Michael Hawk (Nature's Archive)

Three images, with a pod of dolphins swimming at the top, the Nature's Archive podcast logo on the lower left, and Amy Martin standing on a vista with hair blowing in the wind on the lower right.

Did you know plants communicate with sound? And tiny insects "speak" by sending vibrations through plant stems? Amy Martin is exploring the incredible ways plants and animals communicate, and shares her experiences on Nature's Archive #nature #podcast! naturesarchive.com/2025/09/16/a...

A photo of Jocelyn Bosley on the right, and a satellite view of the Earth on the left, with the Nature's Archive logo just above. Title of the image reads "Does science communication have room for emotion and complexity? Jocelyn Bosley's approach."

Check out my latest interview with @scitalker.bsky.social Jocelyn Bosley! Environmental topics are complex and difficult to communicate - Jocelyn helps us with effective approaches and examples. To my surprise, sometimes it is best to LEAN IN to the complexity! naturesarchive.com/2025/08/05/s...

Image of Dr. Judith Gobin along side a whale swimming in the ocean

Dr. Judith Gobin recently appeared on Nature's Archive #podcast discussing deep sea ecosystems, their wonder, and the threats the face. Check it out! #marineecology #oceans #oceanecosystems
naturesarchive.com/2025/03/25/d...

#111: Earthquakes: Myths, Surprises, and Hidden Dangers with Dr. Wendy Bohon Dive deep into the fascinating world of earthquakes with Dr. Wendy Bohon as she demystifies seismic science, elaborates on the misconceptions and risks, and recounts her eclectic journey from a the…

This was one of the most fun episodes I've recorded, talking #earthquake #geology w/ @drwendyrocks.bsky.social! Hear what causes earthquakes, why no two are ever the same (even if they have the same magnitude), and why the Richter scale is no longer used! #podcast naturesarchive.com/2025/03/04/e...

#110: Why We Need Apex Predators – Coexistence with Dr. Jonny Hanson Dr. Jonny Hanson dives into the provocative discussion around reintroducing apex predators like lynx and wolves, revealing the complex tapestry of ecological and human interaction. His insights exp…

Why protect or reintroduce large carnivores? @jonnyhhanson.bsky.social shows us - and how to support those who see these animals as a threat. It's an amazingly insightful conversation on Nature's Archive #podcast #lynx
#carnivores #wolfreintroduction #coexistence

naturesarchive.com/2025/02/11/c...

#nativebees #pollinators #pollinatorfriendly

Small, hairy bee with green speckled eyes, blond hair, and some irredescent green on its body, mixed with black stripes on the abdomen. It is perched on some gray/brown thick curled leaves.

This Mason Bee (Osmia sp.) was patrolling our blooming sage plants yesterday afternoon. Here it is sitting on some old, dead leaves, which almost look a bit like leather.
San Jose, CA

#lepidoptera #butterflies

Sara Orangetip butterfly nectaring on a white flower. The butterfly has orange tipped wings with black fringe. The underwings have dark gray splotches with yellow fringing.

Sonoran Blue butterfly on a birt patch. It has blue upperwings with black and white fringes, and orange/red spots on each wing.

Early season butterflies are flying here in the Bay Area! Sara Orangetip and Sonoran Blue (listed as "vulnerable"). San Jose, CA

Hah! I talk about this concept a lot, too! I've had many such instances myself, but it's usually more like "I only thought there were two or three species of <organism>" but then I come to learn there are hundreds!

Margo and the CFMC's partnerships with CalFire, Nature Conservancy, and other organizations demonstrate what can be done with perseverance, science, and traditional ecological knowledge.

You can find this episode on any podcast app - look for "Nature's Archive".

#109: Cultural Fire with Margo Robbins In a world besieged by devastating wildfires, Margo Robbins passionately champions cultural burning practices that not only secure community bonds but also protect biodiversity. This episode reveal…

Our latest #podcast is a must-listen! I had the honor of speaking with Margo Robbins, co-founder of the Cultural Fire Management Council, about her vital work as a leader and advocate for traditional indigenous use of fire.

#culturalfire #wildfire #yuroktribe

naturesarchive.com/2025/02/03/c...

An Eastern Cottontail sitting on a gravel path, showing much smaller ears.

Here's an Eastern Cottontail I saw last summer, for comparison.

I wrote about this further in my monthly Nature's Archive newsletter, which you can subscribe to at naturesarchive.com/contact/

A Desert Cottontail rabbit in a grassy area, with large backlit ears, showing the structure of the veins within.

Desert Cottontail rabbits have very large ears, especially compared to their Eastern Cottontail counterparts. Why is this? Like many animals in warm climates, they have longer appendages to help dissipate heat! This is known as "Allen's Rule", discovered by a 19th century biologist. #ecology

A "wanted" poster highlighting two invasive species: a colorful spotted lanternfly, and climbing english ivy.

There's a multi-front invasion across the globe, threatening birds, frogs, insects, agriculture, and even us. Our latest #podcast explores invasive species and what we can do to slow the advance. Inspiring and educational!

jumpstartnature.com/invasive-spe...

#invasivespecies #biodiversity

Widespread rain in SoCal to temporarily alleviate fire concerns by Sunday; SoCal drought still likely to expand rest of winter - Weather West Extraordinarily sustained winter fire weather episode continues in SoCal through Saturday, but dramatic shift to come Southern California is now well into its driest start to the ostensible "rainy season" on record, and this week we've been topping things off with single-digit humidity and balmily warm temperatures. Moderate to strong offshore wind conditions have continued

New Weather West post: "Widespread rain in SoCal to temporarily alleviate fire concerns by Sunday; SoCal drought still likely to expand rest of winter." I also discuss upcoming debris flow risk in fire zones. #CAwx #CAwater #CAfire #LAfires #DebrisFlows weatherwest.com/arch...

A gray hairstreak butterfly, with gray wings adorned with orange, white, and black spots, feeds on purple flowers of a sage plant. The hairstreak has two thin tails on its wings, which is said to be why it is called a hairstreak.

It's January, yet Gray Hairstreaks are flying in San Jose, CA. The abnormally warm and dry winter has caused my native sage to start blooming early, attracting this subtly beautiful butterfly. #lepidoptera #butterflies #biodiversity #nativeplants

You wanna watch me feed a Great Horned Owl? Here you go. #Owl #Nature #Naturalist

New Episode!

Male #wasps that “sting” with their genitalia.

Irritating #caterpillar hairs in your eyes.

The endangered Dragon Blood #Tree.
#Nature #Podcast #Strange #Scicomm
www.podbean.com/wlei/pb-uwbq...

Image of Dr. Walt Koenig and an Acorn Woodpecker holding an acorn in its beak.

Dr. Walt Koenig discusses the phenomenal lives of some of the most amazing birds - Acorn Woodpeckers - along with the phenomenon of acorn masting.

One teaser: did you know Acorn Woodpeckers primarily eat insects, not acorns?

#acornwoodpeckers #naturepodcast

naturesarchive.com/2025/01/13/a...

Macro photo of at least eight tiny bird's nest fungi. Five are yellow/orange nubs about 1 cm wide. Three are mature grey cups with very light blue/grey "eggs" of spores. There is a small leaf affixed to one side of the small twig upon which these fungi are growing.

Bird's Nest Fungi! No matter how many I see, I'm always astonished at this tiny miracle of fungus. This photo shows various stages! As they mature, they open up creating a cup with "eggs" (periodoles) that contain many (millions?) of spores. #mycology #fungi

I'm always extra excited when I find insects with obligate relationships with native plants because these insects are the foundation of the food web.

Insects like these convert photosynthesized energy to forms that spiders, birds, and other animals can use. It's nature's life support system.

It happily meandered onto my finger as I was manipulating the leaves to get better photos.

I've seen a few lace bugs in the wild (different species, which depend on different plants), but this is a first for my yard.

Tiny brown insect with huge bulging eyes and clear wings sitting on my fingernail.

Look at this amazingly alien creature I found in my backyard today: a Toyon Lace Bug, Corythucha incurvata.

As you might guess, it was found on my backyard Toyon, along with several dozen of its relatives.

#biodiversity #nativeplants

Two books are propped upright against a wooden cabinet, titled "The Cicadas of North America" and "The Social Wasps of North America". Both books show many colorful examples of the respective insects on their covers. Various holiday ribbons, garlands, and lights are strewn about the edges and foreground of the photo, which I shamelessly pilfered from my mom's attic.

Give the gift of hundreds of cicadas and wasps this year with the Owlfly Holiday Sale! Books are 20% off with the coupon code HIBERNATE, now through December 31st.
www.owlflyllc.com/publishing

Multiple pacific tree frogs lined up on a thing and narrow plant leaf.

Tiny pacific tree frog staring at the photographer

Profile view of a pacific tree frog with green and black strips, hiding in a plant with a beautiful faded green background

Flashback to June 11, 2023, when I stumbled upon a few hundred Pacific Chorus Frogs (tree frogs) along an urban San Jose, California creek. #amphibians #naturephotography #urbanwildlife

Dr. Raven The Science Maven Elevate your science knowledge with multi award-winning molecular biologist and science communicator Dr. Raven the Science Maven. Expert in STEM, science education, and creatively communicating scient...

So, I dug around on the biosite link, didn't see a podcast link (unless it's the YT link??). thesciencemaven.com had a podcast link, but I couldn't click on it (running the latest chrome). So, yes, please post the podcast link directly - would love to listen.

Now lets put some native plant hedgerows around the through the vineyards, and some owl boxes, and we're adding to biodiversity, too.

Paraphrased: Sun’Agri attributed the gains to the ability to optimize the microclimate, moderating temperatures, increasing humidity, and reducing irrigation needs by 20% to 70%.

It also helps protect against frost. As a result, plants' survival rates improve, with mortality reduced by 25% to 50%