Season 4
Fire in Built Environments (Special Episode: LA Fires) with Alexandra…
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 shrub...
Urban Canyons with Michelle Thompson
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...
Keystone Plants with Doug Tallamy
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 Do...
Burrowing Owls with Phil Unitt
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 u...
Sea Level Rise and the California Coast: Imagining a Better Future wi…
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 col...
BONUS: Leave the Leaves with David Mizejewski
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 …
Tule Elk with Orlando Rocha and Tom Batter
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 …
Wildlife Crossings with Ben Goldfarb
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 devas...
Top 10 California Native Species: BONUS Episode with Griff Griffith a…
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...
Coastal Wetlands with Empress Holliday
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...