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PODCAST

The Field Guides

The Field Guides

Nature nerds rejoice! The Field Guides is a monthly podcast that will bring you out on the trail, focusing on the science of our North American wildlife.

science & medicine natural sciences

All Episodes

00:42:20

Ep. 75 - A Naturalist's Life (Part 2) - A "Hike" with...

The Field Guides ·

2025/09/15

Part 2 of our time in the woods with naturalist Sandy Geffner. This time, Sandy leads Steve and Bill on a “hike”—though with Sandy, the word takes on a different meaning. You might not cover much distance, but you’ll travel miles in understanding: exploring ecology and hearing stories of the forest and the wildlife within it. Enjoy!This episode was recorded on July 21, 2025 at JP Nicely Memorial Park in West Falls, NY.Episode Notes and LinksSandy’s favorite books: A Sand County Almanac by Aldo

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Ep. 75 - A Naturalist's Life (Part 1) - A...

The Field Guides ·

2025/08/31

What exactly is a “naturalist”? Spend a little time with Sandy Geffner, and you’ll find out. Steve and Bill rarely go more than an episode or two without mentioning him—a naturalist who profoundly shaped both their lives. This month, they head into the woods to talk with Sandy about how a baseball-loving kid from Long Island became someone who’s inspired countless people to deepen their connection with the natural world.This episode was recorded on July 21, 2025 at JP Nicely Memorial Park in West

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00:48:23

Ep. 74 - Like A Sturgeon

The Field Guides ·

2025/07/31

It’s hard to believe, but we’re doing another episode on fish! This time around, Steve introduces us to the Sturgeon (family Acipenseridae), from their dinosaur-era origins to their caviar-fueled scandals (did you know Beluga caviar comes from Sturgeon? Bill didn’t either). So strap in as the guys touch on Sturgeon, for the very first time. This episode was recorded on June 29, 2025 at Eighteenmile Creek County Park in Hamburg, NY.Episode Notes and LinksComing soon!Sponsors and Ways to Support

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00:56:03

Bonus - The Spark Bird Podcast x The Field Guides...

The Field Guides ·

2025/06/09

In this special bonus episode we're crossing over with The Spark Bird Podcast! (@sparkbirdproject)Bill joins one of the hosts of the Spark Bird Project podcast, Jenn Lodi-Smith, to go birding in Buffalo’s historic Forest Lawn Cemetery, sharing spark bird stories, conservation efforts for migration, and the joy of birding in community.You’ll also hear reflections from folks at the Feminist Bird Club of Buffalo (@fbc.buf) May the Spark Be with You outing, all recorded on-site at Forest Lawn Cemetery

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00:56:26

Ep. 73 - The Dawn Chorus (Part 2)

The Field Guides ·

2025/05/30

Bill and Steve return for the second part of their look into the Dawn Chrous, that early morning explosion of bird song that refuses to let you sleep in.This episode was recorded on April 20, 2025 at Majors Park in East Aurora, NY.Sponsors and Ways to Support UsGumleaf Boots, USA (free shipping for patrons)Thank you to Always Wandering Art (Website and Etsy Shop) for providing the artwork for many of our episodes.Support us on Patreon.Check out the Field Guides merch at our Teespring store. It’s

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00:51:45

Ep. 73 - The Dawn Chorus (Part 1)

The Field Guides ·

2025/04/30

Bill and Steve look into the Dawn Chrous, that early morning explosion of bird song that refuses to let you sleep in. And, for all you Daniel-haters out there, this episode is 100% Daniel-free (but Bill and Steve are both crying on the inside. We miss Daniel buckets, and we're betting you do, too).This episode was recorded on April 10, 2025 at the California Road Rereation Area in Orchard Park, NY.Episode Notes and LinksAre there orioles in China? Bill shared the classic Chinese poem from the Tang

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00:56:07

Ep. 72 - Grass Carp: A Reel Problem

The Field Guides ·

2025/04/01

In this episode, Steve leads a discussion on the invasive Grass Carp. The guys go over the evolutionary history of grass carp and its relatives, its biology, its introduction to The Great Lakes region, why people are concerned, and anything interesting Steve found out about it.There are a lot more interesting fish topics that we can explore in the future, at least while Steve is researching fish. Enojy the episode!This episode was recorded on February 24, 2025 at JP Nicely Memorial Park in West

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01:13:28

Ep. 71 - The Field Guides Go Crikey!

The Field Guides ·

2025/01/31

The guys return to Everglades National Park, again looking for a predator that Daniel wants to get too close to: the American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus). Listen in as Daniel shares some research, busts croc-related myths, and Steve probably gets a little too excited about how crocs deal with salt water. Bill doesn’t have much to say, but he’s there, too. Enjoy!This episode was recorded on January 7, 2025 on the Bear Lake Trail in Everglades National Park. The last bit where the guys find the croc

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01:07:43

Ep. 70 - Saving the Blue Iguana

The Field Guides ·

2024/12/31

This month, we head to the tropics and meet the Blue Iguana of the Cayman Islands! This endangered lizard is found nowhere else on the globe save for the island of Grand Cayman in the Caribbean, and just two decades ago, it’s likely there were fewer than 25 animals remaining in the wild. This was a species that was functionally extinct, but thanks to the herculean efforts of a dedicated group of people, the Blue Iguana (Cyclura lewisi) has been brought back from the brink, with over 1000 iguanas now

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01:00:01

Ep. 69 - Rewilding Floreana (with Fundación Jocotoco)

The Field Guides ·

2024/11/27

How hard is it to reintroduce species to a tropical island? Turns out, pretty hard! But it’s so worth it. The rewilding of the Galapagos island of Floreana will make it the largest tropical island ever to be rewilded. Researchers have spent over a decade meticulously planning for the reintroduction of the iconic Floreana Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis niger niger). Once thought to be extinct, this species, along with eleven other locally extinct endemic animal species, are part of a reintroduction

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Ep. 68 - All Hail the King (Salmon)

The Field Guides ·

2024/10/31

This month, Daniel leads the guys into uncharted waters for the podcast…that’s right, it’s our first-ever episode about fish! The Great Lakes salmon fishery is one of the greatest angling spectacles in the US.Large predatory salmon, native to the Pacific Northwest, are stocked in the Great Lakes region to maintain a world class fishery and control invasive baitfish.The undisputed monarch among these stocked species? The appropriately named King Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). While they are

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01:17:11

Ep. 67 - Fishers in the Field: A Hike with Fisher...

The Field Guides ·

2024/08/31

If we want to help wildlife, we need to know when and where they’re moving on the landscape. Dr. Scott LaPoint has spent his career researching just that. When our recent episode on fisher cats left us with a lot of questions., we figured who better to help us out than Dr. LaPoint. He was kind enough to join Daniel and Bill for a hike, sharing his expertise and his amazing ability to communicate science with enthusiasm, humor, and clarity. Join the guys for a wide-ranging discussion on fishers,

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01:04:09

Ep. 66 - Pinesap (The Plant, Not the Sap)

The Field Guides ·

2024/08/01

Pinesap (Monotropa hypopitys) is a goofy little plant that parasitizes fungi and can often be found beneath pine trees. It is not the sap of pine trees like Daniel thought. In this episode, Bill leads the discussion about the complex relationships between pinesap, its fungal host, and the tree species the fungi has a symbiosis with. Garlic mustard (Alliaria petiolata) also makes a guest appearance! Join the guys as they get caught in a sudden rainstorm and learn about this amazing plant. This

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Ep. 65 - Fishers: Eatin’ More Toes Than Turkeys

The Field Guides ·

2024/04/30

Fishers (Pekania pennanti) are a predator species reclaiming much of its former range in the northeastern US, but, as sightings become more common, so do stories of what fishers (AKA fisher cats) are up to. Are they eating young turkeys and housecats? Are they the animal you hear screaming from the woods at night? Why did one study find fisher toes and feet in the stomachs of other fishers?! This episode, the guys are on the trail - both literally and figuratively - tracking down the life history of

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01:00:28

Ep. 64 - Let's Look at the Eclipse! (Not Literally)

The Field Guides ·

2024/04/01

Who doesn’t love an eclipse? Apparently, wildlife has very mixed feelings about the whole affair. This month, the guys prepare for the upcoming 2024 total eclipse by looking into the research around how animals react to the moon photobombing the sun for a few minutes. The reactions are not universal, but they are varied. And trying to figure out what the animals are up to makes for a fascinating listen. This episode was recorded on March 20, 2024 at Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve in Cheektowaga,

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01:12:08

Ep. 63 - Field Trip!: On the Trail of the Florida...

The Field Guides ·

2024/02/22

Florida Panthers (Puma concolor couguar) are a distinct population of pumas that live predominantly in southwest Florida.Pumas used to roam the entire United States, but habitat loss and overhunting in the 1800’s and early 1900’s caused them to disappear from much of their range.Every breeding population of pumas East of the Mississippi river vanished, except for one. South Florida, due to its wild and swampy nature, was able to thwart human development just enough for its inhabiting pumas to

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01:00:24

Ep. 62 - Timber Rattlesnakes: Still Endangered, Still...

The Field Guides ·

2024/01/23

Part 2 of our Timber Rattlesnake episode. If you haven’t listened to part 1, go and do that. We’ll wait right here for you. The episode was recorded on December 7, 2023 at Hunters Creek County Park in East Aurora, NY.Episode NotesWhen the guys discussed the different types of snake teeth, Steve wondered if the word solenoglyphous, which refers to snakes with two large, hinged fangs (like the Timber Rattlesnake), has any relation to nightshades, which are plants in the genus Solanum. Bill could have

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00:54:00

Ep. 62 - Timber Rattlesnakes: Endangered Danger...

The Field Guides ·

2023/12/26

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, we wager you’ll enjoy this dive into the shiny (not slimy) world of rattlesnakes. This episode, the guys take a close look (but not too close) at the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus), trying to show how it’s not out to kill you and also finding out how it ended up on the “Don’t Tread On Me” flag. Plus, they introduce the newest field guide, Daniel! The episode was recorded on December 7, 2023 at Hunters Creek County Park in East Aurora, NY.Episode NotesOne

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01:04:51

Ep. 61 - Bill and Steve’s Floating Fen Foray...

The Field Guides ·

2023/06/29

This month, Bill and Steve visit Floating Fen, although some might call it a bog, or is it a swamp? Thankfully, they’re joined by Erik Danielson, Stewardship Coordinator of the Western NY Land Conservancy (WNYLC), who schools them on the difference between these wetlands. Erik and the WNYLC are trying to preserve Floating Fen, a property home to a unique wetland, extraordinary life, and a diverse forest. Erik guides Bill and Steve through the fen, discussing just what makes a bog a bog and a fen a

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01:17:00

Ep. 60 - The True(?) Story of the Bald Eagle

The Field Guides ·

2023/05/25

The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a rare example of a species humans managed to pull back from the brink of extinction by getting off our collective asses and doing some stuff. Already decimated by hunting and habitat loss, the post WWII enthusiasm for spraying the chemical DDT on just about everything sent Bald Eagle populations into freefall. That is, until Rachel Carson published Silent Spring in 1962 and sensibly said, “Hey, maybe we shouldn’t go through pesticides like beer at a frat

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