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%!
Tag: thewildlife
Become a Wildlife Ambassador
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
Is it a Worm? Is it a Wasp? No! It’s 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! It’s 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 isn’t 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 isn’t 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.) You’re 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 at Warner Lake Park 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. 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 favorites—the 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.
TWL Hiking Club| Ravens and Crows
This is merely a sample of the wonders of Ravens and Crows.
S2E3| Animal Magnetism
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.
Podcast SHORT: Plant or Fungi?
A random find while hiking that lead to a life history story that was unexpectedly fascinating.
Video: The Wild Life
Ahead of our Season 2 releases, we wanted to put together a video to tell you who we are, what we do, where we are going, and to say #ThankYouPatrons to our supporters on Patreon.com. The Wild Life is viewer, reader, and listener supported. If you believe in what we are doing, you can become … Continue reading Video: The Wild Life
Where We’ve Been
This isn't my typical blog post. No wildlife, fish sketches, or hiking anecdotes. This is an explanation for my recent sparsity in writing.
#SundayFishSketch Goliath Tigerfish
If there is any fish that lives up to its name it's the Goliath Tigerfish---a truly gigantic African predator with razor sharp teeth. The largest on record weighed over 150 pounds at nearly five feet in length. For perspective, that's two German Shepard's stacked on top of each other, or a welterweight fighter---and a fighter they certainly are.
#SundayFishSketch Redeye Piranha
Piranhas need no introduction being that their teeth and diet have earned them quite the reputation, especially around Hollywood as a super villains aquarium species of choice or as the center of several B-movies.
Birding by Smartphone
In 1917, the American poet Wallace Stevens published a poem called 13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird. In truth, 13 is a major understatement, with just as much variation in "why" as their is in "how". Whether you're a life "lister", a casual admirer, or anywhere in between, at some point each and every one of has had a moment where we saw a bird and thought to ourselves, "what is that?"
Podcast Season 2 Updates, Topics
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:
TWL Hiking Club: Hiking with a Toddler
For some, hiking is all about fitness. For others, the challenge. For still others, it's an opportunity to observe and appreciate nature. Hiking with a toddler is about all of the above and more.
#SundayFishSketch Ribbon Eel
Gracefully snaking through the water as if under the control of a rhythmic gymnast, the Ribbon Eel is quite the spectacle.
New Audio Blog Podcast Series While You Wait On Season 2
Now, something you may have read on the website (thewildlife.blog) will be available to listen to on the go!
How to Join the TWL Hiking Club
Curious about the TWL Hiking Club? Here's who we are, what we do, and how to join.
Gulls and the Concrete Sea: Why do Seagulls Love Parking Lots?
Most know them as seagulls, a name which implies a proclivity for life at sea. Yet this familiar moniker is neither accurate (scientifically speaking), nor seems to fall in line with a universal observation---gulls love parking lots, whatever their distance from the salty sea
Carrion my Wayward Beetle
This is circle of life---or at least an ugly, albeit necessary, curve of it. This is the life of the American Carrion Beetle.