 2-part series on Native Plants with our, “go-to guru”, Lisa Tompkins of Carolina Heritage Nursery. Lisa, along with our hosts Debbie and Laurie, shared with us their thoughts and ideas around the benefits of including native plants in your natural wildlife habitat. They even shared a few of their favorites for both shade and sun.

This week, we receive a wealth of information about various guides, websites, resources and books on native plants. We learn where we can go for information, names, ideas and lists of native plants.

A great place to begin is the NC Cooperative Extension, NC Plant Toolbox. It “contains detailed descriptions and photographs of 4,620 plants that grow in and around North Carolina.” You might also want to check out the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center.

During the episode, Lisa mentions the importance of learning the botanical of native plants for your area and the USDA Plants database is a phenomenal resource.

If  you’re interested in a few local native plant sales in the greater Charlotte region, here’s a short list of a few upcoming events:

• UNCC is hosting a native plant sale, April 7 – 9
• The Wing Haven community is hosting their event, April 7 - 9
• UNC Chapel Hill’s NC Botanical Garden is hosting their event, May 7

Several times in this episode, Dr. Larry Mellichamp is mentioned and is credited as being an invaluable resource for native plants, especially in and around North and South Carolina. Please click here to be taken to his bio which offers details on his current position, background and professional experience.

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].

A few weeks ago, we enjoyed having Dr. Carrie DeJaco, Ph.D. on the show for an episode about invasive plants. If you’ll remember, Carrie’s Facebook and website both offer comprehensive lists and detailed information on invasive plants and their impact on your natural habitat.

This week, we thought we’d travel to the opposite end of the spectrum and ask Lisa Tompkins to stop by for a conversation on native plants and the positive impact and rewards they offer. Lisa owns and operates Carolina Heritage Nursery, in Union County, NC and is an absolute wealth of knowledge on native plants, grasses, trees and shrubs, especially in the piedmont of North Carolina.

Listen in as Lisa, Debbie and Laurie share their thoughts and ideas around the benefits of including native plants in your natural wildlife habitat. They even share a few of their favorites for both shade and sun.

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].

Bird watchers and lovers of any level are in for a treat this week as Debbie and Laurie welcome bird expert Tony Lombardino to the show. Tony has a PhD in Neuroscience and studied how the brains of birds allowed them to sing and produce their songs in adulthood. He researched and studied songbird neurobiology for twelve years and has taught high school and college courses in biology and psychology.

Tony has led bird walks for the Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University and hosts our local bird walks on the second Saturday of the month at Col. Francis Beatty Park in Matthews.

During the conversation, Tony talks about the book, Field Guide for the Birds of North America by Jon L. Dunn and Jonathan Alderfer. Also discussed is the All about Birds app from The Cornell Lab.

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].