Wild Connection (Hosted by Dr. Jennifer Verdolin)

This is the first episode of Season 4 and I am excited to talk to marine biologist and author Hanne Strager about her new book The Killer Whale Journals: Our Love and Fear of Orcas. She’s from Denmark but has been working with and studying killer whales in Norway for and leading the way in the conservation and education space. She’s also the Director of Content for a project called The Whale, a new museum in Norway. And naturally, she passionate about killer whales.

If you want to connect with Hanne and get a copy of her book, check out her website and follow her on Instagram

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

YouTube: Wild Connection TV

As we continue to celebrate Earth month, tune in to my conversation with author Leah Rampy. In this episode, we talk about her new book, Earth and Soul: Reconnecting Amid Climate Chaos. Not only is it a heartfelt discussion, but I hope it will invite you to reconsider how you interact with the natural world and inspire you to make that a bigger part of your life (if it isn't already!)

If you want to keep up with Leah and purchase your copy you can visit her website: https://www.leahmoranrampy.com/

If you want to be part of my conservation and education work, you can head over to www.jenniferverdolin.com  and sign up for my newsletter or www.wildconnection.org where you can also donate to support the various projects I'm doing. All donations are tax deductible. 

You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram @RealDrJen or check out Wild Connection TV on YouTube. 

Today’s episode is part of the special WIS series. You may have heard me talking about this on other episodes and that is because I got a small grant from the AGU’s Sharing Science program to highlight some incredible women scientists.

This week it's all about what does it mean to get involved with science for the layperson or nonexpert. What does it look like, why is it important, and what are the contributions that people make to science?  

My guest is Dr. Caren Cooper. She’s part of NCSU’s Leadership in Public Science Program and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Biology Program. She is passionate about the social side of science, getting people involved in a variety of ways, and looking at what it means for laypersons to participate in science. She’s also an ornithologist and outstanding mentor to the next generation of scientists.

You can keep up with Dr. Cooper on Twitter: @CoopSciScoop

and visit her website for more links to other parts of her work: https://www.carencooper.com

And don't forget to check out her TED TALK: Everybody Counts

To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod  and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen  and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too. 

To start off the very first season I was able to snag an interview with Dr. Julie Meachen, vertebrate paleontologist specializing in Ice Age carnivores who is an Associate Professor of Anatomy at Des Moines University. Her and her collaborators have been in the news a lot lately. We’ll also get to talk about all the exciting discoveries she and her collaborators are making a little later in the episode. You can follow her on Instagram @sabercatwoman and @DesMoinesUniv

A chance discovery of a deer skull while hiking was exciting because of my love of skulls and bones, but it was also intriguing because later, after the skull was cleaned by dermestid beetles and other insects, I was fascinated by the structure and shape of the skull, particularly the eye sockets. This was the second time I was struck by how big some eye sockets really are. That’s what this show is about (and a whole lot more). By the way, you can see the whole process of the discovery, collection, and processing of the remains of the deer I found on the Wild Connection TV episode called “Bone Collecting” and my friend, fellow scientist and artist’s Instagram page @Omnivoresgratiude. Here’s the deer skull and a few vertebrae she painted for me. 

First, Dr. Meachen and I talk about skulls, what we can learn about animals from their skulls, and why eye sockets are so darn big. All this talk of bones, teeth, skulls, and what we can learn led us to talk about something that’s recently been in the news, a 57,000 year old Beringian wolf puppy discovered by a gold miner in the Yukon. Her name is Zhur and like modern day puppies, this little one with mighty big teeth is garnering a lot of attention and affection. Check out this article which also has a great photo and you can read the original research paper published Dec 21, 2020 here: https://www.cell.com/current-biology/pdf/S0960-9822(20)31686-9.pdf

Dr. Meachen was featured in one of my Wild Connection TV episodes where she talks about the discovery of Beringian wolves as a new species. Here is the link to that episode: https://youtu.be/lRtlDwC2-UU

Then  I introduce my special segment called “Kids don’t try this at home: the wonder and special talents of other animals” and finally I make the connection between how some skulls of other species, the woodpecker, are changing the way we design the  protective gear for our own fragile heads.

Finally, we hear about Dr. Meachen’s latest research on how the dire wolf isn’t really a wolf at all and is upending much of what scientists have believed about this now extinct carnivore. The change is so drastic that they had to redraw the species itself. The painting by artist and paleontologist Mauricio Antón is stunning and you can see it here: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/dire-wolves-werent-wolves-dna-analysis-reveals-180976765/

The original research paper just published is available here  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-020-03082-x

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

Link to the Wall of Skulls:https://www.calacademy.org/skull-stories

https://www.wired.com/2014/05/being-surrounded-by-640-animal-skulls-is-a-strangely-fascinating-experience/

Theme Music: Russian Tears by George Nardo: https://lunarecording.com

It’s a new year. Maybe you’ve made some resolutions, come up with your next big idea, or are busy fine-tuning your strategy for the year ahead. Success is on everyone's mind, so what better time than now to talk to someone who has cracked the code. That would be none other than best-selling author, network scientist, and visionary, Albert László Barabási, the brilliant mind behind the groundbreaking book, "The Formula: The Universal Laws of Success"?

We learn at a very early age that if you perform well, even the best, you will succeed. And to a certain point that is true. There is a strong link between performance and success, but it’s not so straightforward. 

How can we balance effort, opportunity, and timing to maximize success? You can’t be successful without strong performance but there are other ingredients, a special sauce, if you will, that can make the difference between ordinary and extraordinary success. We talk about all this ad more in this week's episode. 

We also want to hear from you! Share your thoughts, stories, and questions with us on social media using the hashtag #ScienceOfSuccess.

Keep up with Barabási on Twitter @barabasi and see what he and colleagues are working on by checking out his lab website. 

Be sure to follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

YouTube: Wild Connection TV

Welcome back everyone and this episode is really special. A few years ago I had the honor and privilege of meeting Dr. Thomas Rashad Easley aka RaShad Eas. He is a certified diversity consultant and the Assistant Dean of Community and Inclusion at the Yale School of the Environment but he is so much more. He’s also a passionate human being, a former campus pastor, a scientist, a forester, an author, a musician,and a fierce not holding back, I am here kind of man. And luckily for me, my friend. And wouldn’t you know it he agreed to come on my podcast to talk about some truths surrounding diversity, equity, inclusion, leadership, his music, and his upcoming book, Mind/Heart for Diversity. As always our conversations are real and heart-centered and he is a true JEDI.

You can keep up with Dr. Thomas RaShad Easley a few ways. 

Website: https://rashadeasley.com/home

Twitter: @RashadEas

Instagram: @RaShadEas

And of course the Yale Heartwood Podcast

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

In March of this year The UK government declared that lobsters, crabs, octopuses and related species will be included under the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill. This means that they can finally get  legal protection that protects them from practices like being boiled alive and having the tendons of their pincers cut. All I can say is if you need a law to stop you from engaging in such horrific practices….shame on you.  

Today my guests are two renowned philosophers, Alice Crary and Lori Gruen who have published a new book called Animal Crisis: A New Critical Theory.

Among other important issues they tackle, they invite us to rethink and recalibrate our relationship with other species. Incidentally, hey have a chapter on Octopuses and discuss the film My Octopus Teacher. Personally I was not a fan of the film. However, it put octopuses on the mental map of people. At the same time, many of those same people will happily eat octopuses while raving about the film. This is the depth of our cognitive dissonance when it comes to connecting with individual animals while purchasing a meal made of the very same species. OK, I’m not the philosopher, they are. 

If you want to connect Lori Gruen you can check out her website: http://www.lorigruen.com  where you will find tons of videos, her other books, and interviews. You can also follow her on Twitter @last1000chimps. To keep up with Alice Crary you can visit her website: https://alicecrary.com and check out her other books and links to other interviews. 

You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

Today's guest, Apophia Asiimwe, is a local bird guide sharing the wonders of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and all the birds it has to offer. You can find her on Facebook and book directly with her. 

If you are digging the show, give it a like and share it with your friends. Thanks for listening and you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @RealdrJen and the show @wildconnectpod 

 It is post holiday and before New Years and this episode starts the launch of a special Women in Science Series. I want to acknowledge the sponsor of this series, the American Geophysical Union. Wild Connection was the recipient of their Sharing Science grant and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

The James Webb  infrared  telescope successfully launched this week. You might be wondering why this is a big deal. It’s a big deal because this powerful, well the most powerful, telescope ever built will let astronomers and astrophysicists like my guest, Dr. Katie Mack looks deep into the history of galaxies far far away.because of light years and all that, what we see is the past when we look in the present. This telescope will give scientists and us the chance to see far far back into time and cosmic history. It is expected to peer so far back that it will catch a glimpse of galaxies that were formed over 13 billion years ago. It’s going to take a while to start receiving images but when I recorded this podcast Dr. Katie Mack was simply hoping the launch would be a success. 

Dr. Katie Mack is an astrophysicist at North Carolina State University and she is also the Author of The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking).

To keep up with Katie you can follow her @AstroKatie on Twitter and check out her website https://www.astrokatie.com

To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod  and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen for Instagram and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too. 

This week we are continuing our species series Voices of Uganda with none other than the Chief Warden of Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park, Nelson Guma. We will be talking about what’s so special about Bwindi, what is threatening this UNESCO World Heritage Site, and what it’s like to be in charge of a biodiversity hotspot that is now on CNNs top 20 places to visit.

You can follow Nelson on Twitter @NelsonGuma and connect with the Uganda Wildlife Authority @ugwildlife

If you are digging the show, give it a like and share it with your friends. You can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @realdrJen and follow the show @wildconnectpod

This episode is about bioluminescence, why animals have it, the recent discovery that loads of mammals might just glow, and how the idea for one human invention was sparked by a creature that glows. When the story broke recently that Tasmansian devils are bioluminescent they joined the ranks of the platypus, the puffin, and quite a few other species. I knew it was time to get to the bottom of why so many animals are unexpectedly glowing. To help I was lucky enough to talk to Dr. Kenny Travouillon the Curator of Mammals at the Western Museum of Australia in Perth.

Among the many exciting discoveries he is making, including identifying new species he's also one of several scientists uncovering how some marsupials are glowing in the dark. When it comes to Australian marsupials, he shed some light on how this all got started with a chance discovery of a bioluminescent platypus. After learning of this, he decided to carry out a real life night at the museum and investigate what other surprises might be lurking in the dark. What resulted was uncovering that it’s an endless rave party down under with animals walking around like glow sticks, from brilliant whites to pinks, oranges, and greens. This colorful menagerie is leading scientists like Dr. Travouillon to investigate why so many of these mammals are lighting up the night (See photos at the end) 

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @wildconnectpod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

To keep up with Dr. Travouillon, follow him on Twitter @travouillonk and to learn about what’s happening at the Museum during the day and at night follow them Western Museum of Australia 

• Twitter https://twitter.com/wamuseum

• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/wamuseum

• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wamuseum/

A few other highlights from this episode include exciting research Dr. Travouillon is conducting on bandicoots and bilbies, my special segment called “Kids don’t try this at home: the wonder and special talents of other animals” and finally I make the connection between how bioluminescent animals, especially fireflies, are impacting our lives. Fireflies were the inspiration for the artwork for this episode. For more on this check out these two articles:

https://www.futurity.org/light-bulbs-leds-fireflies-1988062/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2886568/How-firefly-lights-Researchers-reveal-incredible-lantern-structure-insects-use-time.html

Here are a few photos of Dr. Travouillon and the magic hidden under the cover of darkness. All photos are the property of the Western Museum of Australia and used with permission.

Dr. Travouillon (Copyright Western Museum of Australia)

Bandicoots (Copyright Western Museum of Australia)

Frilled-neck lizard (Copyright Western Museum of Australia)

Echidna (Copyright Western Museum of Australia)

Welcome to the fourth episode of Wild Connection The Podcast. In this episode I share a little about how I came to even study animal behavior, some of my early experiences with great apes, and talk with literary scholar Gregory Tague about what he calls an ape ethic. 

I got my start as a volunteer for the Center for Great Apes (https://www.centerforgreatapes.org), a sanctuary dedicated to providing a safe haven of life long care for chimpanzees and orangutans in need of a home. They are always in need of donations, so please consider giving. You can also support them by buying some of the wonderful artwork created by the apes, some of whom love to paint for enrichment. I have shared a piece I own as the cover art for this episode

My guest for this episode is Gregory F. Tague, Ph.D. (1998), New York University, who is a Professor in the departments of Literature, Writing and Publishing / Interdisciplinary Studies and founder and senior developer of The Evolutionary Studies Collaborative at St. Francis College, N.Y. He is also the founder and organizer of a number of Darwin-inspired Moral Sense Colloquia and other multidisciplinary events. Recent, relevant books include An Ape Ethic and the Question of Personhood (Lexington Books, 2020), Art and Adaptability: Consciousness and Cognitive Culture (Brill, 2018), Evolution and Human Culture (Brill, 2016), and Making Mind: Moral Sense and Consciousness (Rodopi, 2014). Tague has written or edited a number of other academic books, such as Character and Consciousness (2005) and Origins of English Dramatic Modernism (2010). He is the founding editor of the peer-reviewed ASEBL Journal (ethics/arts/evolution) and general editor of the Bibliotekos literary website as well as Literary Veganism: An Online Journal. Tague has also edited five literary anthologies, notably, Being Human (2012) and Puzzles of Faith and Patterns of Doubt (2013). Tague is currently working on a book about veganism and evolution.

We first discuss his book An Ape Ethic and his perspective on why we can look to other species for developing a better ethical relationship with nature. We spend that last part of the interview talking about his latest work on the evolution of veganism. 

You can find out more about Gregory, his books, and other works at his website https://sites.google.com/site/gftague/an-ape-ethic

He also co-authors an online journal called Literary Veganism which you can check out here  www.litvegan.net  and another journal of ethics/art/evolution, ASEBL  www.asebl.net

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

If you’ve been listening for a while you know I have a fascination with bones. I have a rabbit cooking in a bush as we speak. But the truth is that I know so little about bones. That’s about to change because this week’s guest is in the know about bones, muscles, how they work and how they shape what we and other animals can do. 

Jason Organ is an Associate Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology at the Indiana University School of Medicine, where his research examines how the structure of bone and muscle influences how they work. He is also the host of the Science Night Podcast, an exceptional podcast and not just because he had me on a while back. He is also the co-editor of the Science Communication blog at the Public Library of Science. 

You can keep up with Jason on Twitter @OrganJM

You can also listen to his podcast Science Night

and follow the podcast on Twitter @ScienceNight1

To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod  and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen  and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too. 

Happy Valentine's Day! While other animals celebrate their unions more than once a year we humans have taken the single anniversary, single holiday, and otherwise infrequent approach. Our dating lives are filled with challenges and the same is true for other species.

Like so many other species, we have to figure out how to date and mate successfully. As hard as that is, talking about it seems even more challenging. This is where other species can help. You just might find that discussing dancing prairie chickens, picky lionesses, or cheating swans makes the perfect segue into talking about some very common human problems. At the end of the day, whether it's the blue-footed booby, the adzuki bean beetle, or a slew of other species, animals have a lot to teach us about love and relationships.

This short episode is based on content from my book, Wild Connection: What animal courtship and mating tell us about human relationships. The audio version is available on my website at https://www.jenniferverdolin.com/books

If you like the cover that's by Krys Hookah. You can check out more of her art here: Kryshookuhdoodles.com and you can follow her on Instagram @kryhookah

If you like the show theme music that's thanks to George Nardo of Luna Recording Studios in Tucson AZ. https://lunarecording.com

This week’s episode is all about sweat, smelling it, hiding it, and people whose job it is to decide what the nature of yours is like. Never let them see you sweat right? Not this week. And before I forget, this is the second in our special WIS series sponsored by the American Geophysical Union’s Sharing Science grant.  

Sarah Everts is the author of The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration and she is also a science journalism professor and chair of digital science journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa.

To keep up with Sarah you can follow her @saraheverts on Twitter and check out her website http://saraheverts.com

To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod  and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen for Instagram and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too. 

This week I’m thrilled to introduce you to a spectacular scientist, author, poet, and well...human. J Drew Lanham is a professor of cultural and conservation ornithology at Clemsen University, he’s a poet laureate of his home county Edgefield, and the author of two books The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man's Love Affair with Nature and Sparrow Envy: Field Guide to Birds and Lesser Beasts

Check out this link to order his books and to read some of his poetry.  To keep up with Drew on Twitter follow him @wildandincolor

Drew grew up in rural South Carolina where his parents, biology teachers, and his grandmother brimming with ecological knowledge nurtured his passion and curiosity about wildlife and nature. Although he has an unbridled passion for birds, his love of wildlife extends beyond birds. In this episode we talk about everything from how living a mediocre life doesn't serve us (or the world) to the challenges and risk he's faced as a black man out in nature. He uses his work and writings to invite people into the thicket, to see the world and other animals from a different perspective, and in doing so, expand ones empathy for those that are seemingly different.

We wind our way through to how honoring places and landscapes should include all the people, all the history. He expresses so eloquently how without recognition there cannot be reconciliation and without reconciliation there cannot be a rebirth into a new dawn.

Our conversation turns toward how our aggression towards certain species is rooted in cultural narratives, including racism. We revile some species and revere others simply for the way they look. This reveals something about who we are, where we are, and how far from where we need to go to create meaningful change on this planet. Change in how we treat each other and change in how we treat other animals. 

Tune in next week as I pick up this thread and welcome you to revise your perception of some of the most "frightening" "freakish", "ghoulish" animals out there and unpack the history behind how they got their bad reputations. 

If you are enjoying the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod and you can follow me on 

Twitter and Instagram: @realdrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

This episode continues my Voices of Uganda series that is part of my Fulbright, since I am well, in Uganda. Back home in the US this week there is a climate change trial unfolding in the unlikeliest of places- Montana. What does this mean, a climate change trial?  In this case it is 16 young people that have sued the State of Montana over their reckless endangerment of their future. The case, Held v. Montana, is grounded in Montana’s constitution. You see, Montana guarantees its citizens  the right to a clean and healthful environment You can check out a link to the Yale article  for a more detailed look at the case. 

https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2023/06/inside-the-unexpectedly-wild-landmark-montana-youth-climate-trial/

This case though, ties directly to my guest this week. Born and raised in Kampala John Kasiita Semulema has had an impact well beyond Uganda’s borders. Today Kampala is nothing like it was when he grew up. It still had wildlife and was more like a village than the bustling, hectic, crowded city of today. Change is inevitable and nowhere is that more evident than with the climate. He speaks from a point of view as a Ugandan that grew up there and experienced a deep connection to nature and changes in the environment and now as an accomplished climate policy advisor also speaks from a global perspective. 

If you want to connect with John, you can find him on LinkedIn

If you are digging the show, give it a like, leave a review, and share it with your friends.

You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

This weeks episode features someone near and dear to me. She was my vet who helped me take care of my beloved Senor Antonio Buttones in his final weeks. In fact I am dedicating this episode to him.

As you will hear in the Show veterinarians have one of the highest suicide rates by profession so be sure to check out the show notes for links to help support veterinarians. Dr. Marty Edwards is more than just a veterinarian, shes also a humanitarian as far as I’m concerned. She also is a veterinarian that comes to you which means she has had some experiences. I got to sit down with her to learn more about how she got interested in veterinary medicine, get a sneak peak into some of her home visit adventures, and learn about her volunteer work spaying and neutering cats on Hatteras Island in NC.  

If you want to support veterinarians please visit Not One More Vet

If you want more information on trap, neuter, return projects in NC check out the organizations we talked about on the show

Friends of Felines

Alleycat Allies

To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod  and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen  and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too. 

Hi Everyone! Welcome back. We’ve been on a bit of a break here at Wild Connection: The Podcast but we are back and this is the start of Season 2. And to kick things off we are talking penises, personality, and well maybe even penises with personality. This week's guest guiding us through these fascinating topics is Associate Professor J Matt Hoch of Nova Southeastern University.  

I was recently in Iceland, a place I love for the nature, the people, and the cultural history. When in Iceland something you might notice is that there are a lot of museums. Tiny one dedicated to roses and large ones like the Reykjavík Art Museum. And then there is the Phallological Museum in Reykjavik that JMatt and I were discussing. Foro two evolutionary biologists you can imagine the thrill and fascination but I would encourage everyone, if you visit Iceland to explore this gem of a museum. I’ve got the website up in the show notes. They are committed, even serving waffles in the shape of penises. For a mere 20$ you will get a lesson in evolution and have fun shopping the gift store. Then as you head out around the country you will notice that the phallus appears naturally in rock formation and artificially in human constructed monuments. Like the Amazon symbol once you start seeing it, you can’t unsee it and it is everywhere. Here are a few examples:

The Phallological Museum is definitely worth a visit and you can check them out here:

 https://phallus.is/en/

If you want to keep up with Dr. Hoch you can See the exciting work his lab is doing at https://honors.nova.edu/faculty/jeffrey-hoch.html and follow him on Instagram @Jmatthoch 

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

Thanks for supporting the show!

Today I am lucky enough to talk to award winning photojournalist and filmmaker Ami Vitale who’s works will move you and compel you to reconsider your relationship to nature. Most recently her not for profit Vital Impacts collaborated with the Jane Goodall Institute to celebrate women photographers, specifically, 90 of them in honor of Jane Goodall turning 90 last year. It was launched on April 1st 2024 and ran for 90 days. Vital Impacts is just one of the incredible concrete actions Ami has taken to create change and I’m thrilled to have her on the show hoping she will also inspire you.

Check out her website https://www.amivitale.com/ and keep up with her on Instagram: @amivitale

You can also keep up with us 

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

X: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

Song Credit: Kichwamba High School Music Dance and Drama Club  featuring The Krunk Movement (Queen Nairobi, 412SHxM, Chell E, Amina Rasid, and DJ Loveasy). Produced by DJ BKB.

This week its all about volcanoes. And not just about eruptions, of which there have been two significant ones recently. There is so much interesting history surrounding how people cope and live around such a potentially dangerous natural phenomenon and the societal factors that shape who is impacted, who recovers and who doesn’t when there is an eruption. To tell us about all of that is a brilliant scientist, Dr. Jazmin Scarlett. 

You can keep up with all the amazing work Dr. Jazmin Scarlett is doing by following her on Twitter : @scarlett_jazmin

Or by subscribing to her blog: https://phdvolcanology.wordpress.com

If you want to donate this link provides you with details on how you can help:

(https://twitter.com/djimeshaprince/status/1381016213728460805?s=21)

If you are enjoying the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

according to NASA there are currently 45 active volcanoes on Earth at the moment and you can see La Soufrieres activity and others here: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/148190/tracking-la-soufrieres-plume

Tune in next week for my conversation with Dr. Kristy Biolsi where we try to determine what is consciousness and do other species have it?

In this episode I talk with  Dr. Adam- Hartstone-Rose whose bustling functional morphology and comparative anatomy lab at NCSU is not just giving us insights into the relationship between jaws and diet but is a place of mentoring for the next generation of scientists. 

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

To find out more about Dr. Adam Hartstone-Rose and his lab visit his website here: https://hartstoneroselab.wordpress.ncsu.edu and follow him on Twitter @GreaterSkulls

Here are some of the places and organizations we talked about in this episode:

American Museum of Natural History: https://www.amnh.org

 Carolina Tiger Rescue: https://carolinatigerrescue.org

Duke Lemur Center: https://lemur.duke.edu

 If you like the show theme music that's thanks to George Nardo of Luna Recording Studios in Tucson AZ. https://lunarecording.com

Last week the USFWS released the list of 22 extinct US species and for a minute it was all everyone talked about. The ivory billed woodpecker was on the list having worked its way through the laborious US system of classifying a species as extinct after last being seen and filmed in 1935. Here is link to a video of what it looked like. 

In total 23 species were on that list. It included 11 birds, eight freshwater mussels, two fish, a bat and a plant. Yes, plants go extinct too. Here is the official list.

It takes a long time because it is hard to prove a negative. This wasn't the case for the Northern white rhino, extinct in 2018 with the death of the last male- Sudan. This is the inspiration behind the artwork for this week's podcast. The art was done by the amazing Kry Hookuh and I am lucky she is able to create such magnificent pieces for the podcast. You can follow her on Instagram @kryshookuh and you can check out her website at: https://www.kryshookuhdoodles.com

A United Nations report estimates that over 1 million species, that's basically all the described species, are at risk for extinction in the next few decades. Humanity is failing. When you ask people if they like animals a lot of people say oooh I love animals. Heck most of the students in my classes say how much they love animals. However, much like our famous love of dogs, when we look at how we act I don’t think we love animals very much at all. It is the ultimate abusive relationship and we are the abusers. A common theme in abusive relationships is that while the abuser is being abusive they keep asserting how much they love you. That's our real relationship with other animals. We can change it though. We created it and we can undo it.

Do something to better the lives of other species. That's the message of this week's episode.

You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts.Share it with others too so they can find it.  Follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod and you can follow me on 

Twitter and Instagram: @realdrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

It is Earth Day tomorrow April 22, so this episode is coming out a little late. As a celebration of Earth Day,  my guest Dr. Gary Shapiro and I talk about orangutans, the not for profit that he co-founded with his wife, and how becoming aware and researching the nuances of the difficult ecological problems we are facing is something we should all commit to this Earth Day 2021. 

To learn more about the organization, Orang Utan Republic visit their website at https://www.orangutanrepublik.org

You can also follow them on Twitter @OURF and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/OrangUtanRepublik

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

Today's episode is all about insects and is a theme for the next 3 weeks. I discovered Dr. Jeff Lockwood, a Professor of Natural Science and the Humanities at the university of Wyoming, when I was doing research for episode 9, Love is a Battlefield, I came across his work sharing how insects have been used as weapons in human warfare. That stopped me in my tracks and I knew I had to dig deeper. After much digging and reading it was clear that I needed two episodes to cover this special topic. This is Part I. From direct attacks and using insects to cause disease to indirect attacks by destroying agricultural crops and starving your opponent to death, humans have an uneasy and well ugly history with some insects. Join us as we talk about his book Six-legged Soldiers .

You can keep up with scientist, author, and librettist Dr. Jeffrey Lockwood by visiting his website at 

https://www.jeffreylockwoodauthor.com

Twitter: @J_A_Lockwood

I was inspired by his book to design a cover for this episode. As always the talented Krys Hookah brought my vision to life with this amazing piece. You can find more of her work at her store You can also folder her on Instagram @KrysHookuh

On this episode I talk to Dr. Ben Stanger, a distinguished author and expert in cellular biology. Dr. Stanger's latest book, From One Cell: A Journey Into Life’s Origins and the Future of Medicine explains the mysteries of cellular development and its profound implications for understanding life itself.

In his book, Dr. Stanger masterfully navigates through the intricate landscape of cellular biology, tracing the historical milestones that have shaped our current understanding. From the groundbreaking discoveries of cell division to the modern insights into cellular differentiation, Dr. Stanger illuminates the awe-inspiring complexity of life at its most fundamental level.

If you enjoy this episode with Dr. Ben Stanger, please take a moment to like, share, and rate our podcast on your favorite platform. Your support helps us reach more listeners and continue bringing you fascinating content.

You can follow Ben on Twitter @BenStanger01 and check out his website 

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter @wildconnectpod for updates and behind-the-scenes insights. We value your feedback, so let us know what topics you'd like to hear more about in future episodes.

You can also follow me, your host Dr. Jen on Twitter and Instagram @RealDrJen 

Here is a link to the paper I mentioned on the episode that talks about fruit fly evolution, specifically white eyes and red eyes. 

This episode is a special one as I got to interview a personal scientific hero of mine, and fellow great ape researcher, Dr. Richard Wrangham. He shares his findings and heartwarming stories of some of the chimpanzees he's gotten to know over the years. He's also a prolific write and champion of chimps and communities. Check out the links below to find out more about the important work he and his colleagues are doing in Uganda. 

Richard Wrangham

 Great Apes Survival Partnership (GRASP)

https://kasiisiproject.org/

Hi everyone and welcome to another great episode of Wild Connection: The Podcast. We were off for two weeks working on a few projects so more on that in the coming weeks. This week I talk with Colin Jerolmack, Associate Professor of Sociology and Environmental Studies at NYU about his book Up To Heaven And Down To Hell: Fracking Freedom And Community In An American Town

I recorded this before the monster heat wave that hit the pacific NW and British Columbia. Why is this relevant? Methane is probably the most consequential greenhouse gas and that is what is involved in most cases with extraction using hydraulic fracking. Whether we like it or not, believe it or not, climate change is here and methane is a big part of that consequence since it is a much more potent global warming gas. 

To keep up with Colin and his work you can follow him @Jerolmack You can find out more about his book Up To Heaven And Down To Hell: Fracking Freedom And Community In An American Town here

and on Amazon

If you want more information on Fracking this is an interesting article:

https://epic.uchicago.edu/events/event/the-fracking-debate-the-pros-cons-and-lessons-learned-from-the-u-s-energy-boom/

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

This episode is a fun one for me because, well, I have ummm navigational difficulties. I should be more precise. I can navigate perfectly well in exactly the opposite direction I should be going. That means if I was a snow goose that was supposed to end up on Pea Island from Alaska I would end up somewhere near the Philippines instead. I have what I call directional dyslexia and I found out that I am not the only one. Dr. Andres Vidal-Gadea is an Associate Professor of Molecular Neuroethology at Illinois State University studying the molecular and cellular basis of behavior. His research is making waves, electromagnetic waves that is.

To keep up with Dr. Andres Vidal-Gadea you can visit his lab and follow his lab on Facebook

To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod  and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen for Instagram and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too. 

Let’s talk about hormones. Hormones are so much more than time packages that influence the major events in our lives. We are still learning about some of these major events though in ourselves and other animals. Just a few months again scientists confirmed that chimpanzees go through menopause Here is the NY Times article about the discovery. I was also keen to see the study on chimpanzees since it was research conducted in Kibale National Park in Uganda. Now I want to know if mountain gorillas go through menopause, I have been to Kibale many times and have followed research by John Mitani, David Watts, and Richard Wrangham for quite a long time. Here is a link to the original research article.

In this episode I mention a video I made with a friend and colleague called “Rejecting the Biological Binary". You can check that out here on my Youtube channel Wild Connection TV

This week’s guest is Randi Hutter Epstein, MD. Shes a writer in residence at Yale School of Medicine and teaches both at Yale University and Columbia’s School of Journalism. Today, she is filling us in on all the weird and wonderful things that hormones control by talking about her book Aroused: The History of Hormones and How They Control Just About Everything. They even, well, make you you, mostly, kind of.

If you want to get your copy of Aroused and Randi's other book check out her website: http://randihutterepstein.com/

And if you want to keep up with Randi follow her on 

Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

YouTube: Wild Connection TV

The Queen of England on a hot mic uttered the words many of us who care about this planet, the lives of others, including other species, feel: It’s really irritating when they talk and don’t do. I would suggest it is more than irritating. ThenPrince William admonished the uber billionaires selling tickets to the edge of space for throwing their money up in the air instead of putting it to use on the ground. Prince William is putting his money where his mouth is. With the Earthshot prize 5 winners announced later today Sunday Oct 17th he is focused on solutions. And he is calling on everyone to raise their ambition. 

Rono Chonginio is doing just that. As a journalist, storyteller, and founder of Youthbase  he is telling the stories of people from his community and young people working to create solutions. 

You can follow Rono and the stories he is telling on

Twitter: @ronochonginio 

Instagram: @ronochonginio

YouTube

You too have a story and you write that story every day with every action you take. There is always a narrative, the question is who is authoring yours? We interfere with the lives of other species, changing their story from one of potential to one of tragedy and we do this every single day. Many of us have experienced this ourselves. And that is why stories connect us. Be part of the story of what happens. If you are already a change-maker I would love to hear from you. If you are part of the do nothing brigade letting everyone else dictate your story and the story of our future, well maybe you can be inspired to take more positive action.

 Follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod and you can follow me on 

Twitter and Instagram: @realdrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

Not too long ago actor Bruce Willis was in the news. He is suffering from aphasia. Generally this is a loss of language due to some kind of injury to the brain. But there are many different types of aphasia. For example, in wernicke’s aphasia people can produce language but have an impairment in understanding words spoken to them. The types of injuries that cause aphasias  can be strok, traumatic injury to the brain, infection, tumors, and of course proteins that attack the brain. This week's guest Dr. Sara Manning Peskin, neurologist and author of A Molecule Away from Madness: Tales of the hijacked brain knows all about how proteins, big and small, can wreak havoc on an otherwise beautiful mind.

You can keep up with Sara here: 

https://saramanningpeskin.com

And check out an article written by Schneider Williams about Lewy Body Disease :The terrorist inside my husband's brain

If you want to know more about LBD or support research head to the Lewy Body Dementia Fund

You can subscribe to the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

As we celebrate the 75th Anniversary of A Sand County Almanac and the 100th Anniversary of the designation of the Gila Wilderness Area, I talk with Dr. Stan Temple, Senior Fellow at the Aldo Leopold Foundation and Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison about the evolution of Leopold's perspective and his lasting contribution to the modern conservation philosophy of the United States. 

You can connect with the foundation in several ways

 https://www.aldoleopold.org/

https://twitter.com/AldoLeopoldFdn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/aldo-leopold-foundation/

And of course you can connect with me, your host on Twitter or Instagram @RealDrJen and follow the podcast on Twitter @wildconnectpod

Hi everyone and welcome back to Wild Connection the Podcast. As many of you know I am coming to you live from Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda where I am currently a Fulbright Scholar. Part of my Fulbright was creating a special series voices of Uganda. 

My guest today is Lisa Randolph, author of a marvelous book, The Wildlife Divas Adventure Team: Saving the Endangered Mountain Gorilla. You can keep up with Lisa and the Wildlife Divas on her website and purchase a coy on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. You can also connect with her on Facebook  Instagram Twitter or LinkedIn

If you are digging the show, give it a like and share it with your friends. You can follow me on Twitter @realdrJen and the show @wildconnectpod

Welcome back everyone. This is episode 17 and this week I’ve got a special guest who is going to talk about something happening right now. You say cicada I say cicada and Dr Floyd Shockley says cover your ears because it's going to be LOUD.  

Right here in the United States, primarily along the eastern seaboard it was a magical time beginning around mid-May. Brood 10 was emerging and this only happens for this group every 17 years. That means this generation was laid in 2004! The next generation of brood 10 won’t happen until 2038! Even though I recorded this episode a few weeks ago they are still around making their final gasp of air before all of them die hopeful the next generation will survive and carry the torch. These periodical cicadas are unique to the eastern U.S. This week's guest is entomologist Dr. Floyd Shockley, who is the Collections Manager for the Department of Entomology at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Him and I talk all about these true bugs and the importance of museum collections. You can follow him on Twitter @Beetle_Guy

And you can connect with the museum @NMNH

If you want to hear one of the three species of Brood X sing their love song check out this link. 

One of many cookbooks is the Cicada Cookbook and you can find it on Amazon. 

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

Welcome back to Wild Connection: The Podcast. I’m your host Dr. Jen and this week I am back with Dr. Jeffrey Lockwood, Prof of Natural Sciences and Humanities at the University of Wyoming. He’s also a librettist and This week we are talking all about locusts. From the Pharaohs of Egypt to the cattle farmers of the present, locusts have a pretty bad reputation. We’re talking a plague of biblical proportion and its happening right now. 

If you want to eat some locusts here is a good recipe:

https://www.greenprophet.com/2013/03/feasting-on-locusts-a-recipe-from-moshe-bassons-kitchen/

You can keep up with Dr. Lockwood via his website

https://www.jeffreylockwoodauthor.com

On Twitter: @J_A_Lockwood

If you want to watch the Opera Locust you can find it here:

Scene I             https://youtu.be/L_4xzj7gAjA  

Scene II            https://youtu.be/KyK4jQwcfcw 

Scene III           https://youtu.be/tuq1U815e6Q 

And to buy a copy of Locust (the story of the Rocky Mountain locust): https://www.amazon.com/Locust-Devastating-Mysterious-Disappearance-American/dp/0465041671. 

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @wildconnectpod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

Hi Everyone, welcome back to a new episode of Wild Connection. You may have noticed there was a short break and that is because I had some traveling to do. I also have some big news that is going to impact the podcast. I will be going to Uganda, to a place called Bwindi Impenetrable Forest soon and I am hoping to bring you new episodes from there. If people in the communities are willing to share their stories and experiences then you will get to hear them. So please support the podcast and spread the word if you are enjoying it. 

This week’s guest is pretty special. Brooke Williams has spent the last thirty years advocating for wilderness. He is the author of four books, including Halflives: Reconciling Work and Wildness. And when he’s not writing books he’s teaching courses and spending time in the desert in Utah, where he lives. You may think the desert has no seasons, but Brooke will be quick to tell you this isn’t true and if you slow down enough you can witness the changing tides out in the desert. But those tides are changing. There is more heat, more fire, more floods. I connected with Brooke to talk about his latest book Mary Jane Wild: Two walks and a Rant. As you will hear, he is inviting you into his experience. 

You can pick up a copy of his latest book 

on Amazon or you may just find it in a local bookstore. Let's support those local bookstores. 

Speaking of support...

You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

A throwback to an episode from July 2023 where I talked with orca biologist and author Hanne Strager. 

As you may have heard Orca's off the coast of Spain have been "misbehaving" and scientists are struggling to find a good answer to why they are attacking boats. A New York Times article that was published on August 27th, 2024 proposes a new theory. 

I don't really agree. Do you? Feel free to leave a comment. 

Welcome back to Wild Connection the Podcast. My Fulbright series  Voices of Uganda continues this week with Mandela Washington Fellow, business owner and entrepreneur Gerard Iga. One thing that folks may not recognize about Uganda is its diversity of natural spaces, wildlife, and culture. Perhaps that is why it’s called the Pearl of Africa.

Gerard specializes in giving visitors a rich and diverse experience of Uganda, sharing his love of his country with others. He is passionate about tourism and community development and is the owner of Lado Tours specializing in connecting natural resources and cultural resources with conservation, while uplifting communities. Now we had a few sound issues with people talking in the background periodically, so apologies for that.

If you want to keep up with Gerard or book him for a tour here are various ways to get in touch:

Lado Tours

Instagram

LinkedIn

Twitter

Website

You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

Uganda has made great strides in conservation of its wildlife, notably mountain gorillas, but also the captive breeding and ultimate goal of reintroduction of rhinos back into the system. Uganda has also developed a model of profit sharing and others, like my guest Alex Ngabirano founder and CEO of Bwindi Development Network, an anti poaching organization, are taking the lead to create economic alternatives and education programs through community led decisions.  

To follow Alex and the work of the Bwindi Development Network you can connect with them on their website:

https://bwindidevelopmentnetwork.org/

Facebook

Twitter

And you can read some of Alex's articles on Medium

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

YouTube: Wild Connection TV

Welcome back everyone. This week is Part 2 of my interview with geographer Dr. Jacob Shell.  He specializes in human transportation networks that rely on animals. His book, Giants of the Monsoon forest: Living and Working with Elephants, is a thought provoking read. If you haven’t heard part one, please do listen as that’s where we talk about the history of humans using elephants, talk about why Asian elephants are still used while African elephants are not, and where he describes how new elephants are captured. We left off on the cusp of talking about how continued use of elephants helps with conservation. In this episode we shift toward exploring how the humans and elephants interact in modern Myanmar and what this means for the future of the Asian elephant.  

Dr. Jacob Shell is a professor of geography and urban studies at Temple University. He writes about transport animals, maps, and transient landscapes.

You can connect with him on Twitter @JacobAShell  and he has a marvelous visual website 

 https://jacobshell.carbonmade.com/

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

My guest this week is Ken Whelan, the Research Director for the Atlantic Salmon Trust. Not only is the work he and others doing revealing just how special salmon are, but his love of fish and commitment to reconnecting communities with the nature all around them is work that we need more of. As you’ll hear, we met at COP26 under a sea of salmon. Enjoy!

If you want to keep up with Ken you can follow him @kenwhelan0451

You can check out his website and all the courses he is running here and explore all of the incredible work going on at the Atlantic Salmon Trust. 

You can subscribe to the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

I enjoyed my chat with Dr Caren Cooper so much we are bringing it back. Dr. Caren Cooper is part of NCSU’s Leadership in Public Science Program and the F&W Conservation Biology Program. She is passionate about the social side of science, getting people involved in a variety of ways, and looking at what it means for laypersons to participate in science. She’s also an ornithologist and outstanding mentor to the next generation of scientists. Collective science and including non experts in science can lead to major discoveries and even policies.

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

YouTube: Wild Connection TV

This week's episode explores what we know about language, cognition and emotional intelligence in other animals. I talk with Con Slobodhcikoff,  CEO of Zoolingua and author of Chasing Dr. Doolittle: Learning the Language of Animals. You can find out more about Dr. Con at his website https://www.conslobodchikoff.com and you can order a copy of his thoughtful and provocative book here.

He is at the forefront of utilizing new technology like artificial intelligence to decode the language of other species. A lot of us already know that our companion animals communicate with us. Whether its dogs or cats they have been smart enough to develop unique vocalizations reserved just for talking to us. Cats for instance don’t meow at each other, that just for us. Its almost as if they realized us silly humans can’t speak their language so they worked out a way to talk to us. People like Con Slobodchikoff are working to develop tools that will help us better understand their language. Perhaps then we can stop trying to make other species speak human language as a criteria for having language. Science is finally catching up with better tools and creative minds to reveal just how connected we really are.

Speaking of creativity, Con is an artist as well. Check out his work at https://www.artabstractphotography.com and also his partner Judy, another scientist and artist creates spectacular paintings, https://www.judekaiart.com/index.php

You can connect with Con on Facebook at Twitter at 

https://www.facebook.com/con.slobodchikoff/ https://www.facebook.com/Doctor.Con

@DoctorCon

Don't forget to follow the show and connect with us on Twitter @wildconnectpod and with me, your host @realdrjen 

This episode is about our relationship to nature, how no matter how passionately you care about the planet you are complicit in its destruction by merely existing, and what, in face of calamity can we actually do about it? 

Nathaniel Popkin,  novelist, essayist, editor, documentary writer, and critic has released a new book called To Reach the Spring: From Complicity to Consciousness in the Age of the Eco-Crisis brings to the forefront all of these aspects. 

In our conversation we talk about environmental advocacy, the inequality of influence, decolonization, and integration of the messiness of nature back into our lives. 

If you want to cnnect with Nathaniel check out his website, reach out on twitter @NathanielPopkin and get a copy of his new book, To Reach the Spring

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

Thanks for supporting the show and keep an eye out for our Patreon link coming up soon!

If you like the show theme music that's thanks to George Nardo of Luna Recording Studios in Tucson AZ. https://lunarecording.com

Right here in the United States, primarily in the Midwest and Southern portion an invasion is coming. Not of aliens, of cicadas. Brood 19 and 13 have begun emerging and they haven't come out of the ground together in 221 years! Even though I recorded this episode in 2021 during Brood 10's emergence, it's worth rebooting because  periodical cicadas are unique to the U.S.

The guest is entomologist Dr. Floyd Shockley, who is the Collections Manager for the Department of Entomology at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Him and I talked all about these true bugs and the importance of museum collections. You can follow him on Twitter @Beetle_Guy

And you can connect with the museum @NMNH

If you want to hear one of the seven species of cicadas sing their love song check out this link. 

One of many cookbooks is the Cicada Cookbook and you can find it on Amazon. 

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes, including one about this year's historic emergence. You can watch that here.

This week’s episode is all about horses. If we had to give a relationship status on horses, it might likely be “It’s complicated”.

Using advanced genetic techniques and analyses, Scientists found a signature genetic event 4000 years ago that revealed  that the ancestors of all modern horses were domesticated in what is now southern Russia. Scientists had been on this trail for a while and in 2016 a project known as Pegasus was launched to get to the bottom of it. What they have now pieced together is that humans started artificially breeding this horse and it was genetically unique from all other horses 4000 years ago. It only took 3000 years for this horse, our modern horses, to replace all other lineages across Europe and Asia. Generations later they were reintroduced to the Americas by the Spaniards, bringing horses back to their ancestral homelands. These descendants are what we today call mustangs.

Although bestselling author Claire Eckard wasn’t writing about mustangs in her new book Gallant: The Call of the Trail: Two horses, two people, one journey, it is the first a trilogy so you never know. This first one already went to #1 on the Amazon bestsellers list and that’s not too surprising because it’s a wonderful story. I caught up with Claire to talk about this beautiful book that explores the sometimes special relationship we humans have with our horses.  

You can get a copy here

And if you want to support an organization doing something to help wild mustangs check out the Mustangs of America Foundation

http://www.mustangsofamericafoundation.org

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

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There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

Voices of Uganda continues this week with Paul Muhwezi. Last episode featured Apophia Asiimwe, a local bird guide. Paul is someone that has worked on behalf of the Buhoma community, has seen the community grow and change, and seen how it has benefitted from tourism. He is on the board of the Buhoma Community Development Association and he is the general manager for lodges, the Rest Camp and Haven Lodge. 

One of the many goals is economic empowerment of the community. If you want to learn more about the Buhoma Community Development Association and stay at Haven Lodge (highly recommended) visit their website at: www.buhomacommunityug.com

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

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Back from Glasgow after attending COP26. It was intense which is why I am devoting 2 weeks to talk about some of the things that came out of it. I also made a few key observations while there and one of them was that Glasgow needs to clean up it's act. Literally. Pick up your trash. 

My guest, filmmaker, community organizer and author John de Graaf and I talk about a few more things people can and should do. He’s been a passionate advocate for the environment, written books and made films like Affluenza that highlight how its our insatiable consumption that is destroying the planet and ourselves. 

We also talk about his latest film, a biopic on the late Stewart Udall. If you haven’t heard of Udall, he was many things, including a politician with guts who stood up for Indigenous communities, racial and social justice, and the environment. He paid for that commitment by never getting elected to office in his home state of Arizona ever again. The truth is we need more politicians with the guts to stand up for the issues he stood for and we need people smart enough to vote them into office. 

If you'd like to keep up to date with John you can follow him @JohndeGraaf on Twitter and check out his website for more on his books, films, and organizations:

https://www.johndegraaf.com

To support the film visit http://stewartudallfilm.org

To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod  and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen for Instagram and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too. 

Wild Connection is devoted to helping you live a better life by reconnecting with nature through conversations with scientists, filmmakers, authors, and conservationists around the world. We talk about all things wildlife, nature, science, and conservation. 

Today, we're venturing into the fascinating world of science communication, with a sneak peak into how evolutionary genetics can go mainstream. Who better to join us on this intergalactic adventure than, Dr. Mohamed Noor, a true visionary crossing the boundaries of science and science fiction.

He's an evolutionary geneticist based at Duke University and a Darwin Wallace medal recipient. Not only does he unravel the mysteries of life here on Earth, but he also consults for none other than Star Trek, where science meets the final frontier. As if that wasn’t cool enough, he is author of a few books including “Live Long and Evolve: What Star Trek Can Teach Us about Evolution, Genetics, and Life on Other Worlds,” an entertaining introduction to genetics and evolutionary concepts all through the lens of a popular science-fiction television show. 

To catch up with Dr. Noor you can follow him on Twitter @mafnoor and his lab here. 

Be sure to follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on Twitter: @realdrjen Instagram: @readrjen

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YouTube: Wild Connection TV

To celebrate Earth Day 2022 I am replaying my interview with author Nathaniel Popkin. We talk about his book,  To Reach the Spring: From Complicity to Consciousness in the Age of the Eco-Crisis, that was released in 2021.

In our conversation we talk about environmental advocacy, the inequality of influence, decolonization, and integration of the messiness of nature back into our lives. 

If you want to cnnect with Nathaniel check out his website, reach out on twitter @NathanielPopkin and get a copy of his new book, To Reach the Spring

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

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This episode features Dr. Susan B Eirich— author of Whispers from the Wild: An Invitation Stories from the Rescued Wild Animals of Earthfire institute. Susan’s work in Reconnection Ecology invites us to see animals not as ‘other,’ but as beings with whom we share this planet in a profound and reciprocal way.

Check out the incredible work of the Earthfire Institute here and learn more about Susan on her website

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

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Hi Everyone and welcome back to Wild Connection: The Podcast. This week’s episode is pretty special because we are talking about how service animals not only improve well-being but sometimes they save our lives by the love, kindness, compassion, and attentiveness they give us. One thing that came up in the episode that I have not spoken about is the loss of my support, my family,  my beloved companion, best friend, my joy and my breath for 18 years, Senor Antonio Buttones. I’m not ready to talk a whole bunch about him or the loss, but I do want to acknowledge that the love we share with other animals can open us up to connecting with others. And that is the focus of this week’s episode. 

This week's guest Dr. John Tyler Binfet, an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia. His research looks at understanding the benefits of canine-assisted intervention using certified therapy dogs in young children, young adults, and well also the rest of us! He's the founder of B.A.R.K- Building Academic Retention through K’9s and the Director of the Center for Mindful Engagement.

You can find information on the B.A.R.K. program here: https://bark.ok.ubc.ca

The Center for Mindful engagement here: https://education.ok.ubc.ca/research-partnerships/centre-for-mindful-engagement/

Dr. John-Tyler Binfet 's website is: https://education.ok.ubc.ca/about/contact/john-tyler-binfet/

You can keep up with him and the B.A.R.K program on Twitter @kindnessprof and @barkubc

If you are enjoying the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod and you can follow me on 

Twitter and Instagram: @realdrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

Happy Father’s Day Everyone and this week’s episode features one of the great dads that co-parents with mom. The Nazca Booby. I am talk to Dr. Dave Anderson, a biologist and professor at Wake forest University about these incredible birds, what they teach us about parenting, stress, and how we change the ways we cope after trauma. We also learn how important dads are to the success of a Nazca booby family. And not just in boobies, but also in albatrosses. 

His work, along with that of several colleagues is revealing how the lifestyle and needs of these pelagic seabirds is putting them squarely in the crosshairs of commercial fishing fleets that roam unregulated and unmonitored on the high seas leaving destruction in their wake. 

This ties to a recent documentary released by Netflix called Seaspiracy which follows the trail of plastic straws and lands squarely at the foot of commercial and industrialized fishing. Reducing the amount of fish one consumes can help. 

For more information on Dr. Dave Anderson's work you can keep up with his lab here: http://wfu.me/biolab/anderson/index.html

and on Twitter @wfuandersonlab 

If you're enjoying the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

This episode is all about butterflies, or the pandas of the sky. Check out this cool art I had my friend and artist extraordinaire, Kry Hookuh create. You can check out her work at kryshookuhdoodles.com and follow her on Instagram @kryhookuh

With the release of two new papers looking at what is happening to butterflies as a consequence of climate change, Katy Prudic, Assistant Professor of Data and Citizen Science in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University of Arizona and colleagues are revealing that big changes are happening for butterflies. One study, published in Science, shows a decline in butterfly populations over the past 40 years. Given continuing warming, especially in Fall, this decline will likely continue. What does this mean for butterflies? For many it means they won’t be able to take the heat. For some, though, like the Giant swallowtail, they may be able to shift northward to escape the increasing temperatures. That comes from the second important paper Katy and her colleagues also just published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 

We talk about these studies and more. Like why do people love butterflies? And of course, because people do love butterflies, they are helping scientists get science done. Plus, you’ll learn some interesting little tidbits about butterflies you may not have known before. I know I did. You can follow Katy on Twitter @Envirokaty 

Lastly, I was lucky enough to be part of the monarch butterfly tagging effort. Check out the video of me tagging one on my YouTube Channel, Wildlife Connection TV, here.

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

Thanks for supporting the show and keep an eye out for our Patreon link coming up soon!

If you like the show theme music that's thanks to George Nardo of Luna Recording Studios in Tucson AZ. https://lunarecording.com

This week we are celebrating National Farm Animal Day and it's going to be a party. We are talking horses, pigs, cows, goats, and even sheep. Joining us for this celebration is the incredible Dr. Marty Edwards. You may recall from last week’s episode she promised us some stories from her time learning about farm animals.

So hang on, it's going to be a wild ride. 

To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod  and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen  and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too. 

Today we have science writer and author Emma Marris here, and we’re going to be talking about her amazing experience and her book, Wild Souls: Freedom and Flourishing in the Non-Human World.

You can keep up with Emma by visiting her website

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Spotify,  or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on X: @WildConnectPod

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X: @realdrjen

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Today I am talking about insects, their weapons, how they are used in love and war, and how some scientists curious about why insects have elaborate weaponry use a bit of creativity to get some answers. One of those scientists, Dr. Zach Emberts is my guest today. He studies animal behavior and the evolution of anima weapons with a focus on insects. 

Dr. Emberts is a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Arizona. The research we are talking about today was done in collaboration with his postdoctoral advisor, Dr. John Weins. You can learn more about the Weins lab here and follow Zach Emberts on Twitter @ZachEmberts 

A highlight of the episode is where Zach talks about the creative problem solving needed to design the body armour used in the fighting experiments. 

And here is a video showing just how these critters fight and wrestle.

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

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This week rounds out Earth Month and I am talking with writer and conservationist Lydia Millet. Her new book, We Loved it All, takes you on a journey through her childhood and yours at the same time. It's more than a memoir though. It's a gift, a gift full of stories about how other animals are part of the fabric of our lives. 

We talk about many things in this episode, from her work at the Center for Biological Diversity and the attention needed on rapid loss of biodiversity to how stories connect us to each other and the personhood movement for other species. 

Join this interesting, thought-provoking, and engaging conservation and drop a comment if you have a perspective you'd like to share. 

You can pick up a copy of Lydia's book anywhere that books are sold but support local book shops by ordering your copy from Bookshop

You can keep up with Lydia by connecting with her on her website or on social media

https://lydiamillet.net/

Instagram

Facebook

You can keep up with me at 

www.jenniferverdolin.com 

or on Twitter and Instagram @RealDrJen

Follow the podcast on twitter @wildconnecpod and check us out on YouTube at Wild Connection TV. 

Picture a world drowning in plastic waste, from the vast oceans to the remotest corners of the Earth. That's our world. It's a challenge that demands our immediate attention and collective action. In this episode, I talk with entrepreneur Peter Okwoko. He's also the co-founder of TakaTaka Plastics a company at the forefront of taking layers of plastic and creating usable construction products. 

He’s inspiring his community and others to explore the incredible possibilities within the realm of plastic recycling. From innovative technologies to the grassroots initiatives, Takataka Plastics is working tirelessly to turn the tide on plastic waste in Uganda.

You can keep up with Peter and Takataka Plastics here:

https://www.takatakaplastics.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/takataka-plastics/

And for some really exciting ideas on how to get started ups cycling plastic check out Brothers Make YouTube Channel

This week we are continuing the conversation around some of the issues that came up and din't come up at COP26. My guest is Dr. Katherine Kennet, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and is who is also the social prescribing lead at the Royal College of Psychiatrists

Her and I talk about the psychological traumas associated with climate disasters and what we can expect in the future. We also chatted about what the UK is doing to pay attention to mental well-being, including social prescribing. To learn more about the position the Royal College of Psychiatrists is taking with respect to responding to climate change you can read more about that here. 

If you'd like to learn more about social prescribing, you can read more about it here. 

You can also keep up with Dr Kennet on Twitter @katherinekennet

To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod  and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen for Instagram and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too. 

Wild Connection is devoted to helping you live a better life by reconnecting with nature through conversations with scientists, filmmakers, authors, and conservationists around the world. We talk about all things wildlife, nature, science, and conservation. 

In this episode I have a not so ordinary conversation about climate with best selling author David Gessner and we invite you to think about how to talk through what climate change really means from a new point of view, one that connects us instead of divides us.

David Gessner has written many books but we are talking about his latest one:  A Traveller's Guide to the End of the World: Tales of Fire Wind and Water

You can follow David on Twitter @DavidGessner and on Instagram @davidmgessner

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

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YouTube: Wild Connection TV

Today's episode tackles a BIG question: What is cognition and consciousness and do other species have it?

That's not all though, my guest Dr. Kristy Biolsi, Associate Professor of Psychology at St. Francis College (@SFCNY) in Brooklyn Heights NY and co-founder and Director of the Center for the Study of Pinniped Ecology and Cognition (C-SPEC) talks to us about what she's discovering about the cognitive abilities of seals as well as why seals are back in New York City waterways. 

During this podcast we also chat about safe ways to enjoy seals and what you can do to help. 

You can find out more information about the Riverhead Foundation here: https://www.longislandaquarium.com/riverhead-foundation-rescue-center/

and go on a seal walk if you are in the NY area with CRESLI. Check their website https://www.cresli.org/seals/

 for details. 

If you're enjoying the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

Last week climate refugees came up and this week it’s time to talk about conservation refugees. Many Indigenous communities are losing their ancestral lands for conservation. This week's guest is one of the Indigenous Batwa clan leaders currently living in Buhoma in a settlement at the edge of his former home, Bwindi Impenetrable Forest.

It was an honor and a privilege to sit with him and his community to talk about who they are as a people, what life used to be like, and what they are hoping for in their future. During our interview, the rains came so you’ll hear how heavy the rains were toward the end. If you want to see one of the Batwa traditional dances you can see it here.

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

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YouTube: Wild Connection TV

Happy Halloween. After speaking with cultural and conservation ornithologist, J Drew Lanham about the how certain birds are abused and targeted because of the way they look, in our conversation starlings and cormorants specifically, it occurred to me that halloween was the perfect opportunity to talk about this more and give some animals a re-brand. And since Friday the 29th was World Lemur Day, I have two, yes two special guest this week to help us better appreciate one special lemur. The lemur that needs a makeover is the aye-aye.

nomis-simon, CC BY 2.0

My first guest is Dr. Tim Sefczek and he is a conservation geneticist currently a postdoc at the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. He got us started in learning about lemurs and what makes the aye-aye so darn special. The I catch up wit Dr. Ed Louis to find out more about lemurs, aye-ayes and the conservation work he is spearheading. He is the Director of Conservation Genetics at the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium (OHDZA) and the general director and founder of the Madagascar Biodiversity Partnership (MBP). 

To find out more you can visit:

https://www.omahazoo.com

https://madagascarpartnership.org

Follow MBP and OHDZA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/madagascarpartnership/

Twitter: @MBPartnership

Instagram: @madagascarpartnership

The theme here is that there are things to admire in other species and just because they look different doesn’t mean they possess dark qualities. That goes for people too, my friends. And let’s face it to other species I am sure that we look awfully weird, walking up right, weak, slow runners, unable to do much except talk a lot and break things like the planet. And yet they find a way to accept us. Something we could learn a bit more about.

If you are enjoying the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod and you can follow me on 

Twitter and Instagram: @realdrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

I know I am not alone in my fascination of octopuses. They seem a little out of this world and they have so many unusual traits. 

My guest today is scientist and author David Scheel. And We are going to talk about his new book Many Things Under a Rock: The Mystery of Octopuses

One of the things that came up in the podcast was the octopus nurseries. They have always been a mystery to scientists and just this past week we finally have an answer. In the deep waters off the coast of California is an octopus nursery with over 6000 pearly octopuses. The answer only deepens my respect for the incredible intelligence octopuses possess. What is the answer? It seems they somehow have figured out that in these deep cold waters there is a bit of warmth to be found. The baby octopus garden sits on top of extinct volcanic vents that give off a little extra heat.

Without this extra warmth it would take about 4 years for these octopus babies to mature. Instead in a mere 2 years they're ready to rock and roll in the ocean. Enjoy the episode and grab a copy of David's book

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

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This week’s guest is Samantha Farquhar. She is a dynamic interdisciplinary researcher with a focus on coastal systems in the Integrated Coastal Science Program at East Carolina University working on her doctorate. I got to talk to her about her past and present work and the importance of community led conservation initiatives. 

Here are links to some of Samantha's work that we cover on the podcast

https://www.unh.edu/unhtoday/2021/12/industrial-fishing-distant-waters

Nepal Aquaculture

Madagascar Octopus Project

In this episode we are also celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science which was on February 11th. 

To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod  and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen  and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too. 

My guest this week is all about the enchanted. Today I am talking to author and veterinarian Timm Otterson with an interest in wildlife conservation. He’s on today to tell us about his new book All Creatures Weird and Dangerous. It’s an autobiography of sorts that brings to life some of the animals that have remained in the shadows as legends and myths. Our conversation goes deeper than that though and reminds us that our past was far more enchanted and connected than our present.

If you want to keep up with Timm's adventures and order a copy of his book you can visit his website: https://www.timmotterson.com

You can also follow him on Instagram @timmotterson

You can subscribe to the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

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In another life I would have been a forensic anthropologist. I devoured books by Iris Johanson and her main character forensic specialist Eve Duncan. The truth is I like to solve puzzles and becoming a police detective or forensic anthropologist was high on my list. I still love crime/mystery novels and as you’ll here, who knows maybe there is a career change in my future. It is this love of forensics and solving of mysteries that drove this week’s guest to become a Forensic anthropologist. Dr. Ann Ross. She is a Professor at NC State University and works with the NC Medical Examiner to identify human remains and shed light on what happened to someone’s bones. 

She is a Professor at NC State University and works with the NC Medical Examiner to identify human remains and shed light on what happened to someone’s bones.  Dr. Ann Ross' Lab: https://sites.google.com/ncsu.edu/forensicanthropology/

An article featuring Dr. Ross: https://raleighmag.com/2016/10/the-bone-doctor/

To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod  and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen  and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too. 

Hi everyone. This week is Part I of a 2 part interview I had with Dr. Jacob Shell is a geographer that specializes in transportation networks and the interface between humans and other animals when it comes to getting around. We talk about one of his books, Giants of the Monsoon Forest: Living and Working with Elephants. His work and this book really examines so many aspects of how connected we all are that we just couldn’t cover it all in one podcast. When we consider how we use other species to meet our needs, one has to ask, are we and can we also meet the needs of those species that we depend on? How can we ensure their autonomy and independence in a rapidly a world we dominate?

Dr. Jacob Shell is a professor of geography and urban studies at Temple University. He writes about transport animals, maps, and transient landscapes.

You can connect with him on Twitter @JacobAShell  and he has a marvelous visual website 

 https://jacobshell.carbonmade.com/

You can also see more of his work here. His book, Giants of the Monsoon Forest: Living and Working with Elephants is available on Amazon and other sellers. It is fascinating and I recommend it highly. 

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

I'm calling April Earth month because, well, doesn't our planet deserve at least 1 month of appreciation? Last time we re-booted Caren Cooper and this week we are revisiting a powerful conversation I had with Nathaniel Popkin, author of To Reach the Spring. 

I would like to ask that you subscribe to the Wild Connection podcast and share it with your friends and family. By spreading the word, you're helping to amplify our message of conservation and appreciation for the natural world. Together, we can make a difference in protecting our planet for future generations.

If you want to be part of my conservation and education work, you can head over to www.jenniferverdolin.com  and sign up for my newsletter or www.wildconnection.org where you can also donate to support the various projects I am doing. All donations are tax deductible. 

You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram @RealDrJen or check out Wild Connection TV on YouTube. 

This week’s guest is Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka. She is the founder of Conservation Through Public Health, the author of a new book, Walking With Gorillas: The Journey of an African Wildlife Vet, and currently a finalist for the Indianapolis Prize.

In this episode we talk about her work with the endangered mountain gorillas, her book, which details her journey, and what the future holds for this species. 

For more information on book events check out the latest newsletter.

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

This week I talk with natural history writer Danielle Clode about her new book Koalas: A Natural History and an Uncertain Future

As famous as koalas are they are still a bit of a mystery. Danielle shares her love, fascination, and a ton of wonderful knowledge about koalas with us. 

If you want to get a copy of the book or keep up with Danielle

visit her website https://danielleclode.com.au/ and follow her on 

Instagram or Twitter

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

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My guest this week is composer, instrumentalist, producer, arranger, editor, and author Ruth Mendelson. She has written award-winning scores for film and television. She teaches at the Berklee College of music and she has written a fantastical, multi-dimensional, treasure hunt fairy tale for children of all ages called The Water Tree Way that will positively alter your trajectory through the world, pointing you towards joy, success and love.

We talk about her book, relationships, and how to find joy. To follow Ruth and get your copy of The Water Tree Way you can visit her website. 

You can also follow her on Twitter and Instagram

To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod  and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen for Instagram and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too. 

Wild Connection is devoted to helping you live a better life by reconnecting with nature through conversations with scientists, filmmakers, authors, and conservationists around the world. We talk about all things wildlife, nature, science, and conservation. 

Welcome back everyone for another great episode of Wild Connection the Podcast. One of the many reasons I love doing this podcast is getting to highlight some of the people I have known or worked with in the area of conservation. I have been so fortunate to connect with some incredible people over the years and my guest this week, international wildlife conservation expert Craig Bruce, is one of them. As you will hear Craig has dedicated his life to conservation, sustainable utilization, and community engagement. Although the latter two are rather trendy right now, he has been practicing both for a long time. In many ways Craig has lived the life I dreamt of years ago when I read Cry of the Kalahari by Mark and Delia Owens, two biologists that struck out on their own path to study hyenas and lions in the Kalahari desert. I never imagined I would end up in academia, or the Academy. Instead I was sure that I was going to be more like Craig, doing realon the ground conservation in communities for species around the world. His impact, like his personality, has been large and I am grateful that he is my friend and that I was able to have him on the show.

In this episode we invite you to think about how we can and should come together, work together, have respect for one another, understand each other, help each other while being committed to protecting all the species that we share the planet with so that they and we can continue to be, well, alive. 

If you want to keep up with Craig and the critical work Jamma International is doing, here are a few links:

www.jammainternational.com

https://www.facebook.com/jammainternational

https://www.linkedin.com/company/21610505/admin/

https://www.instagram.com/jammainternational/

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

Next Sunday is Independence Day in the US and I am going to talk about wildlife independence. What are the rights of other species for autonomy and freedom in a world dominated by humans? What are some of the most recent legal decisions that are beginning to redefine our relationship and how much further should be go? All that and more next week. 

Thanks for supporting the show and keep an eye out for how you can sponsor an episode.  

If you like the show theme music that's thanks to George Nardo of Luna Recording Studios in Tucson AZ. https://lunarecording.com

George Makari is the author of a recent book titled Of Fear and Strangers: A History of Xenophobia. He is also a psychiatrist and historian, who is the Director of the DeWitt Wallace Institute of Psychiatry: History, Policy, and the Arts,Weill Cornell Medical College, where he has a clinical practice.

Summer is starting and things are heating up. And in some places temperature is exceeding human capacity for existence. What you may not realize is it is a lot harder to cool down than to warm up. And warming up is something that gets at the heart of human social behavior.

Here to explain more about what this means is Dr. Hans Ijzerman. He is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Universitét Grenoble Alpes and a junior member of the The Institut Universitaire de France. And he wrote a fascinating book, Heartwarming: How Our Inner Thermostat Made Us Human.

We also get a sneak peek into how he and his lab are expanding their research into how temperature is influenced by culture, behavior, and biology.

To keep up with Hans you can follow him on Twitter @hansijzerman and follow what his lab is doing at corelab.io

You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/RealDrJen

I don’t know if you’ve noticed but there is a lot going on in the world and a lot of misinformation being spread. This past week YouTube committed to removing anything containing anti vaccine misinformation. That includes anything related to vaccines causing autism, which they don’t, cancer, which they don't, microchips, which they don’t have, and so on. In an unprecedented step they also committed to terminating the accounts of anti-vaccine influencers that spread this type of false information. It is timely because Youtube came up in this week’s episode. In a time of mistrust, misinformation, and propaganda, we need voices of truth, voices of clarity, and voices of reason to cut through all the noise. One of those voices is that of this week's guest Lee McIntyre (insert credentials). He's a research fellow at the Center for Philosophy and Science at Boston University and he is the author of the new book: How to Talk to a Science Denier: Conversations with Flat Earthers, Climate Deniers, and Others Who Defy Reason

 You can find this latest book and his others by visiting his website:  leemcintyrebooks.com

You can also follow him on Twitter @LeeCMcIntyre

How to Talk to a Science Denier: Conversations with Flat Earthers, Climate Deniers, and Others Who Defy Reason. It is among other things a guide to how all of us, not just scientists, can tackle the machine of deception and obfuscation of facts. And we need this help. On Tuesday September 28th a man in Illinois died after a month-long battle with...rabies. I know you probably thought I was going to say covid, but no rabies. He had an interaction with a bat and was bitten. He refused the post exposure treatment when offered, which led to what must have been an excruciating and horrible death. It was the first time someone died of rabies since 1954. The treatment he refiused was a combination of human rabies immune globulin, basically an antibody cocktail and a series of rabies vaccine shots (3 of them). Three shots is also how many you need to pre-protect yourself. There was no information on why he refused treatment. All the chatter I have heard has been about anti-vaxx and its important to consider that we don’t actually know why he refused. The reason I bring this up is not because the treatment costs a ridiculous 10K with insurance in most places in the the US while it is $20 per does in Mozambique, for example. I bring it up because a new MRNA rabies vaccines was in human clinical trials in 2017. Rabies, though rare was chosen as the first virus to test the new MRNA technology for a few reasons. According to Dr Armbuster and colleagues, 1) the virus was well understood so they knew exactly what to target, 2) we have had an effective vaccine for a while now so there was great baseline data to compare the new vaccine with the old one, 2) trials in mice and pigs showed good results 3) and most people hadn’t been exposed to rabies so they could get clean responses. I’ve got a link to the paper below. The point is that by the time the covid vaccine was underway we had already had several years of human clinical trials on the safety of mrna vaccine for rabies, of course. Yet that was not the conversation we were all having about how lucky we were that scientists had been trying to solve a problem- cheap safe, non-needle deliverable vaccines for rabies and because of that we were ready to move on using the same technology for a new virus. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6963972/

Please join the growing Wild Connection Podcast community and subscribe. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts.Share it with others too so they can find it.  Follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod and you can follow me on 

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There is also a YouTube Channel where you can find a range of videos, some of them tied to podcast episodes. More are on the way so subscribe to Wild Connection TV

March is Women’s History Month, at least in the United States so I am continuing to feature women scientists on the podcast all month. I thought I would start off with a little history about women in Stem. We women have a way of persisting and despite continuing to face barriers to professional advancement, we just will not stop. What lengths have we gone to? Like Rosalind, of Shakepeare’s As You Like It, who disguised herself  as a young man in an effort to travel through the forest without fear of harm, Women have altered their appearance and behavior throughout history to succeed in STEM fields dominated by men. While some, like  military surgeon James Barry, whose real name was Margaret Ann Bulkley, went to  extraordinary measures that lasted a lifetime, others like Jeanne Baret disguised herself as a  man to get onboard a scientific expedition well before Darwin ever set foot on the Beagle. It  would take until 1959 before women, presented as women, were even permitted on scientific  expeditions. Fast forward to today when my guest Dr. Lela Schlenker spends most of her time asking if she can come aboard a commercial fishing boat. 

Dr. Lela Schlenker is a marine scientist with a fascinating background. She is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Williams Mystic Program. This is a really special program run by Williams College in collaboration with Mystic seaport. This is an important program to Dr. Lela Schlenker and you’ll find out why in the episode.

You can keep up with Dr. Lela Schlenker on her website 

lelaschlenker.com

and on Twitter @LelaSchlenker

To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod  and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen  and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too. 

Bees are having a heyday at the moment. I think many of us spent part of our time fascinated by bees and the other part terrified of getting stung. We definitely love the products that bees make, from honey and propolis to many of the fruits and vegetables you find in the supermarket. But bees are so much more than that. My guest this week is Lars Chittka, a Professor in Sensory and Behavioral Ecology, Queen Mary University of London. And he’s written a marvelous book, The Mind of a Bee, detailing the complex and intricate inner lives of bees.

To keep up with lars check out his website here

and you can also follow him on Twitter @LChittka

To get your copy of the Mind of a Bee head over to Princeton University Press

You can subscribe to the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

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Coffee, the thing that so many of us love and crave. That is the topic of today’s show. Today coffee is grown all over the world but it originates in Ethiopia and its history is recounted the mythology of a goat herder who noticed goats became energetic after eating the fruits. If you don’t know anything about goats, they are pretty energetic already so they must have really changed their behavior. We too can get the jitters from coffee and soon coffee was being cultivated. It is now a billion dollar industry but few people are connected to where their cup comes from. In this episode I talk with Kingsley Griffin, founder of Kingha Coffee Company, an organic coffee farm and coffee producer in Southwestern Uganda. Check out the video of me making coffee the old fashioned way on my YouTube Chanel, Wild Connection TV.

Kingha coffee is some of the best I have ever had. If you want to follow the journey of Kingha coffee you can go to their website and follow them on Twitter and Instagram

If you are digging the show subscribe and share it so others can enjoy it too. You can follow the show on Itunes, Google Play, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Also follow the show on Twitter: @WildConnectPod

You can also follow me on 

Twitter: @realdrjen

Instagram: @readrjen

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YouTube: Wild Connection TV

This episode the interviewer becomes the interviewee as I am interviewed by my very talented intern Logan. We cover everything from how I got started to where I am headed. Please join us as we kick off Season!