Nature Guys

Latest Episodes:

Acorn Woodpeckers Feb 23, 2021

Show notes

Gia and Bob discuss one amazing woodpecker. If you live or travel to the west make sure you check this woodpecker out. This episode is part of our Keystone Species series. Thanks to Christina Zorn for the great research!

Keystone Species series: All About Alligators, Firefighting Beavers

Our sources for this episode include:

Hooded Merganser - Not the Duckiest Duck Feb 16, 2021

Show notes

Charles and Bob discuss the Hooded Merganser. It is a duck that has some very un-duck like qualities.

Our sources for this episode include:

72 Seasons Feb 09, 2021

Show notes

Chris Clements of Imago joins Bob to talk about the Japanese concept of 72 seasons. Chris challenges us to go out and visit nature regularly in our own neck of the woods. See how it changes every few days. Try to come up with your own micro-season and give it an evocative name.

Our sources for this episode include:

Micro-seasons - Headspace YouTube video
Japan's 72 Microseasons

Seeds on the Move Feb 02, 2021

Show notes

Seeds have many ways to get out into the world. Greg shares fascinating strategies plants use to disburse seeds.

Our sources for this episode include:

Falling Far from the Tree: 7 Brilliant Ways Seeds and Fruits Are Dispersed
Daniel Janzen - Bio and Research
The Ghosts Of Evolution: Nonsensical Fruit, Missing Partners, and Other Ecological Anachronisms by Connie Barlow
Lengyel, S.; et al. (2009). Chave, Jerome (ed.). "Ants Sow the Seeds of Global Diversification in Flowering Plants"
Howe, H. F. & Smallwood J. (1982). "Ecology of Seed Dispersal" (PDF). Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics. 13: 201–228.
The Ant Dance - YouTube video with Greg Torres
The Bird Dance- YouTube video with Greg Torres

All About Alligators Jan 26, 2021

Show notes

Gia and Bob are in Bob's backyard on a cold winter afternoon talking all about alligators. Alligators are a great American success story. Thanks to Christina Zorn for the great research! This episode is part of our Keystone Species series.

Keystone Species series episodes: Firefighting Beavers

Our sources for this episode include:

Definition of Alligator
Alligator Biology and Behavior
JW Lang and HV Andrews, J Exp Zoology (1994) Temperature-dependent sex determination in crocodilians.
Cramp Meyer Sparks and Franklin. (2008) Functional and morphological plasticity of crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) salt glands. Journal of Experimental Biology 2008 211: 1482-1489; doi: 10.1242/jeb.015636. https://jeb.biologists.org/content/ 211/9/1482
American Alligator from National Geographic
Crocodilian Biology Database

Erin Brockovich Jan 19, 2021

Show notes

Recently I ran across a title of a new book that peaked my interest. Curious to know more I did an Internet search and found out that this book is written by someone I think you may recognize. Erin Brockovich has become a household word thanks to a movie by the same name released in the year 2000. I got a hold of a copy of the book and after reading it realized it would be the perfect end to the water series. If you haven't had a chance to listen to the first two parts I encourage you to do so. Charles does a great job giving us a deeper understanding of why water is so important to all life on earth. I hope Erin will inspire you to pick up a copy of her book, Superman's not Coming: Our National Water Crisis What We The People Can Do About It. As Erin so passionately says no one is going to solve our water problems for us. It is up to we the people and Erin's book shows you how.

Related Episodes: What the Heck is Water, Freshwater Life

Our sources for this episode include: Superman's not Coming: Our National Water Crisis What We The People Can Do About It by Erin Brockovich

Freshwater Life Jan 12, 2021

Show notes

Charles Van Rees joins Bob to discuss the importance of freshwater and its relationship to biodiversity. This is part two of a three part series.

Related episodes:

Our sources for this episode include:

WWF Living Planet Report 2018
Van Rees et al., 2020 - Safeguarding freshwater life beyond 2020
United Nations Water Development Report 2020
Global Water Partnership: Water and Ecosystems

What the Heck is Water Jan 05, 2021

Show notes

Charles Van Rees joins Bob to discuss something we can take for granted. Water is an amazing substance and Charles has some insights as to why it is essential to all life on earth. This is part one of a three part series on water and its importance to all living things on earth.

Our sources for this episode include:

Water: The Science of Nature's Most Important Nutrient by Len Kravitz
Vandas et al., 2002: Water and the Environment

Welcome 2021 Dec 29, 2020

Show notes

It has been a challenging year for everyone including Nature Guys. Losing Bill Creasey in August was a loss for everyone who values connecting to the natural world. It would take a village of naturalists to replace him. Well we don't quite have a village but we have been able to assemble an amazing team to carry on the work of Nature Guys. Tune in to find out what Bob discovers at his sit spot. This episode also serves as a preview of the first five episodes in 2021.

Related episodes:

Sit Spot
Our Friend Bill
Watch for the Cooper's Hawk at Your Bird Feeder
So You Want to Be a Naturalist with Charles Van Rees
Firefighting Beavers with Gia Giammarinaro
Witch Hazel Magic with Greg Torres

What It's Like to Be a Bird with David Sibley Dec 15, 2020

Show notes

Awhile back my sister Suzanne called me. She was excited because a pair of mourning doves had nested on an upstairs window ledge of her house. As it happens I was reading David Sibley's book What It's Like to be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating, to Singing What Birds are Doing and Why.

My sister is a great lover of books so I made her an offer I knew she could not refuse. I suggested that I would send her a copy of the book if she would put together some questions that I might use in this interview. Suzanne has never to my knowledge passed up the opportunity to read a book she is interested in so she quickly agreed.

A few weeks later she sent me this email: "I really enjoyed reading What It's Like to be a Bird. As you know, I am not someone who spends much time thinking about birds and my knowledge of them is very limited, but I like them and found this book to be a great source of information for someone like me. I am very impressed that Sibley did both the text and the illustrations, which are great. So here are some general questions and questions about mourning doves, which may or may not be of use to you."

Hope you enjoy the interview!

Related episode: Mourning Doves

Our sources for this episode include:

Sibley Guides
What It's Like to Be a Bird by David Sibley

Today's episode is sponsored by Cinfed Credit Union. You have questions, Cinfed has answers! Providing financial services for more than 85 years to a wide area around Cincinnati. Become a member at cinfed.com!

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