Nature Guys

Bob finds out that not all snowflakes are unique. Bill remembers cutting out snowflakes in class after he walked though the snow to get to school. Bob hopes to take his grandson Drew to the hill he sledded down as a kid. Bill and Bob are excited to go out side and try to find different kinds of snowflakes. Our sources for this episode include: 15 Incredibly Cool Facts About Snow - http://mentalflo...

Bobʼs brother-in-law Al sends an email detailing his encounter with a groundhog in his garden. As Al found out groundhogs will put up a fight for garden vegetables. Our sources for this episode include: 9 Things You Didnʼt Know About Groundhogs - http://voices.nationalgeographic.org/2014/01/31/9-things-you-didnt-know-about-groundhogs Groundhogs in Your Garden - https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/...

Bob has a spider friend named Fred that does not survive a visit from relatives. These spiders can be really scary but they are pretty much harmless. They are also called fishing spiders and have interesting ways that they 'fish' for food. Our sources for this episode include: Big Spiders Are a Little Scary - http://bugoftheweek.com/blog/2012/8/16/big-spiders-are-a-little-scary-fishing-spiders-and...

We all live with house spiders! Find out why this is not such a bad thing. These little spiders have been living with humans for quite a long time. Our sources for this episode include: Bethany Barton's book "I'm Trying to Love Spiders" - http://www.bethanybarton.com/books Myth: Spiders bite sleeping persons - http://www.burkemuseum.org/blog/myth-spiders-bite-sleeping-persons 8 Facts about the mis...

Bill and Bob do their first podcast in front of a live audience at the amazing Roads Rivers and Trails store in Milford, Ohio (http://roadsriversandtrails.com/). Bill brought a bunch of bird feeders from Cincinnati Nature Center (http://www.cincynature.org/) and explains how to use them. Bob has a very special low cost bird 'feederʼ! Listen in to find out what Bill thinks about Bobʼs feeder. Also...

Bob has two plants growing in his backyard that Bill is not excited about. Bob decides it is finally time to do something about Winter Creeper and English Ivy. Join us to find out how and why these invasive plants are taking over. Our sources for this episode include: English Ivy: The Hazards and Removal Strategies - http://walamarestoration.org/resources/english-ivy-the-hazards-and-removal-strate...

Sassafras is a tree that produces a small blue fruit in the early fall. The fruit comes at the perfect time to help birds get ready for winter. This is a beautiful tree that has four different leaf shapes. Bill of course has a special word for trees that have different shape leaves. Our sources for this episode include: Sassafras Facts - http://www.softschools.com/facts/plants/sassafras_facts/1283...

If you are not a birder you might think the yellow-bellied sapsucker is a crazy made up name from some movie. Join us a we explore the world of this wonderful woodpecker. Our sources for this episode include: All About Birds - http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Yellow-bellied_Sapsucker/lifehistory#at_habitat Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Natures 7-11 - http://infinitespider.com/yellow-bellied-sapsuck...

Opossums are really cute or really ugly. It all depends on your point of view. They are great at killing ticks. So they might be a good thing to see in your neighborhood. Our sources for this episode include: 10 things you didnʼt know about opossums - http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/stories/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-opossums All About Opossums - http://www.wildliferescuerehab.com/all...

This is a tree that may show up in your neighborhood as a volunteer. It is a great food source for birds. You might even have an old pencil made from this tree. Our sources for this episode include: Eastern Redcedar - http://www.gpnc.org/eastern.htm Juniperus virginiana - http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=juvi Eastern Redcedar in the Landscape - http://vnps.org/eastern-red-cedar...

Carol emails Nature Guys about a problem with fox. Bill and Bob struggle to come up with an answer but are inspired to do a show on foxes. This is an animal that you can occasionally see in the daytime. You might even see a gray fox in a tree! Our sources for this episode include: Are Red Fox Native? http://www.dfwwildlife.org/foxes_th.pdf What Kind of Foxes Live in Ohio? http://animals.mom.me/kin...

Red tailed Hawks often do voiceovers in movies. Tune in to find out why hollywood loves this hawk. Bill shares some amazing hawk stories. Donʼt miss his last one about the hawk and the owl as Bill finds out it is not nice to fool Mother Nature. Visit our website http://www.natureguys.org for great photos thanks to John Howard. Our sources for this episode include: My Favorite Facts about the Red T...

This is a bird that Bill thinks should have a new name. When Bob moved into his neighborhood hawks were a big topic of conversation. Tune in to learn more about the red-shouldered hawk. Our sources for this episode include: Protective Hawks go on Attack http://www.ohio.com/akron/news/protective-hawks-go-on-attack-near-nest-in-akron Red-shouldered vs Red tailed Hawk http://ecobirder.blogspot.com/20...

Bob looks outside and notices that all the birds are suddenly gone from his bird feeders. He soon discovers the reason. A Cooper's Hawk is on the ground right next to the feeders. Learn all about this amazing bird in this episode. Our sources for this episode include: Kids' Inquiry of Diverse Species http://www.biokids.umich.edu/critters/Accipiter_cooperii/ 8 Interesting Facts about the Cooper's H...

Bobʼs grandson, Drew is excited to be dressed up as an eagle for Halloween. If you check out our website http://www.natureguys.org you will find a picture of Drew as an eagle. He did not want to paint his shoes yellow so we have the very special Blue Footed Bald Eagle. Tune in to find out all about this unique bird. Our sources for this episode include: How did the bald eagle become Americaʼs nati...

Even a naturalist can be a bit afraid of centipedes. There are plenty of reasons to welcome centipedes in your house. Bill can deal with them as long as they stay in the basement. Find out what bothers Bill about house centipedes and what these creatures are doing both inside and outside. Our sources for this episode include: House Centipedes http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/house-centiped...

The paw paw has the largest fruit of any native tree in the United States. Learn how to identify this tree and when you should go looking for the paw paw fruit. For most people paw paw is the best food that they have never eaten. Find out what parts of the paw paw you want to eat and those to leave alone. Spoiler alert! Do not eat the seeds they will make you throw up. Our sources for this episode...

Bill and Bob never saw deer when they were growing up in the 50s and 60s. This is an animal that many people now see on a regular basis. You may even see them in your neighborhood. Learn how to deal with them if you see them while driving. Find out what can happen if they lock antlers. Our sources for this episode include: Avoiding Deer Collisions http://www.geico.com/more/driving/auto/car-safety-...

Bill loves to smell millipedes! They have all kinds of interesting smells and they are easy to find. Join us to find out how many legs millipedes really have. This arthropod loves moisture and will sometimes find its way into your home. Turns out that monkeys have found some very interesting uses for these creatures. Our sources for this episode include: How to tell the Difference Between a Centip...

Join us as we explore the mysterious world of periodical cicadas. Our research for this episode was easy because we are lucky to have in Cincinnati a cicada expert. Gene Kritsky is a Professor of Biology at Mount St. Joseph University. We has written a book called "Periodical Cicadas The Plague and the Puzzle. He also has a website called MSJ Cicada Web Site (http://faculty.msj.edu/kritskg/cicada/...

Bill is on fire about moss! He even compares moss to his childhood haircut. Bob wonders if a rolling stone can gather moss. If you would like to know more about moss check out "Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses" by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Our sources for this episode include: Bryophyte - Importance Of Mosses - Peat, Producing, Cells, and Source - JRank Articles http://science.j...

Bob sees the movie Dunkirk. He is excited to find a possible connection to Dunkirk and Milkweed. Tune in to find out all about the plant that Monarch Butterflies just cannot live without.

Join us as we explore the amazing story of the Monarch Butterfly and Caterpillar. Bill will tell the story of what the Cincinnati Nature Center is doing to help out the Monarch. We will cover the life cycle and also the incredible story of migration.

This is a bird that likes to attack windows! Join us to find out why and what you can do about it.

Bill has a friend who sent an email with a picture that inspired this podcast. The picture is a large patch of a fairly rare plant called Indian Pipes. Learn more about three parasitic plants that you can look for on your next woodland hike.