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PODCAST

Nature Snippets

This podcast is devoted to celebrating the natural world. Topics include discussions of specific organisms, natural phenomena, and actions to protect the natural world and our fellow travelers. As an aquatic ecologist, I often focus on life in freshwater. Many episodes will be based upon writings published in the last several years on biodiversity and the natural history of diverse organisms including invertebrates. The new cover art was designed by Lauren McCabe and is based on a calligrapha

science nature

All Episodes

00:20:54

Coastal Biology of Ireland: an Overseas Adventure...

Nature Snippets ·

2023/09/18

I can't think of a better way to learn about the coastal biology of a country than to visit. And so we did! Thirteen Saint Michael's College students joined three professors and we crisscrossed the Dingle Peninsula for two weeks. We learned a lot of biology and also hiked to spectacular locations and even visited a pub or two. This episode gets into some of the cultural as well as biological details of our adventure.

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00:10:55

The Case of the Confused Kingfisher

Nature Snippets ·

2023/08/26

Kingfishers are incredible fliers, divers, and of course fishers. A lamp mussel at first blush seem to present all of the complex behaviors .... of a rock. But there is far more fascinating biology happening than meets the eye. This episode documents the interactions between at least one individual each of these two species. Life is interesting, strange, and there is unimaginable complexity if we care to investigate even just a little bit. This essay and now podcast was inspired by a photograph

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00:24:28

Thoughts from a floodplain following Vermont's July...

Nature Snippets ·

2023/07/14

In addition to flood impacts on humans there are human impacts on floods. And of course there are flood impacts on other organisms. Among other things, this impromptu episode will get into being safe around flood waters and the risks associated with flooded sewage plants. An earlier version of this had some audio issues that have been improved. Episode art is the Winooski River hydrograph downloaded from the USGS site

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00:08:06

Hitch hiking beetles

Nature Snippets ·

2023/05/19

Imagine for a moment that a grey squirrel grabbed hold of your arm or even your tongue and refused to let go until you transported it to your home. That's roughly the experience that many bumble bees endure when accosted by certain beetle species. This episode describes the strange relationships between beetles and their involuntary Uber drivers. This will be the last episode of the current season...although I may record one or two from about 3,000 miles east of Vermont for summer release. In

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00:11:15

Death, decay, and spectacular beetles.

Nature Snippets ·

2023/05/04

Perhaps you are a teacher, a student in an entomology class, or just plain interested in cool things biological. Regardless of your particular motivations, some large, black and orange beetles may be of interest to you and this episode explains how to attract them. I also get into nature's recyclers large and small. Joni Mitchell hit the nail on the head when she wrote "we are billion-year-old carbon".....everything recycles! Episode art added 12/30/2023 is from here.

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00:18:26

Preserving Biodiversity and April Campus Events: come...

Nature Snippets ·

2023/04/07

Biodiversity loss is not just a crisis in Borneo or some other tropical spot, it is happening in all localities. And because it is happening in our own towns and back yards, we have the power and responsibility to do something about it. We can plant native trees and vegetation to feed the base of our local food webs. You can learn more about this process by attending a set of St. Michael's college events happening about a week from the release data of this podcast. Other events will be

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00:10:53

Beavers Engineer the Landscape

Nature Snippets ·

2023/03/24

Our largest native North American rodent dramatically improves habitats by eliminating the simple structure of streams and replacing that structure with a series of new habitats. Felled trees open canopy gaps allowing light to reach the forest floor. New beaver dams create ponds that favor standing water invertebrates, fish, and birds. Older ponds infill with silt and result in beaver meadows. And of course flowing water streams exist between these structures so the overall impact of beavers at the

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00:09:07

Goldenrod galls house insects in winter

Nature Snippets ·

2023/03/11

Little wooden spheres attached to dry stalks in meadows are homes to the larvae of a certain fly. You can see them in patches of meadow where ever goldenrod grows. As the plant grows, a fly lays an egg into the growing tip. The hatchling larva releases chemicals that compel the plant to produce a golf-ball size growth called a "gall". If you lived in a house lined entirely with edible plant material, you'd have an approximation of a gall. This episode describes the biology of goldenrod galls and

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00:12:03

Emerald Ash Borer

Nature Snippets ·

2023/02/24

When a new invasive species sweeps across a region, it can leave destruction in its wake. Sometimes it's a matter of an occasional defoliation as is the case with the spongy moth. In other cases the new species can take out an entire species such as the American elm or the American chestnut. Unfortunately, the emerald ash borer is in the latter category, except that there are three species at risk. This saddens me for many reasons. Ash trees are beautiful and serve important biological roles at the

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01:05:22

Rebugging the planet with author Vickie Hird

Nature Snippets ·

2023/02/10

Good afternoon. An earlier video version failed to launch. Those interested in the video can view it here. We are currently immersed in a biodiversity crisis. Extinction is happening at an alarming rate. While none of us expects to return to a time where passenger pigeons nested in trees over saber-toothed tiger dens, we can slow extinction rates and even improve biological diversity where we live and work. To bring back birds for example, we need to start at the base of the food web by planting the

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00:08:40

Flight of the Flunker Moth

Nature Snippets ·

2023/01/28

Winter flying moths show up in November and sometimes later. This essay describes their unusual lack of flight abilities and the alternative ways that they disperse. I also explore insect collections and the scientific value of collecting specimens and how entomologists are trained. For good measure, I explain how these particular moths earned the moniker "flunker moths".

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00:09:36

Winter Caddisflies

Nature Snippets ·

2023/01/14

There are many caddisfly species feeding under the ice in our ponds, streams, and wetlands. Most aquatic insect growth happens in winter when the stream bed food supply is at its peak. The base of the stream food web is not provided by plants growing in the stream but instead drops in in the form of falling leaves. You might expect the peak to therefore happen in fall, but the leaves must first soak and steep. This process leaches out the chemicals that protected the leaves from herbivores during

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00:08:21

Seedbugs in your holiday decor?

Nature Snippets ·

2022/12/16

Western conifer seed bugs are among the many insect visitors that may make your home theirs for the winter. They seek hibernation spots in fall and even the best kept homes provides all sorts of prime real estate for six-legged critters. We tend to see them coming or going in fall and spring, but moving decoration boxes from attic or basement tends to wake sleeping guests at this time of year. So you may see a stray box elder bug, lady beetle, or even a Western conifer seed bug scrambling along your

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00:08:17

The Great Duckweed Migration

Nature Snippets ·

2022/12/02

Duckweed can entirely coat summer ponds, but have you ever wondered what happens to them in winter when the ponds ice over? This episode gets into exactly where duckweeds go when the snow flies, and how they make it back from their wintering grounds.

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00:08:54

Keeping it Clean Downstream

Nature Snippets ·

2022/11/18

What can each of us do to reduce eutrophication and harmful algal blooms? Reducing runoff from our properties, neighborhoods, and campuses is an excellent first step. And picking up after your pet does no harm either. Reducing water flow from properties can reduce soil erosion and movement of phosphorus to our favorite water bodies. Simply redirecting your downspouts to the lawn instead of the driveway can be a good first step that also has the advantage of reducing ice buildup in winter. Episode

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00:08:11

Lace Bugs: Baroque Little Beasties

Nature Snippets ·

2022/11/04

Perhaps in your childhood, you may have made paper doilies? Folded paper with delicately cut holes that when unfolded revealed a symmetrical pattern? Imagine for moment that your skill level at this particular pass time was so great, that you could produce a spectacular piece of art in miniature - perhaps as small as a quarter inch long. If you have such fine motor skills, then you are well on your way to making your own fake lace bug. Real lace bugs are fantastically ornate true bugs (Hemiptera) in

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00:12:09

Getting the most from your trail camera

Nature Snippets ·

2022/10/21

For several years, Saint Michael's college students have used trail cameras to answer interesting research questions and to get amazing photographs of mammals right on campus in the process. So I thought I'd share some of my experiences in setting these up to get the best results. Click here for a sample of the photographs we get on cameras on campus. Episode art was photographed by student researchers at St. Michael's College.

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00:09:24

The Gall(s) of Hackberry

Nature Snippets ·

2022/10/07

Many of our garden plants have "perfect" unblemished leaves lacking any evidence of nibbles taken by hungry herbivores, or dwelling places of leaf miners and other native insects. This artificial state of perfection is because many of our garden plants are from other continents and our native insects have zero chance of eking out a living from their foliage. But native plants have co-evolved with a diverse community of insects that live in and on them and in turn form essential links in the food web

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00:08:40

Daddy Long Legs: all fun and games until somebody...

Nature Snippets ·

2022/09/23

Who doesn't love a daddy long legs? But which one do you really love? The cellar spiders that some people call "daddy long legs", or the larger cranefly that may well crash into your porch lights, or what I call "daddy long legs": the spider-like harvestmen common in shaded woods, gardens, or sometimes in your house. These amazing arachnids are the subjects of an urban legend regarding venom toxicity. In reality these familiar organisms are beneficial in your garden and should be granted the space

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00:08:46

Drain Flies

Nature Snippets ·

2022/09/09

As the name suggests, drain flies may well emerge from floor drains. They are not a sign of poor house keeping....rather they are a sign that you have drains. The larvae inhabit your plumbing in places like shower drains and floor drains. You may well see them at any time of year and so September is a perfect time to release this episode and kick off a new season.

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