Golden State Naturalist

Michelle Fullner
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Golden State Naturalist

Golden State Naturalist is a love letter to California's ecological past, present, and future. Come with Michelle Fullner as she climbs to the top of a beaver dam, descends into a tar pit, peers into the canopy of a giant sequoia, and basks in the glow of the Milky Way under the eerie silhouettes of Joshua trees. Each episode, Michelle interviews captivating experts in their natural habitats across California to find out how the unique plants, animals, geology, and hydrology of this biodiversity hotspot make this state Golden.

  1. Burrowing Owls with Phil Unitt

    5 DAYS AGO

    Burrowing Owls with Phil Unitt

    What do fake rattlesnakes, California ground squirrels, odd eye bones, bubonic plague, bizarre choices in home decor, and regurgitated mouse bones have to do with burrowing owls?  Join me and Phil Unitt as we venture into an urban canyon in San Diego to find out.  Helpful links: Phil Unitt’s page Rattlesnake owl noise Urban Burrowing Owls piece by Clinton Abbott Fish and Wildlife page on burrowing owls Secretary Bird video Support Golden State Naturalist on ⁠Patreon⁠ and get perks starting at $4/month.  Follow me on ⁠Instagram⁠.  My website is ⁠goldenstatenaturalist.com⁠.  Get podcast Merch.  The theme song is called “i dunno” by grapes and can be found ⁠here⁠. Episode cover photo by Ray Hennessy

    1h 1m
  2. Sea Level Rise and the California Coast: Imagining a Better Future with Rosanna Xia

    30 OCT

    Sea Level Rise and the California Coast: Imagining a Better Future with Rosanna Xia

    The sea is rising, and I have a lot of questions. Questions about sand movement, seawalls, nature-based climate solutions, ecosystem engineer plants, sand dunes, climate literature, and how we can harness the power of our collective imaginations to adapt to a changing world together. Join me and environmental reporter Rosanna Xia at Point Dume in Malibu as we discuss my many questions and explore a beach that's been reimagined with the future in mind. Links: ⁠Become a Heyday Member⁠ and receive a free copy of Rosanna’s book, California Against the Sea, when you add the code GOLDEN to the “How did you find us” section.  ⁠Grist’s climate fiction reading list⁠.  Learn more about the Embarcadero from this ⁠Exploratorium walking tour⁠.  Read more about ⁠Seattle’s living seawall⁠.  Support Golden State Naturalist on⁠ ⁠Patreon⁠⁠ and get perks starting at $4/month.  Follow me on⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠.  My website is⁠ ⁠goldenstatenaturalist.com⁠⁠.  Get podcast ⁠Merch⁠.  The theme song is called “i dunno” by grapes and can be found⁠ ⁠here⁠⁠.Photo Credit ⁠Nikoloz Gachechiladze⁠

    1h 15m
  3. BONUS: Leave the Leaves with David Mizejewski

    17 OCT · BONUS

    BONUS: Leave the Leaves with David Mizejewski

    It's fall! And all around the country, tidy piles of raked leaves rest on the corners of lawns, ready to be bagged up and thrown away. But throwing away leaves means throwing away free mulch and fertilizer. It also means throwing away habitat and belching methane into the atmosphere. Join me and National Wildlife Federation naturalist David Mizejewski as we discuss the benefits of leaving the leaves, the harms of removing them, and the kind of abundance we can buoy right outside our doors by embracing the natural habitat building opportunities all around us. Learn more about leaving the leaves. Support Golden State Naturalist on ⁠Patreon⁠ and get perks starting at $4/month.  Follow me on ⁠Instagram⁠.  My website is ⁠goldenstatenaturalist.com⁠.  Golden State Naturalist Merch

    52 min
  4. Tule Elk with Orlando Rocha and Tom Batter

    10 OCT

    Tule Elk with Orlando Rocha and Tom Batter

    How is the story of tule elk tied to the story of California? What’s the difference between a grazer and a browser? Why do tule elk have such big feet? How much grazing is the right amount of grazing? Why do elk bugles sound like something straight out of a horror movie?   Come with me and Orlando Rocha as we strike out in search of tule elk in the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area, and then join me and Tom Batter as we discuss the ecological importance of tule elk along with the ties between their story and the story of California.  Historic range of California elk subspecies Current (2017) range of California elk subspecies Read more about Henry Miller, “the cattle king of California” Thank you so much to Steve Shepard of The Natural Curiosity Project podcast for sharing the elk bugle audio.  Tule Elk photo by Katie Booth / National Park Service Support Golden State Naturalist on ⁠Patreon⁠ and get perks starting at $4/month.  Follow me on ⁠Instagram⁠.  My website is ⁠goldenstatenaturalist.com⁠.  Merch  Listen next: ⁠Central Valley Water and Wetlands with Ellen Wehr⁠

    1h 22m
  5. [Greatest Hits] Central Valley Water and Wetlands with Ellen Wehr

    3 OCT

    [Greatest Hits] Central Valley Water and Wetlands with Ellen Wehr

    Did you know that California's Central Valley once contained a vast inland sea and was home to camels,  400 lb. saber-toothed salmon, and tiny four-tusked mastodons? Or that, just a couple of hundred years ago, it was a network of wetlands, peat bogs, riparian forests, and shallow lakes? So how did this place that was once so defined by an abundance of water become somewhere marked by water-related controversy?  Come along with me and Ellen Wehr as we discuss the history of this remarkable Valley, the wetlands that remain, and what we can do to both protect and coexist with the many species that still call the Central Valley home today.  Links:  Fossils!  NatGeo on Estuaries  NOAA Life in an Estuary  Native Tules  Nisenan Tribe  Sinking Central Valley  Wetlands of California's Central Valley (cool interactive map)  You can find me on Instagram and Tiktok @goldenstatenaturalist My website is www.goldenstatenaturalist.com MERCH  The theme song is called "i dunno" by grapes, and you can find it and the Creative Commons License here.

    1h 9m
  6. Wildlife Crossings with Ben Goldfarb

    12 SEPT

    Wildlife Crossings with Ben Goldfarb

    Some animals plod across roads without hesitation. Others dart across quickly, while still more freeze at the sight of an oncoming car. A final group avoids roads altogether. Four distinct approaches, yet roads can have devastating impacts on animals regardless of their type of response.  Thankfully, wildlife crossings can help.  Join me and award-winning author Ben Goldfarb as we explore a fragment of old growth oak woodland, discussing how roads impact the environment and imagining a future that’s safer and more connected for humans and wildlife alike.  Make sure to check out Ben’s book, Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet, available just about everywhere books are sold. If you’d like to buy Crossings from The Bookery in Placerville, you can reach out to Heather and Darin via DM on Instagram @bookeryplacerville or give them a call at (530) 626-6454. If you’re quick, you may even get a signed copy! They also carry Ben’s first book, Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why they Matter.  Helpful Links:  Ben’s Website California Crossings Map by the Wildlands Network  Report roadkill hotspots with CROS (California Roadkill Observation System)  Support Golden State Naturalist on Patreon and get perks starting at $4/month.  Follow me on Instagram.  My website is goldenstatenaturalist.com.  Bird song recordings are from Xeno-Canto. The western bluebird recording, XC237281, is by Denise Wright, and the Creative Commons license can be found here. The wrentit recording, XC408459, is by Frank Lambert, and the Creative Commons license can be found here.  by John Carrel License. The theme song is called “i dunno” by grapes and can be found here.

    1 hr
  7. Top 10 California Native Species: BONUS Episode with Griff Griffith and Michael Hawk

    9 SEPT · BONUS

    Top 10 California Native Species: BONUS Episode with Griff Griffith and Michael Hawk

    What are your top ten favorite California native species?  Join me, Griff Griffith, and Michael Hawk as we joyously compile our collective top ten list (a veritable menagerie meets botanical garden) and discuss how we can help each species.  Don’t forget to follow Nature’s Archive and Jumpstart Nature wherever you’re listening now.   Learn more about the great work Jumpstart Nature is doing on their website.  The cover photo is by Charles Hood, who is generously allowing me to use it for this episode. Support Golden State Naturalist on Patreon and get perks starting at $4/month.  Follow me on Instagram.  My website is goldenstatenaturalist.com.  The theme song is called “i dunno” by grapes and can be found here.

    1h 15m
  8. Coastal Wetlands with Empress Holliday

    29 AUG

    Coastal Wetlands with Empress Holliday

    Are coastal wetlands the same thing as estuaries? What about salt marshes? How can some plants grow in saltwater? Can I use them to salt my french fries? What’s an endangered river? Why do some birds build floating nests? Why should I visit nature that’s close to home?  Join me and Empress Holliday as we explore the Tijuana Estuary to admire plants, gush over birds, and discuss everything from blue carbon to baby halibut. Helpful Links: ⁠Divided Together Podcast⁠ ⁠Tijuana Estuary (TRNERR) ⁠ ⁠Endangered River⁠ ⁠San Diego Coastkeeper⁠ You can find me on Instagram ⁠@goldenstatenaturalist⁠ My website is ⁠goldenstatenaturalist.com⁠ Support GSN on ⁠Patreon⁠ (and be first to know about Cafe Ohlone tickets!) The song is called "i dunno" by grapes and can be found ⁠here⁠.

    1h 2m
See All (53)

Trailer

About

Golden State Naturalist is a love letter to California's ecological past, present, and future. Come with Michelle Fullner as she climbs to the top of a beaver dam, descends into a tar pit, peers into the canopy of a giant sequoia, and basks in the glow of the Milky Way under the eerie silhouettes of Joshua trees. Each episode, Michelle interviews captivating experts in their natural habitats across California to find out how the unique plants, animals, geology, and hydrology of this biodiversity hotspot make this state Golden.

Information

  • Creator
    Michelle Fullner
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2024
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Michelle Fullner
  • Show Website
    Golden State Naturalist

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