Constant Wonder

Tama Wong didn't feel like a great gardener—until she discovered that the weeds she was battling were delicacies from across the world. Now, she forages (and farms like a forager!) for fine dining restaurants, and she encourages others to enjoy wild flavor by foraging, too. Guest: Tama Matsuoka Wong, author of "Into the Weeds: How to Garden Like a Forager" and founder of meadowsandmore.com Knotwee...

Reverend Dr. Andrew Teal grew up wandering the ruins of Fountains Abbey in the UK—one of his "thin places." After he was ordained an Anglican priest in his twenties, he learned to find the sacred as easily in seminar rooms as on the side of the road. Teal believes in the power of inhabiting the world, be it through philosophy, poetry, or simply your presence. Guest: Reverend Dr. Andrew Teal, an An...

After severe depression turns his life upside down, Jarod Anderson heads for the woods, where he finds a renewed connection to nature: from the sacred herons of his childhood to the strange creatures of his imagination. He now shares that world with listeners as host of "The CryptoNaturalist." Guest: Jarod Anderson, host of "The CryptoNaturalist" and author of "Something in the Woods Loves You" Au...

Hugo Tagholm describes the transcendent connection between a storm at sea and a surfer sitting, many hours later, on a board. Using surfing as a metaphor for life, Tagholm urges us to show up for each other—and for the Earth—as our best-prepared selves. His is a message of hope for all of us on "Planet Ocean." Guests: Hugo Tagholm, Executive Director of Oceana UK Katherine May, author of "Enchantm...

Emmett Hoops was seven when he decided to save the nearly-extinct American chestnut tree. He's 66 now, but little else has changed since then. Together with a chorus of other chestnut-lovers, the people who grew up under those leaves and relied on those nutritious nuts tell the story of how a tree shaped generations. Guests: Emmett Hoops, Director for District 5 and Vice President for Outreach, Ne...

Businesswoman Françoise Malby-Anthony traveled the world for work, until a chance encounter in the metro changed her life. Within a year, she'd quit Paris for South Africa, where she and her partner, Lawrence, established a wildlife preserve for troubled and orphaned elephants and rhinos. When Lawrence passed away suddenly, the responsibility for these animals fell to Françoise. Join us in this ta...

The "Bear Man of India" is best known for his work rescuing sloth bears from inhumane conditions, but Kartick Satyanarayan knew he wanted to help animals from a young age. It all began with full-moon nights spent high in a jungle tree, watching a procession of wild animals visit a nearby watering hole. In the intervening 30 years, he's braved the "timber mafia" and even gunshots in a tireless crus...

A small-town mortician savors life. Find out why "the internet's favorite mortician" encourages people not to skip out on funerals. And why he also advises listeners not to worry about "being an inconvenience" in either life or death. Guest: Victor M. Sweeney, author of "Now Departing: A Small-Town Mortician on Death, Life, and the Moments in Between" https://www.instagram.com/victor.m.sweeney/?hl...

Tara Roberts comes to find joy in learning about her ancestors—even though history once seemed too traumatic to face. Guest: Tara Roberts, author of "Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging"

Fiona Robertson has had a lifelong fascination with the ancient standing stones that dot the British Isles. As her own life filled with storms, these megaliths became examples of endurance, able to survive millenniums of weathering. Join us as we follow Fiona through the stone lands to explore how these mysterious sites connect us to the past, redefine our present, and give us hope for the future....

Anne Fadiman has an infectious curiosity. In this episode. she'll introduce us to ice-bound explorers who turn to theater, art, and journalism to stave off boredom and madness. Then we travel across the globe to a matchless night beneath Halley's Comet. We'll also meet a indomitable young student who lived by the motto "Yes to everything!" Guest: Anne Fadiman, author of "Frog and Other Essays" and...

By promoting swimming, hiking, climbing, skiing, hunting, and many more recreational activities, Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people to nature. Founder Rue Mapp reminds us of the historical connections Black people have to the Earth, and she encourages people to look to nature for healing, hope, and fun! Guest: Rue Mapp, founder of Outdoor Afro and National Geographic Fellow https://ruemapp.com C...

A love story for all time: Eleanor of Castile died in 1290, but her story still resonates today, thanks to the depths of her husband's devotion. You might know King Edward I as the fierce Edward Longshanks, but discover him in this episode as a besotted and grieving husband. Guests: Alice Loxton, author of "Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England's Lost Queen" https://aliceloxton.com; John H...

Growing up in an unstable home with an alcoholic father, David Hudson questioned his own worth from an early age. Now a retired Salvation Army officer, Dave reflects on the mentors and experiences that helped him find his confidence and dedicate his life to helping others. https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/

Personal stories from an ethnobotanist who travels the world to find healing plants, a writer who conducted "frog church" as a child, and a biogeochemist who connects soil microbes to constellations of stars. Gems from past episodes of Constant Wonder that will speak to newcomers and longtime listeners alike! Guests: Sasha Reed, biogeochemist and USGS research ecologist https://www.usgs.gov/staff-...

Artifacts hundreds of years old are exposed on the shore of London's River Thames when the river's tide goes out. Mudlarks walk the banks, searching for fragments and relics that reveal stories long forgotten. Come walk along the river with us as we connect past and present, from the Roman era to the modern day. Guests: Flora Spiegel, editor and mudlark https://www.instagram.com/thankyou_rivertham...

When Shep the ranch dog discovered a mysterious rodent raiding his food dish, the canine forever changed the trajectory of the black-footed ferret species. Join us as we explore the precarious but wonderful lives of North America's only native ferret. We'll even take you along on a release of captive-born ferrets into the wild. Guests: Travis Livieri, founder and Executive Director of Prairie Wild...

When options for recess became limited during the pandemic, a group of children in Oak Park, Illinois created Leaf Town, a thriving metropolis made of fallen leaves and lost trinkets. Beth and Kathleen Rooney recount the rise, fall, and rebuilding of the little community and remind us of the value of imagination and attention to little things. Guests: Beth and Kathleen Rooney, authors of "Leaf Tow...

When Ava Chin went looking for the father who had abandoned her family, she discovered the rich and complicated legacy of her Chinese immigrant relatives. Her great-great-grandfather helped build the railroad that united America, but his adopted country soon turned against him, legislating the Chinese Exclusion Act. This episode of the Constant Wonder podcast explores how Ava Chin's family continu...

There’s a sea change happening . . . on land. People are rethinking what a garden is, what a yard is for, what urban green spaces can do to help life flourish. This visionary who promotes “more-wild-than-not” landscapes is a leader in redefining beauty. Rebecca McMackin grew up on a small farm in Connecticut, where her love for the natural world first took root. She spent a decade as Director of H...

Neurosurgeon Jay Wellons performs the most delicate surgeries on the traumatized brains of children, where every cut and stitch has life-changing consequences. He’s also an enthralling storyteller and a tireless advocate for his patients–a lesson he learned the hard way. Join us as he shares inspiring tales of his patients’ journeys. Guest: Jay Wellons, MD, Cal Turner Chair and Chief of Pediatric...

Octopuses, chickens, hummingbirds, turtles, emus... the list of animals that Sy Montgomery has befriended goes on. On Constant Wonder, we explore all sources of awe—human and wild—and in this episode we'll bring you exciting stories from both worlds. Guest: Sy Montgomery, naturalist and author of over thirty books, including "The True and Lucky Life of a Turtle" Find her online: Author page: https...

What happens when you combine a professional cellist's technical skill and a physicist's experiment with vibration sensors? You get a play-able beehive—a living collaboration between humans and animals. In this episode, learn about the beautiful and musical lives of bees. Guests: Professor Martin Bencsik of Nottingham Trent University Professional cellist Deirdre Bencsik Learn more about Martin Be...

After taking on the care of a beehive, Jessica Lahey quickly discovered that no amount of research could prepare her for the real buzz—like what happens when a hungry bear raids the hive. In this episode, Jess shares what it’s like to balance heartbreak and humor, protecting her bees while still finding empathy for the wild creatures that see them as a snack. Guest: Jessica Lahey, amateur beekeepe...

Giraffes don't like to swim, so how do you get them off an island that's flooding? How do keepers feed a violent, orphaned baby elephant that's been traumatized by humans? The answer is to think like an animal. Meet some empathetic rescuers who had to get creative to save the animals in their care. Guests: David O'Connor, President of Save Giraffes Now Ami Vitale, filmmaker and National Geographic...