Episodes
7 Ways to Connect with Nature This Year
Artist Kate Rutter created the beautiful sketchnote above. Please check out more of her work on her website, intelleto.com ! Happy New Year! Are you hoping to spend more time outdoors in 2023? This episode is for you! In it, …
California Native Plants with Naomi Fraga
California is home to 6,500 native plant species, including some that are truly iconic, like coast redwoods, giant sequoias, bristlecone pines, and California poppies. If you're like me, you have a lot of questions about this...
2022 California Naturalist Conference Highlights with José González, …
Art by Obi Kaufmann, author of the California Field Atlas. See below for his website! Do you want to know what some of the most experienced, most insightful naturalists in California have on their minds? You’ve come to the ri...
Ice Age California with Sean Campbell
Have you ever wondered what was going on in California, oh, ten or fifty thousand years ago? About, perhaps, the social lives of saber-toothed cats, just how big giant ground sloths actually were, or the difference between a ...
Monarch Butterflies with Natalie Johnston
What makes butterflies so magical? They are a wonder and a delight, and I’m so excited to be diving into a full episode about what is possibly the most iconic species of butterfly in the world: Monarchs. Have you ever …
Fire Ecology with Robin Lee Carlson
Hi there! It's season two now! Have you ever wondered what makes a "good fire" different from a "bad fire"? ME TOO. How about these: Which ecosystem needs fire more frequently--oak woodland or chaparral? What happens to anim...
Mid-Break Updates AND Conversation with Michael Hawk on Nature's Arch…
If you've been wondering what I've been up to or when I'll be back, this episode has your answers! PLUS, just as a bonus because I love you, here's an intro to an amazing podcaster named Michael Hawk, who is …
Beavers (Drought and Wildfire Superheroes!) with Emily Fairfax
Scale a beaver dam with me and Dr. Emily Fairfax, beaver researcher, ecohydrologist, assistant professor at CSU Channel Islands, and science communicator extraordinaire who has been featured on NPR's Science Friday and All Th...
Conglomerate Mesa (Joshua Trees! Desert Ecosystems! Gold Mining!) wit…
When I first heard about Conglomerate Mesa, located on BLM land right outside of Death Valley, I had no idea how much ground a single episode could cover. This one's got everything, including what makes a place a desert, a …
Giant Sequoias (World's Largest Trees!) with Wendy Harrison
Have you ever looked up at something much larger than yourself and felt teeny tiny, but in a good way? That's the feeling I get when I walk among giant sequoias. It is pure wonderment. Join me as I learn …
Entomology (Bugs!) with Ralph Washington Jr.
If you're here and you're like "ehhhhh, maybe I'll skip this one," don't! It's seriously so good even if bugs aren't usually your thing. Ralph Washington Jr. is not only a bug genius with a Master's in Entomology from UC …
Coyotes with Sara Tabatabai
Have you ever been out hiking and heard an eerie chorus of barks, yips, and howls somewhere off in the distance? Or seen some scat that looked more like a bunch of smooshed up seeds and fur? You might have …
Guerrilla (Not Gorilla) Conservation with Shalaco from SF in Bloom
Have you ever wanted to do something for the environment but gotten discouraged because the problems just seem too big and insurmountable? This happens to me ALL. THE. TIME. Shalaco from SF in Bloom, though? Undaunted. When h...
The Sutter Buttes (World's Smallest Mountain Range!) with Steve Roddy
Did you know that Northern California is home to the smallest mountain range in the world? It lies smack in the middle of the Sacramento Valley, and it is a hotbed for unexpected creatures and unexpected stories alike. Join m...
Oak Trees with Zarah Wyly
We need every single species of native tree here in California, but our 20+ varieties of native oaks are the most crucial of all. In this episode, join me and my guest, Zarah Wyly, on a walk through a relatively …
Vernal Pools (Ephemeral Wetlands) with David Rosen
Did you ever catch tadpoles in a pond when you were a kid? Or watch insects glide just under the surface of a creek? Recording this episode brought me back to the magic of those childhood moments, AND I got …
Salmon with Jason Fareira (Part 2 of 2)
Why are salmon important enough to merit two whole episodes? What are they up to when they're out in the ocean? What exactly is a keystone species? Should we bring grizzly bears back to California? What is a hatchery, and …
Salmon with Jason Fareira (Part 1 of 2)
Ok, what's the deal with salmon? Why are they so vital to almost all of the organisms that live near their nesting grounds? What is a hatchery? Why are dams so controversial? What kinds of conditions do salmon need to …
California Geology with Nate Manley
Ever wondered how California was formed? Or why there's a mountain range on each side of the state with a big, flat valley in the middle? Or what makes the San Andreas fault so unique and so infamous? This episode …
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Golden State Naturalist is a different kind of nature podcast. It's one that invites you out onto the landscape for a closer look, that engages your senses, and that helps you connect more deeply with the land. It's a podcast...