Bob’s ten year old grandson Drew was attacked by yellowjackets at summer camp this year. Drew joins Bob to tell the story and share what he has learned about this often aggressive wasp.

Our sources for this episode include:

• Yellowjackets are not Honey Bees
• Yellowjacket Fact Sheet
• Yellowjacket Facts for Kids

Join Bob and Gia as they delve into the fascinating world of fungi. Gia explains why she loves mushrooms and in particular Lion’s Mane Mushroom.

Related episode: Spring Fungi

Our sources for this episode include:

• Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake
• Hericium erinaceus: an edible mushroom with medicinal values

Thanks to Michael Kuo for the great picture! See more of his pictures on his website MushroomExpert.com.

Nature Guys recorded this in front of an audience at the Civic Garden Center’s Fall Native Plant Festival. Bob welcomes Greg Torres and Sam Settlemyre to discuss why and how we should reduce our lawns.

Related episode: The Nature of Oaks with Doug Tallamy

Resources:

• Homegrown National Park (Doug Tallamy)
• Civic Garden Center of Greater Cincinnati
• Garden centers with native plants in Greater Cincinnati
  • Civic Garden Center
  • Cincinnati Nature Center
  • Cincinnati Permaculture Institute
  • Great Parks’ Shaker Trace Nursery
  • Green Living by Design
  • Harvest and Habitat
  • Keystone Flora
  • Native Roots
  • Nature’s Ark
  • Nature’s Haven
  • Our Land Organics

Charles suggests we do the whirligig – one of over 350,000 species of beetles. Find out about the amazing characteristics of this amazing beetle.

Check out Charles’ nature blog at Gulo in Nature. 

Related episodes: Water Striders Walk on Water and Vernal Pools

Our sources for this episode include:

• Whirligig Beetle Facts and Information Guide 2023
• Whirligig Beetles are Skimmers
• Whirligig Beetles Missouri Department of Conservation
• Experimental Studies and Dynamics Modeling Analysis of the Swimming and Diving of Whirligig Beetles (Coleoptera: Gyrinidae)

Tina suggests we do an episode on milkweed beetles. Bob is confused because he thought they were bugs. Tune in to find out what we discovered.

You can find out more about Tina and Red Oaks Forest School at redoaksforestschool.org.

Related episode: Mighty Milkweed

Our sources for this episode include:

• Milkweed Bugs
• Common Milkweed Insects
• Milkweed Bug

Milkweed beetle or bug? (from Bob’s yard)

Bob reads an email from a listener (Linda) with a question about eBird that inspired us to do a whole episode on eBird. Charles starts out explaining the capabilities and the value of eBird both to the user and the scientific community. He and Bob go on a virtual birding trip to demonstrate how you can use eBird.

Related episodes: Merlin Magic and Merlin 2

Our source for this episode: eBird by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Greg explains some amazing traits of apple trees. Bob shares some of the fascinating facts about John Chapman better know as Johnny Appleseed.

Related episode: Walnut Woods

Our sources for this episode include:

• The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan
• Johnny Appleseed Man and Myth by Robert Price

Bob chats with Gia and special guest Jonathan about old-growth forests. Learn ways they can make you feel small in the best way. Jonathan explains how he obtained old growth certification from the Old-Growth Forest Network for California Woods Nature Preserve.

Related episode: Vernal Pools

Visit old growth forests in greater Cincinnati: Cincinnati Park California Woods Nature Preserve, Rowe Woods at Cincinnati Nature Center

Our sources for this episode include:

• Old-Growth Forest Network
• Old-Growth Forest Network: California Woods

Bob chats with Jim McCormac the co author with Chelsea Gottfried of Gardening for Moths: A Regional Guide. Find out why gardeners can and should attract specific moths species to their properties and how to do it.

Our source for this episode is the book Gardening for Moths: A Regional Guide by Jim McCormac and Chelsea Gottfried.

Related episodes: The Nature of Oaks with Doug Tallamy and Bats with Merlin Tuttle

Charles takes Bob on a deep dive into the fascinating world of Water Lilies.

Our sources for this episode include:

• Nymphaeaceae
• Lotus Vs. Water Lilies, What’s The Difference?