Beyond Blathers

We figured it's time to catch up! This week, we're filling you in on what we've been up to this summer, from field work to a writing residency in the mountains! If you'd like to support the show please check out our Patreon to make a monthly donation and receive stickers and prints in the mail each month! And you can take a look at our merch store over on Etsy where we sell ado...

This week, Olivia sits down with Rachel Pizante to talk about hoverflies! Rachel is a PhD student at the University of Alberta where she studies pollinators. In this episode you’ll hear two bug nerds talking all about this amazing little bee mimic, sharing their research stories, and just getting way too excited about flies. If you'd like to support the show please check out our Patreon to ma...

This week, we're talking about an animal you might've seen today: the house fly! Fair warning, this might be the grossest episode we've recorded, but make sure to listen to learn more about this very common creature's life cycle, adaptations, and more! If you'd like to support the show please check out our Patreon to make a monthly donation and receive stickers and prints...

This week we’re so excited to be joined by returning guest and palaeontologist extraordinaire Adele Pentland to talk about the Pteranodon! Adele is a PhD candidate at Curtin University and a palaeontologist at the Australian Age of Dinosaurs Museum of Natural History. She also hosts the fabulous new podcast Pals in Palaeo. We had the best time talking to her about this iconic flying reptile and pt...

This week we’re celebrating Pride month with a special episode about the rainbowfish! Listen to learn more about these colourful fish, as well as hear some fun facts about sea creatures who defy the reproductive binary! If you'd like to support the show please check out our Patreon to make a monthly donation and receive stickers and prints in the mail each month! And you can take a look at ou...

This week we are so excited to be joined by Dr. Joe Hanson of PBS's Be Smart, one of our favourite science communication YouTube channels! We got to talk to Joe about plankton, their epic daily migration, his experience making Be Smart, and so much more!  Make sure to check out Be Smart on YouTube and watch the episode on diel migration here . And follow Joe on Twitter and Instagram !  If you...

This week we're talking about the beautiful, bioluminescent firefly squid! Listen to learn more about their iconic yearly migration, how they produce their gorgeous glow, and why they're so mysterious. If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store over on Etsy where we sell adorable animal stickers and postcards. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a ra...

This week we're talking about one of the most classic dinosaurs of all: the stegosaurus! Listen to learn more about their iconic back plates, small brains, and spiky tails. If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store over on Etsy where we sell adorable animal stickers and postcards. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a rating and review. To stay up to dat...

This week, we're talking about Cocos nucifera, or the coconut palm! Are palm trees actually trees? Where did coconut palms originate? Listen to learn more! If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store over on Etsy where we sell adorable animal stickers and postcards. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a rating and review. To stay up to date and see our wee...

This week we're talking about the spiny lobster! Listen to learn more about their life cycle, conservation, and the strange sound they make! If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store over on Etsy where we sell adorable animal stickers and postcards. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a rating and review. To stay up to date and see our weekly episode ill...

This week we're talking about cacti! Tune in to learn more about this amazingly diverse, exceptionally adapted order of plants. If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store over on Etsy where we sell adorable animal stickers and postcards. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a rating and review. To stay up to date and see our weekly episode illustrations, m...

This week, we're talking about the citrus long-horned beetle, a beautiful insect that can be pretty devastating to trees. Listen to learn more about this beetle's life cycle, how they impact trees, and a bit about pest management! If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store over on Etsy where we sell adorable animal stickers and postcards. Don't forget t...

In this special episode, Olivia shares her experience scuba diving for the first time and talks about the sea creatures, terrestrial critters, and birds she saw on her trip to Cancún, Mexico! If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store over on Etsy where we sell adorable animal stickers and postcards. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a rating and review. To...

This week we're joined by John Acorn the Nature Nut to talk about dragonflies! John is an accomplished researcher, author, science commutator, and instructor at the University of Alberta. He’s also one of Olivia’s thesis supervisors! Tune in to hear this very fun and informative conversation.  If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store over on Etsy where we sell...

This week we're sharing some amazing frog adaptations, including wild mating and parental care stories, gliding frogs, and more! We also talk a bit about frog conservation.  If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store over on Etsy where we sell adorable animal stickers and postcards. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a rating and review. To stay up to da...

This week we're continuing our series on frogs with this episode about frog physiology and ecology! How do frogs jump? How do they call? And why?? Listen to learn the answers to these questions and much more! If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store over on Etsy where we sell adorable animal stickers and postcards. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a...

This week we're kicking off our series on frogs with this episode on the tadpole (and frog eggs)! Many of us probably learned the frog life cycle in elementary school, but did you know tadpoles are actually incredibly diverse? Listen to learn more! If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store over on Etsy where we sell adorable animal stickers and postcards. Don&ap...

This week we're talking about one of our favourite sauropods, the Diplodocus! Listen to learn more about this very long dinosaur, its habitat, what it ate, and why it may have needed such a long neck and tail!  If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store over on Etsy where we sell adorable animal stickers and postcards. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us...

This week we're talking about a family of beetles that contains about 1,200 species! These insects can get BIG, with impressive mandibles. Listen to learn more about their ecology, reproduction, and why they need such big pincers anyway. If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store over on Etsy where we sell adorable animal stickers and postcards. Don't forget...

This week we're talking about the tiny killifish! Listen to hear all about their extremely hardy eggs, strange parasites, and the reason scientists love to use them for experiments! If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store over on Etsy where we sell stickers, sticker sheets, and postcards. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a rating and review. To stay...

Today we are celebrating the day of love by sharing our top 11 favourite facts about animal courting from the creatures we’ve talked about in this show, and  giving each one a completely arbitrary rating on their mating methods! Listen to hear stories of scorpion stings, pufferfish crop circles, and so much more! If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store over on Etsy...

This week we're talking about one of the insects that Olivia is studying for her master's research, the diving beetle! Listen to learn more about how these critters breathe, what they eat, and why their larvae sort of look like aliens! If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store over on Etsy where we sell stickers, sticker sheets, and postcards. Don't fo...

We're back with part two of our series on the octopus, nature's master of disguise and quite possibly the strangest, most amazing animal on the planet! Listen to hear tons of stories of this creature's amazing adaptations, shenanigans, distinct personalities, and more. If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store over on Etsy where we sell stickers, stick...

This week we're diving into the story of the octopus! Why do octopus have three hearts? Why do they have such short lifecycles? How do they reproduce? Tune in to learn more! If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store over on Etsy where we sell stickers, sticker sheets, and postcards. Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a rating and review. To stay up to d...

This week we're talking about the sweet shrimp, AKA the northern shrimp, northern prawn,   pink shrimp, deepwater prawn, etc. Listen to learn more about the difference between shrimp and prawns, northern shrimp conservation, and how much Olivia thinks shrimp costs at the grocery store. If you'd like to support the show, please check out our merch store over on Etsy where we sell stickers...