Explore every episode of the podcast The Best Biome
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| [S3E7] Bees Know Everything | 08 Aug 2024 | 00:43:45 | |
Bees know more than you. Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but they definitely know more than you realize! From complex problem solving to tool use to wing-sparkle navigation, bees illuminate our understanding of insect cognition. In this episode, Nicole invites us to perceive the world as our buzzy, bumbly friends might, in beautifully smooth 240 fps. Primary Source:
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| [S3E6] Sandyland Groupies | 11 Jul 2024 | 00:50:23 | |
Desertification is a major threat to many grasslands, so let's study the best real-world example: The Horqin Grassland, aka the Horqin Sandy Lands. How has this landscape changed over time, what can it teach us about the future of arid grasslands, and which approaches by Inner Mongolia and China to fight desertification give us hope? We love a hopeful story, and this certainly is one. Primary Sources:
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| [S2E21] Grasshopper Mice: Small but Fierce | 03 Aug 2023 | 01:01:57 | |
Grasshopper mice are small but fierce. They howl like wolves, stalk their prey like cats, and finish up with a quick face clean. These solitary animals like to live life dangerously and enjoy even venomous meals. Photos and more are at our site. Primary Sources:
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| [S2E20] Sneeze if You Love Painted Dogs | 20 Jul 2023 | 01:02:46 | |
Nicole talks painted dogs: a surprisingly wholesome and fun-loving animal. They are excellent hunters, take care of not just their pups but their elderly, and rarely squabble amongst themselves. Photos and more are at our site. Primary Sources:
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| [S2E19] 1 Lie, 2 Truths, 3 Idiots | 06 Jul 2023 | 01:00:47 | |
Enjoy this episode of very good facts and very good nonsense. We revisit a nice game of stump the podcast host, this time with more bug viscera and talking ourselves out of an obvious answer. Our Info: Website Facebook Twitter info@grasslandgroupies.org | |||
| [S2E18] Paramo's Strongest: Hummingbirds | 22 Jun 2023 | 01:03:05 | |
In the Páramo grasslands of South America is a cloud covered land where a unique ecosystem thrives. Allan tells us all about a plant that drinks clouds plus the miraculous little hummingbirds that call this place home. Photos and more are at our site. Primary Sources:
Contact Website Facebook Twitter TikTok info@grasslandgroupies.org | |||
| [S2E17] Murderous Meerkats | 08 Jun 2023 | 00:52:50 | |
Did you know meerkats are far more murderous than they seem or that their burrows can be as wide as a Purple Worm's? All this and more as we delve underground and find out why they can be so aggressive and who would win in a fight: 1000 meerkats or Nicole. Primary Sources:
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| [S2E16] Good Vibes Only | 25 May 2023 | 00:58:17 | |
Conservation can be DEPRESSING, so for Mental Health Month we decided to share ONLY positive news and stories (after taking a little break for our brains). Rewire those neurons everybody, because it's not all bleak. Good news so far in May:
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| [S2E15] The Best of Nest (A DEFINITIVE LIST) | 27 Apr 2023 | 01:22:54 | |
Wherein Rachel makes a definitive list of best bird nests in North American grasslands. Primary Sources:
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| [S2E14] Ostrich: Winner Takes All (of the Children) | 13 Apr 2023 | 01:01:26 | |
Ostriches are one of the strangest birds we've ever talked about. They are the world's biggest bird and toughest survivor. They nest together, have radiators for necks, and can drink saltwater. Photos and more are at our site. Primary Sources:
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| [S2E13] Soil: The Best Microbiome | 30 Mar 2023 | 01:07:05 | |
Soils define habitats as much as the plantlife, so let's talk about that! How do you identify a soil species, and should grassland ecosystem restorations include soil microbe transplants? Photos and more are at our site. Primary Sources:
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| [S2E12] Harris's Sparrow: They were here the whole time. | 16 Mar 2023 | 00:53:27 | |
Basic midwest feeder bird or mysterious exotic tundra sparrow? Actually, both! Harris's Sparrows, one of the most enigmatic North American sparrows, are about to travel well out of reach into the remote frigid north, so let's gossip about them before they're gone. Only a handful of studies have been done with this species, and to this day we lack pretty basic Breeding Bird Survey information about their populations. Primary Sources:
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| [S3E5] Better National Symbols | 13 Jun 2024 | 01:09:50 | |
We get patriotic (kinda) in this special episode where all three hosts work together to petition for new national symbols for the US of A. New floral emblem, new national symbol, and a brand new category all-together. Why do we love non-native national symbols? Who knows. Do better, America. Photos and more are at our site. Primary Sources:
Contact: Website Facebook Twitter TikTok info@grasslandgroupies.org Support us: Bonfire Merch Store Or donate: Donorbox; CashApp: $GrasslandGroupies | |||
| [S2E11] Native Gardens: How to become better than your neighbors. | 02 Mar 2023 | 01:09:12 | |
If you haven't started thinking about your gardens yet, now is the perfect time to get started planning. Nicole walks us through gardening for native habitats, wildlife, and how to get your neighbors on board too. Photos and more are at our site. Further Reading:
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| [S2E10] Prairie Voles: The Grassland is for Lovers | 16 Feb 2023 | 00:56:01 | |
A wholesome episode about secure love, forming bonds under stress, and human connection through the lens of a grasslands specialist: the prairie vole. Photos and more are at our site. Primary Sources:
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| [S2E9] Baboons: A Grasslands Primate | 03 Feb 2023 | 01:09:31 | |
So many monkeys that are forest dwellers, but baboons as a group are ground-dwelling grasslanders whose habitat use and social structure might help us learn about our own hominid ancestors. In this episode, Allan combines ecology and anthropology to discuss some grasslands monkeys. Photos and more are at our site. Primary Sources:
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| [S2E8] Chamois: ChamWOW! | 19 Jan 2023 | 01:06:25 | |
The chamois is a goat-antelope from the rolling alpine meadow scenery of European mountains, and today's episode is a straightforward peek into the idyllic life of this animal that's (for once) doing alright! Unless you count the mandatory 7 years of grizzled aging in the mountains and their shrinking body masses. (I don't!) Photos and more are at our site. Primary Sources:
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| [S2E7] Prairie Crayfish: like prairie dogs with extra legs | 05 Jan 2023 | 01:02:49 | |
Yank your concept of crayfish out of the water. In this episode, Nicole walks us through one of her favorite arthropod groups and makes a pretty good case for why prairie lovers should love these little crustaceans that burrow deep into the prairie. She also makes us rethink crayfish boils forever. Primary Sources:
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| [S2E6] African Savannas 101 | 22 Dec 2022 | 01:00:01 | |
In this episode, Rachel goes down the opposite of a rabbit hole as we discuss a single widely-cited paper from 2018. Take a look at Africa's savanna plants and what their adaptations mean for conservation, human impacts, and climate change across the continent. Photos and more are at our site. Primary Sources:
Contact Website Facebook Twitter info@grasslandgroupies.org This podcast is powered by Pinecast. | |||
| [S2E5] Bumblelove: why bumblebees matter more than honeybees | 08 Dec 2022 | 01:29:00 | |
Have an existential crisis about the inner lives of bees with us! In this episode, Nicole attempts to teach us a few things about bumblebees while under constant antagonization to slander honeybees. This overview of bumblebees tumbles into some very specific studies on energy, cognition and learning, and even play behaviors for this big bumbly group of native social bees. Photos and more are at our site. Primary Sources:
Contact Website Facebook Twitter info@grasslandgroupies.org This podcast is powered by Pinecast. | |||
| [S2E4] Henslow's Sparrow: Lifestyles of the Secretive and Soggy | 24 Nov 2022 | 00:53:25 | |
What does the American South and the Tallgrass Prairie have in common? Their grasslands support an elusive little grassland specialist that the old timey ornithologists roast way too hard: the Henslow's Sparrow. In this episode we explore the beloved longleaf pine savannas of the southern US, and ask why a little grassland sparrow who hates trees chooses to spend its winters among the longleaf pines. Photos and more are at our site. Primary Sources:
Contact Website Facebook Twitter info@grasslandgroupies.org This podcast is powered by Pinecast. | |||
| [S2E3] Patagonian Mara: Helicopter Mates | 17 Nov 2022 | ||
This rabbity rodent of South America's grasslands is a common sight in zoos, but has one of the strangest social structures we've talked about in mammals. What makes this strictly monogamous-til-death, pair-bonded, troupe-travelling mammal SO antisocial? How does that work, and what else have we been missing all this time? Nicole shares about the Patagonian Mara (Cavy) in this episode of The Best Biome. Thanks for listening! Primary Sources: Photos and more at our site!
Contact Website Facebook Twitter info@grasslandgroupies.org This podcast is powered by Pinecast. | |||
| [S2E2] Hyenas: Savage Stinky Scavengers | 19 Feb 2022 | 01:31:16 | |
CW: we talk about animal genitalia in this episode in the last 30 mins (it's hard to avoid with hyenas) Hyenas have historically been painted in a pretty negative light, only for recent PR teams to praise their strong women leaders, successful hunts, and sophisticated societies. And while we're all for praising the underdog, a lot of recent media is half truths. Let's all learn to appreciate them for what they are: rowdy stinky scavengers. Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you in two weeks! Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!
Contact Website Facebook Twitter info@grasslandgroupies.org This podcast is powered by Pinecast. | |||
| [S3E4] Goat Antelope Knife Fight | 09 May 2024 | 00:58:27 | |
The fastest land animal in North America, second fastest in the world: the graceful, wonderful, pronghorn. Nicole shares all the reasons these icons of the American prairie are truly the best from their evolutionary history to their epic stare battles between each other and rump flashes to warn of predators. Primary Sources:
Contact: Website Facebook Twitter TikTok info@grasslandgroupies.org Support us: Bonfire Merch Store Or donate: Donorbox, CashApp: $GrasslandGroupies | |||
| [S2E1] Buff-necked Ibis: The Noble Bin Chicken | 03 Feb 2022 | 01:13:13 | |
We are always fans of highlighting underappreciated animals and this week we tackle the ibis. Bin chicken or noble alarm clock? You decide. One thing's for sure: their poop is a problem. Thank you to our guest this week: Allan Saylor! Thanks for listening, we'll see you again in two weeks! Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!
Contact Website Facebook Twitter info@grasslandgroupies.org This podcast is powered by Pinecast. | |||
| [S1E25] Disease-ridden Bloodsuckers | 28 Oct 2021 | 01:04:13 | |
Content Warning: talk of blood. The last of our "spooky"-themed episodes, let's talk about ticks! How do they feed, what kind of diseases do they carry, and how best to prevent getting sick from them. Did you know there are over 900 species of ticks and they live quite literally everywhere? Well, now you do. Be safe out there. Thanks for listening to our exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you in two weeks! Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!
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| [S1E24] Vultures: Bring Out Your Dead (Part 2) | 14 Oct 2021 | 01:14:32 | |
Content Warning: talk of dead things (not graphic). Old World Vultures have a different set of tricks in order to survive including eating fruit, bones, and garbage. We talk Bearded Vultures, Eurasian Griffons, and more in this part two of our vulture special. http://savebellbowlprairie.org - save this Illinois prairie by Nov. 1st! Included is more information on the prairie itself as well as easy actions to take in the next two weeks. Please share to bring awareness before it's too late! Thanks for listening! Liked this episode? Why not share with a friend? Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!
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| [S1E23] Vultures: Bring Out Your Dead (Part 1) | 08 Oct 2021 | 01:18:41 | |
Content Warning: talk of corpses and the eating of them. Vultures are nasty birds which cleanse the landscape of death and disease. In this part of our first ever two part episode we learn about the New World vultures from North and South America and how they fit into their landscapes and interact with each other. Next time: Old World vultures! Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week for part two! Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!
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| [S1E22] Vampiric Plants | 16 Sep 2021 | 00:51:49 | |
If you ever find yourself staring at a tangle of orange spaghetti in a grassland, it's probably a dodder plant. These talented, strange parasites have no leaves or roots, but plenty of other tricks to make sure that they succeed. Learn about plant communication systems, haustoria, plus a bonus fun tale of a maiden in a prairie looking for love. Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you in two weeks! Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site.
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| [S1E21] Chasing the Summer | 02 Sep 2021 | 00:48:38 | |
A raptor like no other crosses 20,000km across hemispheres every year, chasing summer and bugs and grasslands through the Americas. The Swainson's Hawk is a spectacle, and we're grateful to have them fighting on our side in the looming grasshopper apocalypse. Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next time! Primary Sources:
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| [S1E20] Grasshopper Grazing | 20 Aug 2021 | 01:00:32 | |
How can grasshoppers save the world? By doing what they do best: eating. But too many grasshoppers might end us all so keep that in mind the next time you turn your nose up at entomophagy. Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next time! Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!
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| [S1E19] The Mighty Oak Savanna | 06 Aug 2021 | 01:11:37 | |
Rachel takes us on a journey into one of North America's savannas dominated by oak trees. They provide shelter and food for a variety of different animals and (surprise) are critically endangered. One of the biggest causes of decline is a change in land management when European settlers pushed out indigenous land caretakers. This episode is a little long but worth the ride. Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!
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| [S1E18] The Cunning Coyote | 22 Jul 2021 | 00:55:06 | |
Episode Notes
Coyotes are fantastic survivors that no matter how much people hate them (and boy do they hate them) they keep thriving. They are the ultimate flexitarian, can control their litter sizes, and just can't be stopped on their conquest to take over the world. We also dive into the problem of human-coyote conflict and how best to etch out a living alongside these awesome creatures. Thanks for listening to our exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next time! Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!
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| [S1E17] Pleistocene Park | 09 Jul 2021 | ||
The concept behind Pleistocene Park is deceptively simple: rewild the Pleistocene Siberian arctic, slow the effects of climate change in the arctic. All it takes to revive the 10,000-year-old Mammoth Steppe, restore permafrost, and seriously reduce carbon and methane emissions--according to scientists--is releasing long-gone megafauna and watching the ecosystem shift under their influence. The park is an incredible experiment, but more incredible is the paleoscience, climate science, grassland ecosystem development, and the incredible work of Sergey and Nikita Zimov to show that the science can work in practice. Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!
Our Contact Website Facebook Twitteinfo@grasslandgroupies.org Pleistocene Park Website Instagram Twitter info@grasslandgroupies.org | |||
| [S3E3] (Patas) Monkeying Around With Ants | 11 Apr 2024 | 00:53:51 | |
Patas Monkeys are weird little guys with fabulous mustaches and very intricate relationships with a special tree on the African savannah. We talk acacias, ants, and the Lorax as Allan tries to make Nicole love just a single primate. Photos and more are at our site. Primary Sources:
Contact: Website Facebook Twitter TikTok info@grasslandgroupies.org Support us: Bonfire Merch Store Or donate: Donorbox | |||
| [S1E16] Trees are Pretty Cool | 24 Jun 2021 | 01:02:34 | |
Episode Notes
Madagascar... land of the forest and lemurs and definitely not mostly grassland, right? Wrong. Welcome to another case of grassland erasure as we try to set the record straight on the wonderful, beautiful grasslands that blanket this tropical island. We even highlight a very special tree! Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you in two weeks! Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!
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| [S1E15] Toads on Ice | 10 Jun 2021 | 00:52:34 | |
Episode Notes
We're going back to the Eurasian Steppe this week to take a look at the Mongolian toad. How do these toads survive where no other amphibian dares to travel? What the heck is a drink patch? The answer is more complex than you might think. Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you in two weeks! Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!
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| [S1E14] Muppets on the Steppe | 24 May 2021 | 00:41:14 | |
Episode Notes
Saiga antelope: strange Muppet or amazing survivor? These animals have some amazing adaptations to help them survive the nearly insurmountable odds stacked against them. Also, sandalwood is evil apparently? Who knew. Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next time! Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!
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| [S1E13] Fruit Toss | 06 May 2021 | 00:46:22 | |
Episode Notes
THE characteristic toucan species, Toco Toucan, tucanuçu, is the only toucan that doesn't live exclusively in forests. Like many hornbills in the Old World, these birds thrive in South America's savannas, where they're intricately connected to their ecosystems. Let's put them back in their place and do an explore. Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week! Primary Sources:
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| Bonus: the North American Model (a critique) | 28 Apr 2021 | 00:24:56 | |
Nuance below:
We have some feelings on the North American Model and the way it's implemented and discussed in the wildlife field. It usually disparages other models of wildlife conservation, silences non-consumptive users, and erases the indigenous "north American models" developed and implemented long before colonization. We'd love to hear other voices on this issue, so reach out if you'd like to bring your perspective to a future conversation! Recommended reading: | |||
| [S1E12] Man and the Biosphere (Reserves) | 21 Apr 2021 | 00:58:44 | |
Episode Notes
Apparently Biosphere Reserves are everywhere? Nicole's deep dive into UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme takes several twists and turns, linking natural and social sciences, the program's protected grasslands, the difficulties of international cooperation, and other land conservation efforts here in the United States. Happy Earth Day or something? Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week! Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!
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| [S1E11] Riverine Grasslands and the Bengal Florican | 15 Apr 2021 | 00:55:53 | |
Episode Notes
In Assam, India, the grasslands along the river Brahmaputra totally contain tigers, but Rachel is bound and determined to talk about something hiding in the shadows of those tigers: riverine and river-island grasslands and their flagship species the Bengal Florican. Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week! Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!
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| [S1E10] Biospheres for Horses (Takhi) | 07 Apr 2021 | 01:01:00 | |
Episode Notes
What has four legs and walks on its middle finger and features heavily in all your favorite childhood video games?? Horses are actually kinda neat, it turns out, especially the modern conservation work of the last remaining wild horse, Przewalkski's Horse, the Takhi. Nicole embraces her childhood horsegirl vibes and kinda sorta teaches Rachel to appreciate horses because they're like camels. This description brought to you by Rachel. Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week! Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!
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| [S1E9] Two Truths and a Lie: stump the naturalist edition | 01 Apr 2021 | 01:10:00 | |
Episode Notes
In an April 1 break from the normal format, Nicole and Rachel try to stump each other with a game of Two Truths, One Lie. Buckle up for carnivorous prairie plants, Saiga death by banging, and so, so many bugs. Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week! Primary Sources, pics, and more are on our site, to keep these notes spoiler-free. ;) | |||
| [S1E8] Little Brown Bird | 25 Mar 2021 | 00:49:07 | |
Episode Notes
Some of the smallest, most unassuming birds among us have the most amazing stories to tell. The Grasshopper Sparrow is a tiny little bird with a big personality. Learn about captive breeding of the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow and other ways we are helping this prairie icon avoid the brink of extinction. Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week! Links we promised:
Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!
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| Bonus! Power of Fire: Kindred Podcast | 09 Apr 2024 | 01:04:53 | |
This is a special podcast swap episode where we host Kindred Podcast's Power of Fire episode. Learn about the history of fire, how it shapes the landscape and people that live there. Speakers: Tony Incashola Jr., forest manager for CSKT (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes), and Stephanie Gillin, information and education program manager and former wildlife biologist for the CSKT at the Flathead Indian Reservation. Kindred Podcast hosts: Kate and Jen. Producer: Kat Gatti. Primary Sources: Contact Grassland Groupies: Website Facebook Twitter TikTok info@grasslandgroupies.org Support us: Bonfire Merch Store Or donate: Donorbox | |||
| [S1E7] Fat-tailed and CUTE | 17 Mar 2021 | 00:50:02 | |
Episode Notes
What is mouse-sized, carnivorous, and gives birth to tiny fetal joeys? Lots of things probably, but this week dunnarts are the star of the show. Hailing from Australian grasslands, these fat-tailed little marsupials are losing their habitats before we've even figured out their social behaviors, but maybe their cute faces will help them sneak into charismatic species status. Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week! Primary Sources:
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| [S1E6] Camels are Grasslanders | 10 Mar 2021 | 01:02:18 | |
Episode Notes
Rachel coincidentally ruins another desert creature and exposes why the vast majority of camels are actually grassland animals. This episode detours into evolution and the veterinary science realm to answer why prairies are probably the cause of the mass extinction of this North American (yeah) animal. Also: camels are weird. And they're not ruminants. Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week! PS check out this cool paleoart of new world camels. Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!
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| [S1E5] Tumbleweeds | 03 Mar 2021 | 00:56:59 | |
Episode Notes
Tumbleweeds, icon of the... desert? Grasslands birthed some of the world's worst tumbleweed invaders, and there's more to them than their iconic "American old west" imagery. Desert caviar, savior of the cattle industry, and colonizer extraordinaire, this broad paraphyletic group of plants have been terrorizing and blessing the world for centuries. Nicole breaks down why tumbleweeds are pretty neat. PS keep your pet tumbleweeds on leashes. Thanks for listening to our weekly exploration of why grasslands are the best biome. We'll see you next week! Primary Sources: Be sure to check out photos and more at our site!
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| [S1E4] Coastal Tussac and Seabirds | 17 Feb 2021 | 00:49:50 | |
Episode Notes
The coastal tussac grasslands of the Falkland Islands have been a struggle for conservationists. A team of paleoecologists used this grass's unique characteristics to uncover the ecosystem's origins, track its changing climate, and reveal why seabirds make these grasslands thrive. Primary Sources:
Dr. Dulcinea Groff / Twitter Dr. Jacquelyn Gill / Twitter Our Contact Website / Facebook / Twitter info@grasslandgroupies.org | |||