The Field Guides

What exactly is a “naturalist”? Spend a little time with Sandy Geffner, and you’ll find out. Steve and Bill rarely go more than an episode or two without mentioning him—a naturalist who profoundly sh…

It’s hard to believe, but we’re doing another episode on fish! This time around, Steve introduces us to the Sturgeon (family Acipenseridae), from their dinosaur-era origins to their caviar-fueled sca…

In this special bonus episode we're crossing over with The Spark Bird Podcast! (@sparkbirdproject)

Bill joins one of the hosts of the Spark Bird Project podcast, Jenn Lodi-Smith, to go birding in Buff…

Bill and Steve return for the second part of their look into the Dawn Chrous, that early morning explosion of bird song that refuses to let you sleep in.

This episode was recorded on April 20, 2025 at…

Bill and Steve look into the Dawn Chrous, that early morning explosion of bird song that refuses to let you sleep in.

And, for all you Daniel-haters out there, this episode is 100% Daniel-free (but B…

In this episode, Steve leads a discussion on the invasive Grass Carp. The guys go over the evolutionary history of grass carp and its relatives, its biology, its introduction to The Great Lakes regio…

The guys return to Everglades National Park, again looking for a predator that Daniel wants to get too close to: the American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus). Listen in as Daniel shares some research, …

This month, we head to the tropics and meet the Blue Iguana of the Cayman Islands! This endangered lizard is found nowhere else on the globe save for the island of Grand Cayman in the Caribbean, and …

How hard is it to reintroduce species to a tropical island? Turns out, pretty hard! But it’s so worth it. The rewilding of the Galapagos island of Floreana will make it the largest tropical island ev…

This month, Daniel leads the guys into uncharted waters for the podcast…that’s right, it’s our first-ever episode about fish! The Great Lakes salmon fishery is one of the greatest angling spectacles …

If we want to help wildlife, we need to know when and where they’re moving on the landscape. Dr. Scott LaPoint has spent his career researching just that. When our recent episode on fisher cats left …

Pinesap (Monotropa hypopitys) is a goofy little plant that parasitizes fungi and can often be found beneath pine trees. It is not the sap of pine trees like Daniel thought. In this episode, Bill lead…

Fishers (Pekania pennanti) are a predator species reclaiming much of its former range in the northeastern US, but, as sightings become more common, so do stories of what fishers (AKA fisher cats) are…

Who doesn’t love an eclipse? Apparently, wildlife has very mixed feelings about the whole affair.

This month, the guys prepare for the upcoming 2024 total eclipse by looking into the research around …

Florida Panthers (Puma concolor couguar) are a distinct population of pumas that live predominantly in southwest Florida. Pumas used to roam the entire United States, but habitat loss and overhunting…

Part 2 of our Timber Rattlesnake episode. If you haven’t listened to part 1, go and do that. We’ll wait right here for you.

The episode was recorded on December 7, 2023 at Hunters Creek County Park i…

Love ‘em or hate ‘em, we wager you’ll enjoy this dive into the shiny (not slimy) world of rattlesnakes. This episode, the guys take a close look (but not too close) at the Timber Rattlesnake (Crotalu…

This month, Bill and Steve visit Floating Fen, although some might call it a bog, or is it a swamp? Thankfully, they’re joined by Erik Danielson, Stewardship Coordinator of the Western NY Land Conser…

The Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a rare example of a species humans managed to pull back from the brink of extinction by getting off our collective asses and doing some stuff.

Already dec…

They’re hard-working, tail-slapping, tree-cutting machines, and they’re one of the greatest wildlife recovery stories in North America: Castor canadensis, the North American beaver. And, as if all th…