Constant Wonder

After severe depression turns his life upside down, Jarod Anderson heads for the woods, where he finds a renewed connection to nature: from the sacred herons of his childhood to the strange creatures of his imagination. He now shares that world with listeners as host of "The CryptoNaturalist."

Guest: Jarod Anderson, host of "The CryptoNaturalist" and author of "Something in the Woods Loves You"

Author page: https://www.crytopnaturalist.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jarodkanderson/

Originally aired January 22, 2025

Hugo Tagholm describes the transcendent connection between a storm at sea and a surfer sitting, many hours later, on a board. Using surfing as a metaphor for life, Tagholm urges us to show up for each other—and for the Earth—as our best-prepared selves. His is a message of hope for all of us on "Planet Ocean."

Guests:
Hugo Tagholm, Executive Director of Oceana UK
Katherine May, author of "Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age"

Photo Credit: Nick Pumphrey

CHAPTERS
(0:00) Introduction
(4:55) Hugo's childhood
(9:39) Surfers Against sewage
(17:36) The wonder of surfing
(25:32) Conserving the oceans
(35:05) Katherine May's quest for enchantment and wonder

Emmett Hoops was seven when he decided to save the nearly-extinct American chestnut tree. He's 66 now, but little else has changed since then. Together with a chorus of other chestnut-lovers, the people who grew up under those leaves and relied on those nutritious nuts tell the story of how a tree shaped generations.

Guests:
Emmett Hoops, Director for District 5 and Vice President for Outreach, New York Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation (at time of recording)
Andy Newhouse, Director of American Chestnut Project at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (at time of recording)

Want to get involved with Chestnut restoration? Visit the American Chestnut Foundation online to learn more about their mission! https://www.americanchestnut.org/

Special thanks to Bethany N. Baxter for archival interviews from Appalachia conducted in 2008.

Originally aired: March 20, 2024

Businesswoman Françoise Malby-Anthony traveled the world for work, until a chance encounter in the metro changed her life. Within a year, she'd quit Paris for South Africa, where she and her partner, Lawrence, established a wildlife preserve for troubled and orphaned elephants and rhinos. When Lawrence passed away suddenly, the responsibility for these animals fell to Françoise. Join us in this tale of love, loss, and connection beyond the grave.

Guest: Françoise Malby-Anthony, owner of Thula Thula Private Game Reserve and author of "The Elephants of Thula Thula"

Learn more about Françoise and the Thula Thula reserve on their website: https://thulathula.com/our-story/

Thula Baba traditional lullaby accessed on the Soweto Gospel Choir YouTube channel.

Originally aired on March 27, 2024

The "Bear Man of India" is best known for his work rescuing sloth bears from inhumane conditions, but Kartick Satyanarayan knew he wanted to help animals from a young age. It all began with full-moon nights spent high in a jungle tree, watching a procession of wild animals visit a nearby watering hole. In the intervening 30 years, he's braved the "timber mafia" and even gunshots in a tireless crusade to protect wildlife.

Guest: Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS

Originally aired May 29, 2024