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: thewildlife
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
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!
Dispatches from Somewhere #3: Needlepoint
A winter morning find
Dispatches from Somewhere #2: Pretzel Top
The pretzel top is not to be trusted
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
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!
November Membership Drive!
If you become a member during the November Membership Drive, we'll double your first two months conscious conservation contribution through the Wildlife Ambassadors programs to 20%!
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.
TWL Hiking Club| Hike @ Night with HIKEhoppers and The Wild Life + a Big Announcement!
The Wild Life is joining forces with HIKEhoppers, a central MN non-profit organization, whose vision we share to connect people to nature through hiking events and educational learning experiences.
At 8:30 pm this Saturday, 6/15, join us for a night hike atΒ Warner Lake ParkΒ in Clearwater, MN!
The Trouble with Trilobites
It's #FossilFriday, and you know what that means---fossils. Big surprise, right? This week, with an unoriginal but begging to be used titular parody on the classic Star Trek episode 'The Trouble with Tribbles"---we're talking trilobites. Here is my trilobite.Β It was a gift from my brother (podcast co-host) he picked up at a rock convention. … Continue reading The Trouble with Trilobites
Hoary Puccoon
This #WildflowerWednesday, we take a look at one of my personal favoritesβthe Hoary Puccoon.
Sunday Fish Sketch| The Common Sea Dragon
This #SundayFishSketch comes from Ichthyologist, Rene Martin. Visit her shop on InPrint to see more of her artwork or to order prints! Meet the Common Sea Dragon Phyllopteryx taeniolatus While it may be a dragon by name, the Common Sea Dragon is no more a dragon than a sea horse is a horse. One, it would be … Continue reading Sunday Fish Sketch| The Common Sea Dragon
Fossil Friday| Introducing Evolution with the Archaeopteryx
In celebration of #FossilFriday, I wanted to share an educational resource: a lesson I used during student teaching to introduce a unit on evolution. This lesson can be modified for middle school level and was written in accordance to MN state standards which very closely mirror NGSS, however, I structured this lesson for the high … Continue reading Fossil Friday| Introducing Evolution with the Archaeopteryx
Women in Science| Meet Mary Anning, Fossil Hunter, and the 11-year Old Fighting for Her Recognition
220 years after Mary Annings birth, a young girl from the very town where Mary lived her entire life is fighting to rectify a historical injustice in recognizing Anning in bronze---a fitting honor for a woman who spent her life uncovering creatures lost to time.