Central Indiana had clear skies for the April 8, 2024 eclipse! Bob joined a fantastic group of family, friends and other nature lovers at Jenkins Forever Farm animal sanctuary for a spectacular eclipse. He was able to record some of their reactions before, during and after the eclipse. Related Episodes: Eclipse with Dean Regas, Eclipse Lovers…

In the final episode of the Invasive Plant Series Bob, Greg and Sam outline several possible paths that the common person can undertake to help turn the tide of invasive plants. From education and community driven initiatives to pushing market changes through purchasing power, we can all do a small part to make a big difference. Related Episodes: W…

In this episode the discussion turns toward the horticulture industry and the impact working with plants has had overtime. Bob, Greg and Sam then turn to examine the branch of Ornamental Horticulture and its culpability in the mass production and distribution of non-native plants around the world. While this trend continues, new options of planting…

In episode 2 of our Invasive Plant Series Bob, Greg and Sam discuss why invasive plants pose such a problem to our ecosystem. The plant guru dives into the intricate connections between plants and other wildlife, explaining that plants truly are the basis of all ecosystems. From there, we talk about the way our land use decisions have created the p…

Bob sits down with Greg and Sam to discuss one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time, invasive plants. It’s such a dense topic that we decided to break it up into 4 separate episodes. In part 1, we introduce the concept of native and non-native invasive plants. Greg and Sam provide a big picture perspective on the human systems that…

Bob and Tina chat about an amazing bird - the Indigo Bunting. Find out where and when you can see the brilliant blue male and how these birds migrate over 1200 miles. You can find out more about Tina and Red Oaks Forest School at redoaksforestschool.org. Related episode: What’s Your Zugunruhe? Our sources for this episode include: For the Birds: An…

Bob and co host Charles are joined by Doug Chadwick, author of The Wolverine Way. Doug is celebrating the listing of wolverines as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Related episode: Four Fifths a Grizzly with Doug Chadwick For more information, please see: The Wolverine Way at Patagonia Books Vital Ground Foundation…

Bob invites his partner Beth to share her passion for children’s literature by describing 6 of her favorite books about the eclipse. In addition, Bob offers suggestions about places to view the totality of the solar eclipse including the Jenkins Forever Farm animal sanctuary where you can join Nature Guys for this spectacular display on April 8, 20…

Bob and Charles tackle one of the hardest subjects that Nature Guys has ever undertaken. In part 1 of Passenger Pigeon they go back in time to experience what this bird was like and how humans managed to wipe out this bird. Part 2 covers what we have learned and not learned from the Passenger Pigeon. Related episodes: Passenger Pigeon Part 1, The N…

Bob and Charles tackle one of the hardest subjects that Nature Guys has ever undertaken. In part 1 of Passenger Pigeon they go back in time to experience what this bird was like. Thanks to naturalists in the past we have first hand accounts of what this bird was like. Find out how humans managed to wipe out this bird. For more information, we recom…

Bob is joined by the astronomer Dean Regas. Our goal for this podcast is to inspire you to attend the total eclipse of the sun on April 8th, 2024. Dean Regas Website: astrodean.com NASA Science: 2024 Total Solar Eclipse

Bob and his wife Beth are invited to chat with Carol Mundy on her radio show Outdoor Life. Our sources for this episode include: Outdoor Life with Carol Mundy Carol Mundy’s Website The Crow Knows

Bob chats with Vincent Stanley, the author of The Future of the Responsible Company: What We’ve Learned from Patagonia’s First 50 Years. Our sources for this episode include: The Future of the Responsible Company by Vincent Stanley with Yvon Chouinard Earth is now our only shareholder by Yvon Chouinard…

Bob meets Caroline from the Civic Garden Center and invites her to talk about a subject she is really tired of! Join us for the good the bad and the ugly about boxwood a plant that seems to be everywhere. Our sources about boxwood include: Where they came from and why they became the universal standard Why we gotta get rid of them What we can repla…

Bob’s ten year old grandson Drew was attacked by yellow jackets at summer camp this year. Drew joins Bob to tell the story and share what he has learned about this often aggressive wasp. Our sources for this episode include: Yellowjackets are not Honey Bees Yellowjacket Fact Sheet Yellowjacket Facts for Kids…

Join Bob and Gia as they delve into the fascinating world of fungi. Gia explains why she loves mushrooms and in particular Lion’s Mane Mushroom. Related episode: Spring Fungi Our sources for this episode include: Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake Hericium erinaceus: an edible mushroom with medicinal values…

Nature Guys recorded this in front of an audience at the Civic Garden Center’s Fall Native Plant Festival. Bob welcomes Greg Torres and Sam Settlemyre to discuss why and how we should reduce our lawns. Related episode: The Nature of Oaks with Doug Tallamy Resources: Homegrown National Park (Doug Tallamy) Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati…

Charles suggests we do the whirligig - one of over 350,000 species of beetles. Find out about the amazing characteristics of this amazing beetle. Check out Charles’ nature blog at Gulo in Nature. Related episodes: Water Striders Walk on Water and Vernal Pools Our sources for this episode include: Whirligig Beetle Facts and Information Guide 2023 Wh…

Tina suggests we do an episode on milkweed beetles. Bob is confused because he thought they were bugs. Tune in to find out what we discovered. You can find out more about Tina and Red Oaks Forest School at redoaksforestschool.org. Related episode: Mighty Milkweed Our sources for this episode include: Milkweed Bugs Common Milkweed Insects Milkweed B…

Bob reads an email from a listener (Linda) with a question about eBird that inspired us to do a whole episode on eBird. Charles starts out explaining the capabilities and the value of eBird both to the user and the scientific community. He and Bob go on a virtual birding trip to demonstrate how you can use eBird. Related episodes: Merlin Magic and …

Greg explains some amazing traits of apple trees. Bob shares some of the fascinating facts about John Chapman better know as Johnny Appleseed. Related episode: Walnut Woods Our sources for this episode include: The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan Johnny Appleseed Man and Myth by Robert Price

Bob chats with Gia and special guest Jonathan about old-growth forests. Learn ways they can make you feel small in the best way. Jonathan explains how he obtained old growth certification from the Old-Growth Forest Network for California Woods Nature Preserve. Related episode: Vernal Pools Visit old growth forests in greater Cincinnati: Cincinnati …

Bob chats with Jim McCormac the co author with Chelsea Gottfried of Gardening for Moths: A Regional Guide. Find out why gardeners can and should attract specific moths species to their properties and how to do it. Our source for this episode is the book Gardening for Moths: A Regional Guide by Jim McCormac and Chelsea Gottfried. Related episodes: T…

Charles takes Bob on a deep dive into the fascinating world of Water Lilies. Our sources for this episode include: Nymphaeaceae Lotus Vs. Water Lilies, What’s The Difference?

Bob chats with Bill McKibben the author of We Are Better Together, his first children’s book. He is the author of the bestsellers The End of Nature, Eaarth, and Deep Economy. Bill is the founder of the environmental organization 350.org and recently Third Act, an organization that encourages people over 60 to take action on climate change. You can …

Bob chats with Katherine Hauswirth, the author of two inspiring books, The Book of Noticing: Collections and Connections on the Trail and her recent book the Morning Light the Lily White Daily: Dips into Nature and Spirit. Links to Katherine’s books, newsletter and blog: The Morning Light, The Lily White: Daily Dips into Nature and Spirit by Kather…

Want to learn more about a fairly easy sparrow to identify by sight and sound? Join Bob and Tina for a fascinating dive into the life and behavior of white-throated sparrows. You can find out more about Tina and Red Oaks Forest School at redoaksforestschool.org. Related episodes with Tina: A Can of Earthworms, Peregrine Falcon and What's Your Zugun…

Merlin Tuttle is a tremendous advocate for bats and has done amazing things throughout his career to help protect them and change people’s misconceptions and fears about them. His motto is “win friends not battles” and that’s been his approach throughout his 60+ years doing this work! Merlin shares with Bob some of his amazing bat adventures. Merli…

How do you go from a city girl who likes being inside to the host of the BirdNote podcast Bring Birds Back? Tune in as Tenijah Hamilton shares her inspiring story. Thanks to Cincinnati Nature Center for sponsoring this episode. Visit www.CincyNature.org to register for February 2023 online classes and don’t forget to use promo code NATURE to get 25…

Bob and Gia chat about one very special bird. The etherial song of this bird is inspiring! Learn about Helen Black in this wikipedia article. Special thanks to Cornell Lab for the wood thrush audio clip (ML 29922711 Glen Chapman May 9, 2016). Visit our web site to see Tam Teow's beautiful wood thrush art. Thanks to Cincinnati Nature Center for spon…

Bob welcomes Greg Torres back to revisit the eastern redcedar tree. Bill and Bob did an episode on this tree in 2017 and had some questions that Greg, our very own plant guru, has some thoughts on. Thanks to Cincinnati Nature Center for sponsoring this episode. Visit www.CincyNature.org – that’s C-I-N-C-Y-Nature.org – to register for January 2023 o…

Greg is excited to share all about a project he has been involved in for a number of years. We bring in some of the collaborators to explain their roles in this inspiring project. Tune in to learn how they turned ten acres of forgotten land into a Cincinnati City Park. Thanks to Cincinnati Nature Center for sponsoring this episode. Visit www.CincyN…

Bob opens with some thoughts on Thanksgiving. Many of us eat Cranberries around Thanksgiving. Charles joins Bob to share the unique ecology of this amazing plant. Related episodes: Mistletoe Our sources for this episode include: The Thanksgiving Tale We Tell is a Harmful Lie. As a Native American I’ve found a Better Way to Celebrate the Holiday by …

We have opened a can of worms with this episode! Join Tina and Bob as they discuss the common earthworm. They invite some kids to share their thoughts on earthworms. A big thanks to Ruth and Levi for inspiring this episode. Special thanks to the Cincinnati Nature Center for sponsoring this episode. You can find out more about Tina and Red Oaks Fore…

Hometown Nature Heroes are everywhere! Bob talks with Courtney Ryan a passionate advocate for getting kids outside. Special thanks to the Cincinnati Nature Center for sponsoring this episode. Courtney’s Recommended Resources: Sands Montessori Outdoor Campus Sands Montessori Partners: Native Roots Madison Tree Care and Landscaping Motz Turf Farms Su…

Greg and Bob share a misunderstood plant that they both love to see in the fall. Find out why goldenrod takes the blame for sneezing in the fall. Our sources for this episode include: Sneezing? Don’t Blame Goldenrod! Five Golden Truths about Goldenrods How to Grow and Care for Goldenrod

Bob is joined by Peri, a science communicator with the National Park Service. Peri is part of a team that created season 2 of the Headwaters podcast on Whitebark Pine. Glacier National Park Conservancy funds the show. Links: Glacier National Park Conservancy Headwaters in-depth storytelling podcast by Glacier National Park References in Headwaters …

In her position as Research Ecologist at Cincinnati Nature Center, Danie Frevola designed and implemented an innovative study on oak trees. Hear Danie’s inspiring story! Related Episodes: Northern Red Oak, The Nature of Oaks with Doug Tallamy and The Hummingbird Handbook with John Showy

Bob and Charles respond to a very important question about using bird sound playback from a listener. They also have a listener suggestion on a way to support Sara Dykman, the author of Bicycling with Butterflies. Related episodes: Merlin Magic, Nuttall’s Woodpecker, What It's Like to Be a Bird with David Sibley and Bicycling with Butterflies with …

Bob’s grandson Drew wanted to learn more about Peregrine Falcons. As you will hear Tina was the perfect person for this episode. Tune in to hear Tina’s amazing stories about studying Peregrines. You can find out more about Tina and Red Oaks Forest School at redoaksforestschool.org. Related episodes: What's Your Zugunruhe? and Hummingbirds Our sourc…

Bob and Gia talk about a woodpecker that is only found in parts of California. Thanks to Nic for using Merlin to find this bird! Related episodes: Merlin Magic, Downy Woodpeckers Support Their Mates, Acorn Woodpeckers and The Nature of Oaks with Doug Tallamy Our sources for this episode include: The Merlin Bird ID App by The Cornell Lab The Cornell…

Bob is joined by our very own plant guru Greg to talk about invasive species. Greg brings along his right hand man Drew to explain why invasive plants have such a negative impact. Our sources for this episode include: Study by Audubon that Drew refers to: Nandina Berries Kill Birds

Bob and Charles talk about the Merlin App from Cornell Lab. It now has the ability to identify birds by sound! Please try it out and let us know what bird you want to know more about by emailing us at info@natureguys.org. Our sources for this episode include: The Merlin Bird ID App by The Cornell Lab Gulo in Nature Blog by Charles The New School Mo…

On March 19, 2021 a volcano erupted in Iceland that captured the imagination of people from all over the world. It also changed the lives of April and Martin, independent filmmakers living in an apartment in New York City. Like many of us they were coming out of a long winter dealing with covid - 19. This eruption spawned an idea for their next fil…

Greg and Bob are loving all the wonderful spring wildflowers. Greg takes us back in time to discover the history of wildflowers around the world before turning to the amazing story of the eastern forest in spring. Related episodes: Spring Wildflowers, Seeds on the Moveand Wild Ginger Greg has done three excellent videos on spring wildflowers availa…

After a long winter Bob and Gia are excited to do a live show at California Woods Nature Preserve. They had a blast talking with kids and adults about the nature of spring. Related episodes: Firefighting Beavers, Parachuting Beavers

I received an intriguing email from Tina at Red Oaks Forest School asking me if I knew about Zugunruhe. I did not and wanted to learn more so I invited Tina to come on the show to explain all about it. Tune in to hear Tina tell the inspiring story of how Red Oaks got started and of course all about Zugunruhe. You can find out more about Tina and Re…

Nature Guys is proud to say that this is our 200th episode! Our first episode was released in October of 2016. If you are a long time listener you know that my dear friend Bill was my only co-host until August of 2020. If you are new to the show, you can listen to my tribute to Bill on the episode titled “Our Friend Bill” released on September 1, 2…

Charles and Bob can’t wait to get out in the field in early spring to check out the woodcock sky dance. This is one crazy bird. It is a shorebird that lives in the forest and is nicknamed the timberdoodle. The woodcock sound clip is thanks to Karen Hogan via the Macaulay Library at Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Thanks to Christina Zorn for providing …

Gia and Bob discuss wolves a species that inspires a variety of emotions. Tune in to learn about the impacts wolves have on the Yellowstone ecosystem. Thanks to Christina Zorn for providing background research. Also special thanks to Lissa Malloy for creating a picture visualizing the tropic cascade concept. Keystone Species series: All About Allig…