Nature Guys

Merlin Tuttle is a tremendous advocate for bats and has done amazing things throughout his career to help protect them and change people’s misconceptions and fears about them. His motto is “win friends not battles” and that’s been his approach throughout his 60+ years doing this work! Merlin shares with Bob some of his amazing bat adventures. Merlin will be the keynote speaker at the Arc of Appalachia’s Wildflower Pilgrimage in April of 2023. Related Episode: Bat in the House and Story: Bats! The Sequel I Never Wanted to Write from listener Jake Our sources for this episode include: Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation Bat Conservation International Arc of Appalachia’s Wildflower Pilgrimage

How do you go from a city girl who likes being inside to the host of the BirdNote podcast Bring Birds Back? Tune in as Tenijah Hamilton shares her inspiring story. Thanks to Cincinnati Nature Center for sponsoring this episode. Visit www.CincyNature.org to register for February 2023 online classes and don’t forget to use promo code NATURE to get 25% off. Related episodes: Purple Martin, Whitebark Pine: The most important tree you have never heard of Our sources for this episode include: Bring Birds Back Podcast Feminist Bird Club

Bob and Gia chat about one very special bird. The etherial song of this bird is inspiring! Learn about Helen Black in this wikipedia article. Special thanks to Cornell Lab for the wood thrush audio clip (ML 29922711 Glen Chapman May 9, 2016).  Visit our web site to see Tam Teow's beautiful wood thrush art. Thanks to Cincinnati Nature Center for sponsoring this episode. Visit www.CincyNature.org to register for January 2023 online classes and don’t forget to use promo code NATURE to get 25% off. Related episodes: Merlin Magic, Merlin 2, What It’s Like to be a Bird with David Sibley Our sources for this episode include: Bird Songs All About Birds Wood Thrush Four Fun Facts about the Wood Thrush Wood Thrush Cornell Chronicle: Songbird population declines linked to acid rain, Cornell ecologists report

Bob welcomes Greg Torres back to revisit the eastern redcedar tree. Bill and Bob did an episode on this tree in 2017 and had some questions that Greg, our very own plant guru, has some thoughts on. Thanks to Cincinnati Nature Center for sponsoring this episode. Visit www.CincyNature.org – that’s C-I-N-C-Y-Nature.org – to register for January 2023 online classes and don’t forget to use promo code NATURE to get 25% off. Related Episodes: Why We Don’t Hug Eastern Redcedar Trees, Walnut Woods Our sources for this episode include: Eastern Redcedar Juniperus Virginiana Facts for Kids Eastern Redcedar Control on Range and Pasture The Pros and Cons of the Eastern Redcedar

Greg is excited to share all about a project he has been involved in for a number of years. We bring in some of the collaborators to explain their roles in this inspiring project. Tune in to learn how they turned ten acres of forgotten land into a Cincinnati City Park. Thanks to Cincinnati Nature Center for sponsoring this episode. Visit www.CincyNature.org – that’s C-I-N-C-Y-Nature.org – to register for January 2023 online classes and don’t forget to use promo code NATURE to get 25% off. Related episode: Invasive Plants Our sources for this episode include: Cincinnati Parks - Walnut Woods of Evanston Civic Garden Center Walnut Hills High School  

Bob opens with some thoughts on Thanksgiving. Many of us eat Cranberries around Thanksgiving. Charles joins Bob to share the unique ecology of this amazing plant. Related episodes: Mistletoe Our sources for this episode include: The Thanksgiving Tale We Tell is a Harmful Lie. As a Native American I’ve found a Better Way to Celebrate the Holiday by Sean Sherman The Sioux Chef’s Indigenous Kitchen by Sean Sherman (The Cranberry Sauce Recipe Beth adapted is on page 108) The Myths of the Thanksgiving Story and the Lasting Damage They Imbue by Claire Bugos The Vicious Reality Behind the Thanksgiving Myth (requires subscription to The New York Times) Cranberry Thanks to Christina Zorn for providing background research.

We have opened a can of worms with this episode! Join Tina and Bob as they discuss the common earthworm. They invite some kids to share their thoughts on earthworms. A big thanks to Ruth and Levi for inspiring this episode. Special thanks to the Cincinnati Nature Center for sponsoring this episode. You can find out more about Tina and Red Oaks Forest School at redoaksforestschool.org. Our sources for this episode include: Earthworm invaders alter northern forests (informative article suggested by Ruth) Deer, Worms and Invasives The American Robin hasn’t Always Gotten the Worm Earthworm

Hometown Nature Heroes are everywhere! Bob talks with Courtney Ryan a passionate advocate for getting kids outside. Special thanks to the Cincinnati Nature Center for sponsoring this episode. Courtney’s Recommended Resources: Sands Montessori Outdoor Campus Sands Montessori Partners: Native Roots Madison Tree Care and Landscaping Motz Turf Farms Sunbelt Rentals Books to Read:  Balanced And Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, And Capable Children By Angela J. Hanscom  Vitamin N: The Essential Guide to A Nature-Rich Life By Richard Louv  Play The Forest School Way: Woodland Games and Craft For Adventurous Kids By Jane Worroll And Peter Houghton  There’s No Such Thing as Bad Weather: A Scandinavian Mom’s Secrets For Raising Healthy, Resilient, And Confident Kids By Linda Akeson Mcgurk  The Call of The Wild And Free: Reclaiming Wonder In Your Child’s Education By Ainsley Arment  Resources: Children and Nature Network Orange Is the New Green: Exploring the Restorative Capacity

Greg and Bob share a misunderstood plant that they both love to see in the fall. Find out why goldenrod takes the blame for sneezing in the fall. Our sources for this episode include: Sneezing? Don’t Blame Goldenrod! Five Golden Truths about Goldenrods How to Grow and Care for Goldenrod

Bob is joined by Peri, a science communicator with the National Park Service. Peri is part of a team that created season 2 of the Headwaters podcast on Whitebark Pine. Glacier National Park Conservancy funds the show.  Links: Glacier National Park Conservancy Headwaters in-depth storytelling podcast by Glacier National Park References in Headwaters show notes

In her position as Research Ecologist at Cincinnati Nature Center, Danie Frevola designed and implemented an innovative study on oak trees. Hear Danie’s inspiring story! Related Episodes: Northern Red Oak, The Nature of Oaks with Doug Tallamy and The Hummingbird Handbook with John Showy

Bob and Charles respond to a very important question about using bird sound playback from a listener. They also have a listener suggestion on a way to support Sara Dykman, the author of Bicycling with Butterflies. Related episodes: Merlin Magic, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, What It's Like to Be a Bird with David Sibley and Bicycling with Butterflies with Sara Dykman Our sources for this episode include: TEDxBozeman talk by Charles van Rees: A glance through nature’s playbook Merlin App by The Cornell Lab Proper Use of Playback in Birding by David Sibley Sara Dykman’s Go Fund Me Campaign: Counting Monarchs in Mexico

Bob’s grandson Drew wanted to learn more about Peregrine Falcons. As you will hear Tina was the perfect person for this episode. Tune in to hear Tina’s amazing stories about studying Peregrines. You can find out more about Tina and Red Oaks Forest School at redoaksforestschool.org. Related episodes: What's Your Zugunruhe? and Hummingbirds Our sources for this episode include The Cornell Lab All About Birds: Peregrine Falcon

Bob and Gia talk about a woodpecker that is only found in parts of California. Thanks to Nic for using Merlin to find this bird! Related episodes: Merlin Magic, Downy Woodpeckers Support Their Mates, Acorn Woodpeckers and The Nature of Oaks with Doug Tallamy Our sources for this episode include: The Merlin Bird ID App by The Cornell Lab The Cornell Lab All About Birds Thomas Nuttail -The Oregon Encyclopedia Nuttall’s Woodpecker – Whatbird.com Meet the Nuttall’s Woodpecker Thomas Nuttail article in The Popular Science Monthly, Volume 46

Bob is joined by our very own plant guru Greg to talk about invasive species. Greg brings along his right hand man Drew to explain why invasive plants have such a negative impact. Our sources for this episode include: Study by Audubon that Drew refers to: Nandina Berries Kill Birds

Bob and Charles talk about the Merlin App from Cornell Lab. It now has the ability to identify birds by sound! Please try it out and let us know what bird you want to know more about by emailing us at info@natureguys.org. Our sources for this episode include: The Merlin Bird ID App by The Cornell Lab Gulo in Nature Blog by Charles The New School Montessori school in Cincinnati

On March 19, 2021 a volcano erupted in Iceland that captured the imagination of people from all over the world. It also changed the lives of April and Martin, independent filmmakers living in an apartment in New York City. Like many of us they were coming out of a long winter dealing with covid - 19. This eruption spawned an idea for their next film. They decided to travel to Iceland to film the eruption and gather stories from the remarkable people who live with the joys and challenges of volcanic eruptions right in their own neighborhoods! Find out how April and Martin created this powerful film. You can find out how to watch the film at fireandiceland.com. I would love to hear your reactions to the film. You can leave a comment on our website or email me at info@natureguys.org.

Greg and Bob are loving all the wonderful spring wildflowers. Greg takes us back in time to discover the history of wildflowers around the world before turning to the amazing story of the eastern forest in spring. Related episodes: Spring Wildflowers, Seeds on the Moveand Wild Ginger Greg has done three excellent videos on spring wildflowers available via YouTube: Harbinger of Spring   Skunk Cabbage Spring Woodland Wildflowers If you need a great wildflower book, check out Bob’s favorite guide: Wildflowers of Tennessee the Ohio Valley and the Southern Appalachians by Horn, Cathcart, Hemmerly, and Duhl, published by Lone Pine Publishing

After a long winter Bob and Gia are excited to do a live show at California Woods Nature Preserve. They had a blast talking with kids and adults about the nature of spring. Related episodes: Firefighting Beavers, Parachuting Beavers

I received an intriguing email from Tina at Red Oaks Forest School asking me if I knew about Zugunruhe. I did not and wanted to learn more so I invited Tina to come on the show to explain all about it. Tune in to hear Tina tell the inspiring story of how Red Oaks got started and of course all about Zugunruhe. You can find out more about Tina and Red Oaks Forest School at redoaksforestschool.org If you want to register for Zugunruhe 2022 go to: https:// evergreen.humanitru.com/web/campaigns/red-oaks-forest- school~zugunruhe-2022 Related episode: Sit Spot