Nature Guys

It seems everyone has a story about poison ivy. Greg and Bob share some of their favorite stories. They discuss the often overlooked benefits of poison ivy. They will also cover how to identify it and how to remove it from areas where you would likely encounter the plant. Our sources for this episode include: Poison Ivy Leaf Gall Mite by Joe Boggs Poison Ivy Rash Interesting Facts about Poison Ivy...

Bob chats with Doug Chadwick, the author of Four Fifths a Grizzly: A New Perspective on Nature that Just Might Save Us All . Doug has travelled the world writing for National Geographic . This amazing book caps a long career.  The source for this interview is Four Fifths a Grizzly: A New Perspective on Nature that just Might Save Us All published by Patagonia Books in June of 2021.

The Bug Chicks are in Bob's backyard to share the amazing story of how they got started.  Co-hosts Greg Torres and Chris Anderson (of Science Around Cincy ) join in the fun. Learn more about The Bug Chicks on their website: thebugchicks.com .

Tune in to find out the winners of our cicada contest. Check out all the wonderful entries on our Celebrating Cicadas page. Related episodes: Cicadas, 17 Years to Awesome and Cicadas are Kinda Cute Be sure to tune in next week for our special guests The Bug Chicks .

If you love hummingbirds, tune in to listen to Bob's conversation with John Shewey. His book, The Hummingbird Handbook , is filled with facts and practical tips to care for hummingbirds right in your own neighborhood.  Related episodes:  Hummingbirds , Bicycling with Butterflies with Sara Dykman , The Nature of Oaks with Doug Tallamy The source for this interview is The Hummingbird Handbook: Every...

Greg and Bob talk about wild ginger, a plant that makes a great native ground cover. You have to get down on your knees to see the flower. Who pollinates this flower that is hidden from view? Related episode: The Nature of Oaks with Doug Tallamy Our sources for this episode include: Don't Judge a Book by its Cover: The Curious Case of Wild Ginger Pollination Wild Ginger Caring For Wild Ginger: How...

Bob is excited to talk to Holly Merker about her wonderful book Ornitherapy For Your Mind Body Soul . Tune in to his conversation with Holly Merker and listen to the story of how birds saved Holly's life! The source for this interview is Ornitherapy by Holly Merker, Richard Crossley and Sophie Crossley

Charles Van Rees, Nature Guys Podcast's very own science guy, has a fascinating conversation with Kim McCoy about Kim's new book Waves and Beaches: The Powerful Dynamics of Sea and Coast by Willard Bascom and Kim McCoy published by Patagonia . Kim mentions salmon in the conversation. To learn more about salmon, check out Bob's interview with Mark Kurlansky in the episode Salmon are a Gift about Ma...

Gia and Bob are excited about the arrival of the 17 year periodic cicadas. We hope to inspire you to either love cicadas or maybe just hate them a little less. Bob and Gia share 17 cool things about cicadas. There is nothing to fear when the cicadas are here! Please listen to the episode to learn all about our contest to celebrate the cicadas! Email us your entry to info@natureguys.org. Related ep...

Bob reads an amazing new book Bicycling with Butterflies : My 10,201 Mile Journey Following The Monarch Migration . Tune in to his conversation with Sara Dykman, the first person to follow migrating monarch butterflies on her bicycle. Learn more about Sara and some of the lessons she learned on her nine month adventure from Mexico to Canada and back. Please check out Sara's website Beyond a Book ....

Charles and Bob discuss vernal pools. Bob has always been intrigued by vernal pools and with time at home due to the pandemic he decided to build one in his backyard. Learn about his first aquatic visitor the water strider. Also learn about an amazing creature that lives in a vernal pool at Cincinnati Nature Center . If you have not seen fairy shrimp be sure to check them out. Charles explains wha...

Greg Torres and Bob discuss one of the most important trees in Florida. The Red Mangrove is the protector from storms and provides safe harbor to many living things. Cheer on Greg who is competing in the 2021 Go Wild for Jeopar-Ding fund raiser that will premiere virtually on Wednesday, March 31, 2021 to support the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge . Check out related episodes on our W...

Bob chats with Doug Tallamy about his latest book The Nature of Oaks . The book shows you what to look for on and near oak trees every month of the year. Hear a few of the amazing stories of oaks. If you have or want oaks in your yard or just want to appreciate their irreplaceable role in the health of our environment this podcast will inspire you to learn more about this magnificent tree. Books b...

Gia and Bob discuss one amazing woodpecker. If you live or travel to the west make sure you check this woodpecker out. This episode is part of our Keystone Species series. Thanks to Christina Zorn for the great research! Related woodpecker episodes: Wow it's a Pileated Woodpecker , Downy Woodpeckers Support Their Mates , Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers Slurp Sap Keystone Species series: All About Alliga...

Charles and Bob discuss the Hooded Merganser. It is a duck that has some very un-duck like qualities. Related episodes:  Mallards Mate with Other Ducks ,  Firefighting Beavers ,  What It's Like to be a Bird with David Sibley ,  Erin Brockovich Our sources for this episode include: 10 Interesting Facts about the Hooded Mergansers The Cornell Lab All About Birds Hooded Merganser

Chris Clements of Imago joins Bob to talk about the Japanese concept of 72 seasons. Chris challenges us to go out and visit nature regularly in our own neck of the woods. See how it changes every few days. Try to come up with your own micro-season and give it an evocative name. Our sources for this episode include: Micro-seasons - Headspace YouTube video Japan's 72 Microseasons

Seeds have many ways to get out into the world. Greg shares fascinating strategies plants use to disburse seeds. Related episodes: Hedge Apples , Down Yonder in the Paw Paw Patch Our sources for this episode include: Falling Far from the Tree: 7 Brilliant Ways Seeds and Fruits Are Dispersed Daniel Janzen - Bio and Research The Ghosts Of Evolution: Nonsensical Fruit, Missing Partners, and Other Eco...

Gia and Bob are in Bob's backyard on a cold winter afternoon talking all about alligators. Alligators are a great American success story. Thanks to Christina Zorn for the great research! This episode is part of our Keystone Species series. Keystone Species series episodes: Firefighting Beavers Our sources for this episode include: Definition of Alligator Alligator Biology and Behavior JW Lang and...

Recently I ran across a title of a new book that peaked my interest. Curious to know more I did an Internet search and found out that this book is written by someone I think you may recognize. Erin Brockovich has become a household word thanks to a movie by the same name released in the year 2000. I got a hold of a copy of the book and after reading it realized it would be the perfect end to the w...

Charles Van Rees joins Bob to discuss the importance of freshwater and its relationship to biodiversity. This is part two of a three part series. Related episodes: What the Heck is Water Firefighting Beavers Salmon are a Gift Sit Spot Our sources for this episode include: WWF Living Planet Report 2018 Van Rees et al., 2020 - Safeguarding freshwater life beyond 2020 United Nations Water Development...

Charles Van Rees joins Bob to discuss something we can take for granted. Water is an amazing substance and Charles has some insights as to why it is essential to all life on earth. This is part one of a three part series on water and its importance to all living things on earth. Related episodes: So You Want to Be a Naturalist , Sycamores Can Be Huge Trees Our sources for this episode include: Wat...

It has been a challenging year for everyone including Nature Guys. Losing Bill Creasey in August was a loss for everyone who values connecting to the natural world. It would take a village of naturalists to replace him. Well we don't quite have a village but we have been able to assemble an amazing team to carry on the work of Nature Guys. Tune in to find out what Bob discovers at his sit spot. Th...

Awhile back my sister Suzanne called me. She was excited because a pair of mourning doves had nested on an upstairs window ledge of her house. As it happens I was reading David Sibley's book What It's Like to be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating, to Singing What Birds are Doing and Why. My sister is a great lover of books so I made her an offer I knew she could not refuse. I suggested that I...

Listeners often ask me what can you do to help out Nature Guys? This is our annual Giving Tuesday podcast and I have a very specific call to action for this episode. Donate what you can to a great organization that means a lot to Bob. Tune in to find out how you can donate. Our sources for this episode include: Imago Giving Tuesday Today's episode is sponsored by Cinfed Credit Union . You have que...

Witch Hazel is an amazing and strange plant. It took naturalists a long time to figure out what might pollinate it. Greg Torres, a very talented horticulturist, joins Bob to discuss a plant that you can find blooming in December. Our sources for this episode include: The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden by Rick Darke and Douglas Tallamy Bringing Nature Hom...