NaturallyScott

Send us Fan Mail This episode is a first for Naturally Scott — a panel conversation. Scott Harris brings together three remarkable voices — Sy Montgomery, Debi Shearwater, and Lynn Scarlett — for an honest, thoughtful discussion about the history of women in birding, how the experience has evolved, and where things stand today. Each brings a different perspective: science and storytelling, busines...

Send us Fan Mail Every spring, billions of birds move across North America — and for a brief moment, one place becomes the center of it all. In this episode of Naturally Scott, Scott sits down with Kimberly Kaufman, Executive Director of the Black Swamp Bird Observatory, to explore The Biggest Week in American Birding — one of the most important and accessible birding events in the world. Held alo...

Send us Fan Mail Few people understand owls like Denver Holt. As the founder of the Owl Research Institute, Denver has spent nearly four decades studying owls in the wild — from long-eared owls in Montana to snowy owls on the Arctic tundra. In this episode, Denver joins Scott Harris to explore what it really means to be a “boots on the ground” field biologist. From cross-country skiing into remote...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Naturally Scott, Scott sits down with Debi Shearwater — one of the most iconic figures in seabirding and pelagic birding anywhere in the world. Often called the “Queen of the Seas,” Debi has spent more than four decades leading pelagic trips off the California coast and across the globe, introducing thousands of people to the magic of seabirds, marine mammals, a...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Naturally Scott, Scott sits down with Keith Hackland, owner of the Alamo Inn B&B, Gear and Tours, and one of the best-known hosts in American birding. From the heart of the lower Rio Grande Valley, Keith shares what makes this corner of Texas one of the richest birding regions in the country — and why so many birders come once and then spend a lifetime comin...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Naturally Scott, Scott sits down with raptor biologist Bryan Bedrosian, Conservation Director at the Teton Raptor Center, for a wide-ranging conversation about birds of prey, applied science, and what conservation looks like when research is paired with action. Bryan shares his journey into raptor biology and describes the work of the Teton Raptor Center across...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Naturally Scott, Scott sits down with John Adams, Deputy Director and COO of Biosphere 2, for a conversation about one of the most ambitious environmental experiments ever attempted. Often remembered for its early human habitation experiment, Biosphere 2 is far more than a historical curiosity. John explains how the facility continues to operate today as a livin...

Send us Fan Mail In this 50th episode of Naturally Scott, Scott Harris sits down with Chad Nelson, CEO of the Surfrider Foundation, to talk about a coastal conservation organization that doesn’t just educate and inspire — it organizes, advocates, and fights for practical outcomes. Surfrider’s work spans five core fronts: plastic reduction, ocean protection, beach access, coasts and climate, and cl...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Naturally Scott, Scott sits down with Elizabeth Gray , CEO of the National Audubon Society , for a wide-ranging conversation about birds, climate, hope, and what it really takes to turn conservation losses around. Elizabeth shares the personal experiences that shaped her life in conservation — from childhood curiosity sparked by books, to studying endangered Haw...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Naturally Scott, Scott sits down with ecohydrologist Emily Fairfax of the University of Minnesota to talk about an animal that quietly reshapes entire landscapes: the beaver. What begins as a conversation about hydrology and water quickly becomes a deep look at how beavers function as true ecosystem engineers. Emily explains how their dams slow water, restore we...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Naturally Scott, Scott sits down with Peter Stangel of the U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities to talk about forests in a way most people never hear them discussed. Not as scenery.  Not as hiking destinations.  And not even primarily as ecosystems. But as working systems that support both people and wildlife at the same time. Following recent conversatio...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Naturally Scott, Scott sits down with author David Gessner , a writer who never wanted to be called a nature writer — and yet became one of the most important voices helping us understand why wild places and birds matter. David is the author of Return of the Osprey , Soaring with Fidel , Leave It As It Is , and The Book of Flaco , among many others. His work exp...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Naturally Scott, Scott sits down with John Goodell, Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Archives of Falconry, to explore one of humanity’s oldest and most misunderstood relationships with wildlife. Falconry is often imagined as domination or display. In reality, it is a hunting tradition built on trust, restraint, and a deep respect for wild raptors. Joh...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Naturally Scott, Scott sits down with Scott Black, Executive Director of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, to explore the small creatures doing the biggest work in nature: insects and other invertebrates. Scott Black breaks down what “invertebrates” really are, why pollinators matter far beyond gardens, and how conservation shifts when you start...

Send us Fan Mail New York Harbor is one of the most storied waterways in the world, but for generations it was also one of the most damaged. Long before skyscrapers defined the skyline, oysters shaped the ecology, economy, and culture of the region—until they were pushed to the brink of disappearance. Today, something remarkable is happening beneath the surface. In this episode, Scott Harris sits...

Send us Fan Mail Rewilding isn’t about nostalgia — it’s about scale. In this episode of Naturally Scott , Scott sits down with Dr. Jodi Hilty, President and Chief Scientist of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y), to explore one of the most ambitious conservation visions on Earth: reconnecting 2,000 miles of wild landscape from Yellowstone National Park to the Yukon. Dr. Hilty ex...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Naturally Scott, Scott sits down with John Calambokidis , one of the world’s leading cetacean researchers and the co-founder of Cascadia Research Collective . For more than four decades, John has studied whales across the Pacific, combining long-term fieldwork, cutting-edge technology, and an unwavering commitment to scientific integrity. The conversation opens...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Naturally Scott, Scott Harris is joined by Lisa T. Ballance , Director of the Marine Mammal Institute , for a wide-ranging conversation that moves from personal history to some of the most consequential marine science of the past half-century. Ballance explains how her career in ecology and conservation biology led her into the heart of the tuna–dolphin controve...

Send us Fan Mail What would it take to truly rewild North America? In this episode of Naturally Scott , Scott Harris sits down with Jack Humphrey of the Rewilding Institute to explore one of the most ambitious and consequential ideas in modern conservation: reconnecting large landscapes so nature can function the way it once did. Jack shares decades of firsthand experience working on wilderness co...

Send us Fan Mail From growing up in Hawai‘i and Washington, D.C. to spending decades on the Farallon Islands, Peter Pyle has lived at the intersection of birds, science, and curiosity. A founding figure in modern bird banding and the author of the definitive guides to bird molt and plumage, Peter joins Scott Harris for a wide-ranging conversation about how feathers shape everything we think we kno...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Scott sits down with one of the most influential naturalists of our time: Kenn Kaufman. From hitchhiking across North America as a teenager to becoming a celebrated author, artist, field guide creator, and voice for nature, Kenn’s life is a masterclass in what can happen when curiosity is allowed to lead. We talk about his early years chasing rare birds with nothi...

Send us Fan Mail Today, I’m joined by Dr. John van Wyhe, historian of science at the National University of Singapore and one of the world’s leading experts on Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace. We break open the myths, misunderstandings, and surprising truths behind Darwin’s life, the Voyage of the Beagle, the long road to the theory of evolution, and why the Galápagos were not the eureka...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Naturally Scott , Scott Harris sits down with primatologist and author Dr. Christine Webb to explore the ideas behind her powerful new book, The Arrogant Ape . Christine’s work blends primatology, psychology, philosophy, Indigenous knowledge, and lived experience to challenge one of the most deeply ingrained beliefs in Western culture: that humans sit above the...

Send us Fan Mail In E34 , Scott sits down with Michael Goergen , President & CEO of the American Chestnut Foundation , for a powerful and deeply hopeful conversation about restoring one of America’s most important lost trees — the American Chestnut. The American Chestnut once made up 25% of the Appalachian forest , feeding wildlife, sustaining communities, and anchoring entire ecosystems. Then...

Send us Fan Mail In E33 , Scott sits down with Chris Parish , President & CEO of The Peregrine Fund , for one of the most wide-ranging and compelling conversations we've ever featured. From California Condors to global vulture crises, from the San Joaquin Valley to India and the African savannas, Chris brings decades of experience, candor, humor, and unmatched field knowledge. Born and ra...