Dispatches from the Forest

Opossum, geese, squirrels and robins aren’t the “sexiest” animals around, but these critters are more interesting than most people think. And what you think you know about them, may not be entirely accurate…let's see if I can surprise you!

“Bird brain” is an age-old insult, but as it turns out, there are some pretty smart birds out there - particularly those in the Corvid family which includes Crows, Ravens, Jays and Magpies.  Join me and find out just how clever some of our feathered friends can be!

Every year annual cicadas emerge to provide the background sounds of summer.  But every 13 or 17 years different periodic "broods" emerge by the million and 2021 was the year of brood X (that's roman numeral 10) in parts of the Midwest and Eastern states.  Learn more about these loud insects that spend most of their lives underground! Includes an interview with Jody Green, an Urban Entomologist with the University of Nebraska Extension Office.