Walkin' on the Wild Side

It's time for another episode and we dedicate this podcast to our friend Donna down in the Lowcountry!  She adores vultures, so Gabrielle and I dug deep (ew!) and had a front porch chat about the amazing and incredibly necessary turkey and black vultures.  Cleaning up dead animals, stopping disease in its tracks, and providing comic relief, these birds are social, personable, and intelligent....

A podcast request by Gabrielle!  We were talking about stories behind some plant names and she thought it would be a good podcast, so here we are!  Some plants get their names for obvious reasons, like pink lady slippers or sunflowers, but some have such unique names, it makes you wonder how they got their names.  Join Marvin and Gabrielle on the front porch to play the name game and explore the h...

Van Halen is the perfect song for jumping spiders, lol!  Join Marvin and Gabrielle on the porch as they talk about the amazing jumping spider, and I'm sure you will be able to tell Marvin is pretty excited!  These little spiders look comical, have cute faces, but in actuality, they are an incredibly complex, amazing, and fascinating.  They have incredible jumping abilities, process complex in...

Ahhhh....summer!  Nothing reminds us more of summer than the humming, buzzing, and deafening sound of the cicada.  Join Marvin and Gabrielle on the front porch to chat about one of the most amazing, misunderstood, and magical cicadas.  Learn about the life cycle of the insects, how often they appear, and when the next big emergence may take place! Here's some more interesting information abou...

Every year we look forward to a short 2-4 weeks in the late spring to experience the amazing blue ghost fireflies.  This year, not only did I get to take Gabrielle with me, but also our good friends and fellow explorers, Jody Wilbanks and Michelle Owens.  Join Gabrielle, Jody, Michelle, and myself for a late night  in the forests of DuPont State Forest as we delve into the darkness to experience t...

I'm pretty sure most lawn people get upset with moles digging in their yards, but moles actually help your lawn by aerating, eating grubs, worms, insects, etc.  It's a common myth that they eat your roots of your garden plants, but that's untrue, and moles are more beneficial than detrimental.  Join Marvin and Gabrielle as they dig a little deeper and chat about the underground worl...

For this episode, we had an opportunity to visit Seward, Alaska for a few days before a conference and we made the most of it!  We burned up the Seward Highway and beyond as we searched for whales, sea otters, snow-capped mountains, eagles, seals, and were hot on the trail of the elusive Aurora borealis.  Join Gabrielle and Marvin from the front deck of their little cliffside cabin overlooking Sew...

It's raining outside and what a perfect time to chat about salamanders.  Join Marvin and Gabrielle as they chat about the slimy critters called salamander.  These complex little amphibians are very interesting and many just don't realize how common they are are how fascinating these slimy but special salamanders really are!  Check out these websites for more about salamanders: https://ww...

You may have heard folks talk about how smart crows are, but really...just how smart are they?  Join Marvin and Gabrielle on the porch as they talk about some of the incredible displays of intelligence by crows and other corvids.  They are some of the most studied birds and there are some amazing examples of crow smarts that put them on par with monkeys, apes, and even humans! Here are some resour...

Hey everyone, I know it may not seem like it, but spring is on the way!  One thing we are ready to see go away are all the brown stink bugs!  Hundreds of them and we're not the only ones!  Join Marvin and Gabrielle and share in our frustration of an invasive species of stink bug who's population is exploding!  If you aren't dealing with brown marmorated stink bugs, you will soon...l...

Our recent travels to Minnesota and the chance to see ermine and pine marten kinda made us think, what about our own weasels here in the South?  Join Marvin and Gabrielle as we talk about the frenetic world of the long-tailed weasel (Mustela/Neogale frenata).  Learn about this  little predator, who, pound for pound has been called the most ferocious predator in the woods and capable of taking down...

Welcome back to Walkin' on the Wild Side and we have a special podcast in store!  For this episode, Gabrielle and Marvin head up to the great white North, to Sax Zim Bog in northern Minnesota.  This amazing place is an incredible mix of habitats that attract a whole host of boreal species such as northern owl species, winter finches, and a diversity of other critters like ermine, snowshoe har...

Marvin is flying' solo on this podcast, but he happens to be talking about one of his favorite plants, the skunk cabbage.  Why?  Well, believe it or not, the skunk cabbage is an amazing plant for many reasons, but it is one of the few plants that can generate heat!  Join Marvin for an enlightening pod cast about a strange, but special plant that lives up to it's name, but is so much more...

Welcome 2023 and this episode, join Marvin and Gabrielle on the front porch to chat about the wildcat of the woods, the bobcat!  Hear stories, listen to observations and experiences with these cats, and learn about the habits, habitats, and interesting biology of this fascinating feline... Here are some websites about bobcats: SCDNR Bobcat page The Nature Conservancy Bobcat Page 25 fascinating fac...

Happy New Year and welcome to 2023!  We'll kick of another year of Walkin' on the Wild Side by ushering in the "year of the rabbit" on the Chinese calendar.  Join Gabrielle and Marvin and learn some pretty interesting facts about rabbits found in the Southeastern US.  Many folks don't realize that there are multiple species of rabbits in our area, so take a listen and disc...

For many folks, like Gabrielle and I, when you think of playful critters, the amazing otter comes to mind.  These playful and cute members of the weasel family always look like they are having fun, and they probably are, but they are also amazingly adapted to the semiaquatic lifestyles they lead.  Incredibly smooth and agile in the water, these little carnivores not only are physically adapted to...

Coyotes are nearer than you think and chances are, whether you live in the city or the country, you probably have a population of coyotes nearby.  Join Gabrielle and I as we talk about this native canid, how it spread to just about every ecosystem in North America, how it survived incredible and reckless efforts to extirpate it, some amazing facts about this adaptable and intelligent "prairie...

Turkeys have always been associated with Thanksgiving, but how much do you know about this under appreciated and amazing bird?  Join Marvin and Gabrielle as they talk a little turkey about this large bird that almost became extinct, but bounced back and is once again strutting' their stuff and gracing our landscapes with their bubbly call and prehistoric-like silhouettes.  Happy Thanksgiving!...

Happy Halloween!  This episode features on of the more creepy, fearsome, but definitely beneficial spiders in the Southeast.  Join Gabrielle and Marvin to learn about this large spider, learn how to recognize them, and learn just how CREEPY they can be!  That's not to say they are not beneficial and take care of a lot of pests, but hey, it's HALLOWEEN, right? To learn more about wolf spi...

The West Highland Way is definitely a walk on the wild side, for sure!  Join Marvin and Gabrielle as they chat about their latest adventure, a 96 mile hike in the highlands of Scotland in 8 days and over a 10,000 ft. elevation gain!  Join us from Scotland and London as we cover all the bases of flora, fauna, food, and fun, as well as experiences that highlighted a special birthday trip for Gabriel...

Bats are often misunderstood and underappreciated, but hopefully, after these podcasts, you'll change your mind!  Join Marvin and Gabrielle for a WINDY night on the front porch as we chat with special guest Trevor Walker, wildlife biologist and current Lead Bat Technician with SCDNR.  We'll share our enthusiasm for the beauty and diversity of bats as Trevor shares his passion and knowled...

Bats are often misunderstood and underappreciated, but hopefully, after these podcasts, you'll change your mind!  Join Marvin and Gabrielle on a windy night on the front porch as we chat with special guest Trevor Walker, wildlife biologist and current Lead Bat Technician with SCDNR.  We'll share our enthusiasm for the beauty and diversity of bats as Trevor shares his passion and knowledg...

Groundhogs, woodchucks, whistle pigs, land beaver, or mouse bears...no matter what you call 'em, groundhogs are pretty interesting rodents.  Join Marvin and Gabrielle as they chat about groundhogs, their biology, peculiar habits, and some history and holidays associated with this magnificent marmot! *CORRECTION - We incorrectly stated Staten Island Chuck, but Staten Island Chuck  was not the...

Lizards are all around us and not only are fun to watch, but also play a very important role in our ecosystems and around our homes with insects and household pests.  Join Marvin and Gabrielle to learn about the different lizards of the Southeast and their role in our natural world! Here's a few websites and resources to click on and learn more: https://srelherp.uga.edu/lizards/index.htm http...

Nature is full of surprises and you never know what you're going to see.  In th e case of this episode, we found a pair of scissor-tailed flycatchers,  living and nesting nearby and had a lot of fun running around trying to photograph these spectacular birds!  Join Marvin and Gabrielle to learn more about this surprising bird that, in the field guides, "ain't supposed to be here&quo...