The Field Guides Podcast

YouTube video by The Field Guides Podcast Ep. 78 - 3 Guys and A Gator (featuring Chip Campbell)

Episode 78 is here! The guys are deep in the Florida Everglades, and they take a break at camp to talk with naturalist and gator expert Chip Campbell about all things alligator — with a special focus on separating gator myths from reality. www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-s-...

YouTube video by owen reiser LISTERS: A Glimpse Into Extreme Birdwatching

Listers is unlike any, and we mean ANY, sort of birdwatching doc you’ve seen before.
And it’s free.
A quote from the film: “According to this study on extreme birdwatchers, the type of person to compete in a Big Year...can, on average, identify a f**kton of birds”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl-w...

YouTube video by The Field Guides Podcast Ep. 76 - The Insect Apocalypse! (Part 1)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h3p... Episode 76 -
Listen in as Jason leads us through fields and forests, filling us in on the so-called “Insect Apocalypse.” Are insect populations really collapsing worldwide? What do the numbers say? How bad is it, and—most importantly—what can we do about it?

YouTube video by The Field Guides Podcast Ep. 75 - A Naturalist's Life (Part 2) - A "Hike" with Sandy Geffner

Part 2 of our time with naturalist Sandy Geffner. This time, he leads us on a “hike”—though with Sandy, the word takes on a different meaning. You might not cover much distance, but you’ll travel miles in understanding: exploring the woods and the wildlife within it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPKU...

So glad you enjoyed it - we agree!

YouTube video by The Field Guides Podcast Ep. 75 - A Naturalist's Life (Part 1) - A Conversation with Sandy Geffner

Episode 75 is here - What exactly is a “naturalist”? Spend a little time with Sandy Geffner, and you’ll find out. Steve and Bill rarely go more than an episode or two without mentioning him—a naturalist who profoundly shaped both their lives. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKeD...

That is a great idea! We will share and encourage your idea along with Sandy, but he is very much an analog cat, so getting him to do anything virtual will require some serious persuasion.

YouTube video by The Field Guides Podcast Ep. 74 - Like A Sturgeon

Episode 74 - Like a Sturgeon - is here!
Steve introduces us to the Sturgeon (family Acipenseridae), from their dinosaur-era origins to their caviar-fueled scandals. So strap in as the guys touch on Sturgeon, for the very first time. www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0EC...

The quest to detect consciousness — in all its possible forms Insights from human brains might inform how scientists search for awareness in other animals and AI.

Insights from human brains might inform how scientists search for awareness in other animals and AI

go.nature.com/4fd5VNh

The coolest bird alive 🦕

50 years ago, Ed Abbey published The Monkey Wrench Gang, and people who love the environment have been grappling with it ever since. www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-monkey...

The Dawn Chorus is getting QUIETER due to climate change A study led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) used a new technique to reconstruct the soundscapes of more than 200,000 sites over the span of a generation.

Birdsong is the playlist of a healthy ecosystem. But over time, that playlist’s gone from full symphony to a sad trio of kazoo, recorder, and slide whistle. Well, that's a bit of an overstatement, but the beautiful noise has diminished.
www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/...

YouTube video by The Field Guides Podcast Ep. 73 - The Dawn Chorus (Part 2)

Part 2 of our Dawn Chorus episode is here!
Bill and Steve delve deeper into what's making birds get up and sing before the ass-crack of dawn.
And they pluck some low-hanging comedic fruit.
Find us wherever you get your podcasts or listen to us on YouTube below.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5Z7...

Choral Reef? Listen to Scientist’s Recording of How Fish ‘Sing’ at Dawn Scientists are “amazed” to discover that fish gather together to sing at dusk and dawn just like their feathered flying counterparts.

We know that birds put on a dawn chorus, but did you know that fish do, too?

In 2016, scientists discovered fish also sing together at dusk and dawn like birds, making intentional sounds by using parts of their anatomy.

Check out the link to listen in.
www.goodnewsnetwork.org/fish-sing-at...

YouTube video by The Field Guides Podcast Ep. 73 - The Dawn Chorus (Part 1)

Episode 73 is here! This month, the guys look into the Dawn Chrous, that early morning explosion of bird song that refuses to let you sleep in.
Check it out via the link below or wherever you get your podcasts.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=os5L...

Allegany Nature Pilgrimage Nature education weekend in Allegany State Park

Who’s up for a weekend long orgasm of nature-themed hikes & talks? If your hand’s up, then it’s time to sign up for the Allegany Nature Pilgrimage! We’re leading a hike on Sat. and expect prizes. Last year, 1 lucky nature pilgrim won a framed photo of Steve. Really. www.alleganynaturepilgrimage.com

Ep. 72 - Grass Carp: A Reel Problem — The Field Guides In this episode, Steve leads a discussion on the invasive Grass Carp. The guys go over the evolutionary history of grass carp and its relatives, its biology, its introduction to The Great Lakes region...

Episode 72 is here! Steve shares the story of the invsive grass carp, and Bill and Daniel try to keep up.

OK, it's just Bill that has to try to keep up. www.thefieldguidespodcast.com/new-blog/202...

One of our favorite poems, to help you prepare for spring migration season:

“Lying While Birding”
By Naomi Shihab Nye

Yes Yes

I see it

so they won’t keep telling you

where it is

Lethal snake venom may be countered by new AI-designed proteins The current way to produce antivenoms is antiquated. Experiments in mice suggest that an artificial intelligence approach could save time and money.

Artificial intelligence could take the bite out of snake venom.
www.sciencenews.org/article/ai-s...

Spring Into FoYs Congratulations! You survived another Buffalo winter and are ready for the days to wax warm and the sunlight to linger into the evening. When Mother Nature finally unfurls the banner

Looking for a way to engage with nature this spring?
Consider recording FOY (first of year) sightings. It's easy, and you'd be walking in the footsteps of Thoreau. Bill wrote some words about it... www.buffalospree.com/style_living...

YouTube video by The Field Guides Podcast Ep. 71 - The Field Guides Go Crikey!

Episode 71 is out!
We return to the Everglades, again looking for a predator that Daniel wants to get too close to: the American Crocodile. He shares some research, busts croc-related myths, and Steve gets a little too excited about how crocs deal with salt water.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGtN...

YouTube video by The Field Guides Podcast Ep. 70 - Saving the Blue Iguana

Our new episode is out! This month, we head to the tropics and meet the Blue Iguana of the Cayman Islands, an endemic species that was recently brought back from the brink of extinction. We talk with the guy that did most of the heavy lifting.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMCh...