Wild Interest

6 Episodes

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Banjos, Ski Racing, an Elephant Orphanage and a Visit to New Orleans

2024-06-0143:12

In this episode we talk to the heroes at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya who rescue orphaned baby elephants, raising them until they can return to the wild. They tell us all about a special baby elephant named Toto. We’re also joined by musician, historian, and creator of the Brooklyn Folk Festival, Eli Smith. He talks about his life in folk music, plays us the same song on two very different banjos, and explains the competition he invented that involves tossing banjos into Brooklyn’s m...

Spring Holiday Special: Easter, Passover, Ramadan, and Holi

2024-05-0226:00

Welcome to our Spring Holiday special! Spring is the season for flowers, baby animals, and major holidays! In this very special episode, we travel the globe to celebrate Easter, Passover, Holi, and Ramadan. We learn about Easter traditions from the washing of the feet to an Easter Day procession in the northern Philippines. We hear the Passover story from musical phenom Alica Jo Rabins, and Simone in Northern California invites us to her family’s Seder dinner. Evan throws colors at a Holi cel...

Palindromes, Monoliths, and Sofie Zamchick of The Wonder Pets

2024-05-0136:14

Ever wondered what it’s like to be the voice of a bossy guinea pig on a hit TV show? Look no further. We are joined by Sofie Zamchick, the voice of Linny on The Wonder Pets. She tells us about playing Linny (she can still do the voice) and her career as a songwriter, actor, and master marimba player. Nichole introduces a new segment called “Feeding Ben Stuff” where her picky-eater friend Ben tries new foods blindfolded. Evan gets to the bottom of the shiny monoliths popping up from Utah to Wa...

Solar Eclipse, UAPs & UFOs, Paul Bianchi, The Erben Organ, and Tim Maxey

2024-03-3053:19

April Fools' and an eclipse in the same month? Wild Interest has got you covered. We get ready for the eclipse with astronomer Mark Lancaster. And we've got the perfect prank for you to play -- all you need is a banana and a paperclip. Nichole talks with Grammy Award-winning artist Tim Maxey about his band Not The Twos and his production and songwriting (for Kendrick Lamar, Summer Walker, Baby Rose, and others). He even shows us how he wrote his song Paradise, which opens Kendrick Lamar's Uni...

NFL QB Jake "The Snake" Plummer, Ice Cream Cake, and the Benefits of Yawning

2024-03-0137:40

Wild Interest is a kid-created and hosted audio magazine. In this episode, legendary NFL quarterback Jake "The Snake" Plummer talks with guest reporter Justus about making big plays, being nice to people, and life after football. Nichole talks with Dr. Andrew Newberg about what's great about yawning and why some Olympic athletes do it right before they compete. Evan elucidates Mothman, the winged creature with a penchant for O'Hare International Airport. Nichole teaches us to turn our favorit...

Leap Years, Bigfoot, and Brooklyn's Wild Parrots

2024-02-0134:09

Wild Interest is a kid-created and hosted audio magazine. In this episode, Nichole tells us everything we need to know about leap years and then geeks out on bees and their wax with beeswax candlemaker Jon Kornbluh. Evan goes deep on his favorite cryptid Bigfoot and speaks to Dr. Jeff Meldrum, professor at Idaho State University and keeper of the largest collection of Sasquatch footprint casts in the world. And guest reporters Nola and Maxine visit Brooklyn's Greenwood Cemetery to meet its fl...

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