NaturallyScott

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...

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...