Wait Five Minutes

I sat down with non-fiction author (and one of my favorites) Mary Roach to talk about her new book FUZZ: WHEN NATURE BREAKS THE LAW as well as how she got her start as a writer, the ways she finds interesting people to chat with, and the animals of Florida that dazzle us both.

The lines between human and animal spaces are constantly blurred. That's exactly what the new book, FUZZ: WHEN NATURE BREAKS THE LAW by Mary Roach, is all about. Our guest this week is Mary Roach as we discuss pests, invasive species, and the complicated ways we manage our animals. Get your WFM Merch at  Cast & Clay Co.  on Etsy! Go to the  Wait Five Minutes website  for more!   Read more about th...

It's suspected that nearly a thousand manatees will have died in Florida by the end of this year. That is already the largest number of manatees deaths in a year in Florida history. This week, we chat with Max Chesnes of the TCPalm about the manatees, the Indian River Lagoon, and the fight to protect our seagrass.  Get your WFM Merch at  Cast & Clay Co.  on Etsy! Go to the  Wait Five Minutes websi...

In the early days of East Florida, the new British governor and his lieutenant were set the task to create a public road for those living along the east coast. Fighting back Florida's nature proved a task no one was ready to face. Get your WFM Merch at  Cast & Clay Co.  on Etsy! Go to the  Wait Five Minutes website  for more!   Read more about the King's Road right here!   Listen to more about 18t...

In the 1930s, as part of the New Deal, Franklin Roosevelt started a program called the Civilian Conservation Corps. It brought new jobs to young working men, but also changed the way Americans looked at the nature around them.  Get your WFM Merch at  Cast & Clay Co.  on Etsy! Go to the  Wait Five Minutes website  for more!   Thank you to Neil Maher for his assistance in the creation of this episod...

Along the Chipola River in northern Florida, a spectral bride wanders the swamps. She is part of a grand tradition of ghost stories, one that stretches around the world, one that can tell us a lot about our histories. Get your WFM Merch at  Cast & Clay Co.  on Etsy! Go to the  Wait Five Minutes website  for more!   Thank you Elizabeth Randall for taking the time to chat. Check out her book about t...

The Carolina Parakeet was on the brink of extinction when the father of ornithology went hunting for them in Florida.   This week, we chat with Michelle Nijhuis, author of Beloved Beasts , about conservation through history, the complexity of those leading the cause, and how we carry the ideas from the past into our future. Get your WFM Merch at  Cast & Clay Co.  on Etsy! Go to the  Wait Five Minu...

Today, to kick off our Conservation Season, we chat with Toni Westland, Supervisory Refuge Ranger for J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island. We discuss birds, manatees, viewfinders, Aldo Leopold, duck stamps, cute rats and the importance of getting out in nature.  Get your WFM Merch at  Cast & Clay Co.  on Etsy! Go to the  Wait Five Minutes website  for more!   Plan your v...

This is the prologue to the Conservation Season, where we'll spend all autumn talking about the nature of Florida and the experts fighting to protect it.  Get your WFM Merch at  Cast & Clay Co.  on Etsy! Go to the  Wait Five Minutes website  for more!   Featuring clips from: Michelle Nijhuis, Author Neil Maher, Professor Max Chesnes, Journalist Toni Westland, Ranger

The Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow was Walt Disney's greatest dream: a city focused on innovation and problem-solving. When the Magic Kingdom opened in Orlando, Florida, EPCOT was part of that original design -- until it wasn't. Thank you to  A Trombo Creative  for sponsoring this season of Wait Five Minutes!  Book your first appointment here! Get your WFM Merch at  Cast & Clay Co.  ...

The Land Boom swept through Florida in the 1920s, and big dreams soon followed. Hollywood tried to make a mark on the Sunshine State, but the tides of history had other plans. Thank you to  A Trombo Creative  for sponsoring this season of Wait Five Minutes!  Book your first appointment here! Get your WFM Merch at  Cast & Clay Co.  on Etsy! Go to the  Wait Five Minutes website  for more!   Thank yo...

The Havana Sugar Kings were a unique minor league team in the time they existed, in the way they came to be, in the way they reached their ending, and the way they are still being remembered. Thank you to  A Trombo Creative  for sponsoring this season of Wait Five Minutes!  Book your first appointment here! Get your WFM Merch at  Cast & Clay Co.  on Etsy! Go to the  Wait Five Minutes website  for...

A collection of wood-carved birds. The unique stylings of racing cars through the generations. An island retreat for newlyweds. We're nearing the end of summer, so it's time to collect some stories from the season that we couldn't fit in before -- and celebrate the museums that tell the tales.  Thank you to  A Trombo Creative  for sponsoring this season of Wait Five Minutes!  Book your first appoi...

In the summer of 1998, a perfect storm of environmental conditions led to Florida's ecosystem facing a dire situation. How does a wildfire begin? How do we prevent them? How did the firestorm change the way we think about fire? Thank you to  A Trombo Creative  for sponsoring this season of Wait Five Minutes!  Book your first appointment here! Get your WFM Merch at  Cast & Clay Co.  on Etsy! Go to...

All across Florida, from the Keys to the Panhandle, people have been finding their own version of Bigfoot. The Skunk Ape hides in all of our forests and, if the stories presented within are true, some of us have found evidence of them. Thank you to  A Trombo Creative  for sponsoring this season of Wait Five Minutes!  Book your first appointment here! Get your WFM Merch at  Cast & Clay Co.  on Etsy...

Our beaches are unique, a defining characteristic of our entire ecosystem. What sets them apart? What unites them? For the three year anniversary of Wait Five Minutes, we talk to Dr. Beach about his iconic Top Ten Beaches list, his origins in the field, and humanity's draw to our coasts. Thank you to  A Trombo Creative  for sponsoring this season of Wait Five Minutes!  Book your first appointment...

At the turn of the 20th century, rich adventurers would roar down the sands of Daytona Beach in motorized vehicles. Over the following several decades, the sport grew, from land speed records to the very first NASCAR race. Thank you to  A Trombo Creative  for sponsoring this season of Wait Five Minutes!  Book your first appointment here! Get your WFM Merch at  Cast & Clay Co.  on Etsy! Go to the ...

After the massive success of Jaws in 1975, sequels were quickly put into production. Two of the three sequels were partially filmed in Florida and, though they are less than perfect, they can teach us a lot about creating -- and failure. Thank you to  A Trombo Creative  for sponsoring this season of Wait Five Minutes!  Book your first appointment here! Get your WFM Merch at  Cast & Clay Co.  on Et...

Florida is mostly coastline, and for centuries, our lighthouses guided sailors to safety. Today, they are falling into antiquity. Despite that, an organization of vigilant enthusiasts are trying to keep the lights lit. Thank you to  A Trombo Creative  for sponsoring this season of Wait Five Minutes!  Book your first appointment here! Get your WFM Merch at  Cast & Clay Co.  on Etsy! Go to the  Wait...

As Prohibition came to the United States, the people of the Florida Keys fought back. With their knowledge of the waters and their proximity to neighboring countries, the Keys became a hub of all sorts of rum running characters -- and dangerous consequences.   Thank you to  A Trombo Creative  for sponsoring this season of Wait Five Minutes!  Book your first appointment here! Get your WFM Merch at ...

When the sun sinks to the edge of the horizon, incredible things are happening. The environment is telling us about itself, and all we have to do is look up and see. Thank you to A Trombo Creative for sponsoring this season of Wait Five Minutes! Book your first appointment here! Get your WFM Merch at Cast & Clay Co. on Etsy! Go to the Wait Five Minutes website for more!   Thank you to Steve Corfid...

In January of 1985, a blizzard struck the city of Buffalo, New York. The mayor had an unusual suggestion on how to get through it. Three Buffalonians made a vow to never spend a winter in the snow again.  Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the show at  wfmpod@gmail.com ! Read more about the Six-Pack Storm right here!...

An epilogue for season six - of haunted hallways, familiar songs, and the buildings we leave behind.  Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the show at  wfmpod@gmail.com !   Songs Streetlight Silent Film Good Thoughts Hear more music from Lobo Loco here!

When the Florida Keys became the Conch Republic, there was only really one person who could be their ambassador: Monroe County Mayor, and True Conch, Wilhelmina Harvey. This is her story. Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the show at  wfmpod@gmail.com !   Thank you so much to Tom Hambright! Check out more from the M...

One spring day, in 1982, the Florida Keys seceded from the United States and formed the Conch Republic. Centuries of history led up to that moment, involving our neighbors in the Bahamas and Cuba. How did the Conchs get their name, and what even is a conch in the first place? Follow Wait Five Minutes on Twitter Follow Wait Five Minutes on Instagram Follow Wait Five Minutes on Facebook Email the sh...