The Wild Life was born out of a desire to help alleviate something that, at the time, we were calling the nature accessibility gap. Initially, it was clear that this gap existed along economic and other demographic lines, exposing a stark pattern of under-representation of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) individuals and communities in … Continue reading An Absolutely Major Announcement
Order| Columbiformes While it may come as a shock, the Nicobar Pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica) is indeed a Pigeon. It’s also the closest living relative of the now extinct Dodo bird! These birds are named for an island chain of the coast of India where many of them live, though they can be found all the … Continue reading The Wild Life of the Nicobar Pigeon
The other day, I was going through a pile of junk (which I have a lot of) and came across this. This intentionally blurred piece of paper was the very beginning of #TheWildLife. It’s just a bunch of notes and ideas that I was jotting down while I tried to decide what I wanted to … Continue reading The Journey So Far
Red Panda Order| Carnivora Family| Ailuridae Red Panda's, like the Giant Panda, eat mostly bamboo (and are impossibly adoreable). But here's the thing, they aren't pandas. They're actually more closely related to skunks and raccoons, and make up their own subfamily alongside skunks, raccoons, and weasels. Much like the Eau de Popcorn smelling Binturong, the … Continue reading The Wild Life of Red Pandas
KVSC, the radio station of my Alma Mater, St Cloud State University, recently interviewed new for there segment ‘Untold Stories of Central MN’. It aired on Earth Day 2020 and was an incredible honor and opportunity to speak about my passions. For those of you more familiar with The Wild Life side of my life, … Continue reading 88.1 KVSC Interview: The Untold Story of Distance Learning During COVID-19 with ISD 742’s Devon Bowker, Science Teacher, Naturalist, and Blogger
Well, we’ve come a long way. We’re at our 50th episode! We will be hosting a live show on Zoom!and YOU are invited. On May 1st at 7pm CT, we’ll be playing trivia (of course, based on topics from our first 49 episodes [and no, you don’t have to have listened to all of them … Continue reading The Wild Life’s 50th Episode Celebration: Live Trivia Show!
So, here’s the thing: we, at this moment, are rolling out a new newy thing. It’s super cool—the Wildlife Ambassador program! Basically, when you become a member at Patreon.com/TheWildLife, you can pick a species of some kind of personal importance to you and we will donate 10% of your contributions each month to either a … Continue reading Become a Wildlife Ambassador
When most people think of Australia, their mind conjures up images of a Mad Maxian landscape—brick red sand blemished with gray-green freckles of saltbrush. Standing tall in a rigid defiance, the occasional gum or eucalyptus serves as safe haven for koalas and kookaburras under a big hard sun. Maybe they think of the Great Barrier … Continue reading Home Is Where The Log Is: A Velvet Worm Short Story
As September 1st approaches and the metamorphosis of The Wild Life continues, we wanted to give you a sneak peak at some of our upcoming episodes.
#TheWildLife is setting out on new horizons. Now not only is our show available wherever you get your podcast, but starting September 1st, we will be releasing new episodes every single Friday! Plus, we're starting a new weekly blog schedule!
In the mid-season finale, Devon and Richard talk to Lucas Brotz, research associate at the Marine Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at the University of British Columbia and a Cnidaria Scientist for Quantitative Aquatics, to discuss how a creature without a brain dominates the worlds oceans, and the many ways they impact our lives.
The theme for this week's #SundayFishSketch was fish that don't look like fish, which is most definitely the case with almost all larval marine fish.
In this episode, Devon and Richard explore the animal magnetism. No, not the kind you might be thinking. Instead, we're talking about the surprisingly common animal superpower which allows creatures all around the world, from the skies to the oceans, to sense the magnetic field of our planet.
Devon attempts to settle an age old argument between him and his co-host by enlisting the help of renowned biochemist, professor, and author, Dr Nick Lane.
As 2018 comes to a close, here are some of the most read, most popular, and other top moments from The Wild Life throughout the year. #TheWildLife
A random find while hiking that lead to a life history story that was unexpectedly fascinating.
This isn't my typical blog post. No wildlife, fish sketches, or hiking anecdotes. This is an explanation for my recent sparsity in writing.
Season Two of The Wild Life is well in the works, with at least two interviews being done this week (for both the premier and the finale, coincidentally). With that being said, Richard and I wanted to take the opportunity to share with yall the episode topics (and working titles) for the upcoming season. Here it goes:
Now, something you may have read on the website (thewildlife.blog) will be available to listen to on the go!
In the Season 1 Finale of The Wild Life, Devon and Richard expose the mystery of metamorphosis, what happens inside the chrysalis, whether or not a butterfly remembers or a caterpillar knows, destroy the metamorphosis metaphor, and build it anew, all with the help of Dr. Martha Weiss of Georgetown University.
In this episode, Devon and Richard go on a totally real, not-recorded-indoors, time travel adventure to explore the life history of the busiest mammal out there---the beaver.
In this episode, Devon and Richard talk to Dr Julie Koester of UNC-Wilmington and Dr Orly Levithan of Rutgers about the truth behind where our oxygen comes from, and the tiny organisms we have to thank for our very existence.
In the mid-season premiere, we tell the story of two Harvard professors with a bucket of frogs and a rooftop, solve the decade old mystery of exploding toads in Germany, identify the culprit of frog deformities across the Western US, speak with Dr. Voyles about her research on disease ecology and amphibians in Panama, and chat with Dr. Konrad Rykaczewski about the inspiration for his antifreeze technology.
The mid-season premier is coming this Earth Day---April 22, 2018
This episode, we have a story that takes us all the way from Copenhagen, to the rain forest of South America--- from the belly of the beast, to it’s excrement---as we explore nature’s Vampires
Find out how to resolve conflicts peacefully, answer the age old question "Do dogs really see in black and white?", explore vision in the animal kingdom, and tell you all about the most amazing animal ever: the mantis shrimp.
In S1E1, Devon and Richard tell the story of Nigel "No Mates" the lonely Gannet, explore the reason behind a massive crab migration, and share this weeks Animal Sound of the Week!
As 2018 gets going, so are we, and we need your help! Part of our show is answering questions from our listeners--- anything from "what's up with worms?" to "how are snakes so fast?", or "how come penguins can't fly but Porgs can?!" --- usually with the help of an expert. In order to do that, we need your questions.
