Coast redwood trees reside in a category all their own. Not only are these the tallest trees in the world, but they grow in unique ecosystems–quiet, foggy places with ferns and redwood sorrel spilling everywhere you look onto the trail. In these forests, the sound of running water is never far away, and the redwoods themselves are by far the most prominent tree species, the warm hue of their bark dominating the landscape as they tower over the evergreen huckleberries and red-flowering currants below. In this episode, join me and edutainer and lifelong conservationist Griff Griffith as we discuss marbled murrelets, the overstory and the understory, dinosaurs in the redwoods, stump sprouting, surprising historical champions of the redwoods, the wood wide web, and of course these iconic trees of California themselves. Links: Redwoods Rising Redwood Facts Laura Mahan What is old growth? Find Griff on Facebook or TikTok @Griffwild, and find his work for Redwoods Rising @RedwoodsRising on the same platforms. Go for a walk with Griff! You can find me @goldenstatenaturalist on Instagram and TikTok. My website is goldenstatenaturalist.com GSN Merch The theme song is called "i dunno" by grapes. You can find the link to that song and the creative commons license here.

Have you ever looked at a piece of art that altered your perspective? Or one that challenged your thinking? Or maybe you’ve studied a piece that taught you something new. How can art impact conservation efforts? How can it help break generational cycles of disconnectedness from the natural world? Why does art matter in a time of rapidly changing climate and habitat loss?  Join me and artist/scientific illustrator Jane Kim in the Ink Dwell Studio as we discuss nature blindness, the importance of place-based art, western monarch butterflies, endangered frogs, the purpose of murals, intergenerational relationships with the earth, and how both viewing and creating art can change the way we look at the world and the kinds of choices we make going forward.  Ink Dwell (You can also find Jane on Instagram @inkdwell) Why Diverse Teams Are Smarter Golden State Naturalist (my website) Podcast Merch You can find me @goldenstatenaturalist on Instagram and TikTok Podcast art by Danza Davis, @danzadavis on Instagram. The song is called "i dunno" by grapes. You can find it here.

Have you ever wondered if the plants growing along your favorite trail or outside your door are edible? Or what kinds of flavors might not be available at the grocery store? Many of us aren't familiar with the tastes of the places where we live, even though there are wild foods growing all around us. Join me and author, educator, and forager Mia Andler on a walk beside the Truckee River to learn about the wild foods of California and beyond. Links: Mia's website Mia's Books California's Forgotten Pine Nuts Pine Needle Tea Support Golden State Naturalist on Patreon! My website is goldenstatenaturalist.com You can find me @goldenstatenaturalist on Instagram and TikTok. The theme song is called "i dunno" by grapes. You can find the song and creative commons license here.

Do bats live close to my house? Why are they important? Do they have rabies? How can people help take care of urban wildlife? How can we involve more people in conservation and community science, particularly people from historically excluded groups? Come with me and Miguel Ordeñana to Griffith Park in Los Angeles, where we discuss all of this and so much more. Links: Bat Motherhood Benefits of Bats CDC Page on Human Rabies National Science Foundation STEM Diversity Report NHMLA's Community Science Projects LA Times article on lead removal project Jaguars and Obsession for Men My website is goldenstatenaturalist.com Merch You can find me @goldenstatenaturalist on Instagram and TikTok The theme song is called "i dunno" by grapes, and you can find it here.

Have you ever wondered what kind of wildlife lives right in the middle of your city? Or why some animals thrive in cities while others don't? And how did a mountain lion end up in Los Angeles, anyway? Join me and Miguel Ordeñana, the scientist who discovered mountain lion P-22 living in Griffith Park in LA as we discuss these questions and so many more. Links: Keeping Cats Indoors Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing Safety in Mountain Lion Habitat P-22 sightings during my visit to LA P-22 Eulogy by Beth Pratt Friends of Griffith Park My website is www.goldenstatenaturalist.com Podcast merch! You can find me @goldenstatenaturalist on Instagram or TikTok The theme song is called "i dunno" by grapes.