Constant Wonder

Get to know BBC personality and naturalist Mike Dilger, from his passion for birds and wildlife, to his adventures in the cloud forests of Ecuador. In this podcast episode, we explore Mike's early experiences with birdwatching, his quest to find 1,000 different plant species in a single year, and his heartwarming proposal story, involving a ladder, a ring, and some chickens. Mike Dilger celebrates the natural world with contagious enthusiasm. Guest: Mike Dilger, BBC presenter and author of "One Thousand Shades of Green" Episode originally aired April 19, 2023

Enjoy an audio advent calendar with a short episode every day from December 1 through Christmas. Each episode invites thoughtful reflection on the season, inspired by nature’s miraculous phenomena (from a turtle hibernating through the cold of winter to an ermine that teaches a writer forgiveness) as well as music and art traditionally connected with the biblical story of the Nativity. Advent is a series from the Constant Wonder podcast, produced by BYUradio.

In 1938, two botanists from Michigan challenge the raging Colorado River in pursuit of cactus, the first known women to run the river through the Grand Canyon. An entertaining but little-known tale of resilience and beauty at the edge of the impossible. Episode originally aired September 9, 2023. Guest: Melissa Sevigny, author of "Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon." Thanks to Lew Steiger for allowing us to use his recordings of Lois Jotter's recollections. Kyle Remand, Ryan Clark, Brian Tanner, Eric Glissmeyer, Audrey Hughes, Kristi Lindstrom, Becca Hurley, and Barry Squires voiced the various roles.

A story of human triumph: A young child is rescued from life on the streets, fostered, and mentored. He chases a dream to play classical music, and now as a mentor himself, he encourages others to dream big. With humility and humor, Richard Antoine White shares his unique journey. A favorite episode reprise, originally posted October 12, 2022. Guest: Richard Antoine White, author of "I'm Possible: A Story of Survival, a Tuba, and the Small Miracle of a Big Dream"; principal tubist for the Santa Fe Symphony and the New Mexico Philharmonic; Associate Professor of Tuba/Euphonium at the University of New Mexico

A widowed mother's secrets haunted her young boys' lives. When Philip Yancey discovered the truth about his father's death at age 23, he had to reframe his entire understanding of his family's past. Eventually, he would overcome skepticism and cynicism to embrace a career as an inspirational writer and journalist, in which he has won the hearts of millions. Guest: Philip Yancey, author of "Where the Light Fell: A Memoir" and "What’s So Amazing About Grace?"

Can one local map offer a lifetime of adventure? Alastair Humphreys embarks on a quest to discover the hidden marvels of his London neighborhood. As a National Geographic explorer, he has rowed across the Atlantic, biked around the world, and run a marathon in the Sahara—but he still loves to find the ordinary, wondrous things right under our noses. Guest: Alastair Humphreys, National Geographic Explorer and author, "Local: A Search for Nearby Nature and Wildness"

Unexpected wonder from Arctic encounters with beluga whales, wolves, grizzlies, and polar bears. Adventurer Jonathan Waterman shares four decades of experience on the ice, and he explores the emerging beauty of a warming ecosphere. Guest: Jonathan Waterman, author of "Into the Thaw: Witnessing Wonder Amid the Arctic Climate Crisis"

A story of passion, persistence, and a barely plausible sea creature. Experts insisted that seahorses couldn't live in cold water off the coasts of Devonshire, England or Long Beach, California. Then two scuba divers proved them wrong. Guests: Neil Garrick-Maidment, Founder of The Seahorse Trust Roger Hansen, scuba instructor and retired high school teacher

This astronaut never took the stunning view from the Space Station for granted, even after 100 days in space. Life lessons for earthlings: behave like a crewmate, not a passenger, on this planet. That's the message Nicole Stott has been sharing ever since her return. And she gives particular insight into the healing effects of art and space on sick and traumatized children. Guest: Nicole Stott, retired NASA astronaut; author of "Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet?And Our Mission to Protect It"; Founding Director of the Space for Art Foundation

When Scottish peregrine falcon chicks were stolen, George Smith used DNA to reveal the smugglers' crimes and return the birds to grateful peregrine parents. Also in this episode, we meet a California peregrine matriarch named Annie, whose engaged parenting approach has met with unusual success. Guests: Lynne Schofield and Sean Peterson, visiting biology professors at St. Olaf's College and ornithologists with Cal Falcons George Smith, Peregrine Coordinator for the Scottish Raptor Study Group

Bright hope for cystic fibrosis and progeria patients. Francis Collins gives a wide-ranging interview: the sequencing of the human genome; life-changing treatments for genetic diseases; how he astonished himself when he began to question his atheism; wrestling with the way his team at the NIH handled the Covid pandemic. All part of his journey on the "Road to Wisdom." Guest: Francis Collins, former Director of the National Institutes of Health; founder of BioLogos; author of "The Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith, and Trust"

Plants are sentient. It's not just animals that think. Able to choose, they detect problems, find nutrients, and defend themselves. Guest: Zoë Schlanger, science writer for The Atlantic and author of "The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth"

Bringing the wonders of the natural world to the curious kids in your life, Constant Wonder KIDS is the podcast that turns everyday moments into extraordinary adventures! This new show from Constant Wonder shares fascinating facts and true stories about amazing people doing incredible things in nature. Join us as we explore the playful side of octopuses who enjoy toys like Lego bricks. Dive into the ocean with whale sharks and meet one who has an unexpectedly friendly personality. Or cheer for tiny athletes at the International Hedgehog Olympic Games. Each episode of Constant Wonder KIDS is a bite-sized story taken from its parent podcast, Constant Wonder. Perfect for road trips, bedtime listening, or when your brain’s got an itch that needs to be scratched.

When she realized that her father had become a voice for the scattered Hmong people, Kao Kalia Yang—who'd refused to speak English for 20 years—found the courage to do the same. Guest: Kao Kalia Yang, author of "Where Rivers Part," "The Song Poet," and "The Latehomecomer"

Lyme disease keeps her from driving, but the beloved author of The Joy Luck Club relishes the wonder of nature right at home. Amy Tan's insights will help you see your back yard, whatever its size, in a whole new light. Tune in as she describes the animal life in her yard—hummingbirds, owls, finches, squirrels, and even rats—as if they were players on the stage of a great opera. Guest: Amy Tan, author of The Backyard Bird Chronicles

We're busy working on stories to remind you how phenomenal our world is! Coming up next season: Amy Tan, author of six New York Times best-selling novels, takes us into her back yard to meet the wild birds whose vibrant individual lives populate the pages of her new non-fiction book. Hmong American writer Kao Kalia Yang shares her discovery that her humble factory-worker father had a voice of music and poetry that spoke for his people. Francis Collins, the scientist who led the Human Genome Project, describes miraculous discoveries in genetic research, including advances in the treatment of cystic fibrosis and progeria. All that and more is coming up in Season 9 of Constant Wonder, kicking off August 28.

Yasmeen Lari was a famous Pakistani architect celebrated for her work in steel, cement, and glass. In her 60s, she turned her back on all that, and, after a massive earthquake hit her country, she began to work with locals building humble homes of adobe, mud, and bamboo. Painter Henri Matisse, when debilitated by stomach cancer in his 70s, hung up his brushes and took up scissors to continue making art. And, the Disney illustrator Tyrus Wong waited until he was 90 years old to receive full credit for the revolutionary work he'd done on "Bambi." Never say it's too late to succeed! Guest: Mo Rocca, correspondent for "CBS News Sunday Morning," author of "Roctogenarians: Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs," and host of the "Mobituaries" podcast

Northern bald ibises vanished from the wild in Europe 400 years ago. Austrian scientists attempted to re-introduce the birds to the wild, but the birds got spectacularly lost when they were released for migration, flying east in their search for south. In this episode of Constant Wonder, learn how Johannes Fritz was inspired by a Hollywood movie, leading him to teach the bald ibises to migrate safely—by guiding them for hundreds of miles in a microlight plane. Guest: Johannes Fritz, biologist, conservationist, and founder of the Waldrappteam Photo copyright of Waldrappteam Conservation and Research

Born to a Taiwanese mother and Welsh father, Jessica J. Lee grew up in suburban Ontario feeling "not quite Canadian." She attempted to set down roots in England as a young adult, but her sense of belonging was challenged by the xenophobia that followed Brexit. In this episode of Constant Wonder, we'll examine how nature helps an immigrant or transplant feel at home. Guests: Jessica J. Lee, author of "Dispersals: On Plants, Borders, and Belonging" and "A Garden Called Home" Stephanie Krzywonos, author of "Glacial Erratic," published in the Willowherb Review

A bee’s brain is tiny, but its one million neurons make shockingly complex connections. Individual bee and bumblebee intelligence is phenomenal, from spatial memory to communication. And would you believe that bees are likely also capable of play? Two leading researchers paint a compelling picture of just how much we’ve underestimated the individual sentience of bees. The stereotype of the bee as a robot fully dependent on the hive is far from accurate. We explore fascinating bee research involving harmonic radar, machine learning, and AI—in an effort to see the world through the eyes of a bee. Guests: Lars Chittka, professor of Sensory and Behavioral Ecology at Queen Mary University of London and author of "The Mind of a Bee" Tim Landgraf, professor of Machine Learning and Robotics at the Free University Berlin