Random Nature

A simple breakdown of key races and ballot measures that shifted power toward climate action, from flipped House committees to state-level conservation bonds and utility reform.The Blue Wave is a Green Wave!source: https://eos.org/research-and-developments/how-science-and-the-environment-fared-in-the-2026-u-s-midterms

I reflect on the importance of Native American Heritage Month and Indigenous people of the world.https://haskell.edu/https://indigenousjournalists.org/team/#https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/91316-10-essential-works-in-american-indian-history.htmlhttps://ohiostatepress.org/books/titles/9780814258729.html

No words.We were like brothers. Truly. We would be on the phone for hours plotting, planning, and strategizing.My Brother, My Friend, We will not forget you.https://www.wilderness.org/voices-east#ericHomegoing details:https://www.whitingsfuneralhome.com/obituary/Eric-Sheppardhttps://www.marchltcrandallstown.com/obituaries/eric-sheppard/events

Welcome back to Random Nature. This week's episode continues " The Night of the Capercaillie," but first—as promised— I'm sharing another bird I miss: the Verdin. A quick note: I attempted Scottish accents this episode but quickly realized my limitations. Between my overbite affecting trills and needing authentic auditory references rather than textual approximations, I've decided to leave Scottish accents to the Scottish. Now, let's return to Kirk and Pete as they settle into their lodging and whatever adventures await them at this forestry conference.Learn more about the Verdin:https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Verdin/overview

There is an ornithological gaffe in this installment :)

What happens when two graduate students on a simple drive through the glen for a forest ecology conference in Scotland, UK turns into a primal standoff?Also Harris Sparrows (Birds I miss)Learn more:https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Harriss_Sparrow/id

Just in time for spooky season, a special bonus episode inspired by true events. When two American graduate students take a wrong turn on a remote Scottish forest road, they encounter something ancient and territorial in the fading light. This is a story about what happens when human carelessness meets wild instinct, set against the backdrop of endangered species and vanishing habitats. It is a tale of ecological horror that asks: who truly owns the forest? Contains themes of conservation, consequences, and one very angry bird. Oh I also introduce the next guest. Listen to the end for a bonus vocalization of the Capercaillie!https://ebird.org/species/wescap1?continue

I sit down with the one and only Waterfall Hunter. He tells me about alligators that watch his cousins play basketball on the court. I hear all about his hometown of Cross, South Carolina. Fair warning — I giggle through most of this one, because the stories he brings back from his memory are like nothing you’ve ever heard. This conversation goes way off script, so settle in and enjoy.Link to Waterfall Hunter's photos: https://www.instagram.com/waterfall.hunter/?hl=en

A fraternity on campus was involved in a major gender-based violence incident. The university administration? Total radio silence. Then, instead of going after the president’s office or student conduct—you know, the people who actually have power—online outrage got aimed at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Yeah, the bird lab. In the woods. Which has nothing to do with Greek life. The Lab of O’s funding—which comes from memberships and grants—is under threat, as misguided persons online telling people to delete the Merlin app damages research pathways and community trust, putting grad student funding and vital research in real danger.Learn more:https://www.cornellsun.com/article/2026/10/guest-room

 Step into the treetops and discover the extraordinary life of Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874–1927), the brilliant American ornithologist and illustrator who revolutionized wildlife art and some amazing birders of Latinx heritage continuing in that important work!Urban Bird Project: https://urbanbirdproject.org/Latino Outdoors: https://www.instagram.com/latinooutdoors/?hl=enCornell Lab of O's Celebrate Urban Birds: https://celebrateurbanbirds.org/Galeria EVA: https://www.instagram.com/galeriaeva/