Golden State Naturalist

Have you ever wondered what little-known and mysterious beings are living among us, just out of sight? This episode is about one such creature that most Californians have no idea even exists.   Join me, Dave Wyatt, and Kristyn Schulte as we discuss clever little foxes, oak mistletoe, the floor is lava, dissolved poop, the smallest mountain range in the world, tasty taxidermy, classroom design, convergent evolution, weasel lemurs, and a whole lot more.  Links:  The California Ringtail Project Mistletoe toxicity Support Golden State Naturalist on ⁠Patreon⁠ and get perks starting at $4/month.  Follow me on ⁠Instagram⁠.  My website is ⁠goldenstatenaturalist.com⁠.  Get podcast Merch.  Subscribe to the GSN email newsletter. Episode cover photo by Dave Wyatt. The theme song is called “i dunno” by grapes and can be found ⁠here⁠.

Join me and Dr. Alexandra Syphard as we discuss what makes some neighborhoods more fire prone than others, the Santa Ana Winds, defensible space, the massive differences between fires in forested Northern California and shrubby Southern California, the pendulum swing of public opinion, ways that climate change does and doesn’t contribute to wildfires, the WUI, positive uses of abandoned Fry's electronics buildings, waxy leaves, invasive plants, and so much more. This episode is an attempt to add context for everyone struggling to comprehend the scale of the fires in Los Angeles, especially those impacted. I hope it helps. Sending love. Links: California Fire Hazard Severity Zones Support Golden State Naturalist on ⁠Patreon⁠ and get perks starting at $4/month.  Follow me on ⁠Instagram⁠.  My website is ⁠goldenstatenaturalist.com⁠.  Get podcast Merch.  The theme song is called “i dunno” by grapes and can be found ⁠here⁠. Cover art by Raquel Raclette.

Flying over San Diego, you can see them: Fingers of green extending through neighborhoods all across the city.  San Diego’s urban canyon’s serve as refuges for people and wildlife alike, but they’re also often isolated islands of habitat. This can keep animals from accessing the resources they need to survive. And human neighbors aren’t always able to access these spaces, either.  In this episode, join me and Michelle Thompson as we search for reptiles in one of San Diego’s urban canyons, discuss what makes canyons special, and explore how the San Diego Natural History Museum is setting the foundation for the long-term health of these spaces.  Links: Healthy Canyons Initiative Go on a FREE hike with the Canyoneers  Want to help SD canyons? Email Michelle Thompson at: conbio@sdnhm.org  1988 Michael Soulé Study  Support Golden State Naturalist on ⁠Patreon⁠ and get perks starting at $4/month.  Follow me on ⁠Instagram⁠.  My website is ⁠goldenstatenaturalist.com⁠.  Get podcast Merch.  The theme song is called “i dunno” by grapes and can be found ⁠here⁠. Episode cover photo provided by The San Diego Natural History Museum. 

What do oak trees, goldenrod, willows, and ceanothus all have in common? They all belong to the group of roughly 14% of plants supporting 90% of caterpillar species.  In other words, they’re all keystone plants.  Join me and Doug Tallamy as we discuss the vital role these plants play in their native ecosystems and how we can bring them home to welcome hundreds of species into our own yards.  Helpful Links: Doug’s books  Calscape by The California Native Plant Society Keystone Plants in Mediterranean California (National Wildlife Federation Resource)  Homegrown National Park Map Article: “The Illusion of a Trillion Trees” Support Golden State Naturalist on ⁠Patreon⁠ and get perks starting at $4/month.  Follow me on ⁠Instagram⁠.  My website is ⁠goldenstatenaturalist.com⁠.  Get podcast Merch.  The theme song is called “i dunno” by grapes and can be found ⁠here⁠.Episode cover photo by Parker Sturdivant.

What do fake rattlesnakes, California ground squirrels, odd eye bones, bubonic plague, bizarre choices in home decor, and regurgitated mouse bones have to do with burrowing owls?  Join me and Phil Unitt as we venture into an urban canyon in San Diego to find out.  Helpful links: Phil Unitt’s page Rattlesnake owl noise Urban Burrowing Owls piece by Clinton Abbott Fish and Wildlife page on burrowing owls Secretary Bird video Support Golden State Naturalist on ⁠Patreon⁠ and get perks starting at $4/month.  Follow me on ⁠Instagram⁠.  My website is ⁠goldenstatenaturalist.com⁠.  Get podcast Merch.  The theme song is called “i dunno” by grapes and can be found ⁠here⁠. Episode cover photo by Ray Hennessy

The sea is rising, and I have a lot of questions. Questions about sand movement, seawalls, nature-based climate solutions, ecosystem engineer plants, sand dunes, climate literature, and how we can harness the power of our collective imaginations to adapt to a changing world together. Join me and environmental reporter Rosanna Xia at Point Dume in Malibu as we discuss my many questions and explore a beach that's been reimagined with the future in mind. Links: ⁠Become a Heyday Member⁠ and receive a free copy of Rosanna’s book, California Against the Sea, when you add the code GOLDEN to the “How did you find us” section.  ⁠Grist’s climate fiction reading list⁠.  Learn more about the Embarcadero from this ⁠Exploratorium walking tour⁠.  Read more about ⁠Seattle’s living seawall⁠.  Support Golden State Naturalist on⁠ ⁠Patreon⁠⁠ and get perks starting at $4/month.  Follow me on⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠.  My website is⁠ ⁠goldenstatenaturalist.com⁠⁠.  Get podcast ⁠Merch⁠.  The theme song is called “i dunno” by grapes and can be found⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠.Photo Credit ⁠Nikoloz Gachechiladze⁠

It's fall! And all around the country, tidy piles of raked leaves rest on the corners of lawns, ready to be bagged up and thrown away. But throwing away leaves means throwing away free mulch and fertilizer. It also means throwing away habitat and belching methane into the atmosphere. Join me and National Wildlife Federation naturalist David Mizejewski as we discuss the benefits of leaving the leaves, the harms of removing them, and the kind of abundance we can buoy right outside our doors by embracing the natural habitat building opportunities all around us. Learn more about leaving the leaves. Support Golden State Naturalist on ⁠Patreon⁠ and get perks starting at $4/month.  Follow me on ⁠Instagram⁠.  My website is ⁠goldenstatenaturalist.com⁠.  Golden State Naturalist Merch

How is the story of tule elk tied to the story of California? What’s the difference between a grazer and a browser? Why do tule elk have such big feet? How much grazing is the right amount of grazing? Why do elk bugles sound like something straight out of a horror movie?   Come with me and Orlando Rocha as we strike out in search of tule elk in the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area, and then join me and Tom Batter as we discuss the ecological importance of tule elk along with the ties between their story and the story of California.  Historic range of California elk subspecies Current (2017) range of California elk subspecies Read more about Henry Miller, “the cattle king of California” Thank you so much to Steve Shepard of The Natural Curiosity Project podcast for sharing the elk bugle audio.  Tule Elk photo by Katie Booth / National Park Service Support Golden State Naturalist on ⁠Patreon⁠ and get perks starting at $4/month.  Follow me on ⁠Instagram⁠.  My website is ⁠goldenstatenaturalist.com⁠.  Merch  Listen next: ⁠Central Valley Water and Wetlands with Ellen Wehr⁠ 

Some animals plod across roads without hesitation. Others dart across quickly, while still more freeze at the sight of an oncoming car. A final group avoids roads altogether. Four distinct approaches, yet roads can have devastating impacts on animals regardless of their type of response.  Thankfully, wildlife crossings can help.  Join me and award-winning author Ben Goldfarb as we explore a fragment of old growth oak woodland, discussing how roads impact the environment and imagining a future that’s safer and more connected for humans and wildlife alike.  Make sure to check out Ben’s book, Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet, available just about everywhere books are sold. If you’d like to buy Crossings from The Bookery in Placerville, you can reach out to Heather and Darin via DM on Instagram @bookeryplacerville or give them a call at (530) 626-6454. If you’re quick, you may even get a signed copy! They also carry Ben’s first book, Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why they Matter.  Helpful Links:  Ben’s Website California Crossings Map by the Wildlands Network  Report roadkill hotspots with CROS (California Roadkill Observation System)  Support Golden State Naturalist on Patreon and get perks starting at $4/month.  Follow me on Instagram.  My website is goldenstatenaturalist.com.  Bird song recordings are from Xeno-Canto. The western bluebird recording, XC237281, is by Denise Wright, and the Creative Commons license can be found here. The wrentit recording, XC408459, is by Frank Lambert, and the Creative Commons license can be found here.  by John Carrel License. The theme song is called “i dunno” by grapes and can be found here.

What are your top ten favorite California native species?  Join me, Griff Griffith, and Michael Hawk as we joyously compile our collective top ten list (a veritable menagerie meets botanical garden) and discuss how we can help each species.  Don’t forget to follow Nature’s Archive and Jumpstart Nature wherever you’re listening now.   Learn more about the great work Jumpstart Nature is doing on their website.  The cover photo is by Charles Hood, who is generously allowing me to use it for this episode. Support Golden State Naturalist on Patreon and get perks starting at $4/month.  Follow me on Instagram.  My website is goldenstatenaturalist.com.  The theme song is called “i dunno” by grapes and can be found here. 

Are coastal wetlands the same thing as estuaries? What about salt marshes? How can some plants grow in saltwater? Can I use them to salt my french fries? What’s an endangered river? Why do some birds build floating nests? Why should I visit nature that’s close to home?  Join me and Empress Holliday as we explore the Tijuana Estuary to admire plants, gush over birds, and discuss everything from blue carbon to baby halibut. Helpful Links: ⁠Divided Together Podcast⁠ ⁠Tijuana Estuary (TRNERR) ⁠ ⁠Endangered River⁠ ⁠San Diego Coastkeeper⁠ You can find me on Instagram ⁠@goldenstatenaturalist⁠ My website is ⁠goldenstatenaturalist.com⁠ Support GSN on ⁠Patreon⁠ (and be first to know about Cafe Ohlone tickets!) The song is called "i dunno" by grapes and can be found ⁠here⁠. 

How do sea stars move around? Why am I jealous of giant green anemones? When's the best time to go tide pooling? Why is life so hard in the in the place where the ocean meets the land? How have so many creatures adapted to thrive in this strange place where two worlds meet? Join me and Michelle Kunst as we explore the intertidal zone on the Northern California coast and discuss the incredible diversity of life that can be found there. Links: Trinidad Coastal Land Trust Seaweed with Allison Poklemba Orange Cup Coral California Deep-Sea Corals Southern California Tide Pools My website is goldenstatenaturalist.com Follow me @goldenstatenaturalist on Instagram and TikTok The song is called "i dunno" by grapes and can be found here.

Indigenous people have lived in the place now known as California since time immemorial and are still here today. In this episode, join me and Frank Lake as we discuss mutualistic relationships between Indigenous Californians and the land, traditional burning, oak orchards, the powerful ways Indigenous and Western knowledges can come together, common misconceptions about pre-colonial California, reciprocity, and how we can move from a mental model of scarcity to cultivating a shared abundance that leaves no one behind.  Links: Frank Lake California Indian History Curriculum Sue-Meg State Park Slavery in California Lightning safety tips My website is goldenstatenaturalist.com Support GSN on Patreon Follow me on Instagram

Have you ever noticed a bee that looked a little…different? Maybe it was a bit fuzzier than a typical honey bee, or maybe it was obsidian black, bright orange, startlingly large, or as tiny as a gnat. Chances are, if you’ve seen a bee meeting any of these descriptions, you observed one of Earth’s 20,000 species of native bees (with around 1,600 of those species living in California).  Join me and National Geographic Explorer, TEDx speaker, and community scientist Krystle Hickman as we head outside to find native bees and discuss the widely varied social lives of bees, bee architecture, whether or not honeybees are an invasive species, buzz pollination, where to find native bees near you, the potential of native bees in agriculture, and the importance of these beings not just to humans, but to entire ecosystems. Follow Krystle @beesip on Instagram Krystle's website Native Bees of the Western United States (cards) My website is goldenstatenaturalist.com Find me on Instagram @goldenstatenaturalist ⁠Article⁠ on honey bee pollination outcomes compared with native bees. The song is called "i dunno" by grapes, and the Creative Commons license can be found here.

Author, artist, poet, and eco-philosopher Obi Kaufmann doesn't want to craft a better argument. He wants to tell a better story. But what does that kind of story look like? How do we begin to convey the incredible complexity of a place like California? How do we avoid unproductive divisiveness, embrace a better worldview, and move forward together in healing the land? Join me and Obi in a field of wildflowers on Mt. Diablo as we discuss humanity’s relationship with the earth, Mt. Diablo daisies, ways in which meaning is co-constructed, biodiversity, what a myth really is, very quiet lions, how we relate to place, and how telling a better story about this land we love, this place now known as California, might just help humans come together to care for it. Links: Obi's website The California Field Atlas See Obi speak Heyday Membership (add the word GOLDEN to the "How did you find us" section to receive a free bandana designed by Obi!) My website Follow me on Instagram and Tiktok @goldenstatenaturalist The song is called "i dunno" by grapes. The Creative Commons license can be found here.

Have you ever wondered why we bring a toxic, parasitic plant indoors during the holidays...and then kiss under it? Or what ecological role this plant plays? Come with me and Dr. Joshua Der as we discuss the ecological importance of mistletoe, its evolution, the vast array of wildlife it supports, and of course, the ancient folklore that led to all those stolen smooches. Helpful Links: Dr. Der's Publications Mistletoe Folklore My website is goldenstatenaturalist.com Support GSN on Patreon. Find me on Instagram and TikTok @goldenstatenaturalist

When was the last time you felt truly connected with a place? Was it somewhere rugged and wild, or was it on a leaf-strewn suburban block? What did you notice? What questions popped up in your mind? What gave you that sense of connection?  In this episode, join me and Justin Garwood in a Northern California temperate rainforest as we discuss how each of us can connect more deeply with the natural world, glaciers in California, an abundance of tadpoles, when to go off trail (and when not to), and what it means to be a naturalist no matter where you may find yourself.  Links: Bird species name changes The ten essentials Grizzly Glacier The Klamath Mountains: A Natural History My website is goldenstatenaturalist.com Support the show on Patreon 🙌🏻 You can find me @goldenstatenaturalist on Instagram and TikTok GSN Holiday Gift Guide The song is called "i dunno" by grapes and can be found here.

The Klamath Mountains, straddling the California-Oregon border, are a hotspot for biodiversity. But what drives the species richness of the region?  Come with me and Michael Kauffmann to a moss-covered edge of the Klamath mountains as we discuss ancient rocks, carnivorous plants, temperate rainforests, why people are a vital part of the story of place, and why the Klamath Mountains are bursting with a truly stunning array of beings and relationships.  You can find Backcountry Press @backcountrypress on Instagram. Serpentine Soils and Plant Adaptations Geologists Protest Bill to Remove State Rock My website is www.goldenstatenaturalist.com You can find me on Instagram and TikTok @goldenstatenaturalist You can support GSN on Patreon for just $4/month. Check it out at www.patreon.com/michellefullner.

Is seaweed a plant? Is it ok to eat straight out of the ocean? What kinds of creatures rely on seaweed? How does kelp fight climate change? Join me and Allison Poklemba on the Humboldt coast as we descend into the intertidal zone to taste seaweed fresh from the ocean and discuss all of the questions above and more.  Helpful Links: Allison's Seaweed Resources Backcountry Press Instagram: @backcountrypress Dandelion Herbal Center IG: @dandelionherbalcenter Beach wheelchairs California Marine Protected Areas Anticancer Effects of Seaweed-Derived Bioactive Compounds Understanding Blue Carbon My website is goldenstatenaturalist.com Support GSN on Patreon! I'm @goldenstatenaturalist on Instagram and Tiktok. The song is called "i dunno" by grapes. You can find the creative commons license here.

At the height of the last ice age, California condors could be found all across North America, and since time immemorial, these birds have held special cultural and spiritual significance for a number of Indigenous groups. But by the late 1980's, the last wild condor had been captured and brought into a captive breeding program. They were extinct in the wild. So what happened to these enormous scavengers to diminish their range so dramatically? How much progress has been made by the captive breeding programs? How is their cultural significance being honored today? Join me and Tiana Williams-Claussen, Director of the Yurok Tribe Wildlife Department, as we discuss what makes condors unique, their cultural and spiritual significance to the Yurok People, and the incredible program that's brought the largest flying birds in North America back to their home in the redwoods for the first time in over a century. Links! Yurok Condor Program (learn, donate, and watch the condor cam!) Yurok Ancestral Territory Map of Yurok Lands My website is: goldenstatenaturalist.com (find show merch and blog there!) You can find me on Instagram or Tiktok @goldenstatenaturalist The song is called "i dunno" by grapes and can be found here.