Walkin' on the Wild Side

It's time for another episode and this time, we're talking about a bird that is so often heard but not seen.  Often called rain crows, due to being heard calling before approaching storms, these birds get a bad rap as nest parasites, but our yellow billed cuckoos don't that that too often.  Join us on the backporch, along with the lightning bugs, chucks, whippoorwills, and even a screech owl stops by, all to listen a...

While sitting on the porch last night, preparing to record another episode,  we heard chuck-wils-widows and whippoorwills calling and thought, why record another episode when we can bring back a blast from the past and re-post "Goatsuckers Galore", one of our first podcasts from 2021!  Join our trip down memory lane and learn about these amazing birds collectively called goatsuckers or nightjars, which include some of the...

It's time for another episode of Walkin' on the Wild Side and our second part of Wandering in Yellowstone!  Part 2 takes Gabrielle and I into the hot springs, geysers, and thermal areas of Yellowstone, as well as wandering through Lamar Valley, the Serengeti of North America.  We'll share observations of these amazing areas, some of the wildlife we saw,  as well as  some of the historic sites like Mammoth Hot Springs...

Yellowstone is America's first National Park and they couldn't have picked a better one to start off the amazing resource we have as the National Parks. It has been a dream of ours to get to this area, and here we are!  Join us for a multiple part series as we travel the beauty and natural wonders that is Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons National Park.  For part 1, we travel the Grand Teton Loop Road and wit...

Monarch butterflies are probably one of the most well known butterflies but are also have secrets that scientists have yet to crack!  Join Gabrielle and I on the back porch with special guest, Gabrielle's long-time friend from gradeschool and flower extraordinaire, Jamie Bourquin.  After planting pollinator plants in our new pollinator yard, we chat about this amazing butterfly, their incredible journey, and other fun facts th...

It's time for another episode of Walkin' on the Wild Side!  It's hard to believe, but we've never really explored the amazing alligator.  An incredibly well adapted species that hasn't changed much from its ancestor over 200 million years ago, the American Alligator has survived two extinction events and human persecution to once again survive and thrive.  Join Marvin and Gabrielle as they chat about this m...

Hey everyone, it's time for another episode of Walkin' on the Wild Side Podcast!  For this episode, we're ringing in Spring with the bells, the OCONEE BELLS (Shortia galacifolia)!  Spring has sprung, as you learned from our last episode.  However, it wouldn't be spring without the Oconee Bells!  This beautiful but small wildflower is one of the earliest blooming spring ephemerals in the Appalachians, is quite ra...

Spring has sprung here in the Southeast and the chan changes are all around us!  Have you ever stopped to think why spring even happens?  What are the changes happening and what triggers these changes around us?  Join Marvin and Gabrielle on the back porch as they talk about the changes around them and what causes the blooming, frogs calling, birds singing, and more as spring is, well, springing!

Here are some websites for more info...

It's time for another episode of Walkin' on the Wild Side!  This time, we're chatting about good ol' Ricky Raccoon.  These little mammals are probably one of the most recognizable mammals in North America and most people either love 'em or hate 'em!  These little masked bandits are fun to watch and it's easy to be amazed at their ability to open almost any trashcan and figure out latches, locks, a...

It's time for another episode of Walkin' on the Wild Side Podcast and this one is special because it marks a milestone for Gabrielle Bouknight and me...it marks the trip to Minnesota and we FINALLY saw great gray owls!  Not only great grays, but two other species as well, a verifiable "HOOTAPALOOZA"!  Come with us  on our trip in this special episode from northern Minnesota and share our amazing experience!

It's time for another episode of Walkin' on the Wild Side!  This last podcast of the year follows Marvin and Gabrielle on a mission.  When a group of soldiers are sent on a specific mission, it is called a sortie, and that's what we are doing.  We are on a mission to find short-eared owls and our "sortie" takes us to northeast Ohio to ring in the New Year with family!  This year, short-eared owls have desce...

It's that time of year and Christmas is just around the corner!  One of the symbols of Christmas is mistletoe and it is actually a fascinating plant and it's pretty interesting how it became a symbol of Christmas.  Join Marvin and Gabrielle as they usher in the holidays and spread Christmas cheer with some interesting facts about this amazing little plant. 

Here's some websites for further reading:
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It's time for another episode of Walkin' on the Wild Side!  This time, Gabrielle and I are talking about the successful reintroduction of Elk in the Southeast.  Hunted into extinction in the 1700's and 1800's, this second largest member of the deer family has been reintroduced to North Carolina in the 2000's, but not without headaches and issues.  Join us as we chat about the successes, challenges, and esse...

Our final two days in Iceland are packed adventures and experiences as we go from Selfloss to Keflavik.  We went through a National Park, experienced a few more waterfalls, geysers, and interesting history.  We also baked bread in volcanic soil, took in a few more spas, and got up close and personal at the historic fissure and lava eruption on the Reykjanes Peninsula.  What a great trip and once in a lifetime experience Walkin&apos...

Welcome back to Walkin' on the Wild Side!  We continue our adventure on the Ring Road in Iceland, from the northern area of Husavik to the southeastern town of Hofn.  We go from snowy fields to glaciers, icebergs, and volcanic beaches.  Join us to learn more about this beautiful country that truly is the land of ice and fire!  From hot geothermal fields, volcanic lava fields, and lava caves, to icy lagoons, glaciers, and icebe...

We took a vacation and are back to share our adventures with you.  Gabrielle and I travelled to Iceland, the land of Fire and Ice!  Join us along our trip as we travel the Ring Road and experience the vast, rugged, and beautiful land with mountains, waterfalls, geysers, glaciers, and more.  Part one takes to the western coast all the way up to the northern-most part of Iceland.  This section was filled with sorcery, witchcraft, tro...

It's time for a little different episode of Walkin' on the Wild Side!  Join Marvin and Gabrielle for a foraging adventure to harvest, cook, and have Gabrielle try stinging nettle, a choice wild edible.  This nutritious wild plant needs to be harvested with care and positive identification, but once you do, you'll have a tasty green for the table!  We talk about harvesting this plant, how to handle, and then, off to t...

We're back for another episode of Walkin' on the Wild Side!  It's the time of year that we are starting to get hints of Fall and many animal behaviors are starting to change with the seasons.  Birds are migrating, squirrels are getting busy, but I always thing of the industrious beaver this time of year!  The careful observer who has beavers in the area will notice more activity from these semi-aquatic mammals as the...

Hi and welcome back to Walkin' on the Wild Side!  This episode, we're going to the coast (figuratively) and talking about one of the rarest marine mammals, the northern right whale.  Taken to the brink of extinction by the whaling industry, this slow moving, surface dwelling whale faces an uncertain future as population numbers compromised during whaling continue to decline due to modern day vessel strikes, entanglement i...