It's time to meet our new cohost, Courtney Downing! This has been one we've wanted to share for quite some time, so it feels great to finally share it with you all. Next week? Platypuses with Dr Gilad Bino!
Tag: the wild life
Bears! with Brogan Holcombe
Get to know Brogan Brogan is a Masterβs Student working in the Wildlife Habitat & Population Analysis Lab at Virginia Tech Sheβs also the one behind #SundayScientistShoutout on Twitter which she does every week for scientists or STEM activists from underrepresented groups. Follow Brogan @Brogan_Holcombe or look up her #bearseyeview for awesome bear videos! GET … Continue reading Bears! with Brogan Holcombe
Behind the π¦πiππ‘cππ¦ with Dr Mariela Gantchoff
Meet this weekβs guest before the episode airs! She is an ecologist at the intersection of theoretical and applied ecology, currently working on landscape and quantitative ecology in relation to the conservation and management of terrestrial wildlife. A lot of her current research involves working to understand wildlife use of natural and developed landscapes, range … Continue reading Behind the π¦πiππ‘cππ¦ with Dr Mariela Gantchoff
Help us make a difference
We've just made some significant updates to our Patreon!The Wild Life & the work we do is entirely member & donor-supported.Please consider joining us in our mission to inspire hope of a green & just future through open access to the natural worldhttps://www.patreon.com/TheWildLife Preview the tiers and their rewards/benefits here: $1Exclusive access to our Patreon … Continue reading Help us make a difference
Book Club| Dr Jessica L Ware’s Picks!
Each episode, we ask our guests for their personal book recommendations. Our latest guest was Dr Jessica L Ware! She is the assistant curator in invertebrate zoology at the American Museum of Natural History. Dr. Wareβs research focuses on the evolution of behavioral and physiological adaptations in insects, with an emphasis on how these occur … Continue reading Book Club| Dr Jessica L Ware’s Picks!
Nature’s Pooper Scooper (Dung Beetles!) with Professor Marcus Byrne
Professor Marcus Byrne teaches us about the fantastical and unexpected world of dung beetles, their ecological importance, their connections to human culture and history, and how this lowly creature finds its way home by looking to the stars.
Book Club| Professor Marcus Byrne’s Picks!
Each episode, we ask our guests for their personal book recommendations. Our latest guest was not only able to suggest one of his own (which you should totally read), but also two other absolute must-reads. Want to join our book club to find other nature-nerds who may be interested in reading the same things as … Continue reading Book Club| Professor Marcus Byrne’s Picks!
The Wild Life’s Binoculars for Young Birders (and naturalist kits) Fundraiser
With this program, we hope to provide every attendee to our events that's under the age of 18 with a free pair of binoculars, and a birding/naturalist kit. We also will have a web form available for individuals to apply for a pair! We have an event coming up on May 8th, a Big Day birding event, which would be perfect for our first distribution!
NEW| Immerse Yourself in the Ambience of a Campfire
Back in January, we started a new podcast listing called The Wild Life 8D: Soundscapes, a series of immersive nature themed audio experiences. Yesterday, we posted our first video using audio from the podcast. We highly recommend headphones to get the full experience. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJc0htULSNA
Dispatches from Somewhere #3: Needlepoint
A winter morning find
Dispatches from Somewhere #2: Pretzel Top
The pretzel top is not to be trusted
Dispatches from Somewhere #1: What a Wasp
Iβve had this picture on my camera roll for almost a year now and I figured I should finally get to posting it. If youβre wondering what this scorpion looking flying insect is, itβs the Pelecinus polyturator, a type of wasp. The adults drink nectar and are pretty harmless, unless youβre a June Bug. Thatβs … Continue reading Dispatches from Somewhere #1: What a Wasp
Field Notes: The Nursery Web Spider
The Nutrient Hunter
This was originally written in 2015 and is based on an interview originally published in Nature Investigative food journalist, Jo Robinson, is a βNutrient Hunterβ and her demonstration gardenΒ in Washington as well as her new book, βEating on the Wild Sideβ, is showcasing what sheβs found. HerΒ thesis is simple, βAll plants make phytochemicals, … Continue reading The Nutrient Hunter
Joe the Pigeon on Death Row
A fascinating journey that sounds the stuff of an animated movie or a children's book is about to come to a rather different sort of end. On December 26th, a man by the name of Kevin Celli-Bird discovered an understandably exhausted pigeon resting in the backyard of his home in Melbourne, Australia. The bird was … Continue reading Joe the Pigeon on Death Row
Phylum: Porifera
The first installment of our first ever miniseries is here--Phylum: Porifera! Sponges are often overlooked aside from Spongebob Squarepants and cleaning. It's time that changed. Dive into the amazing life history of sponges! What is the phylum? You might remember that from school: Kingdom phylum, class, order, family, genus, species? There's a lot of ways … Continue reading Phylum: Porifera
The Wild Life of the Black-and-Yellow Lichen Moth
Order| Lepidoptera Species| Lycomorpha pholus Uh-ah, you know what it isβthe Black-and-Yellow Lichen Moth! βWait, black and yellow? Theyβre clearly orange-er, right?β Who knows what they were thinking. One thingβs for sure though, mimicry is their flex. As caterpillars, when they spend most of their time munching on a symbiotic snack of lichen, they texturally … Continue reading The Wild Life of the Black-and-Yellow Lichen Moth
The Wild Life of the Nicobar Pigeon
Order| Columbiformes While it may come as a shock, the Nicobar Pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica) is indeed a Pigeon. Itβs 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 Journey So Far
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. Itβs 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
The Wild Life of Red Pandas
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
88.1 KVSC Interview: The Untold Story of Distance Learning During COVID-19 with ISD 742βs Devon Bowker, Science Teacher, Naturalist, and Blogger
KVSC, the radio station of my Alma Mater, St Cloud State University, recently interviewed new for there segment βUntold Stories of Central MNβ. 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 742βs Devon Bowker, Science Teacher, Naturalist, and Blogger
The Wild Lifeβs 50th Episode Celebration: Live Trivia Show!
Well, weβve come a long way. Weβre at our 50th episode! We will be hosting a live show on Zoom!and YOU are invited. On May 1st at 7pm CT, weβll be playing trivia (of course, based on topics from our first 49 episodes [and no, you donβt have to have listened to all of them … Continue reading The Wild Lifeβs 50th Episode Celebration: Live Trivia Show!
Become a Wildlife Ambassador
So, hereβs the thing: we, at this moment, are rolling out a new newy thing. Itβs super coolβthe 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
Is it a Worm? Is it a Wasp? No! Itβs the Elm Sawfly!
This past weekend as I sat below an old oak tree while drinking my morning cup of coffee and looking out on a glassy Lake Darling in Alexandria, Minnesota, something fell from the sky and landed at my feet. Small and curled up like a slightly puff green and yellow sour gummy worm. It's face … Continue reading Is it a Worm? Is it a Wasp? No! Itβs the Elm Sawfly!
Sunday Fish Sketch| The Cookiecutter Shark
Prepare to learn about a whole new kind of Cookie Monster on this #SharkWeek themed #SundayFishSketch...and this one glows!
The Dragonhunter
In the skies across Minnesota (and much of the eastern US and southeastern Canada, for that matter), roams a fierce and agile predator, capable of taking down prey you would never imagine---and some many wouldn't dare to try at themselves. Hagenius brevistylus, is a clubtail dragonfly known as the Dragonhunter, and is one of nearly … Continue reading The Dragonhunter
When a Spider isnβt a Spider
If you're reading this right now, you might be realizing that we're about to be playing a game of semantics (systematics, rather). For many, if it looks like a Spider, that's all they need to know to shiver in disgust and engage in fight, freeze, or flight. It may be pretentious to dwell on the … Continue reading When a Spider isnβt a Spider
A Sneak Peak at Some Upcoming Episodes
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.
New Horizons: The Future of The Wild Life
#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!
Get your head out of the sand! Ostriches are actually pretty amazing.
It's #ThursdayBirdsday! This week, it's time to bust some myths, bow down in awe, and learn something new about the big birds that look like emus. (Rhyming was the only reason for that last bit and I don't regret it.) Youβre probably wondering why the ostrich in the main image seems so shocked. Well, then … Continue reading Get your head out of the sand! Ostriches are actually pretty amazing.