I spent several hours assembling the highlights of the 24 episodes we produced in 2024, all packaged in this nice short recap. It was a lot of work, so I hope you like it!

If you want to hear any of these episodes in their entirety, simply check our feed or naturesarchive.com. And for easy reference, the full year's episodes are listed below.

And I'd love your feedback on Nature's Archive in general! I made a short survey (probably only takes 1 minute). Please fill it out:

https://naturesarchive.com/survey

#106: Why Ants Might Be the Most Interesting Creatures on Earth with Chloe Jelley
#105: From Fear to Fascination: Kevin Wiener on His Journey at All Bugs Go to Kevin
#104: Wasting Away: The Battle to Save Sunflower Sea Stars and Kelp Forests with the Sunflower Star Lab
#103: Exploring Wildlife Forensics with Ashley Bray
#102: Sophie Osborn – From the Brink: Reintroducing Endangered Birds
#101: Connecting Climate, Carbon, Tree Leaf Phenology and Genetics with Dr. Hanna Makowski
#100: The Biggest Nature Lesson I’ve Learned from 100 Nature’s Archive Episodes
#99: Into the Wild: Snow Leopards and Wildlife Photography with Jake Davis
#98: Ocean’s Green Giants: The Vital Role of Kelp with Tristin Anoush McHugh
#97: How to Love a Forest with Ethan Tapper
#96: From Rattles to Kings: Unraveling the Secrets of Snakes With Dr. Emily Taylor
#95: The Rare 2024 Cicada Double Emergence with Dr. Chris Simon
#94: Secrets of the Octopus with Sy Montgomery and Warren Carlyle
#93: Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant – Carnivore Ecology, Wild Life, and Environmental Justice
#92: Secrets of Beautifully Fuzzy Velvet Ants with Dr. Joseph Wilson (and a bit about native bees, too!)
#91: Examining Tree Physiology with Dr. Lucy Kerhoulas: Insights into Drought Adaptation and the Carbon Smoking Gun
#90: From Invasive Species to Allergenic Pollen with Allasandra Valdez (The Happy Botanist Podcast) and Dr. Daniel Katz

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Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com

Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.

Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

I love discovering overlooked plants and animals that play outsized roles in the environment. I’m also fascinated by complex systems, especially when they’re easy to observe.

And nothing ticks all three of those boxes better than ants.

One estimate says that for every human on earth, there may be as many as 2.5 million ants. And these ants form complex societies with unique roles. They communicate in mysteriously complex ways, and can range in size from almost microscopic to an inch and a half long.

Ants can build colonies in acorns, hollow twigs, leaf baskets, massive tree branches, and of course, in the ground. The largest super colonies stretch for hundreds of miles - and by the way, you can find such super colonies in California and in southern Europe. They can farm fungi, and ranch aphids.

My guest today helped unveil all of this and more. Chloe Jelly is a graduate researcher at Cornell University in the Moreau lab. She particularly enjoys outreach, which made her an ideal guest for today’s episode.

People sometimes say that viruses and microbes rule the world, but after today’s discussion, you’ll see that ants aren’t very far behind.

Find Chloe on her website, at the Moreau Lab, and on BlueSky.

Check our Full Show Notes for photos and videos that were discussed today.

Links Discussed In The Show
Chloe's website, and Chloe on BlueSky

Chloe Jelley's papers (Google Scholar)

In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall

Moreau Lab at Cornell

Support Us On Patreon!
Buy our Merch!

Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com

Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.

Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

Do you love spiders and insects? Or perhaps you are more apprehensive of them - or even suffer from arachnophobia. In either case, today’s discussion is for you.

Join me for an enlightening journey into the world of insects and arachnids with Kevin Wiener. Kevin is an environmental educator and founder of the thriving 'All Bugs Go To Kevin' community. In this episode, Kevin shares his inspiring path from pest control to becoming a passionate advocate for arthropods. Explore the crucial roles insects play in our ecosystem, debunk common myths about animals like the Brown Recluse spider, and learn about sustainable pest control methods - including what you can do in your own home.

Kevin also discusses his experiences with arthropod pets, the importance of community support in overcoming fears, and the joys of integrating photography into environmental education and personal discovery. Whether you're a seasoned nature enthusiast or just curious, this episode offers fascinating insights and practical tips for fostering a balanced ecosystem in your own backyard. Don't miss this chance to transform fear into fascination and discover the often overlooked beauty of bugs.

You can find Kevin at allbugsgotokevin.com, and of course, if you’re on Facebook, consider joining the All Bugs Go to Kevin group. It’s one of the bright spots of social media.

FULL SHOW NOTES on jumpstartnature.com

LINKS
All Bugs Go To Kevin - website

All Bugs Go To Kevin - Facebook Group

Brown Recluse Spider by Richard Vetter

Travis McEnery’s Brown Recluse Documentary

Spiders of North America by Sarah Rose

Podcasts Mentioned
Kevin Wiener on the Bugs Need Heroes podcast
Jumpstart Nature's Cicada Episode (Kevin is featured)
Sarah Rose on Nature's Archive (spiders!)

Support Us On Patreon!
Buy our Merch!

Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com

Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.

Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!