It's Learning, It's Fun, It's Solid Science... It's iNaturalist

When we open our eyes and ears, pay attention, and remain ever curious, we experience an awe of the world and of the many intricate webs that link us to the natural world. Nan Evans is in conversation with David B. Williams, Seattle author, naturalist, geologist, and observer extraordinaire. Their starting place is David's brand-new book, In the Range of Fire and Ice: A Human and Natural History of Washington's Cascades. They roam through the deep history of geological time, the dynamic nature of changes to the landscape of mountains and ecosystems, and the relationships between the natural world and human cultures (part 1 of a two-part program). (KPTZ airdate: November 4, 2026) Learn more:David B. WilliamsDavid's newsletterAuthor Talk with David B. Williams at the Port Townsend LibraryDavid B. Williams Lecture: A Natural History of the Cascades presented by the Quimper Geological SocietyMystery sound recording: National Park ServiceOriginal music for Nature Now by Rick Bauer Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and can support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Debaran Kelso is joined by small mammal expert Nick Moore, of the WA Department of Fish and Wildlife, as we wander about the Chimacum Ridge Community Forest talking about our abundant and diverse small mammal community (part 1 of a two-part program). (KPTZ airdate: October 14, 2026) Learn more:Chimacum Ridge Community ForestMystery sound recording by Maribeth CrandellOriginal music for Nature Now by Rick Bauer Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and can support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Nan Evans talks with Florian Graner, marine scientist, renowned videographer, and community activist for the environment. Together they explore educating for greater understanding, inspiring people to care, and taking positive actions in the world of our changing oceans and coasts. (KPTZ airdate: October 7, 2026) Learn more:Florian Graner Sealife ProductionsBeneath the Salish Sea documentaryBlue Planet from BBC EarthKelp LifewaysSound Water Stewards of Island County, WASound Waters UniversityUnder The (Salish) Sea video playlistMystery sound recording: Dave Slager, ML64992261, courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay LibraryOriginal music for Nature Now by Rick Bauer Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and can support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Jackie Canterbury talks with Deisy Bach, the new president of the Friends of Fort Flagler. Fort Flagler State Park encompasses 1,451 acres on Marrowstone Island. It is a remarkable place with a rich military history, diverse habitats, forests, shoreline, and opportunities for recreation and wildlife observation. We’ll learn more about Fort Flagler, the mission of the park, and the important work of the Friends of Fort Flagler. (KPTZ airdate: September 30, 2026) Learn more:Friends of Fort FlaglerFort Flagler Historical State ParkMystery sound recording: Gerrit Vyn, ML132149, courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay LibraryOriginal music for Nature Now by Rick Bauer Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and can support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Dive into the iconic kelp forests of our coastal oceans with host Nan Evans and oceanographer Dr. Ed Parnell. Ponder what makes them so critical to the health of marine ecosystems and so vulnerable to changes due to atmospheric and ocean warming. Did you know that kelp are among the fastest growing organisms on our planet - two feet per day, to heights of over 100 feet above the ocean floor. Yet, shockingly, kelp forests are vanishing world-wide. Off the Oregon coast: about 70% of the kelp canopy vanished between 2010 and 2022; nearly 90% of the bull kelp beds vanished in parts of the South Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands in recent decades. (KPTZ airdate: September 23, 2026) Learn more:Ed's upcoming lecture "Marine Heat Waves and the Ecology of Southern California Kelp Forests"The response of giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) in southern California to low-frequency climate forcingDemography and dynamics of giant kelp cohorts across four decades: Lessons for conservation and resilience planningVideo of dive from Mia's Reef to Quast Rock in north La JollaResearchers Create A Family History of San Diego Kelp Over More Than Four Decades50 years of data reveals true extent of climate change impacts on kelp forestsMonterey Bay Aquarium: Kelp Forest EcosystemNOAA: Kelp Forest EcosystemExtreme warming challenges sentinel status of kelp forests as indicators of climate changeMystery sound recording: California Sea GrantOriginal music for Nature Now by Rick Bauer Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and can support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Nan Evans talks with Washington Sea Grant's Coastal Hazard Specialist, Dr. Ian Miller, about the intersections of coastal science, hazard and risk assessments, and planning for changes in our coastal ecosystems. Specific examples include visualizations for rising and falling sea levels in coastal Washington and the impacts that the removal of the Elwha dams had on the shoreline. (KPTZ airdate: August 19, 2026) Learn more:Ian Miller @ Washington Sea GrantIan Miller's blog, The Coast Nerd GazetteThe River & Ocean Film FestivalThe University of Washington Climate Impacts GroupSea Level Rise Data VisualizationsWashington Coastal Hazards Resilience NetworkPort Townsend Sea Level Rise Risk AssessmentMystery sound recording: Parande at English WikipediaOriginal music for Nature Now by Rick Bauer Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and can support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Nan Evans and her guest Wendy Feltham explore fun and enriching ways to expand and enrich your nature observation experiences. iNaturalist is a free, non-profit, and community-powered forum where every observation tells a story. And every observation has the potential to advance research and scientific understanding of the natural world. (KPTZ airdate: August 5, 2026) Learn more:iNaturalistiNaturalist newsletterWendy's activities on iNaturalistWendy's Crabs of the World projectJefferson Land Trust’s Quimper Wildlife Corridor projectTwo of Wendy’s articles from the Rainshadow Journal: Songbirds of Port Townsend and Becoming a Citizen ScientistWendy's "Making A Difference" profile in bioGraphic (scroll way down past RhymeTime)Mystery sound recording: Kim Nelson, ML84225, courtesy of Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay LibraryOriginal music for Nature Now by Rick Bauer Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and can support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Jackie Canterbury speaks with Dr. Eric Wagner about his book, Seabirds as Sentinels. The Pacific coast — often called the "Blue Serengeti" — is a major center for seabird research. The central idea is that seabirds function as sentinels, or early-warning indicators, of changes in marine ecosystems. Because they depend on fish and other marine life for food, shifts in seabird behavior, breeding success, migration patterns, or population numbers can reveal broader environmental changes occurring in the ocean before the changes are obvious to us. (KPTZ airdate: July 29, 2026) Learn more:Seabirds as Sentinels by Eric WagnerDr. Eric WagnerSeabirds as Sentinels: A Conversation with Science Writer Eric WagnerSound recording: Matthew L. Brady, XC842483, accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/842483. License CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and can support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Debaran Kelso talks with Sophie DeGroot, Noxious Weed Coordinator for Jefferson County, for the second part of our program on invasive weeds. We get down and dirty out in the field, focusing on how to remove a couple of our arch enemies, English ivy and holly, along with discussing removal strategies for other invasive species in our area (part 2 of a two-part program). (KPTZ airdate: July 15, 2026) Learn more:Jefferson County Noxious Weed Control BoardWashington State Noxious Weed Control BoardBuckthorn Blaster for cut-stump herbicide applicationPossible herbicide for holly/ivy: Brush and Vine Killer or other similar products (triclopyr as active ingredient)Weed WrenchPacific Northwest Weed Management HandbookEnglish Holly (Ilex aquifolium) Herbicide Treatment StudyOriginal music for Nature Now by Rick Bauer Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and can support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!

Tired of those pesky weeds?!? Debaran Kelso talks with Sophie DeGroot, Noxious Weed Coordinator for Jefferson County, about the problem of invasive plants and the role of the Noxious Weed Board in our county (part 1 of a two-part program). (KPTZ airdate: July 8, 2026) Learn more:Jefferson County Noxious Weed Control BoardWashington State Noxious Weed Control Board Nature Now is created by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you enjoy this episode and can support the work that goes into making Nature Now, we invite you to go to kptz.org/donate to make a contribution. Thank you for your support!