Nature: Dope AF Bonnie Porter, Kenny Porter

Bonnie and Kenny are back to talk about the beautiful but dangerous snow phenomena of avalanches and blizzards. (Content warning: this episode contains several mentions of death, please listen at your own discretion.)

Highlights include:

2:00 - Should you try to see an avalanche? Debatable

4:28 - Large avalanche in North America can equal football fields of snow

6:30 - Avalanche debris 

8:15 - What to do if you're caught in an avalanche

11:28 - What criteria are needed to classify a storm as a blizzard

13:40 - The Long Winter

14:42 - The phone had been invented

16:13 - Deadliest blizzard in recorded history

19:17 - 5 Facts

Digital Snow Museum

Avalanche Links

Avalanches Explained

National Snow & Ice Data Center Avalanche Page

The Deadly Hazard of Avalanches

Blizzard Links

Atmospheric Research Blizzards

Deadliest Blizzard in History

National Geographic Blizzards

National Archives on the Dakota Territories

The Hard Winter of 1880-1881




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Bonnie and Kenny are back with a truly bonkers episode full of lots of laughing and weird tangents all around carnivorous plants, perfect for some Halloween listening. 

Highlights include:

2:27 - Different trap types

5:14 - Honey I Shrunk the Kids tangent

7:32 - Where they grow

11:27 - What pitcher plants eat (including the biggest thing)

13:00 - Carnivorous plants also like poop

15:06 - 5 Carnivorous plant facts w/many tangents

24:24 - Snacks, stevia, sparkling water chat

Dope Carnivorous Plant Links:

Carnivorous Plants

Carnivorous Plant Facts

7 Wonders of the Carnivorous Plant World

20 Things You Didn't Know About Carnivorous Plants

How to Help:

International Carnivorous Plant Society

Thanks again to Cal and Debbie for the topic suggestion!


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Gorillas, what's not to love? In this episode, Bonnie and Kenny chat all about these magnificent primates (and of course go on several tangents including Kenny's childhood gorilla stuffed animals and weird sock plan). 

Highlights include:

2:42 - Kenny's gorilla friends

3:11 - Gorilla species and subspecies

6:21 - Gorilla troops 

7:30 - Gorillas = lounge goals

7:50 - Random tangent on socks aka "year of comfort"

10:46 - 5 Gorilla Facts

14:45 - Tangent about the perception of gorillas



Dope Gorilla Links:

9 Gorilla Facts

5 Facts about Koko

Cross River Gorilla 

Biggest Gorilla Ever

Mountain Gorilla Facts 

Western Gorilla Facts

Gorilla Family Structure

Controversial Study on Gorilla Social Structure

How to Help:

The Gorilla Organization

The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International

WWF Gorilla 






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How good is your animal sound knowledge?  Play along as Bonnie and Kenny have some fun by trying to guess a variety of different animal noises, along with sharing the usual facts and pondering if everything does make a sound. 

Highlights include:

2:08 - Let the animal sound guessing begin!

16:01 - Dump zone

16:15 - 5 Animal noise facts 

20:30 - Does everything make a sound?

Dope Animal Sound Links:

(see Anchor page for easiest to read formatting)

This is the sound Giraffes make

The quietest animal - owls

The world's loudest animal might surprise you

Why do parrots talk?

5 Animals that make the craziest sound

Admit it, you had no idea these 15 common animals made these noises

15 Things you might not know about Rhinos (including pooping in a particular spot)

Do Jellyfish make a sound?

Teddy Bear the Porcupine eating 

Animal Sounds Played:

Koalas

Walrus

Elk

Marmots

Mice

Lyrebird

Porcupine

Desert Rain Frog

Rhino

Puffin

Alligator

Great Bustard

Brushtail Possum




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August 25 is the birthday of our National Parks...and Kenny, what are the odds?! In this episode, Bonnie and Kenny talk about the history of the parks (including the not great parts), delve into interesting park facts,  and have a special guest chat! Our family loves the national parks, Kenny is trying to make it to all of them before he's 35, our mom taught about them and connected kids with park rangers as an elementary school teacher, and our famed Aunt Shannon, who we have mentioned in previous podcasts even worked in two of them. We have Shannon join us to talk about the parks and all things dope about nature. 

Highlights include:

2:07 - National Parks History

8:17 - Mentioning it all - including the racial disparities in parks/white supremacists in conservationist history

14:23 - 10 most visited parks in 2019

16:15 - 10 least visited parks 

23:55 - 5 fun park facts 

26:27 - Special guest Shannon

31:46 - How Shannon made a career in nature/parks

39:46 - Exploring in your own backyard

41:42 - Relationship test = boats

42:43 - National parks/monuments/spaces means education

44:15 - St. Louis Gateway Arch stories 

46:40 - Future podcast topics (including Phenology = the study of periodic plant and animal life cycle events and how these are influenced by seasonal and interannual variations in climate, as well as habitat factors)

52:18 - How to get into nature 

53:53 - *Important thing to keep in mind living on the Earth*

55:10 - Favorite Bonnie & Kenny stories

Dope Park Links:

(see Anchor page for easiest to read formatting)

General Info:

Quick NPS History

59 Fun Facts 

National Geographic Park Facts

Park Visitation Numbers

Obama's Every Kid in a Park Program

Racist roots, lack of diversity haunt national parks

Historic Park Figures:

Tina Short 

Women of the Park Service

Spark Ranger

Places Shannon Mentioned:

Acadia National Park 

Gateway Arch National Park 

Battle Creek Outdoor Education Center

How to help the parks:

6 Ways to Give to National Parks that Actually Make a Difference

Get Involved with NPS 


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Wild horses, buckle up for some controversy! In this episode, Bonnie and Kenny are chatting all about the hotly contested history and management of these majestic creatures. As usual, hot takes and potentially depressing facts abound! *apologies for the background cat noises, she also had horse opinions*

Highlights include:

1:50 - Kenny witnessed a wild horse fight

3:28 - Theory that horses were introduced by Columbus is false??

5:40 - Theories challenged again saying Native Americans have always had relationships with horses

8:16 - A federal law was passed to protect "living symbols of the American west"

10:07 - Livestock grazing vs wild horses

16:00 - Recent historic horse amendment

18:35 - 5 fun horse facts

Dope Horse Links:

(see Anchor page for easiest to read formatting)

General:

Facts About America's Wild Horses

Myths and Facts about Wild Horses and Burros

Wild Horses, Wilder Controversy

Assateague's Wild Horses

History:

Wild Horses as Native North American Wildlife

Horse Teeth Evolution

People of the Horse

Yes world, there were horses in Native culture before the settlers came

Evolution of the Horse

Legislation:

American Wild Horse Campaign

Public Lands Grazing Info

House Passes Historic Wild Horse Protection Amendment

HR 7806

Film:

Unbranded


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