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#20: Dr. Yiwei Wang - Bird Observatories, Plovers, and Pumas, Oh My! May 24, 2021

Show notes

My guest in this episode is Dr. Yiwei Wang.
Yiwei is the Executive Director at the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory, or SFBBO for short (find SFBBO on FB and IG). Yiwei grew up in the South Bay (San Francisco Bay Area) and has called that area home for most of her life. She attended Cornell University and double majored in Biology and Psychology. Returning to the west coast, she worked for a variety of organizations that focused on birds and mammals, including an internship with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory and a season as a field technician in SFBBO's Snowy Plover Program. She then attended UC Santa Cruz and received her PhD in Environmental Studies. Her dissertation focused on learning how human development impacts mountain lions and their relationships with other smaller carnivores.
In this episode we discuss the mission and projects of SFBBO, and what it means to be a “bird observatory”. Yiwei reveals some of the inner workings of such an organization, including what it is like to run an environmental organization, SFBBO’s volunteer program, how they engage with science advisors, some new and future projects, and a deep dive into the bird banding operation.
Since we jump into the topic of bird banding, a little background. Bird banding is the process of collecting detailed scientific measurements of individual birds by temporarily capturing birds using nearly invisible mist nets. These measurements are used to create datasets that track bird populations, morphologies, migration patterns, and more. Additionally, a small band is added to the leg of the bird to facilitate future tracking. Doing this in a way that is safe for the birds and scientifically rigorous is a fascinating subject, and requires thorough training.
We also discuss Yiwei’s and SFBBO’s commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and equity, and how they embody it.
Additionally, we get to hear about some of Yiwei’s other interesting projects, including her PhD project documenting the energetics of mountain lions around human habitation, and her eye opening experiences in Australia that redirected her career path to the one she is on today.
Find Yiwei on Twitter. And be sure to follow SFBBO - they have many 40th anniversary events planned!
LINKS
Center for Excellence in Nonprofits
Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Marshmallow Minds
National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to SFBBO, Stanford University, San Jose State University, Santa Clara University, and West Valley College to create a research coordination network include Coyote Creek and Jasper Ridge Field Stations
Santa Cruz Puma Project
South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project
Books and More
Birdy Hour Talks - SFBBO series
Invisible Women - Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez - Yiwei recommends this book to give perspective about how society inherently biases against women
Salt Marsh Harvest Mice
Ridgway's Rail
Snowy Plover

#19: Chris Helzer - The Prairie Ecologist May 03, 2021

Show notes

My guest in this episode is Chris Helzer. When I started this podcast nearly a year ago, Chris was on my short list of people I wanted to interview, so I’m very happy that the day has come.
Chris is The Nature Conservancy’s Director of Science in Nebraska, where his main role is to evaluate, capture, and share lessons from the Conservancy’s land management and restoration work.
Chris is the creator of the popular blog called The Prairie Ecologist, where he combines his knowledge and insights with his photography to raise awareness about the value of prairies and prairie conservation. He is also the author of two books – “The Ecology and Management of Prairies in the Central United States” and “Hidden Prairie: Photographing Life in One Square Meter”.
You can also find Chris’ photography of prairies and their inhabitants in a variety of publications, including NEBRASKAland magazine and Wildflower magazine. You can also find Chris on Instagram @prairieecologist.
In this episode we discuss what a prairie is, and dispel common myths about prairies. We get a quick lesson on ecological succession, and how drought and fire play important roles in sustaining prairies. Chris also describes the framework that is used when making land management decisions.
We also discuss how Chris combines his scientific background with his photographic and storytelling skills to create a very successful outreach portfolio through his blog and instagram.
Chris is a highly skilled environmental educator, so I took the opportunity to ask him about his approach of “meeting people where they are at” to connect with people at any interest level. We also dove into how he’s used photography and his “One Square Meter” book and project to demonstrate the beauty and biodiversity of the prairie, enabling him to connect with many more people.

Links
Michael Forsberg - award winning photographer famous for his work in the Great Plains, among many topics
The Nature Conservancy, and in Nebraska specifically. Chris oversees the Hubbard Fellowship program
A Field Guide to Roadside Wildflowers at Full Speed - humorous field guide of blurry photos - check it out!
Hidden Prairie: Photographing Life in One Square Meter
The Ecology and Management of Prairies in the Central United States - by Chris Helzer
Meeting People Where They Are - video
University of Nebraska State Museum - Morrill Hall - Chris had an exhibit in the fall of 2021.
Chinook Winds

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Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

#18: Kerry Knudsen - The Magic of Lichen Apr 12, 2021

Show notes

You’re gonna be liken this episode. Well, let me rephrase that - you’re going to like this episode about lichen.

What’s a lichen? If you’ve hiked just about anywhere, you’ve probably seen one. They are colorful organisms that grow on rocks, tree branches, and even fence posts. Around where I live, I see lichens growing on people’s roofs, too!
I called them organisms because they are complicated. Sometimes they are characterized as symbiotic relationships between a fungi and an algae. But it’s much more interesting than that.
And there are few people better to help us learn about lichens and how to find them than Kerry Knudsen, a lichenologist at the University of Life Sciences in Prague.
Kerry’s personal story is equally fascinating as lichens themselves. Kerry got started in lichens later in life after a health condition derailed a long career in construction. And he’s gone on to discover over 60 new lichen species that were previously undescribed, founded the lichen collection at the University of California, Riverside, and has 161 peer reviewed publications on ResearchGate and more elsewhere.
So get ready to learn about lichens, how they live, what they do, how they propagate, how wildfire impacts them, and much more.
So, as Allie Ward likes to say in her Entertaining Ologies podcast, despite my preparation and research, I had a lot of freedom to ask a smart person stupid questions, and I thank Kerry for his patience and detail in his answers.

SHOW NOTES
Links
Andre Breton - the founder of Surrealism kept a lichen collection just for the beauty and inspiration
California Lichen Society
Rick Halsey of the California Chaparral Institute. See my past interview with Rick.
Steven Levitt - University of Chicago economist who analyzed the ranching use of the Amazon rainforest. He had a podcast episode with his solution.
Theodore Payne Foundation - Kerry mentioned working here for a period
Univ. of California Riverside Herbarium
Books
A Field Guide to California Lichens - Stephen Sharnoff
Macrolichens of the Pacific Northwest - Bruce McCune
Usnea is a genus with over 600 species, and is difficult to identify in the field

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Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
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#17: Alvaro Jaramillo - Birding Your Best Life Mar 23, 2021

Show notes

My guest today is Alvaro Jaramillo. Alvaro is a highly regarded ornithologist and birder with a long list of authored books and published papers. Born in Chile, raised in Canada, he’s lived in California for the last several years where he operates “Alvaro’s Adventures”, a birding-centric tour company that specializes in combining birding with local cultures across the globe.
Alvaro has a BS in Zoology and a masters in Evolutionary Biology, and is an affiliated senior biologist with the San Francisco Bay Bird Observatory. Alvaro has a wealth of world-wide birding knowledge, is a contributor to Bird Watcher’s Digest, and actively engages in many birding forums. He even helped to identify a new bird species, Oceanites pincoyae (Pincoya Storm-Petrel), found in Chile.
In today’s episode we discuss how Alvaro developed his interest in birds. From authoring his guide to New World Blackbirds, to a fortuitous encounter in Canada that led him to the world of arranging and guiding tours, it is clear the avian adventures were a calling for Alvaro.
We discuss the origins of Alvaro’s Adventures, and some of his amazing global trips, such as his annual journey to Bhutan. And check out his Birds and Wine trip to Chile and Argentina as another great example.
We also talk about pelagic birding - he leads numerous pelagic trips in Northern California each year. If you are unaware of pelagic voyages, they take you far offshore onto the ocean to look for bird species that are next to impossible to see from land. And if that weren’t fun enough, you’ll often encounter whales, porpoises, sunfish, and many other amazing oceanic creatures.
We discuss the groundbreaking impact his Birds of Chile guide had on accelerating Chile’s birding evolution.
After a couple decades of engaging with the public in these capacities, he also has a lot of insight into helping people interpret, enjoy, and see the value of nature - and he offers a few tips and approaches that we can all use.
And while COVID-19 has been challenging, he has turned it into an opportunity to increase his outreach. In addition to many in-depth online workshops, he’s launching a new subscription based online birding community, called “Birding Your Best Life”. Its primary goal is to help people enjoy birds more, regardless of their circumstances and goals. It will include discussion communities, equipment reviews, video tutorials, and much more. As you’ll hear, he has big plans - you can sign up here to be notified of progress.
Other Links/Mentions
Alvaro's Facebook
Birds of Chile - field guide Alvaro, Peter Burke, David Beadle created that helped accelerate Chilean birding
Birdwatchers Digest - Alvaro has written for this publications for many years
National Audubon Society
New World Blackbirds - Alvaro's distraction from his PhD
Colombian Audubon
Debi Shearwater - Alvaro was a spotter with Debi Shearwater, the well known pelagic leader
Eagle Eye Tours - Canadian tour company Alvaro helped start
Field Guides - the larger tour company Alvaro joined after Eagle Eye Tours

#16: Tora Rocha and Terry Smith - The Pollinator Posse Part 2 - What Landowners Can Do to Create Habitat Mar 09, 2021

Show notes

Today’s guests are Tora Rocha and Terry Smith, founders of the Oakland, California based Pollinator Posse. The Pollinator Posse creates pollinator-friendly landscaping and fosters appreciation of local ecosystems through outreach, education and direct action. They engage with municipalities, land owners, golf courses, garden groups, and the general public to help people become better stewards of the land.
In Part 1 we discussed Tora and Terry’s background and what the Pollinator Posse does. We also got deep into the frightening collapse of the Western Monarch Butterfly population, including a lot of background on Monarch’s life history and what people across the USA can do to support these charismatic creatures. So, if you’re interested in creative ways to engage the public to take better care of the land, or want to learn more about Monarch Butterflies, be sure to go back and give it a listen.
In Part 2, we get deeper into what homeowners and landowners can do to support their habitats. This is a critical and undervalued part of conservation efforts. Pollinators and insects in general are foundational to the health of our ecocystems, whether for their services pollinating fruits and vegetables, or as a foundational food source for animals higher up the food chain.
From an ecosystem perspective, all of our properties are connected. Consider how easily insects, birds, squirrels, and other animals travel from yard to yard. With that in mind, just one yard unknowingly contaminated with systemic pesticides can result in an outsized blast radius.
I was surprised to learn from Tora and Terry that most plants purchased from the big box stores are pre-treated with systemic pesticides called neonicotinoids, and these have long term devastating effects. They offer tips on avoiding these pesticides. We also discuss BT plants, the impact of fungicides, and more.
They also discuss easy steps to add habitat to your yard - and the good news is much of the approach is to just be lazy! I think you’ll be excited to hear what they have to say.
You can find out more at pollinatorposse.org or their Facebook group.
People and Organizations
Art Shapiro - University of California Davis Professor with longest continuously monitored study sites. See Art's work here. This Bay Nature article discusses Shapiro's work and the insect apocalypse.
Journey North - a 25 year citizen science program tracking migrations, now associated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum
Karen Overhauser - Professor and Director of the University of Wisconsin Arboretum. Her study about Monarch diapause triggers was mentioned in Part 1
Monarch Joint Venture - a partnership of federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, businesses and academic programs working together to protect the monarch migration across the USA
Plant Lists - The Pollinator Posse has some plant lists to help California gardeners with bees and pollinators
Western Monarch Advocates - an overarching entity that connects groups and individuals who share a common goal of saving the western Monarchs
Xerces Society - one of the largest invertebrate conservation groups. They have many resources about monarchs and habitat creation and habitat gardening

#15: Tora Rocha and Terry Smith - The Pollinator Posse on Monarchs, their Amazing Lifecycle, and Their Frightening Decline in the West - Part 1 Mar 02, 2021

Show notes

Today’s guests are Tora Rocha and Terry Smith, founders of the Oakland, California based Pollinator Posse. The Pollinator Posse creates pollinator-friendly landscaping and fosters appreciation of local ecosystems through outreach, education and direct action. They engage with municipalities, land owners, golf courses, garden groups, and the general public to help people become better stewards of the land.
Terry and Tora make a wonderful team, and have made a huge impact in northern California on a number of fronts. So much so that Tora was recently awarded the Jefferson Award.
Our conversation was wide ranging - and as a result I decided to divide it into two episodes! Today we discuss the origin of the Pollinator Posse and the good fortune that brought Tora and Terry together. We discuss a few of the Posse’s current areas of focus and how they engage the public, including their creative Tees for Bees program that raises awareness about the importance of sustainable landscape practices at golf courses.
Much of today’s episode focuses on the dire situation with the western population of the Monarch butterfly. Western monarchs have distinct behaviors from those seen in the eastern United States, and their population has crashed to frightening lows, well below what is thought to be sustainable. This crash has corresponded with surprising behavioral changes that the Posse is working to better document, along with their conservation partners.
We discuss the Monarch’s life cycle including their mind-blowing metamorphosis, what distinguishes the western population from the eastern population (east of the Rocky Mountains), how populations are even measured in the first place, why they migrate, and the odd behavioral changes suddenly observed in 2020. We also discuss what individuals and land owners can do to help, such as managing the divisive Tropical Milkweed
Next week’s part two continues the discussion of the dramatic decline of insects and what homeowners can do to create better habitat. We discuss the impact of systemic pesticides such as neonicotinoids and how to avoid purchasing plants that are pre-treated with these long lasting pesticides.
We also discuss how healthy habitat gardening is actually less work than maintaining a lawn or traditional garden, and the importance of leaving “messy” areas - which are important for the lifecycle of insects.
You can find out more at pollinatorposse.org or their Facebook group.
People and Organizations
Art Shapiro - University of California Davis Professor with longest continuously monitored study sites. See Art's work here.
Journey North - a 25 year citizen science program tracking migrations, now associated with the University of Wisconsin Arboretum
Karen Overhauser - Professor and Director of the University of Wisconsin Arboretum. Her study about Monarch diapause triggers was mentioned in Part 1
Monarch Joint Venture - a partnership of federal and state agencies, non-governmental organizations, businesses and academic programs working together to protect the monarch migration across the USA
Plant Lists - The Pollinator Posse has plant lists to help California gardeners with bees and pollinators
Western Monarch Advocates - an overarching entity that connects groups and individuals who share a common goal of saving the western Monarchs
Xerces Society - one of the largest invertebrate conservation groups. They have many resources about monarchs and habitat creation and habitat gardening

#14: Brian Sullivan - eBird, Birds of the World, and the Intersection of Technology with Birding and Ornithological Media Feb 16, 2021

Show notes

My guest in this episode is Brian Sullivan.
Brian is a long-time leader at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, where he currently serves as Digital Publications Lead, managing the Birds of the World project, and he has previously served as project leader for eBird from 2005 to 2017.
Brian has conducted fieldwork on birds throughout North America for the past 25 years. Birding travels, photography, and field projects have taken him around the world, and he has written or coauthored several books and scientific papers including: Better Birding—Tips, Tools, and Concepts for the Field; The Crossley ID Guide: Raptors; and the forthcoming Princeton Guide to North American Birds. He is co-creator of the groundbreaking Raptor Id app for mobile devices, and he also served as photographic editor for the American Birding Association’s journal North American Birds from 2005-2013.
Today we discuss many of these topics, including the transformation of eBird into a global ornithological resource, developing and launching the Birds of the World project, which is the definitive resource for all 10721 bird species and has an exciting future roadmap ahead. We also discuss the forthcoming Princeton Guide to North American Birds, which is a project 15 years in the making.
Brian’s experiences in print media and cutting-edge online media give him a visionary’s perspective for the future of online resources for scientists and birders alike. We spend time discussing how remote sensing, phone sensing, and augmented reality might accelerate community awareness of and engagement with the environment. And this may come about sooner than one might think.
FULL SHOW NOTES
Links and References from the Episode:
Chris Wood - an early partner of Brian's at eBird
Derby Hill Hawk Watch
Hawk Mountain, Pennsylvania
Jack Conner - taught a college Biology of Birds course that helped re-ignite Brian's interest
Paul Lehman - editor of Birding Magazine when Brian published his first article
Birds of the World - Cornell's comprehensive resource for all 10,721 of the world's birds
Birding Magazine - The American Birding Association's (ABA) magazine
BirdNET App - identify birds by sound
The Australian Bird Guide
Collins Birds of Europe (link to the USA publication)
Crossley Guides - Richard Crossley's series of photo collage guides that Brian references (and co-author of the Raptor ID Guide)
eBird
Merlin Bird ID - free app and part of the Cornell Lab's ecosystem of resources
National Geographic's Birds of North America
Princeton University Press - A leader in quality nature and field guides
Raptor ID App - created and published by Brian and Jerry Liguori
Season at the Point: The Birds and Birders of Cape May - by Thomas Connor
The Sibley Guide to Birds [East] [West]

#13: Ashley Ahearn - Creator of the Podcast Series "Grouse" on the Art of Storytelling and Science Communication Jan 27, 2021

Show notes

My guest in this episode is Ashley Ahearn. Ashley is an award winning public radio and podcast journalist. She recently created and published the critically acclaimed podcast series called “Grouse”. Grouse explores life in rural America through the lens of the controversial Greater Sage-Grouse. The series also delves into Ashley’s own unique journey to sagebrush country, and tackles many of the competing interests that threaten the grouse.
You may also know Ashley from her work on the podcast “Terrestrial” - a show that explored personal choices in the face of climate change, and her many varied works for PRI and NPR. She currently runs Ahearn Productions, where she freelances for NPR and other clients, creates original shows such as Grouse, and helps others create quality podcasts.
In this episode we speak extensively about Grouse and the art of developing and telling nuanced stories. We get into the weeds of the production process, including how to gain the trust of people who may be skeptical and initially unwilling to share their stories. We also discuss how to tell a story that stays true to multiple perspectives, and how to engage and connect people using audio as a format.
We also talk about Ashley's journey from NPR to freelance productions and consultations. We have a great discussion about loaded terms such as "environmentalist", and what fairness and bias means in the world of journalism.
Ashley also gives a sneak peek into her next podcast series.
I thoroughly enjoyed this discussion and learned a lot of useful nuggets to improve my ability to engage and communicate environmental stories, and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.
Find Ashley @ashleyreports on Instagram and @aahearn on Twitter, or on her website at https://www.ahearnproductions.com.
FULL SHOW NOTES at http://naturesarchive.com
References from the show:
People and Organizations
Ashley Ahearn - creator of the Grouse series.
Liza Yeager - audio producer and sound designer for Grouse
Michael Schroeder - Greater Sage-Grouse expert featured extensively in the Grouse series
Whitney Henry-Lester - Ashley's editor for Grouse
Books and Other Things
Bundyville - podcast series from OPB that Ashley enjoyed
Death, Sex, and Money - Anna Sale's podcast that Ashley enjoys
Grouse - The podcast series Ashley created, which led me to reach out to her for this interview
Home of the Brave - another podcast Ashley likes, by Scott Carrier

#12: Tony Iwane - Outreach and Community at iNaturalist Jan 13, 2021

Show notes

My guest in this episode is Tony Iwane. Tony is Outreach and Community Coordinator for iNaturalist, an environmental educator, contributor to Bay Nature Magazine, photographer, and just an all around interesting and knowledgeable naturalist.
As a key staff member for iNaturalist and one of its earliest members, Tony gives us an insider’s view of iNaturalist, what it is, and how it is used. Tony has also curated iNaturalist’s “Observation of the Day” for the past 5 years, and shared a selection of some of the most noteworthy observations from that catalog, including a serendipitous identification of an uncommon southern hemisphere hoodwinker sunfish in California, and an elusive Columbian Weasel photographed sitting on an outhouse toilet - still the only recorded observation of this species on iNaturalist.
Tony describes iNaturalist as both a social network for those interested in nature, and also a platform for community science. As a platform, we discuss how easy it is to engage with experts, and some of the creative and unique projects that people have created - and that you can view and contribute to! In fact, a couple past guests have successfully used iNaturalist to raise awareness for specific ecological concerns - Merav Vonshak and the Newt roadkill problem at Lexington Reservoir in California, and Charley Eiseman raising awareness of leaf mining insects.
We also discuss how iNaturalist has been an important discovery for many people to help them with purpose and focus during the pandemic.
And of course, we also learn about Tony’s personal journey that led him from counseling to the world of nature.
Be sure to check Tony's photos and follow him on iNaturalist. If you are new to iNaturalist, check out the getting started resources here.
Full show notes and links at podcast.naturesarchive.com

#11: Charley Eiseman - Naturalist, Author, Innovator, and Leaf Mining Insect Specialist Dec 28, 2020

Show notes

My guest today is Charley Eiseman. Charley is the lead author of the innovative and fascinating “Tracks and Sign of Insects and Other Invertebrates”, which digs deep into the details of insect identification through the clues they leave, such as egg masses, cocoons, galls, burrows, leaf mines and more.

This initial treatment of leaf miners led him to his current 10 year obsession, learning about and documenting these specialist insects. Leaf miners are insects whose larvae live part of their lives in between the epidermal layers of leaves, each with fascinating life histories and survival strategies. There are thousands of leaf mining species of moths, flies, beetles, and sawflies. Despite being so prevalent, there was very little readily available information about them, that is, until Charley turned his sights on them. Over the last decade, Charley has turned himself into the foremost expert of North American leaf miners and created an 1800 page guide to the leaf miners, which is also referenced against their host plants.

This is a truly fascinating subject - leaf miners are literally everywhere, and serve as a creative "hook" to open people’s eyes to incredible nature that is easily overlooked. I’ve included several fascinating photos in the show notes that you have to see to believe.

In this episode we discuss Charley’s background, the unique University of Vermont Field Naturalist Masters program, the challenges of breaking new ground in publishing Tracks and Signs of Insects, how he has identified and described 50+ previously undescribed leaf miner species, the process of documenting those discoveries, the process of rearing leaf miners at home to identify the species, and much more. Charley offers a few pearls of wisdom as well, including approaches to continuous learning and developing structure and deadlines for audacious goals like his 1800 page leaf miner guide.

Charley offers occasional webinars and online courses, so be sure to check out his bugtracks blog, or charleyeiseman.com to see his upcoming schedule.
LINKS
Tracks and Sign of Insects and Other Invertebrates - a wonderful guide book to insect behavior
Mammal Tracks and Sign - A Guide to North American Species - by Mark Elbroch, and Bird Tracks and Sign by Mark Elbroch were inspirations for Charley's Tracks and Sign of Insects
Leafminers of North America - by Charley Eiseman, a PDF guide
bugguide.net
A Hard-Won Moth - story of Charley's mystery viburnum leafminer, previously undescribed - and ultimately named Marmara viburnella
Bugs In Winter - Charley's upcoming online class
Noah Charney - co-author of Tracks and Sign of Insects and Other Invertebrates
John Carlson, MD - entomologist who contributed a chapter on "sign of insects on vertebrates" such as stings and bites
Paul Rezendes - his mammal tracking class helped cement Charley's "follow the trail of things you don't know well" approach
Owen Lonsdale - PhD who helps Charley document new species
Dave Smith - Smithsonian sawfly expert
Music: Kevin MacLoed

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