Tag: iNaturalist

#59: Alison Pollack – Finding and Photographing Slime Molds

December 5, 2022

Summary Slime molds (Myxomycetes) are beautiful, weird, and amazing organisms. Often mistaken for fungi, they are actually single celled, yet they grow and efficiently move in search of food, can start and stop their life cycle based on environmental conditions, and even change colors several times during their brief life cycle. They can be beautifully … More #59: Alison Pollack – Finding and Photographing Slime Molds

#45: Siena Mckim – The Wild World of Sea Sponges

May 2, 2022

Summary My guest today is Siena Mckim. Siena is a PhD student at UC Santa Barbara studying sponges in the kelp forest, which is arguably one of the most iconic marine communities. In particular, she’s looking at sponge symbionts – basically, the tiny marine organisms that use sponges as a habitat.  Today we hear about … More #45: Siena Mckim – The Wild World of Sea Sponges

#43: Alison Young – The City Nature Challenge

April 4, 2022

Summary Today’s guest is Alison Young, Co-Director of the Center for Biodiversity and Community Science at the California Academy of Sciences. Alison has a background in marine biology, including a MA in Marine Biology from Humboldt State University and a BA in Biology from Swarthmore College. At the Cal Academy, Alison is a driving force … More #43: Alison Young – The City Nature Challenge

#41: Michael Kauffmann: Conifers – Extreme Survivors

March 7, 2022

Summary My guest in this episode is Michael Kauffmann. He’s a life-long educator, ecologist, and author, as well as founder of Backcountry Press. He’s also an expert in conifers – those wonderful trees that include some of the tallest, widest, and oldest living trees on Earth. Think Giant Sequoia, Coast Redwood, and Bristlecone Pine for … More #41: Michael Kauffmann: Conifers – Extreme Survivors

#36: Damon Tighe – Mycology (Fungi and Mushrooms)

December 21, 2021

Summary Finally…a deep dive into the Fungi Kingdom. It took me 36 episodes, but we’re finally here thanks to fungi expert Damon Tighe (instagram and iNaturalist). Damon is also a skilled naturalist, photographer and science communicator, biotech educator, and prolific iNaturalist contributor. He has a biology and chemistry degree from Saint Mary’s college, and has … More #36: Damon Tighe – Mycology (Fungi and Mushrooms)

#34: Chloe and Trevor Van Loon – Finding More in Nature

November 22, 2021

Summary My guests today are Chloe and Trevor Van Loon. Chloe has a background in ecology and environmental science, and while Trevor’s educational background is in math and computer science, he’s also become a fanatical amateur naturalist. In fact, both Chloe and Trevor are highly skilled naturalists and prolific iNaturalist contributors. No biome or habitat … More #34: Chloe and Trevor Van Loon – Finding More in Nature

#32: Cricket Raspet on Dockfouling – finding amazing sea creatures the easy way

October 11, 2021

Summary My guest today is Cricket Raspet (@chilipossum on Instagram). Cricket is a Curatorial Assistant at the California Academy of Sciences, specializing in marine mammals.  She’s a passionate community scientist, a raptor bander with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory and a rescue and animal care volunteer at the Marine Mammal Center.   An interest (obsession?) … More #32: Cricket Raspet on Dockfouling – finding amazing sea creatures the easy way

#31: BONUS: Gall Week 2021 with Dr. Merav Vonshak

September 29, 2021

Summary Dr. Merav Vonshak is a former guest on the podcast from episode 7. Merav is an ecologist, naturalist, and citizen science organizer (see BioBlitz.club) located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Merav volunteers as a curator on iNaturalist, and has an astounding 42800 observations on iNaturalist. She has also lead a project to document … More #31: BONUS: Gall Week 2021 with Dr. Merav Vonshak

#30: Dr. Jaret Daniels – Butterflies, Creating Habitat in Overlooked Landscapes, and Leveraging Creative Outreach

September 21, 2021

Summary My guest today is Dr. Jaret Daniels. Dr. Daniels is a professor specializing in lepidoptera research and insect conservation at the University of Florida, and is curator of Lepidoptera at the Florida Museum of Natural History. In addition to that, Dr. Daniels is the author of over a dozen books that help connect the … More #30: Dr. Jaret Daniels – Butterflies, Creating Habitat in Overlooked Landscapes, and Leveraging Creative Outreach

#28: Milkweeds with Dr. Carrie Olson-Manning and Sydney Kreutzmann

September 7, 2021

Summary My guests in this episode are Dr. Carrie Olson-Manning and Sydney Kreutzmann. Dr. Olson-Manning is an Assistant Professor at Augustana University, has a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Genetics from Duke University, and leads the Olson-Manning Lab which focuses on understanding how biochemical pathways evolve. Sydney Kreutzmann is a Research Technician in Dr. Olson-Manning’s lab, working … More #28: Milkweeds with Dr. Carrie Olson-Manning and Sydney Kreutzmann