NaturallyScott

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Scott sits down with Steve Mietz , President & CEO of Save the Redwoods League , for an extraordinary conversation about Redwoods, Sequoias, wildfire, tribal stewardship, and the future of America’s greatest forests. Steve traces his journey from Eagle Scout in New Jersey to environmental economist at Cornell, to a lifelong career across the National Park Serv...

Send us Fan Mail From the Inside Passage of Alaska to the gray-whale nurseries of Baja and the volcanic shores of the Galápagos, expedition leader Taylor Butz has lived a life most nature lovers only dream about. In this episode of Naturally Scott , Taylor joins Scott from Neah Bay after a morning surf session—Starlink on the beach and gray whales cruising just offshore. Together they dive into:  ...

Send us Fan Mail For more than three decades, Dr. Jerry Lorenz has been a voice for the Everglades — a scientist, teacher, and lifelong birder who helped lead Florida Audubon’s fight to restore one of the world’s most endangered ecosystems. In this conversation with Scott Harris , Jerry takes us deep into the story of the Everglades, its estuaries, and the pink-winged residents that symbolize both...

Send us Fan Mail Sophie Osborn never expected to spend her life saving birds. With degrees in French literature and international relations, she seemed destined for diplomacy — not a tent in grizzly country, hand-raising peregrine falcons on the edge of extinction. In this powerful and moving conversation with Scott Harris , Sophie shares her extraordinary path from the University of Pennsylvania...

Send us Fan Mail Susie Spikol is an author, naturalist, and lifelong believer in wonder — a woman who bridges the world of science and story with grace and joy. In this charming and heartfelt conversation with Scott Harris , Susie explores how imagination and curiosity can reconnect us — and our children — to the natural world. From her beloved books The Book of Fairies and Forest Magic for Kids t...

Send us Fan Mail Cherryl Connally is a lifelong naturalist, birder, and educator who has spent decades helping people slow down, look closer, and rediscover wonder in the ordinary. In this thoughtful and heartfelt conversation with Scott Harris , Cherryl shares stories from her life in nature — from childhood birding adventures to her work connecting communities with the outdoors. 🕊️ Highlights in...

Send us Fan Mail Doug Peacock has lived a life few could imagine — from serving as a Green Beret medic in Vietnam, to spending decades alone among grizzlies in the wilds of Yellowstone, Glacier, and beyond. A lifelong author, filmmaker, and conservationist, Doug’s story is one of survival, humility, and fierce love for the wilderness. In this intimate and powerful conversation with Scott Harris ,...

Send us Fan Mail Some people see the natural world. Others listen to it. Al Batt — writer, speaker, humorist, and lifelong Minnesotan — has spent decades doing both. In this heartfelt and hilarious conversation with Scott Harris , Al shares the gentle wisdom and wild humor that have made his newspaper columns and radio shows beloved across the Midwest. 🪶 Highlights include: 🐿️ Outsmarted by squir...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when a philosopher and musician listens to the world — and then plays back? David Rothenberg is a clarinetist, composer, and philosopher at the New Jersey Institute of Technology whose groundbreaking work explores the deep connections between music, sound, and the natural world . He’s performed live with birds, whales, and insects , written classic books like Why Bird...

Send us Fan Mail Few people have done more to protect the birds of the Americas than Mike Parr , President of the American Bird Conservancy . In this conversation, Mike joins Scott Harris to explore the breathtaking landscapes of the Tropical Andes , the vital link between birding and conservation , and how ecotourism can transform local economies while protecting critical habitats. From ground-cu...

Send us Fan Mail Few artists see the world like Matt Patterson . A lifelong wildlife illustrator and painter, Matt brings to life the hidden world of turtles, reptiles, and amphibians—creatures too often overlooked but central to the ecosystems around us. In this episode, Scott Harris talks with Matt about his lifelong love of nature, his creative process, and his collaboration with New York Times...

Send us Fan Mail Few people have shaped modern ornithology like Dr. John Fitzpatrick , the longtime Director of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and one of the visionaries behind eBird and Merlin . In this conversation, Scott Harris sits down with Fitz to explore the global transformation of birding—from field notebooks and film cameras to the data-driven citizen-science revolution that connects mil...

Send us Fan Mail Peter Kaestner has lived one of the most extraordinary birding lives on Earth. From his early adventures as a teenager in India to his years in the Peace Corps, Peter went on to serve as a U.S. diplomat across the globe—while quietly becoming the first person in history to see 10,000 bird species . In this conversation, he joins Scott Harris to share stories from jungles and mount...

Send us Fan Mail In this continuation of Scott Harris’ conversation with bestselling author and naturalist Scott Weidensaul , we dive deeper into the breathtaking world of bird migration — the science, the mystery, and the fragile magic that connects continents through flight. From radar tracking and satellite tags to the sheer endurance of warblers, godwits, and Arctic terns, this discussion expl...

Send us Fan Mail Scott Weidensaul joins Naturally Scott to dive deep into the astonishing world of bird migration — from tiny warblers crossing oceans to owls riding the jet stream and the science that’s still unfolding. Scott is a Pulitzer Prize finalist, field researcher, and author of A World on the Wing and Living on the Wind , two of the most influential books ever written on migration and th...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Naturally Scott , Scott Harris sits down with Hob Osterlund — writer, nurse, and founder of the Kauaʻi Albatross Network. Hob shares her lifelong connection with the Laysan albatross , the extraordinary birds who nest on Kauaʻi, and what these seabirds can teach us about resilience, community, and hope. We explore: The beauty and mystery of the albatross and the...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Naturally Scott , Scott Harris is joined by acclaimed writer, artist, and naturalist Julie Zickefoose . Julie has spent a lifetime capturing the beauty of birds and wildlife through both her art and her stories, and she brings that same passion and curiosity to this conversation. Together, Scott and Julie explore: The intersection of art and conservation Memorab...

Send us Fan Mail Bracken Cave Preserve outside San Antonio is home to 15–20 million Mexican free-tailed bats , the largest bat colony on Earth and the densest concentration of mammals in the world. Fran Hutchins of Bat Conservation International joins Scott Harris to share the astonishing story of Bracken Cave — from batnados spiraling into the sky, to flesh-eating beetles deep inside the guano-fi...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Naturally Scott , host Scott Harris welcomes Christian Cooper —birder, writer, Emmy Award–winning TV host, and New York Times bestselling author. Chris shares the thrill of finally spotting his long-sought great gray owl in Wyoming, the joy of spring migration in Central Park, and the myth he wrote to explain the fiery beauty of the Blackburnian warbler. He reca...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Naturally Scott , Scott Harris talks with birder, cyclist, and author Dorian Anderson about his extraordinary journey from addiction to recovery, and from molecular biology to a life centered on birding. Dorian shares how he rediscovered his passion for birds after getting sober, culminating in a self-powered “Big Year” where he biked across America without usin...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Naturally Scott , Scott Harris sits down with legendary birder Bruce Barrett. Since 1973, Bruce has logged nearly 900 bird species in the ABA area—more than anyone else in history. But his story is about more than birds: he’s a mathematician, a world traveler, and a husband who’s shared 57 years of marriage with his non-birder wife. Together they’ve explored the...

Send us Fan Mail This week on NaturallyScott , Scott Harris is joined by Lynn Scarlett —former Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, lifelong conservationist, and a woman with stories as wild as the places she’s worked. In this episode, Lynn shares: What it’s like to lie in the sand at night collecting eggs from a leatherback turtle The awe of standing on Midway Island, surround...

Send us Fan Mail This week on NaturallyScott , Scott Harris sits down with Ted Cheeseman—naturalist, explorer, and co-founder of HappyWhale . From his childhood growing up in the Santa Cruz Mountains to decades of guiding Antarctic expeditions, Ted has lived a life surrounded by wildlife. In 2015, he and Ken Sutherland launched HappyWhale, a citizen science project that uses photographs to identif...

Send us Fan Mail Wayne Klockner has been birding for more than 60 years — from his spark bird, a humble Dark-eyed Junco in New Jersey, to chasing the holy grail of raptors, the Harpy Eagle, deep in Panama’s Darién jungle. In this episode, Wayne joins Scott to share stories from a lifetime in conservation: Growing up birding alone in the farm fields of New Jersey A 38-year career with The Nature Co...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of NaturallyScott , Scott Harris sits down with Dr. J. Drew Lanham — poet, author, wildlife biologist, and Distinguished Professor at Clemson University. Drew shares his unique perspective on birding, conservation, and culture, weaving together history, identity, and the natural world. From conversations with Audubon and Thoreau, to teaching “conservation and cultu...