October 2, 2025 • 25 mins
Maria chats with Explore.org's Naturalist (and former park ranger) Mike Fitz about Fat Bear Week (Chunk the Hunk is the winner!) which just ended, and all the cameras around the world that let us into the world of animals and nature. Explore.org brings us to places that most humans could never encounter. As Founder Charles Annenberg Weingarten said Explore.org is the "Netflix of Nature"!
Check them out...I do! Explore.org
You'll be watching puppy cams and tiger cams and pasture cams just like I do daily!
Check them out...I do! Explore.org
You'll be watching puppy cams and tiger cams and pasture cams just like I do daily!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's Maria's MutS and Stuff.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
What a great idea on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Welcome to Maria's Mutts and Stuff. In with me today
from explore dot org. It is Mike fits So, Mike,
I'm excited to chat with you today. Thank you for
taking the time out because I know you have a
pretty hectic schedule.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
That's right. Well, Fapper Week is one of the busiest
times of the year. Well, I'm glad too many people
enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Oh my goodness. Yeah, so let's talk about that a bit.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
So we have a winner of Fat Bear Week, gret Chunk,
number thirty two.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
That's correct. Yeah, so he won in the final vote.
Uh uh. This is his first faber Week win. And
of course, Fepperwek is a virtual competition in which people
choose who they think is the fattest and most successful
Brooks River bear of the year, and Chunk has always
been a front runner in fabri Week, but he's never
ascended all the way to the top. I think people
really resonated with his store this year. He is one
(01:01):
of the most dominant bears at Brooks River. He also
suffered from a broken jaw throughout the whole entire summer.
Oh wow, persevere and show a lot of persistence to
succeed despite that disability.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
So I guess maybe a lot of viewers kind of
felt that they could identify with him.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
I guess, yeah, perhaps.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
I mean there's a lot of things that we have
in common with brown bears. Of course, one of the
things is that they're intelligent animals. They're omnivores. But you know,
when they suffer an injury and we see how tough
they actually are, I think that to me is a
little bit inspiring. If I happened to stub my toe
or my finger or something like that, I'm like, let's
just get over it, because what a brown bear would do,
(01:43):
they would be out there complaining or whining it all.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
I think that's true with a lot of animals right
as humans, we're such whiners. Yeah, it's true. Well, I
have to tell you so explore dot Org. I've been
a big fan of for many, many many years, from
way back when with the Warrior Canine Connection, watching you
Know the Little Puppies and also watching the Farm Sanctuary
(02:10):
from Watkins Glen. I just I love watching you know
just the pastures or the sheep barn and then a
couple of weeks ago, I saw you, I saw you know,
explore dot org on CBS Sunday morning, and I thought, oh,
I need to talk to them. And of course it
was about fat Bear Week, but you do so much
more than fat Bear Week. So let's talk a little
(02:32):
bit about that, because I just I find your website
just so incredible because I always, I mean I always
go back, I feel like to the same.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Feeds that I go to.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
I mean, now, yesterday I started to watch from a
tiger sanctuary because they're just such gorgeous animals, and you know,
I just how did this all begin?
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Well? This, yeah, exploded Org really kind of is the
brainchild of Charlie Annenberg. So he started exploded or originally
as a documentary film channel, so the online you know,
people could watch some of the short films that he made,
and many of them are still on the website. But
(03:11):
over time we've transitioned into specializing and providing live webcams
of animals and in nature. So we do have a
lot of webcams in the facilities that are like rescue
centers for instance, like you mentioned the tigers, so those
are in a sanctuary in Arkansas. So because owning big
(03:34):
cats in the United States has been outlawed, these big
cats still need a place to live there forever home.
We have, of course, like the service dog webcams where
people can get to know some of the puppies that
are going to be helping people with disabilities or veterans.
For example. The most popular webcams that we have on
Exploded to regard the bear cams in Catma National Park
(03:57):
in Alaska. So these are focused on Brooks River where
bears come to fish for salmon, and we get to
see bears fishing for salmon there every day late June
until the end of October. And my role with Exploded
Org is basically just to kind of help people have
a meaningful wildlife watching experience. So with the brown bear cams,
(04:18):
I know I was a ranger. I count my for
an interviewers so I have I think, insight into that place.
So I helped to lead programs with the rangers there.
With the other webcams, though you know, I'm not an
expert in like manatees or service animals or anything like that,
so I will most likely end up you know, interviewing
or talking with the biologists and the researchers and the
(04:38):
organizations that work to protect those animals and species and ecosystems.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Wow, I mean that.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
I think it's fascinating because it's like so many places
around the world. I mean, as I was watching and
I was talking about it, and a coworker came in
earlier today and he was like, he said, someone who
he's related to is really into sharks, and I was like, Okay,
here we go, and I picked up two to.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Show sharks, and I'm like, show him those sharks.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Like how how do the places where the cams are
how like how had those chosen those like different destinations.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Is there like a process or is it just a
like how does that go?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah, there's a process, But sometimes it is a little
bit of word of mouth, like hey, I was talking
to so and so and you know one of my
co coworkers or myself like, yeah, I was talking to
so and so and they have this idea for a webcam.
Sometimes partners approach us potential webcam partners and like, hey,
we know about your organization we have we want to
(05:37):
pitch you a webcam that that sort of thing with
the bear cams and cat my you know, the count
My National Park had experimented with webcams I think as
far back as like two thousand and nine, but the
technology for that location just wasn't there okay, and needed
a lot of technical support and need a lot of money. Sure,
(05:58):
and it was it was right on the verge of
where but it wasn't quite working, like the National Park
Service on it on their own didn't have the capacity
to make it work. But then Exploded Org approached cat
My National Park in twenty twelve and the cams went
in that year. Luckily, you know, the person who was
leading the Education and Interpretation division at the time, Roy Would,
(06:21):
He was like he knew the potential of this. I
didn't see it at first, okay, and that's understand the right, Yeah,
the power of the webcams. But Roy did and Charlie
from Explorer certainly did. So it was a great partnership
from the beginning and we've been able to watch you know,
Bears and books River every summer since then.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Sure sure, and I mean I guess like you said,
so the Bears that's the most popular and has been.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Yes, yeah, that's that's the most popular from year to year.
Although you know you mentioned sharks. I do love going
to the underwater cameras because that's an ecosystem that it's
hard for me to experience, right, Like, sure, I can
get a snorkel, or maybe I've want to dive, but
I could me too. Yeah, yeah, and perhaps you know,
look under the water. But to sit there under the
(07:07):
water for long periods of time and just watch fish
or other animals, I mean, that's really kind of amazing.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
It is.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
So you can go to like we have a cameras
at a place called Utopia Village, which is on an
island off the coast of Honduras, where you can watch
tropical reefs. There's a lot of lemon sharks that will
come by. They have eagle rays that swim by different
times of the day. So that's really incredible to see
in the winter in Florida at the freshwater springs like
(07:33):
Blue Springs and Cross the Springs, we have cams that
focus on manatees and yeah, so Channel Islands National Park
in California too, we can go underwater there into the
calp forest. So yeah, some really amazing places that these
cameras can take you to.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Yeah, and it's it's true.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
It's like you said, I mean, unless you're a deep
sea diver, which you know most of us are not,
you don't see this. And this is almost like having
it's like having a television, but it's even better because
it's it's real.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
It is it's it's unfiltered. You know, what you get
is raw, unfiltered. It's basically animals.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Just being animals exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
You know, every once in a while, I will enjoy,
you know, a quote unquote nature documentary, but a lot
of those are kind of fiction, nationalized versions of using
real footage of animals, yes, to tell a story or
a narrative, but when you watch a webcam of a
like a boat eagle in a nest, or an osprey
in a nest, or a California condor for instance. You know,
(08:28):
we have some cameras on condors as well, Like you're
getting the animal being an animal exactly, and that comes
with you know, the that shows the joys that happen
in nature, but also you know the hardships as well.
So yeah, it's really kind of like the full spectrum
of animal behavior that's on this play.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Yeah, absolutely, I mean, and it goes I love the
fact when on the CBS Sunday morning that Charlie said,
the more that people observe, the more they'll connect, the
more they'll care, and they'll make the world a better place.
And I thought, oh my god, that's brilliant and it's
so true because I feel like sometimes you're, like you said,
when people watch a documentary on nature or however, it's nageled.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
But this way it's it's real, and.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
You see animals in their true habitat, in their own environment,
not being annoyed by humans. So it's besides educational, I
think it's very I think it's also very important for
people to be able to see that which they wouldn't
normally be able to.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
It's really a special experience. Yeah, because you know, if
you wanted to watch a bald eagle nest carefully, huh.
You you know, either had to have you had to
have the time, or maybe you were lucky to be
like a biologist who could sit at a place and
watch a nest. But that was that's an experience that
was limited to very few people, sure for all. But
with a webcam, you know, we can share that with
(09:48):
thousands and thousands of people around the world, and it
really gives us insights, I think, greater insights into like
the decision making processes that a lot of animals make,
their sentience, their emotional lives. And that's one of the
really eye opening things for me that I have discovered
sort of like too late in my life. It really
wasn't until I went to Brooks River as a ranger
(10:09):
where I started to see bears as individuals. For some reason,
it never clicked for me that wild animals are. They're
just not like anonymous individuals composing of population. They're individuals right,
with real emotions, and they're they're aware of their surroundings.
They're very sentient. They're emotional animals. And I had pets
(10:29):
of course as a kid, and I knew they were individualized,
but I and had their own personalities. But for some reason,
I never connected the dots with wildlife. But we're able
to see that on on the webcams and really see
some special personalities and behaviors.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Sure, and I think that's I think it's not that's
something that's not unique to you. I think all of
us have are like that or have been like that
that you just don't connect it that well. Wild animals
all have their own personality as like we know from
our own pets. But I think it's I explore dot
Org totally changes that and teaches people, which I think
(11:11):
is it's pretty incredible. Now, this could be a really
stupid question, and it probably is. But I was thinking about, well,
it's just that I know that there were cameras everywhere
around the world, and I mean, I was fascinated by
the story of the lost hiker who actually saw the
camera and that's how he got rescued, right because he
talked to the camera that he was lost. I found
that fascinating. The cameras. Are they on batteries? Are they wired? Like?
Speaker 3 (11:36):
How do they always last? I know that sounds crazy.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Yeah, well, it's certainly not a stupid question. And it
depends on the location. Okay, some of the places, you know,
the camera can be just plugged into a wall out.
It depends on how how close they are sure existing
infrastructure and electrical lines, things things like that. With some
of the more remote cameras, though, they're so contained systems,
(12:01):
so they may have a small solar array, they have
battery to provide power when when the sun's not shining
or at night, something like that. For the Bear cams,
for instance, It's a bit of a combination. It depends
on where the cameras are along. Further, some of them
are tied into the grid that powers like Brooks Lodge
(12:22):
and the National Park Service visitor center at Brooks River.
Others are again solely or self contained when powered through power.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
And well that makes sense, okay, backup system, Yes, all right,
well that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
That makes I mean, yeah, because I was, you know,
because you always think it's like your clock in your
living room that I have to change the battery. Because
some of these are hard to get to for people.
I mean, obviously they were able to get the person
was able, a team was able to get there originally,
but I was just I wonder about that.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
But that makes sense, of course. Yeah, yeah, that makes
a lot of sense.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
So okay, So Fat Bear Week, which just happened, that
was like a big thing. Is there is there another
I mean, I know it happens annually. Is there like,
is there something that's next that's another big thing for
explore dot org.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Nothing quite as big as as Fat Bear Week, okay,
but coming up that the middle of October, end of
October into November is Polar Bear season explored or so
we partner with Polar Bears International to provide webcams in Churchill, Manitoba.
So we're looking at the polar bear migration when right
(13:34):
now the bears are on land because the sea ice
is melted in Hudson Bay and the bears are waiting
for the sea ice to return. In the way the
ice sort of circulates in Hudson Bay, bears kind of
wind up getting following the ice a little bit south,
like the middle part of the bay, and then they
start to walk their way along the western side of
the bay and head and head north to where the
(13:56):
ice starts to freeze first. I mean to see kind
of part of that micration on in the Churchill region.
So that's a really kind of special experience. There's a
tundra buggy that goes out basically like a monster truck
that has a webcam attached to it and they follow
the polar bears at a discrete distance. Sometimes they'll you know,
(14:16):
we get to see them very close to the buggies.
Sometimes they're far away. But it really helps us to
understand what the polar bears are going through during this
season of starvation, because you know, you can imagine how
hungry a brown bear gets. But a polar bear, you know,
sometimes they may come on to land in May if
it's a bad sea ice here, and they're waiting basically
(14:36):
until November.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
And they're not hibernating like a brown bearry either, So yeah,
they they're they're expressing a lot of patients. But at
the same time that like, oh, I am really jones
and out on the sea ice and hunting. That's a
special thing that's coming up real soon.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Oh that's cool. That's cool.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
And I guess it goes like that throughout the year
that there were different I guess different animals that are
the folk. Guess, like like you said, like that goes
so for the rest of the year.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Correct, Yeah, so like coming up in December, for instance,
we have a camera on Steel Island off the coast
of Maine. That's a National Wildlife Refuge, but we also
partner with the National Autobunch Society Seabird Institute to position
cameras there. In the summertime, they're focused on on breeding
seabirds like puffins, puffins, black illeman and that's those are
(15:27):
really fun cameras to watch. But in the winter time,
gray seals come to the island to give birth. That's
really incredible to see. You see hundreds of seals, you know,
gathering on the island and sometimes we get to see
seals giving birth live on camera. That's not something you've
able to really see in person you are on the
island with the seals, they'd be too weirded out by you.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Of course, people are watching.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Me back into the water. But through the webcams we can,
you know, we get to see that experience. And then
manatee season, manatees othering out warm water springs in Florida.
That's happening in the winter time, but that's really great.
And then there's cameras that are active year round, like
the afric Cams, cams that we have in South Africa.
We have cameras with the Impala Research Center also in Kenya,
(16:16):
and then also in the Democratic Republic of Congo with
some rescued gorillas there, which and those people are the
GRACE People, which is stands for the Gorilla Rehabilitation and
Education Conservation Center. Those people are real heroes. I mean,
they've dealt with abola, COVID pandemic, warfare and they stick
with the gorillas. It's truly an amazing story.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Yeah, yeah, for sure, it's amazing.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
I mean, I don't know what to say, you know,
like a thank you from everyone who loves animals and
nature and the environment to explore dot org because it's
so it's I mean, it's so important, I think, and
it's so relevant, especially in these days when there are
just so many changes made when it comes to nature
and the environment because people poo poo on it. But
(17:04):
I feel like explore dot org is more important than
it ever has been right now.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Well, thank you. Yeah. I feel very fortunate to be
in the position that I'm in to be able to,
you know, share these wildlife watching experiences with people, because
I know that nature matters everybody. But it's but not
everyone has easy access to nature. There's a lot of barriers.
And I know that from my experience as a park ranger,
(17:31):
knowing that how meaningful like a park experience is for people.
But if you don't have the time to go to
a park, you don't have the money to go to
the park, you don't have the physical ability, maybe the
family obligations, or maybe your employer just doesn't give you
the time off. Sure you know, there's all of these
things that pile up on you that prevent people from
like getting out and experiencing wild nature. Sometimes it's not
(17:52):
easily accessible, even in your own neighborhoods. Right, there's a
different way to access nature through webcams. It's not the
same as being outside, you know and standing under a
redwood tree for instance, or you know, going to Alaska
and seeing a brown bear fishing in person. That it's
a different type of experience, and I think it's a
very rich one because if you're watching, like the webcams unexploded,
or you're not limited to a few hours, like if
(18:13):
you were to go to a park for a day.
You can watch across the years if you want to.
And we have many people watching the bear cams at
Brooks River who started watching in twenty twelve, we keep
watching today and they know the bears just about as
well as I do.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
Wow, that's real. I mean, that's really cool.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
And it also it gives the opportunity to people who
don't live in that area, Like you said, standing under redwood,
if you don't live where redwoods are where they grow,
you would never be able to do that.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
But with Explored Dot Org. You can with a webcam,
you know what we do.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
And yeah, and we do actually have a camera that's
that focuses on Redwood trees. It's along the Smith River
in northern California.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Oh, I have to find it.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Yeah, it's one of those cameras that's very relaxing to watch. Yeah,
and it looks at the Stout Stout Grove of Trees
and Jedediah Smith Redwood's State Park. So it's really fun
to see. We get comments similar to what you mentioned
all the time where people will mention, hey, like I
will never go to Katmai. I can't get there, I
(19:16):
can't travel or I don't have the money, right, but
I really love this place and I'm going to work
to protect it in my own way, and that I
think for us, that's like the greatest compliment. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Absolutely, no, for sure, And I'm sure many people feel
that way. I mean I feel that way, you know,
I think many people do, because you're giving us like
eyes to the world that we wouldn't be able to see,
you know, unless you're a traveler or a rank you know,
like this is your job. So so thank you and
(19:47):
thank you, you know, to Charlie for coming up with
the idea because I think it's it's really just so wonderful.
I was so happy when I reached out to you
and I was, yes, we'll talk to you because I
just I'm such a big fan. So, uh, you know,
keep it going forever. So on that note, do you
take donations? I mean, I know you it's how it's
(20:08):
funded by the Annenberg Foundation, But do you take donations
from people exploded?
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Or does not? So the funding does come from the
Annenberg Foundation. However, we always encourage people to look at
our webcam partners and see if you know you can
contribute to their causes, because we're ultimately they're you know,
they're for them sure, so as you know, so like
the the Catlin Conservancy, for instance, the Friends group that
(20:34):
is dedicated to the protection of Catlin National Park. They
run a fundraiser that's concurrent with Fat Bear Week, so
you know, we're you know, we direct people to them.
You know other organizations you know, I mentioned Polar Bears
International earlier. I mean they are working super hard to
protect polar bears and address the climate crisis. So you know,
(20:56):
each one of our partners has a really special opportunity
to make a difference in the world. And that's also
one of the things that I find really uplifting about
my job is I get to learn about all of
these great people doing really great work because there is
a lot of stuff that's depressing and I feel it too,
Like I'm gonna be honest, like the things that keep
(21:17):
me up at night again, it's like extinction. It's kind
of change and keep dragging our feet on all of
these things. We know how to fix this stuff, and
we just don't do it, I know, for some stupid reason.
But you know, the thing that keeps me going is
being able to see that other people are working towards
the goals as I am. So yes, so yeah, check
it out. You can check out those partners, and that's
(21:38):
how we encourage people to give back.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
No, that's great, that's great.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
And you know what, all of those things that you mentioned,
you know that keep you awake, I think keep many
of us awake. But you're right because I think there
are people who are helping to make that happen.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
But you guys are part of it too.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Because you are showing things to people who wouldn't be
able to know, if that makes sense. By going to
explore dot org and they're able to see a webcam
on you know, an endangered species, and then they can
go and they can make a donation. So a lot
of the people who are doing something about it, it's
you guys.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
So I hope you realize.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
That I do.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
Yeah, thank you, You're welcome.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Yeah, I mean, and again it's you know, you've made
the point. I think you know a couple of times
mentioning that you know, awareness is so important, and oh
my goodness, you know kind of ultimately, you know, one
of our major goals, it's awareness and accessibility to nature. Yes,
and providing you know, webcams is kind of one of
(22:41):
the ways that we can do this. I mean, there's
a lot of things about technology that I am very
suspicious of, but my job is on the internet. So
I if you were to ask me at the beginning
of my career, like when I just got out of
college and I started working in parks, if you you thought,
you know, hey, do you think everything you just want
(23:02):
to talk to people over the internet about animals, You'll
be like, yeah, you're nuts, I just want to right right.
But but there's but there's there's different avenues to get
towards the same goals and webcams and a lot of
this technology does have I think, really important application, yes,
a positive future. So yes, yeah, so we don't need
(23:22):
to waste like AI.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
On I was just oh my god, you're in my head.
I was thinking the same exact thing.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Yes, yeah, if we apply it to biology or medicine
or something like that. I mean, it has these really
amazing potentials. So yeah, we need more webcams I think
around the world more or more in national parks, and
that'll that I think that will.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Only help things absolutely, And you're right, and it's it's
because you think of the Internet and there's all that
negative about it, but this is a positive. Like the
negative to me also is like you said, AI, but
this is the real deal. So this is a very
big positive because again it exposes so much in the
world of nature the environment to people, and you know,
(24:03):
it's very important.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Knowledge is power, they always say. So thanks to.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
You and explore dot org for giving us that knowledge
that we wouldn't normally have.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Well you're quite welcome, so.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Thank you so, Mike Fitz, thank you for your time.
Keep doing what you're doing. I definitely want to talk
to you again, maybe next season so we can see
what's on what's on board. But I know my listeners
are going to check out explore dot org and then
they'll be they'll know where they can make their donations
and you know wherever their interest lies, because whoever's listening
(24:34):
to this, they're very much into nature and animals in
the environment. So so thank you for your time and
all your expertise, and thank you for talking with us today.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Yeah, my pleasure. And you know we look forward to
seeing your audience over in our community.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Come join us, absolutely
It's Maria's MutS and Stuff.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
What a great idea on iHeartRadio.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Welcome to Maria's Mutts and Stuff. In with me today
from explore dot org. It is Mike fits So, Mike,
I'm excited to chat with you today. Thank you for
taking the time out because I know you have a
pretty hectic schedule.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
That's right. Well, Fapper Week is one of the busiest
times of the year. Well, I'm glad too many people
enjoy it.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
Oh my goodness. Yeah, so let's talk about that a bit.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
So we have a winner of Fat Bear Week, gret Chunk,
number thirty two.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
That's correct. Yeah, so he won in the final vote.
Uh uh. This is his first faber Week win. And
of course, Fepperwek is a virtual competition in which people
choose who they think is the fattest and most successful
Brooks River bear of the year, and Chunk has always
been a front runner in fabri Week, but he's never
ascended all the way to the top. I think people
really resonated with his store this year. He is one
(01:01):
of the most dominant bears at Brooks River. He also
suffered from a broken jaw throughout the whole entire summer.
Oh wow, persevere and show a lot of persistence to
succeed despite that disability.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
So I guess maybe a lot of viewers kind of
felt that they could identify with him.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
I guess, yeah, perhaps.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
I mean there's a lot of things that we have
in common with brown bears. Of course, one of the
things is that they're intelligent animals. They're omnivores. But you know,
when they suffer an injury and we see how tough
they actually are, I think that to me is a
little bit inspiring. If I happened to stub my toe
or my finger or something like that, I'm like, let's
just get over it, because what a brown bear would do,
(01:43):
they would be out there complaining or whining it all.
Speaker 1 (01:46):
I think that's true with a lot of animals right
as humans, we're such whiners. Yeah, it's true. Well, I
have to tell you so explore dot Org. I've been
a big fan of for many, many many years, from
way back when with the Warrior Canine Connection, watching you
Know the Little Puppies and also watching the Farm Sanctuary
(02:10):
from Watkins Glen. I just I love watching you know
just the pastures or the sheep barn and then a
couple of weeks ago, I saw you, I saw you know,
explore dot org on CBS Sunday morning, and I thought, oh,
I need to talk to them. And of course it
was about fat Bear Week, but you do so much
more than fat Bear Week. So let's talk a little
(02:32):
bit about that, because I just I find your website
just so incredible because I always, I mean I always
go back, I feel like to the same.
Speaker 3 (02:41):
Feeds that I go to.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
I mean, now, yesterday I started to watch from a
tiger sanctuary because they're just such gorgeous animals, and you know,
I just how did this all begin?
Speaker 2 (02:51):
Well? This, yeah, exploded Org really kind of is the
brainchild of Charlie Annenberg. So he started exploded or originally
as a documentary film channel, so the online you know,
people could watch some of the short films that he made,
and many of them are still on the website. But
(03:11):
over time we've transitioned into specializing and providing live webcams
of animals and in nature. So we do have a
lot of webcams in the facilities that are like rescue
centers for instance, like you mentioned the tigers, so those
are in a sanctuary in Arkansas. So because owning big
(03:34):
cats in the United States has been outlawed, these big
cats still need a place to live there forever home.
We have, of course, like the service dog webcams where
people can get to know some of the puppies that
are going to be helping people with disabilities or veterans.
For example. The most popular webcams that we have on
Exploded to regard the bear cams in Catma National Park
(03:57):
in Alaska. So these are focused on Brooks River where
bears come to fish for salmon, and we get to
see bears fishing for salmon there every day late June
until the end of October. And my role with Exploded
Org is basically just to kind of help people have
a meaningful wildlife watching experience. So with the brown bear cams,
(04:18):
I know I was a ranger. I count my for
an interviewers so I have I think, insight into that place.
So I helped to lead programs with the rangers there.
With the other webcams, though you know, I'm not an
expert in like manatees or service animals or anything like that,
so I will most likely end up you know, interviewing
or talking with the biologists and the researchers and the
(04:38):
organizations that work to protect those animals and species and ecosystems.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
Wow, I mean that.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
I think it's fascinating because it's like so many places
around the world. I mean, as I was watching and
I was talking about it, and a coworker came in
earlier today and he was like, he said, someone who
he's related to is really into sharks, and I was like, Okay,
here we go, and I picked up two to.
Speaker 3 (05:00):
Show sharks, and I'm like, show him those sharks.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
Like how how do the places where the cams are
how like how had those chosen those like different destinations.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Is there like a process or is it just a
like how does that go?
Speaker 2 (05:15):
Yeah, there's a process, But sometimes it is a little
bit of word of mouth, like hey, I was talking
to so and so and you know one of my
co coworkers or myself like, yeah, I was talking to
so and so and they have this idea for a webcam.
Sometimes partners approach us potential webcam partners and like, hey,
we know about your organization we have we want to
(05:37):
pitch you a webcam that that sort of thing with
the bear cams and cat my you know, the count
My National Park had experimented with webcams I think as
far back as like two thousand and nine, but the
technology for that location just wasn't there okay, and needed
a lot of technical support and need a lot of money. Sure,
(05:58):
and it was it was right on the verge of
where but it wasn't quite working, like the National Park
Service on it on their own didn't have the capacity
to make it work. But then Exploded Org approached cat
My National Park in twenty twelve and the cams went
in that year. Luckily, you know, the person who was
leading the Education and Interpretation division at the time, Roy Would,
(06:21):
He was like he knew the potential of this. I
didn't see it at first, okay, and that's understand the right, Yeah,
the power of the webcams. But Roy did and Charlie
from Explorer certainly did. So it was a great partnership
from the beginning and we've been able to watch you know,
Bears and books River every summer since then.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
Sure sure, and I mean I guess like you said,
so the Bears that's the most popular and has been.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Yes, yeah, that's that's the most popular from year to year.
Although you know you mentioned sharks. I do love going
to the underwater cameras because that's an ecosystem that it's
hard for me to experience, right, Like, sure, I can
get a snorkel, or maybe I've want to dive, but
I could me too. Yeah, yeah, and perhaps you know,
look under the water. But to sit there under the
(07:07):
water for long periods of time and just watch fish
or other animals, I mean, that's really kind of amazing.
Speaker 3 (07:12):
It is.
Speaker 2 (07:13):
So you can go to like we have a cameras
at a place called Utopia Village, which is on an
island off the coast of Honduras, where you can watch
tropical reefs. There's a lot of lemon sharks that will
come by. They have eagle rays that swim by different
times of the day. So that's really incredible to see
in the winter in Florida at the freshwater springs like
(07:33):
Blue Springs and Cross the Springs, we have cams that
focus on manatees and yeah, so Channel Islands National Park
in California too, we can go underwater there into the
calp forest. So yeah, some really amazing places that these
cameras can take you to.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Yeah, and it's it's true.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
It's like you said, I mean, unless you're a deep
sea diver, which you know most of us are not,
you don't see this. And this is almost like having
it's like having a television, but it's even better because
it's it's real.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
It is it's it's unfiltered. You know, what you get
is raw, unfiltered. It's basically animals.
Speaker 3 (08:05):
Just being animals exactly.
Speaker 2 (08:07):
You know, every once in a while, I will enjoy,
you know, a quote unquote nature documentary, but a lot
of those are kind of fiction, nationalized versions of using
real footage of animals, yes, to tell a story or
a narrative, but when you watch a webcam of a
like a boat eagle in a nest, or an osprey
in a nest, or a California condor for instance. You know,
(08:28):
we have some cameras on condors as well, Like you're
getting the animal being an animal exactly, and that comes
with you know, the that shows the joys that happen
in nature, but also you know the hardships as well.
So yeah, it's really kind of like the full spectrum
of animal behavior that's on this play.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Yeah, absolutely, I mean, and it goes I love the
fact when on the CBS Sunday morning that Charlie said,
the more that people observe, the more they'll connect, the
more they'll care, and they'll make the world a better place.
And I thought, oh my god, that's brilliant and it's
so true because I feel like sometimes you're, like you said,
when people watch a documentary on nature or however, it's nageled.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
But this way it's it's real, and.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
You see animals in their true habitat, in their own environment,
not being annoyed by humans. So it's besides educational, I
think it's very I think it's also very important for
people to be able to see that which they wouldn't
normally be able to.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
It's really a special experience. Yeah, because you know, if
you wanted to watch a bald eagle nest carefully, huh.
You you know, either had to have you had to
have the time, or maybe you were lucky to be
like a biologist who could sit at a place and
watch a nest. But that was that's an experience that
was limited to very few people, sure for all. But
with a webcam, you know, we can share that with
(09:48):
thousands and thousands of people around the world, and it
really gives us insights, I think, greater insights into like
the decision making processes that a lot of animals make,
their sentience, their emotional lives. And that's one of the
really eye opening things for me that I have discovered
sort of like too late in my life. It really
wasn't until I went to Brooks River as a ranger
(10:09):
where I started to see bears as individuals. For some reason,
it never clicked for me that wild animals are. They're
just not like anonymous individuals composing of population. They're individuals right,
with real emotions, and they're they're aware of their surroundings.
They're very sentient. They're emotional animals. And I had pets
(10:29):
of course as a kid, and I knew they were individualized,
but I and had their own personalities. But for some reason,
I never connected the dots with wildlife. But we're able
to see that on on the webcams and really see
some special personalities and behaviors.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
Sure, and I think that's I think it's not that's
something that's not unique to you. I think all of
us have are like that or have been like that
that you just don't connect it that well. Wild animals
all have their own personality as like we know from
our own pets. But I think it's I explore dot
Org totally changes that and teaches people, which I think
(11:11):
is it's pretty incredible. Now, this could be a really
stupid question, and it probably is. But I was thinking about, well,
it's just that I know that there were cameras everywhere
around the world, and I mean, I was fascinated by
the story of the lost hiker who actually saw the
camera and that's how he got rescued, right because he
talked to the camera that he was lost. I found
that fascinating. The cameras. Are they on batteries? Are they wired? Like?
Speaker 3 (11:36):
How do they always last? I know that sounds crazy.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Yeah, well, it's certainly not a stupid question. And it
depends on the location. Okay, some of the places, you know,
the camera can be just plugged into a wall out.
It depends on how how close they are sure existing
infrastructure and electrical lines, things things like that. With some
of the more remote cameras, though, they're so contained systems,
(12:01):
so they may have a small solar array, they have
battery to provide power when when the sun's not shining
or at night, something like that. For the Bear cams,
for instance, It's a bit of a combination. It depends
on where the cameras are along. Further, some of them
are tied into the grid that powers like Brooks Lodge
(12:22):
and the National Park Service visitor center at Brooks River.
Others are again solely or self contained when powered through power.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
And well that makes sense, okay, backup system, Yes, all right,
well that makes sense.
Speaker 1 (12:35):
That makes I mean, yeah, because I was, you know,
because you always think it's like your clock in your
living room that I have to change the battery. Because
some of these are hard to get to for people.
I mean, obviously they were able to get the person
was able, a team was able to get there originally,
but I was just I wonder about that.
Speaker 3 (12:51):
But that makes sense, of course. Yeah, yeah, that makes
a lot of sense.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
So okay, So Fat Bear Week, which just happened, that
was like a big thing. Is there is there another
I mean, I know it happens annually. Is there like,
is there something that's next that's another big thing for
explore dot org.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
Nothing quite as big as as Fat Bear Week, okay,
but coming up that the middle of October, end of
October into November is Polar Bear season explored or so
we partner with Polar Bears International to provide webcams in Churchill, Manitoba.
So we're looking at the polar bear migration when right
(13:34):
now the bears are on land because the sea ice
is melted in Hudson Bay and the bears are waiting
for the sea ice to return. In the way the
ice sort of circulates in Hudson Bay, bears kind of
wind up getting following the ice a little bit south,
like the middle part of the bay, and then they
start to walk their way along the western side of
the bay and head and head north to where the
(13:56):
ice starts to freeze first. I mean to see kind
of part of that micration on in the Churchill region.
So that's a really kind of special experience. There's a
tundra buggy that goes out basically like a monster truck
that has a webcam attached to it and they follow
the polar bears at a discrete distance. Sometimes they'll you know,
(14:16):
we get to see them very close to the buggies.
Sometimes they're far away. But it really helps us to
understand what the polar bears are going through during this
season of starvation, because you know, you can imagine how
hungry a brown bear gets. But a polar bear, you know,
sometimes they may come on to land in May if
it's a bad sea ice here, and they're waiting basically
(14:36):
until November.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
And they're not hibernating like a brown bearry either, So yeah,
they they're they're expressing a lot of patients. But at
the same time that like, oh, I am really jones
and out on the sea ice and hunting. That's a
special thing that's coming up real soon.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
Oh that's cool. That's cool.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
And I guess it goes like that throughout the year
that there were different I guess different animals that are
the folk. Guess, like like you said, like that goes
so for the rest of the year.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Correct, Yeah, so like coming up in December, for instance,
we have a camera on Steel Island off the coast
of Maine. That's a National Wildlife Refuge, but we also
partner with the National Autobunch Society Seabird Institute to position
cameras there. In the summertime, they're focused on on breeding
seabirds like puffins, puffins, black illeman and that's those are
(15:27):
really fun cameras to watch. But in the winter time,
gray seals come to the island to give birth. That's
really incredible to see. You see hundreds of seals, you know,
gathering on the island and sometimes we get to see
seals giving birth live on camera. That's not something you've
able to really see in person you are on the
island with the seals, they'd be too weirded out by you.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
Of course, people are watching.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Me back into the water. But through the webcams we can,
you know, we get to see that experience. And then
manatee season, manatees othering out warm water springs in Florida.
That's happening in the winter time, but that's really great.
And then there's cameras that are active year round, like
the afric Cams, cams that we have in South Africa.
We have cameras with the Impala Research Center also in Kenya,
(16:16):
and then also in the Democratic Republic of Congo with
some rescued gorillas there, which and those people are the
GRACE People, which is stands for the Gorilla Rehabilitation and
Education Conservation Center. Those people are real heroes. I mean,
they've dealt with abola, COVID pandemic, warfare and they stick
with the gorillas. It's truly an amazing story.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
Yeah, yeah, for sure, it's amazing.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
I mean, I don't know what to say, you know,
like a thank you from everyone who loves animals and
nature and the environment to explore dot org because it's
so it's I mean, it's so important, I think, and
it's so relevant, especially in these days when there are
just so many changes made when it comes to nature
and the environment because people poo poo on it. But
(17:04):
I feel like explore dot org is more important than
it ever has been right now.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Well, thank you. Yeah. I feel very fortunate to be
in the position that I'm in to be able to,
you know, share these wildlife watching experiences with people, because
I know that nature matters everybody. But it's but not
everyone has easy access to nature. There's a lot of barriers.
And I know that from my experience as a park ranger,
(17:31):
knowing that how meaningful like a park experience is for people.
But if you don't have the time to go to
a park, you don't have the money to go to
the park, you don't have the physical ability, maybe the
family obligations, or maybe your employer just doesn't give you
the time off. Sure you know, there's all of these
things that pile up on you that prevent people from
like getting out and experiencing wild nature. Sometimes it's not
(17:52):
easily accessible, even in your own neighborhoods. Right, there's a
different way to access nature through webcams. It's not the
same as being outside, you know and standing under a
redwood tree for instance, or you know, going to Alaska
and seeing a brown bear fishing in person. That it's
a different type of experience, and I think it's a
very rich one because if you're watching, like the webcams unexploded,
or you're not limited to a few hours, like if
(18:13):
you were to go to a park for a day.
You can watch across the years if you want to.
And we have many people watching the bear cams at
Brooks River who started watching in twenty twelve, we keep
watching today and they know the bears just about as
well as I do.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
Wow, that's real. I mean, that's really cool.
Speaker 1 (18:29):
And it also it gives the opportunity to people who
don't live in that area, Like you said, standing under redwood,
if you don't live where redwoods are where they grow,
you would never be able to do that.
Speaker 3 (18:41):
But with Explored Dot Org. You can with a webcam,
you know what we do.
Speaker 2 (18:46):
And yeah, and we do actually have a camera that's
that focuses on Redwood trees. It's along the Smith River
in northern California.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Oh, I have to find it.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Yeah, it's one of those cameras that's very relaxing to watch. Yeah,
and it looks at the Stout Stout Grove of Trees
and Jedediah Smith Redwood's State Park. So it's really fun
to see. We get comments similar to what you mentioned
all the time where people will mention, hey, like I
will never go to Katmai. I can't get there, I
(19:16):
can't travel or I don't have the money, right, but
I really love this place and I'm going to work
to protect it in my own way, and that I
think for us, that's like the greatest compliment. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Absolutely, no, for sure, And I'm sure many people feel
that way. I mean I feel that way, you know,
I think many people do, because you're giving us like
eyes to the world that we wouldn't be able to see,
you know, unless you're a traveler or a rank you know,
like this is your job. So so thank you and
(19:47):
thank you, you know, to Charlie for coming up with
the idea because I think it's it's really just so wonderful.
I was so happy when I reached out to you
and I was, yes, we'll talk to you because I
just I'm such a big fan. So, uh, you know,
keep it going forever. So on that note, do you
take donations? I mean, I know you it's how it's
(20:08):
funded by the Annenberg Foundation, But do you take donations
from people exploded?
Speaker 2 (20:13):
Or does not? So the funding does come from the
Annenberg Foundation. However, we always encourage people to look at
our webcam partners and see if you know you can
contribute to their causes, because we're ultimately they're you know,
they're for them sure, so as you know, so like
the the Catlin Conservancy, for instance, the Friends group that
(20:34):
is dedicated to the protection of Catlin National Park. They
run a fundraiser that's concurrent with Fat Bear Week, so
you know, we're you know, we direct people to them.
You know other organizations you know, I mentioned Polar Bears
International earlier. I mean they are working super hard to
protect polar bears and address the climate crisis. So you know,
(20:56):
each one of our partners has a really special opportunity
to make a difference in the world. And that's also
one of the things that I find really uplifting about
my job is I get to learn about all of
these great people doing really great work because there is
a lot of stuff that's depressing and I feel it too,
Like I'm gonna be honest, like the things that keep
(21:17):
me up at night again, it's like extinction. It's kind
of change and keep dragging our feet on all of
these things. We know how to fix this stuff, and
we just don't do it, I know, for some stupid reason.
But you know, the thing that keeps me going is
being able to see that other people are working towards
the goals as I am. So yes, so yeah, check
it out. You can check out those partners, and that's
(21:38):
how we encourage people to give back.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
No, that's great, that's great.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
And you know what, all of those things that you mentioned,
you know that keep you awake, I think keep many
of us awake. But you're right because I think there
are people who are helping to make that happen.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
But you guys are part of it too.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
Because you are showing things to people who wouldn't be
able to know, if that makes sense. By going to
explore dot org and they're able to see a webcam
on you know, an endangered species, and then they can
go and they can make a donation. So a lot
of the people who are doing something about it, it's
you guys.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
So I hope you realize.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
That I do.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
Yeah, thank you, You're welcome.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Yeah, I mean, and again it's you know, you've made
the point. I think you know a couple of times
mentioning that you know, awareness is so important, and oh
my goodness, you know kind of ultimately, you know, one
of our major goals, it's awareness and accessibility to nature. Yes,
and providing you know, webcams is kind of one of
(22:41):
the ways that we can do this. I mean, there's
a lot of things about technology that I am very
suspicious of, but my job is on the internet. So
I if you were to ask me at the beginning
of my career, like when I just got out of
college and I started working in parks, if you you thought,
you know, hey, do you think everything you just want
(23:02):
to talk to people over the internet about animals, You'll
be like, yeah, you're nuts, I just want to right right.
But but there's but there's there's different avenues to get
towards the same goals and webcams and a lot of
this technology does have I think, really important application, yes,
a positive future. So yes, yeah, so we don't need
(23:22):
to waste like AI.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
On I was just oh my god, you're in my head.
I was thinking the same exact thing.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Yes, yeah, if we apply it to biology or medicine
or something like that. I mean, it has these really
amazing potentials. So yeah, we need more webcams I think
around the world more or more in national parks, and
that'll that I think that will.
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Only help things absolutely, And you're right, and it's it's
because you think of the Internet and there's all that
negative about it, but this is a positive. Like the
negative to me also is like you said, AI, but
this is the real deal. So this is a very
big positive because again it exposes so much in the
world of nature the environment to people, and you know,
(24:03):
it's very important.
Speaker 3 (24:04):
Knowledge is power, they always say. So thanks to.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
You and explore dot org for giving us that knowledge
that we wouldn't normally have.
Speaker 2 (24:12):
Well you're quite welcome, so.
Speaker 1 (24:13):
Thank you so, Mike Fitz, thank you for your time.
Keep doing what you're doing. I definitely want to talk
to you again, maybe next season so we can see
what's on what's on board. But I know my listeners
are going to check out explore dot org and then
they'll be they'll know where they can make their donations
and you know wherever their interest lies, because whoever's listening
(24:34):
to this, they're very much into nature and animals in
the environment. So so thank you for your time and
all your expertise, and thank you for talking with us today.
Speaker 2 (24:44):
Yeah, my pleasure. And you know we look forward to
seeing your audience over in our community.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Come join us, absolutely
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