The Old Naturalist

The Old Naturalist

By Brandon Brywczynski and Eric DurbinScienceNatural Sciences
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The Old Naturalist episodes

  • Blurry Birds with Greg Links

    Friend and author Greg Links stops by to join the boys in a rousing game of blurry birds. See if you can beat the hosts and their guest as they attempt to ID birds from photographs that won't be winning any awards anytime soon.

    23 min
  • The Old Naturalist Gets Political

    In this episode the boys interview Dave Fournier, candidate for Ohio's 44th House district. The discussion includes AI data centers, agricultural run-off, funding public education, property taxes, and of course a nature quiz.

    44 min
  • Rarified Durbin

    Well...anyone who has met the Old Naturalist knows that he is one of a kind. But part of what makes Eric Durbin so unique is the fact that he's traveled the world and has seen many sights that the average Joe hasn't. So in this episode the boys discuss the top 10 rarest animals seen by the Old Naturalist. Enjoy!

    38 min
  • Birds of the Toledo Area 2026

    Unfortunately the Eric and Brandon couldn't get together this month so they decided to have a remote discussion on a topic near and dear to their hearts. Fellow birders and friends Matt Anderson, Tom Kemp, Elliot Tramer, Steve Lauer and Greg Links have updated the wonderful publication Birds of the Toledo Area. In this episode the boys discuss a few of the updates in the new book. Looking forward to interviewing the authors this summer! And if you're excited to check out the new edition just search for it on Amazon.

    23 min
  • The Pantanal

    What do yellow anacondas and hyacinth macaws have in common? Well...both have been seen by Eric Durbin in the Pantanal, the world's largest tropical wetland. Come along for the ride as The Old Naturalist shows us the wild wonders from central South America.

    29 min
  • If It Looks Like a Duck...

    Everybody loves ducks, right? They're kind of the best. Our guest this month appreciates ducks as much as anybody. Jackson Bowser is an avid duck hunter, an amateur naturalist, and is currently interning with Ohio's Division of Wildlife. In this episode Jackson gets grilled about his waterfowl knowledge and treats the boys to some tasty mallard duck.

    31 min
  • The Lazy Big Year

    At some point in every birder's life the idea of doing a Big Year pops into their head. But a true Big Year can be grueling, and Brandon and the Old Naturalist ain't about that. Listen in to this conversation in which the boys discussed the possibilities of the Lazy Big Year!

    28 min
  • What Do F's Get?

    Well we're a tad tardy on releasing our January episode, but better late than never. On this show the Old Naturalist does something he's never done before: Failed to pass the quiz. Tune in to see if you can best him at his own game.

    17 min
  • People Soup

    Possibly the best yarn spun by the Old Naturalist. In this episode the boys go a little outside the comfort zone to talk about a pivotal moment in the Eric Durbin's life. Take a trip back to the 1970's to check out what Eric was doing in the brain lab at the Medical College of Ohio.

    39 min
  • The Hot Zone!

    Back when The Old Naturalist wasn't so old he took more than a few trips to Africa. One trip took him to a cave in western Kenya. Little did he know he was risking his life exploring this underground world that had served as a salty oasis for a plethora of animals including elephants for eons. Listen in to see what could have been a scary end for this wise-cracking adventurer.

    15 min

About The Old Naturalist

From the publisher's feed

Brandon is a teacher. Eric is a retired real estate title examiner. What do they have in common? A shared love for the natural history of Northwest Ohio. In The Old Naturalist you'll learn about some…