Corey decides he wants to come on the podcast again and Jillian, Corey, and Haley talk about all kinds of personal news, including a move and a wedding. Jillian then dives into the highly controversial life and death of Timothy Treadwell, and Haley talks grizzly bears during conservation corner. Sources: We Watched "Grizzly Man" With a Bear Biologi…

Haley and Jillian talk about the troubling "spinning fish disease" in the Florida Keys before diving into the tragic tale of the Yarnell Hill Wildfire and the Granite Mountain Hotshots. Haley brings it back up during conservation corner with the Apache trout. Sources: 19: The True Story of the Yarnell Hill Fire, Kyle Dickman, Outside MagazineGranit…

Jillian and Haley talk about how history always repeats itself with a recent news story about Donner pass. Jillian dives into more prehistoric stories with the lost land of Doggerland and the hominids of Rising Star Cave. Haley rounds it out with some seal talk. Sources:Doggerland- The Europe That Was, Benjamin Kessler, National Geographic Doggerla…

Haley and Jillian are back with a super uncomfy story about what happens when a dive boat leaves you behind, the true story of the disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan. Haley takes us to the Great Barrier Reef during conservation corner with the dugong. Sources: Tom and Eileen Lonergan: The American Couple Who Disappeared in the Great Barrier R…

It's the last MNWKY Rewind before the break is over and we are back! This time we bring in Corey for a space focused episode talking about the experiment that is HI-SEAS Mars. Sources: HI-SEAS, Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation When A Mars Simulation Goes Wrong, Marina Koren, The Atlantic The Habitat Podcast, Gimlet Media…

On this episode of MNWKY Rewind we go back to one our favorite topics...caves! This week we revisit the absolutely terrifying story of the Plura Cave Tragedy. Sources: The cavers who went back for their friends, William Kremer, BBC News Diving Into the Unknown, Amazon Prime

On this episode of MNWKY Rewind, we go back to our famous deadly mountain, Everest, with the mysterious disappearance of George Mallory and Sandy Irving. Sources: GeorgeMallory, British Explorer and Mountaineer, Encyclopedia Britannica What Really Happened to George Mallory and Andrew Irvine?, Killer Climbs Mount Everest – Archaeology in the Death …

Time to switch gears on this next episode of Mother Nature Will Kill You Rewind. This time we go back to the Great Storm of 1900, otherwise known as the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Return for new content and regular episodes on March 4th, 2024. See you then:) Sources: Isaac’s Storm, Eric Larson Tropical cyclone, Storm Surge , Wikipe…

Time to finish our first trip down memory lane with the second chapter of the story of Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance. Mother Nature Will Kill You Rewind is our way to say thank you while we are on break. Visit some episodes from the podcast's past, and some stories you may have forgotten about. Come back for regular and new episodes on March …

Time to take a trip down memory lane with Mother Nature Will Kill You Rewind as Haley and Jillian go on a long needed break. In this episode we revisit the story of Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance expedition and their incredible story of survival. A story that Jillian brings up constantly.

It's our last episode before the break! Today, Jillian lightens the mood (a little bit, not a lot, this is Jillian we are talking about) and talks about legendary Hawaiian Surfers Eddie Aikau and Duke Kahanamoku. Haley brings conservation corner back to birds with the Hawaiian honey creeper. Sources The surfing life story of Eddie Aikau, Surfing To…

Haley and Jillian talk about holiday traditions before jumping into the heavy story of the 1936 Eiger Disaster. Haley brings the vibe back with a conservation corner about Alpine Ibex. Happy New Years! Sources: Toni Kurz and the Insanity of Climbing Mountains, Gene Smith, The Less Wrong Podcast Tragedies on the Mountain: The Eiger 1936, Rob Slade, …

Haley and Jillian go to the north pole...or almost, with the complete disaster and how-not-to of the Polaris Expedition. Haley talks about Santa's favorite animal for conservation corner, the Reindeer, or Caribou. Sources: Polaris Expedition, Wikipedia What happened to the Polaris Expedition and did it lead to Murder? Discovery.com Wait. Did That R…

Jillian and Haley round out their Titanic special with the survival stories of Margaret "Molly" Brown and Charles Joughin, and talk about the Titanic/Olympic switch conspiracy theory. Sources: Houston woman missing at Big Bend National Park found after a week, park rangers say, ABC news Meet Margaret "Molly" Brown, Historic Denver.com 11 Unsinkable…

Jillian finally watches the 1997 James Cameron classic, Titanic, and talks about the real disaster. Haley talks about the only animal today that could have seen the wreck and lived long enough to tell us about it, the Greenland Shark. Sources: How Did The Titanic Sink, BBC Timeline of the Titanic’s Final Hours, Amy Tikkanen, Encyclopedia Britannica…

Haley and Jillian enter the terrifying world of Mammoth Cave with the story of Floyd Collins before Haley talks about a local Kentucky cryptid, the Pope Lick Monster. Happy Halloween! Sources:Tragedy at Sand Cave, Mammoth Cave National Park The Kentucky Cave Wars, Mammoth Cave National Park Mammoth Cave National Park, Wikipedia The Agonizing Death …

Jillian, Corey, and Haley reuinite for another round of Appalachian Trail Tales with the spooky Not Deer, more Appalachian folk magic advice, and the arm-hair raising story of Pam Bales' rescue on Mount Washington in New Hampshire. 988 Suicide & Crisis Prevention Lifeline Sources Danger Zones Mt. Washington, Douglas MacDonald, Mt. Washington Avalan…

Haley and Jillian talk recent news about the astronauts and cosmonauts that were stuck at the International Space Station for a year. Then Jillian delves into the lore-ridden story of Marguerite de la Rocque and the Isle of Demons. Sources Three astronauts return to Earth after year in space. NASA's Rubio sets US record, Marcia Dunn, ABC News The M…

Haley and Jillian catch up on the latest disaster/survival news, including the story of the American caver who was trapped in a cave in Turkey. Then Jillian gets spooky season started with the terrifying story of the Night of the Grizzlies. Sources: An American researcher is trapped deep inside a Turkish cave. Here's what to know, Juliana Kim, NPR …

Haley and Jillian wrap up the astounding conclusion of the Air Guard rescue during "The Perfect Storm", and then for conservation corner, the girls talk about the rich history of Atlantic Cod, and why they almost disappeared. Sources: The Perfect Storm - Sebastian Junger 30 October 1991, Bryan Swopes, This Day in Aviation History Atlantic Cod, NOAA…

It's the summer of climate change! Haley and Jillian talk about the California hurricane and the wildfires in Maui before Jillian dives into the many stories behind the "Perfect Storm" of 1991 If you are able to donate to any of these Maui based organizations to help the victims of the Lahaina wildfires, we thank you for your support: Maui United W…

Jillian regales Haley on her trip to the far away land of Finland. Then Jillian and Haley talk Amelia Earhart, and a very strange crabby theory surrounding her disappearance. Haley brings the Sumatran orangutan to conservation corner. Sources: Amelia Earhart Was Declared Dead 80 Years Ago. Here's What to Know About What Actually Happened To Her, Ol…

Haley takes us on a cool trip to Alaska with the true story of the 1925 Nome Serum Run and Togo, the REAL Balto. Trust us, Togo is much better. Jillian talks Sockeye Salmon for Conservation Corner. Sources Togo, U.S. National Park Service Togo (dog), 1925 Serum Run to Nome, Wikipedia Wild Salmon Center, Sockeye Salmon Sockeye Salmon, Alaska Departm…

Haley and Jillian discuss their impending meet-up, then Haley talks about the four kids that survived a plane crash and four months in the Colombian jungle. Then Jillian dives into the main story - a family vacation gone horribly wrong in Death Valley. Sources How Indigenous kids survived 40 days in Colombia's jungle after a plane crash, John Otis,…

This episode is a two-fer! Not only is Jillian sharing the tale of Dave Crocket and the eruption of Mount St. Helens, but Haley and Jillian dive into the recent Titanic submarine catastrophe. #OceanGate Sources: Titanic sub search turns desperate as experts estimate Titan’s oxygen is depleted, Emily Olsen, NPRMissing Titanic submersible: what is th…

Haley and Jillian talk bug infestations and then Haley takes us on a deep dive into the Amazon with the story of Percy Fawcett and the Lost City of Z. Or Zed. Depending on how you pronounce it. Sources: The True Story Behind The Lost City of Z, Eliza Berman, Time Magazine The Lost City, Alexander Lee, History Today 10 Facts About Percy Fawcett and …

Strap in for a freezing conclusion as Jillian and Haley wrap up the South Pole Race extravaganza of Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott. Sources: The Worst Journey in the World, Apsley Cherry-Garrard Amundsen Expedition Timeline, American Museum of National History Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Terra Nova Expedition, Amundsen’s South Pole E…

Jillian talks about her latest home disaster before telling Haley about the original exploration race - the race to the south pole between Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen. Haley talks about the biggest animal yet on conservation corner; the sei whale. Sources: The Worst Journey in the World , Apsley Cherry-Garrard Amundsen Expedition Timelin…

Haley and Jillian talk all things space, from moon landing conspiracy theories to extra terrestrial life. Jillian delves into the story of the Soviet cosmonauts and the doomed Soyuz 11 which launched to the world's first space station. Haley gets into the stories of the first animals in space, including the indominable mummichog. Sources:50 Years A…

Haley shares with us her big exciting news and then Jillian dives on in to the worst buddy trip ever - filled with mayhem, missing people, improvised flame throwers, and forehead worms. This story follows Yossi Ghinsberg and his friends as they go on a treasure quest into the Bolivian Amazon. Sources: Jungle, Yossi GhinsbergThe real story behind th…

Haley and Jillian give new listeners an introduction to their madness with lots of fish and science talk, and then Jillian gets into the stories of three prehistoric humans who experienced survival throughout their everyday lives. Haley also talks about the White Sands Pupfish during Conservation Corner. Sources: ⁠Fossilized Footprints⁠, White Sand…

Jillian tells the tale of the "lost" Lykov Family and their decades of survival in the isolated Siberian wilderness with no outside human contact, and Jillian and Haley go on many tangents on subjects such as the cordyceps fungus, gun rights, shrimp disease, and bats in the attic. Sources: For 40 years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Huma…

Jillian and Haley dive deep, deep down into the heartbreaking and terrifying story of Deon Dreyer, Dave Shaw, and Don Shirley, and their dives in Bushman's Hole, the third deepest water filled cave in the world. Sources: Where No One Should Go, Don Shirley, Glynn Washington, and Julia Dewitt, NPR Raising the Dead, Tim Zimmerman, Outside Magazine Pi…

Haley and Jillian welcome special guest Ethan Swinford, and the three talk all things Great Lakes with the tragedy of the SS Kamloops and the all-to-real ghost story of Old Whitey, the lone crewman left behind. Sources: Isle Royale, SS Kamloops, National Park Service Meet Old Whitey, the Preserved Corpse of The SS Kamloops, Lake Superior’s Most Hau…

Welcome back to the meandering conversations of Haley and Jillian after their long hiatus. Today, Jillian talks about the scandalous, salacious, and sordid tale of the Floreana Affair and Haley talks blue footed boobies. Sources: The Galapagos Affair - The Unbelievable True Story Behind the Movie, Happy Gringo The Mysterious Murder That Rocked The …

After meandering through topics such as holiday adventures and the big winter storm, Jillian and Haley get down to the roots of the podcast with a special story for episode 50. Jillian tells the story of the Chilean Mine Disaster of 2010, and of the thirty three miners trapped in it's depths. Also, Jillian's sleep paralysis makes a shocking comebac…

Merry Xmas y'all and Happy Holidays! Jillian and Haley delve into the impossible survivor tale of mountaineers Joe Simpson and Simon Yates and their unbelievable adventure in the Andes. Then Haley talks about Andean Condors for conservation corner. Sources: Touching the Void, Joe Simpson Andean Condor, National Geographic…

Jillian and Haley delve into the unbelievable story of Jill Heinerth, a cave diver who became one of the first (and only) people do dive an ice cave in the interior of an iceberg. Then Haley talks about emperor penguins and Jillian talks about her trip to Big Bend National Park and her potentially-extraterrestrial experience in Marfa. Sources: ‘The…

Jillian and Haley bring a Happy Thanksgiving to you with the story of Ryan Osman's run-in with quicksand in Zion National Park. Haley then talks about the conservation and ecology of the Mexican Spotted Owl in a new segment highlight the vulnerable and endangered species that live in the dangerous habitats we talk about - we are biologists after al…

Jillian concludes the gruesome tale of the Donner Party with their struggle to survive and ultimately be rescued from snowy Truckee Lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and Haley tells the story of "Tessie" the famous lake monster of Lake Tahoe. Sources: The Tragic Story of the Donner Party, Kathy Weiser, Legends of America The Donner party, Encycl…

Its time to kick off spooky Halloween with part one of the Donner Party extravaganza, in which Jillian tells of the trials and tribulations that led the famous American wagon train to their horrific predicament. Haley keeps up the spooky vibes with the story of the Bear Lake Monster of Utah. Sources: The Tragic Story of the Donner Party, Kathy Weis…

Welcome to the nearly 2 hour spooky season Appalachian Trail extravaganza! After some brief talk of Haley's experience with the recent Hurricane Ian, we dive straight into the magical land that is Appalachia. Part-time co-host Corey returns with some local lore, Jillian covers the tragedy as usual, and Haley talks about cryptids, specifically Mothm…

While Haley is weathering Hurricane Ian, Corey fills in as the co-host for this episode. First, Corey and Jillian talk about the struggles of a man who spent two days aloft on a hydrogen balloon, and then they dive into the mystery of the disappearance of Lisanne Froon and Kris Kremers into the Panamanian Jungle to kick off spooky season. Sources: …

Haley and Jillian talk newsworthy stories with a recent arrival of Cuban refugees to the Dry Tortugas and a morbid story about a human foot found in one of Yellowstone's hot springs. Then Jillian dives into the incredible unbelievable tale of Harrison Okene, the man who survived 60 hours underwater in a shipwreck. Sources: Part of Human Foot Found …

Jillian and Haley discuss veggie gardens and lawn landscaping before diving straight into Hurricane Katrina. Haley tells the stories of Robert Green, who literally rode his house down a flooded street, and the nurses and doctors who kept Charity Hospital going under the worst conditions. Jillian tells the stories of Poet Shelton Alexander and his e…

Haley and Jillian discuss another story of people getting swallowed by whales--and this time it's a twofer. Then Jillian gets into the very recent story of Stephanie Browitt and the vacation gone very, very wrong with the Whaakari/White Island Eruption. Sources: "It Was Crazy", says California kayaker who was engulfed in a whale's mouth, Sheena Goo…

Jillian talks about a new discovery - a shipwreck on the Oregon coast from the 1600s. Then Haley dives into the gruesome and nightmare-inducing story of the Byford Dolphin Accident. Haley and Jillian then do some real-time research to answer some pressing questions. Sources: Rare Timbers From 17th-Century Spanish Shipwreck Discovered Off Oregon Coa…

Haley links in a news story to last week's topic--a story about a man who goes after his cell phone...after it falls into the crater of Mount Vesuvius. Then Jillian discusses the story of Ricky Megee, a man who survived 71 days in the Australian outback, but with a true crime twist. Sources: US Tourist injured falling into Mount Vesuvius crater aft…

Haley and Jillian discuss the unprecedented flooding occurring at Yellowstone National Park and how it may yield environmental changes for the better. Then Jillian tells the tale of the oldest story on the podcast yet--the ancient destruction of Pompeii from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. Sources: This Day in History: Mount Vesuvius erupts, Histor…

Haley and Jillian are reunited after a long COVID driven hiatus and try something different--telling short survival stories about big wave surfing. Jillian talks about the big wave accidents of Garrett McNamara, Maya Gabeira, and Shawn Dollar, and Haley talked about the harrowing experiences of Billy Kemper and Andrew Cotton. Sources: The Wave, Sus…