Naturalist Studies: Recent Episodes
Naturalist Studies
Discussions on naturalist topics and practices based on Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), and their relevance to modern culture and the environment.
Senior tracker and instructor Preston Taylor discusses his experiences of trailing animals, the scientific value and personal enjoyment gleaned from it, and how to learn this ancient skill that humans relied upon for thousands of years.
Senior tracker and instructor Matt Nelson discusses what encompasses wildlife tracking, why it's valuable to science, what it can teach you about animal behavior, and how it can add to your enjoyment and understanding of the outdoors.
Survival Instructor Matthew Hunter discusses what is meant by modern wilderness survival, how it differs from primitive living skills, and some important preparation tips and guidelines for those who venture into the backcountry.
Avian ecologist Dr. Katie Sieving from the University of Florida discusses the important role titmice and chickadees (aka Parids) play in bird language, and the amazing discoveries she and her team have made in unraveling their complex language.
Jon Young, bird language master and author of What the Robin Knows discusses what constitutes “nature connection”, why it is important, and how practices like bird language and wildlife tracking can facilitate bringing nature connection back into our individual lives and our culture at large.
Wake Hunting can take many forms, and in addition to using the passage of other larger hawks as cover, Coopers and sharp shinned hawks will often use urban distractions like moving trucks, the sound of a jet airplane and other disturbances to gain the advantage.
When we speak of animal language, we are referring to a coarse way of interpreting and understanding the inter-species communication around us.
Naturalist Studies founder, Lee Burton, was a featured guest on Steve Rinella’s Meateater’s podcast episode 326 discussing the reintroduction of the Scimitar-horned Oryx back into Africa.
In this episode, scientists discover how other animals like squirrels utilize bird language to ward off potential predators, illustrating how interconnected mammals and other animal species are to birds and dependent on them for their own survival.