Nature's Archive Podcast

10/07/2025

Liam O'Brien's metamorphosis from stage actor to butterfly artist and lepidopterist is nothing short of extraordinary. And I recently had the great pleasure of spending time behind the mic with Liam, discussing his new book, Butterflies of the Bay Area and (Slightly) Beyond. 🦋🦋

We talk all-things butterflies, and while we get into the weeds of some California species and places, there is plenty to offer listeners everywhere. His story is remarkable, and the lessons of butterfly observation apply no matter where you live.

Thanks to , and himself.

08/07/2025

My latest interview is with Jocelyn Bosley! Environmental topics are complex and difficult to communicate - Jocelyn helps us with effective approaches and examples. To my surprise, sometimes it is best to LEAN IN to the complexity! Nature's Archive is on all of the podcast services.

03/30/2025

It's been awhile since I've posted a photo on IG and FB. It's not for lack of photos! Rather, time, poor engagement on static images (compared to stories), and some general grappling with the state of social media held me back. I can't say that I've come to any deep conclusions yet, so in the mean time I'll try to sprinkle some images into my feed again.

Starting with this one - a Mule Deer that wasn't particularly concerned with me. In fact, maybe it was taunting me with that tongue sticking out!? Either that or it just needed a good nose lick, as deer are known to do.

03/04/2025

Can we forecast earthquakes? Answer: partly yes! But don't think of it like your weather forecast.

Which part of the USA has the greatest risk for earthquake damage? Answer: surprisingly, it might be the eastern USA!

And what about "earthquake weather"? And did you know the Richter Scale was actually phased out years ago?

Learn about this, how and why earthquakes occur, and much more with earthquake geologist and science communicator extraordinaire Dr. Wendy Bohon, in the last episode of Nature's Archive Podcast! Check the comments for details. 👇👇

02/14/2025

Happy Valentine's Day to all the Lovebirds, Love Doves, and Bleeding Hearts out there! And to all you *people* too! Even if you are like me - a Grey Go-Away Bird or a Solitary Sandpiper.

02/01/2025

A Desert Cottontail's Ear is quite fascinating.

So, before the Cottontail, as you may have noticed, I haven't posted many photos (or much at all) the last couple of weeks. I've been generally questioning social media lately (well, people who know me know I've had long standing concerns with this medium).

Deciding to post here means passively agreeing with the algorithms that prioritize engagement over accuracy. Algorithms that achieve that goal by prioritizing enraging and angering content that divides people. Thankfully, we have *some* control by selecting who we follow and what we click on.

It's long been known and well documented that a material amount of the engagement on most social media networks (some more than others) are actually bots, many of which are run by international state-run organizations seeking to leverage these algorithms to further divide us. And in recent weeks, it has become clear that our own government has this same power, though in their case, propagandizing is the motive, and dividing us is just a byproduct.

I don't have the answers, but I am trying out 🟦sky, which seems to have better controls against these activities.

OK, so check out this Desert Cottontail! As cottontails go, they have very large ears, and you can see the veins that it can use for enhanced thermoregulation by dilated or constricting blood flow. These cottontails, unlike the eastern counterpart (see second photo) live in warmer climates where heat dissipation is more important. Just compare the two and you'll see for yourself!

I wrote more about this in my Nature's Archive newsletter - a brief, free (and spam-free) monthly offering that you can subscribe to on my website (see my links).

01/16/2025

Our latest Jumpstart Nature production landed this week!

There's a silent invasion happening across the world, even in your neighborhood. Invasive plants and animals are taking over, reducing nature's productivity, and hurting biodiversity.

Sometimes, we're unwitting co-conspirators, transporting plants, seeds, and insects when we travel, garden, hike, boat, or camp. Many common exotic garden plants easily escape the confines of your yard - plants like English ivy, tree of heaven, and more. Invasive plants and animals can threaten biodiversity, food supplies, and everything from baseball bats to wine. They can also increase wildfire risk and intensity.

It's overwhelming - but you CAN make a difference, and it is not as hard as you might think.

Learn how in the latest Jumpstart Nature podcast episode, featuring , Dr. Sara Kuebbing, Emelie Swackhamer, and of course, as your host.

01/15/2025

‼️NEW EPISODE ALERT ‼️

Two topics in one today: Acorn Woodpeckers and Acorn Masting!

Did you know that Acorn Woodpeckers can fly catch? They fly from a perch and catch insects on-the-wing. But they are perhaps best known for caching huge quantities of acorns.

But there is much more to this bird than that - they have a complex social structure, a wide variety of vocalizations, and much more that make them fascinating ecosystem engineers.

And if one discussions Acorn Woodpeckers, its impossible to avoid the topic of acorns. Have you ever noticed that some years oak trees produce huge quantities of acorns? This is called masting, and 2024 was a mast year in much of California.

Our guest in the latest podcast is perhaps the world's leading expert on Acorn Woodpeckers, and he studies the science of masting as well. Hear from Dr. Walt Koenig in the last Nature's Archive episode!

12/17/2024

Today I Learned...there is a World Magnetic Model that is periodically updated.

Of course, this makes sense. It's well known that Earth's magnetic field meanders constantly, and sometimes even flips entirely! That's right, the North and South poles can switch.

Evidence in the magnetic alignment of sub-sea rocks show that this happens roughly every 200,000-300,000 years. It has been 768,000 years since our last reversal. But don't read too much into that. Sometimes it takes millions of years to flip.

And a magnetic model is important for GPS and other navigation. Check it out:
https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/world-magnetic-model

One other thought - I've often wondered about what natural and man-made disruptions such a flip might cause. Will birds still migrate efficiently? The magnetic field helps deflect certain solar radiation - what happens when the poles are meandering through the middle latitudes? Some of these are answerable questions, but perhaps this would make a good Nature's Archive episode to explore in more detail.

11/14/2024

This is a lot of fun to look at. 150 countries, 7000+ cities reached with Nature's Archive in the last several months! Still a surprising number of people listening through the website.

Thanks to all of you for listening to and sharing Nature's Archive!

11/11/2024

Dr. Wilson was on my podcast earlier this year, discussing velvet ants. But, he's also a bee researcher, and mentioned this study in the episode. Watch the video. It's another considering in building wildlife-friendly roadways.

11/04/2024

🕷️🐞 Insects and arachnids...friends with special benefits. 😂

Learn about the amazing way these creatures help our gardens, homes, and the environment in general with our guest Kevin Wiener of !

Kevin's journey from pest control to bug advocate is packed with myth-busting insights and practical tips on overcoming fear and sustainable pest control. Discover how we can all transform fear into fascination with the bug world. 🌍✨

🎧 Listen now to dive into the amazing lives of insects and arachnids!

And be sure to join the All Bugs Go To Kevin Facebook group - a fun, informative, and bright community on Facebook. All Bugs Go to Kevin