Nature's Archive – Details, episodes & analysis

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Nature's Archive

Michael Hawk

Science

Frequency: 1 episode/17d. Total Eps: 137

Nature’s Archive, hosted by Michael Hawk, delves into the beauty and complexity of the natural world through interviews with ecologists, naturalists, educators, authors, and researchers. Each episode inspires curiosity and reveals nature’s surprising nuances. Part of Jumpstart Nature, a movement empowering everyone to support the environment, this podcast invites you to connect with nature like never before.

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#132: Rails in the Reeds: Life in the Shadows, with Dr. Auriel Fournier

Thursday, September 10, 2026 • Duration 51:22

Today the podcast is going off the rails. That’s right, we’re discussing rails - you know, those absurdly sneaky, pancake-thin wetland birds you’re ten times more likely to hear shouting from the cattails than actually see.

These fascinating birds are full of many secrets. Despite their atypical size, shape, and short wings, many migrate great distances. Their reclusive behavior makes them particularly hard to study, but thankfully we have Dr. Auriel Fournier, a leading rail researcher and director of the Forbes Biological Research Station on the podcast today.

Dr. Fournier shares the wonder and breadth of rail life, the unique methods used to track rail movements, the challenges faced in managing wetlands for rails, and she even offers a few tips on how to see them. I even learned where the phrase “skinny as a rail” comes from!

Be sure to check the show notes on naturesarchive.com for some rail-y great photos of some of the birds that were discussed.

So come be a third rail with me today for this episode. It’s a sora-sly good discussion. Sorry - don’t rail against me for these rail-y great rail puns.

Thanks to Amelia Heintz-Botz for guets sourcing and booking!

FULL SHOW NOTES

LINKS
Forbes Biological Research Station
Illinois Natural History Survey
MOTUS tracking
Firebird Project
Nature's Archive Episode #33: Bird Migrations with Dr. Andrew Farnsworth
Nature's Archive Episode #71: Wetlands with Tom Biebighauser

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Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com

Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.

Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

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#131: Storms from the Sun: Understanding Space Weather and Auroras with Dr. Ryan French

Thursday, July 30, 2026 • Duration 01:03:05

Nature is a very broad term, and as we often discuss on this show, everything is connected. Geology impacts soil, which dictates what plants can grow. But if we pull back even further, the ultimate engine driving our planet's systems is the Sun. So when I think of Nature’s Archive—and that big concept of "Nature"—I love bringing these grand, foundational subjects into our scope.

Today is one such instance. Our guest is Dr. Ryan French, a solar astrophysicist and author who specializes in studying solar flares. Solar activity affects life on Earth in surprising ways—from creating spectacular auroras (the northern and southern lights) to disrupting GPS systems and power grids. And most fascinating for naturalists: these solar storms can even disrupt bird navigation and alter the foraging habits of bees.

Dr. French walks us through why solar flares occur, an even more impactful phenomenon called a coronal mass ejection, why these events follow an 11-year cycle, the current state of space weather forecasting, and how you can see and photograph beautiful auroral displays yourself.

Dr. French has an extremely fun and informative social media presence, so be sure to check out ryanjfrench.com for resources and links.

This was a super fun discussion—one I’ve wanted to have pretty much since I started Nature’s Archive.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Links

Compilation from Solar Flares and Eruptions from Dr. French's YouTube Channel

ryanjfrench.com

Check our Ryan's Books, including Space Hazards and The Little Book of Eclipses

, including predictions and real-time observations

#130: Burning Questions: Understanding Fire Management with Lenya Quinn-Davidson

Tuesday, June 30, 2026 • Duration 01:15:45

From the archive...

It’s summertime, and around the globe record heat is dominating, from Europe to the midwest, and across the oceans as well.

As you know, heat is a key driver to wildfires. In fact, it is one of the three key ingredients, along with fuel and oxygen.

Global oxygen levels, at least within our lifetimes, aren’t going to change much. But heat and fuel can and will change. Obviously, heat is increasing, so one variable is driving more fire potential. And in many areas, fuel is also increasing. Whether it be from invasive species like cheat grass in the high deserts, or excessive understory growth due to both invasive species and decades of fire suppression.

Sometimes fuel is indirectly created by heat, which causes die-off of many trees and shrubs. And more complex still is the die-off caused by pine beetles, which are actually native. But they can turn destructive when excessive heat weakens tree defenses, and due to the forest service treating so many forests as dense monoculture crops.

I’d like to share this interview with Lenya Quinn-Davidson, discussing fire management. This interview was recorded 2 years ago, but is more relevant than ever.

Case in point, we’re barely into the traditional fire season and 2026 has already had record breaking wildfires in Nebraska, and Oklahoma and Kansas had a nearly 300,000 acre wildfire in February, along with a 35000 acre fire in Florida.

Wildfire is complex, often misunderstood, and turned into political fodder. So please take a few minutes and enjoy this episode from the archive.

You can find Lenya at LenyaQD on twitter.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Also check out our Episode 109 - Cultural Fire with Margo Robbins, for more great fire information. Links - wildfire reconstructions from UC Berkeley- Women-in-Fire Prescribed Fire Training Exchanges

#129: Wide-Angle Listening: How Nature’s Soundtrack Completes Your Connection to the Wild

Wednesday, May 27, 2026 • Duration 17:33

Have you ever noticed how certain sounds, voices, or songs can instantaneously transport you to another world? Whether it’s a track from high school or the specific creak of a childhood porch, audio has a unique "backdoor" into our deepest memories and emotions.

In this episode, we explore how to tap into that same principle to radically deepen our connection to nature. While we are biologically biased to navigate the world through a visual "spotlight," we often miss the 360-degree sanctuary that sound provides. By shifting our focus from looking to listening, we move beyond simple identification and start experiencing nature as a floodlight—an immersive, restorative flood of information that lowers our stress and pulls us directly into the present moment.

To explore this invisible landscape, I’m joined by my friend Sue Pelmulder, a birder and audio engineer who learned how to combine these skills and reveal a new connection to nature. Together, we set out on a 5:00 AM "field trip" for the Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance’s annual Birdathon. Using high-end recording gear, including an 18-inch parabolic dish that acts as a "zoom lens for the ears," we captured the hidden details of the California's Diablo Range. From the haunting, prehistoric calls of the Pied-billed Grebe to the singular "water glump" of a diving Western Grebe, this episode is an immersive look at how listening can reveal a world that our eyes alone would have entirely overlooked.

Ultimately, this journey isn't just about professional gear or rare species; it’s about the "treasure hunt" and connection to nature available right outside your front door. We discuss how you can get to know your individual neighborhood birds, and why tools like Merlin are leveling the playing field for new observers. Whether you are an experienced birder or someone looking for a "universal reset button" for a tired mind, this conversation with Sue Pelmulder will challenge you to close your eyes, open your ears, and discover nature in a new way.

FULL SHOW NOTES with Photos!

Birds Appearing in this episode: California Quail, White-throated Swift, Pied-billed Grebe, House Wren, Great-horned Owl, Western Grebe, Violet-Green Swallow, and more!

#128: iNaturalist: How Your Photos Save Species: Scott Loarie on iNaturalist and Community Science

Wednesday, April 22, 2026 • Duration 57:13

Long time listeners know that I’m a huge fan of iNaturalist. Their app literally changed my life by dramatically improving my relationship with, and knowledge of nature.

And iNaturalist is much more than just a nature identification app. When you use iNaturalist, yes, you get a helping hand in identifying plants, animals and fungi. But you’re also contributing to perhaps the largest community science dataset on Earth, which starts to get to the heart of iNaturalist’s mission.

After our Jumpstart Nature episode on iNaturalist, I received many questions about how iNaturalist works - just how does it know how to ID so many organisms? How are sensitive species, such as rare plants that are subject to poaching, protected?

And with the increased concern about the environmental impact of certain types of AI, how does iNaturalist’s AI, called Computer Vision, compare?

So who better to answer those questions than Scott Loarie.

And if you enjoyed this episode, be sure to check out the Jumpstart Nature Podcast! Episode #5 profiles three creative and inspirational uses of iNaturalist!

Be sure to check out the iNaturalist blog and newsletter as well!

FULL SHOW NOTES

LINKS

California Academy of Sciences

iNaturalist, their blog, and their newsletter

#127: Salt Lakes - An Unnatural History with Caroline Tracey

Tuesday, March 17, 2026 • Duration 54:09

What comes to your mind when you hear “Salt Lake”? If you’re like many people, perhaps you think of the Great Salt Lake in Utah. Or perhaps the Dead Sea or the Caspian Sea.

But there are over 100 perennial salt lakes around the globe, and hundreds of seasonal ones.

Each of these lakes have amazing histories and support unique ecosystems, making them a precious resource for biodiversity.

My guest today is Caroline Tracey, author of the new book “Salt Lakes - An Unnatural History”. Caroline’s book weaves a fascinating ecological story with her own personal narrative, unveiling one of Earth’s most overlooked ecosystems.

Today we discuss a few of these amazing stories, and look at the unique life that these lakes support. We also reveal the threats these salt lakes face, and how diminishing water levels not only put many species in peril, but threaten the health of people in nearby communities.

But there are success stories, in flight or emerging, for many of these imperiled lakes. You can find Caroline on her website, cetracey.com, on instagram @ce_tracey, and read more of her writing on her substack.

FULL SHOW NOTES

LINKS

Salt Lakes - An Unnatural History - publisher | bookshop.org | amazon

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Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): Artist site:

#126: New Hope for Sunflower Sea Stars

Tuesday, February 17, 2026 • Duration 48:11

Some of the most consistent feedback I get about the podcast is the message of hope that rings through. Today’s episode takes the message of hope up a level by revisiting the folks at the Sunflower Star Lab.

Sunflower sea stars are amazing creatures - not your typical sea star. They can reach over three feet, live for decades, they are highly mobile, and function as keystone species in kelp forest systems. Just a little over a decade ago, there were 6 billion of these animals along the pacific coast of North America. Then, they vanished. And the consequences to kelp systems has been dire.

But thanks to innovative work at the Sunflower Star Lab, and the numerous partners that they’ve cultivated, things are looking up - and much more quickly than I ever imagined.

So last December I made the short trip down to Moss Landing, California, and today I’m sharing my conversation with Reuven Bank and Andrew Kim from the Sunflower Star Lab. They’re here to tell us the full story of the Seastar and why things have taken this turn for the better. You might remember them from episode 104 - even if you listened to that one, I promise you today’s episode is well worth a listen.

Check out the Sunflower Star Lab at sunflowerstarlab.org and on Facebook and Instagram.

FULL SHOWS NOTES

Links

Friday Harbor Laboratories

Jason Hodin

Kelp Watch

#125: The Plankton of the Land: The Alien World of Aphids with Natalie Hernandez

Wednesday, January 28, 2026 • Duration 59:51

Imagine a creature that is born already pregnant with its own grandchildren. No mating, no waiting—just a continuous, telescopic unfolding of life. It sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel, but it’s likely happening on the underside of a leaf in your backyard. Today, we’re looking past the 'pest' label to discover the mind-bending biology of the aphid.

Our guest today is aphidologist Natalie Hernandez. If you are on iNaturalist, you might recognize her as one of the most prolific identifiers of aphids.

Today we learn about these incredible insects, including why ants tend to aphids like livestock, how telescopic reproduction works, and we investigate why aphids are incredibly important to ecosystems. While a few aphid species can be pests to agriculture, most are critical parts of the food web.

I’ve grown to love finding new aphid species when I’m out exploring, and I hope today’s episode will help inspire you to look under a few more leaves this spring and summer.

Find Natalie on iNaturalist and instagram!

FULL SHOW NOTES

LINKS

Aphids on the World's Plants - excellent online resource for identifying aphids

Thanks to Brook Neely for editing this episode.

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Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com

#124: The Moving Target of Climate: The Future of Stewardship with Dr. Zac Cannizzo

Thursday, January 8, 2026 • Duration 53:05

Land stewards face a constant, high-stakes puzzle: Do you protect a single at-risk species, or do you optimize for total biodiversity? Do you fight to hold back the tide of natural succession, or do you step back and let nature take the lead?

Stewardship has always been about trade-offs, but climate change has shifted the very ground we stand on. It’s no longer just about maintaining what we have; it’s about navigating a target that is constantly moving. We are moving past the era of 'restoring the past' and entering an era of 'designing for the future.' In some cases, it may mean accepting that ecosystems we hold dear may permanently change —but it also means we have the tools to ensure they don't lose their soul, their function, or their life-sustaining power.

Joining us today is Dr. Zac Cannizzo, a specialist in climate-informed conservation across both marine and terrestrial systems. Zac is here to pull back the curtain on how we manage hope in a warming world. He’ll explain why these shifts are so hard for us to accept, and more importantly, he’ll walk us through the practical framework he uses to help ecosystems thrive, even when the climate says they shouldn't.

From the bleaching heat of coral reefs to the migrating treelines of Alaska, Zac shows us that while we can’t stop the wind from changing, we can certainly change how we set the sails.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Links

McHenry County Conservation District

Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Climate Vulnerability Assessments

Press release about the threatened fish translocation

Support Us On Patreon!Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz MusicLicense (CC BY 4.0): Artist site:

#123: A Look at Biodiversity

Thursday, December 11, 2025 • Duration 59:37

2025 has been an exciting and diverse year for Jumpstart Nature and Nature's Archive, and to celebrate, we're bringing you a special compilation centered on the critical theme of biodiversity. Today, we look back at two of our most fascinating episodes from the year, featuring species and habitats that are essential—yet often overlooked—components of the global ecosystem. From the subtle, but powerful, impact of a parasitic plant that acts as a keystone species in its habitat to the amazing, unseen diversity thriving in dynamic marine environments, prepare to explore the complex web of life.

To round things out, we offer a preview from an upcoming episode focused on the fascinating world of aphids. Often dismissed as simple garden pests, these tiny insects are sometimes called the "plankton of the land" due to their sheer numbers and critical role in the food chain. Join us as we re-listen to the stories of life’s intricate connections and get a tantalizing glimpse into the world of aphids, all through the lens of biodiversity.

And thanks so much for being part of our community, and a listener to our podcast! We're excited to share more with you in 2026, covering topics from climate-informed conservation, to exciting discoveries on the road to recovering the sunflower sea star, to incredible aphids (yes, you read that right!), and the ecology of salt lakes.

A big thank you to Amelia Heintz-Botz for helping to put today's episode together!

FULL SHOW NOTES

Support Us On Patreon!
Buy our Merch!

Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com

Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

Nature's Archive – Details, episodes & analysis

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Nature's Archive – Details, episodes & analysis

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