Creature Meets Culture

Debbie Bishop, Haley Perez, Savanna Smith

Best friends Debbie, Haley, and Savanna tell each other animal stories throughout history. Join us as we are in awe of how cool animals are, how weird people are, and how much fun it is to spend time with your friends. PS: we're not experts but we prioritize research and always work to bring you the most accurate info we've got

  1. 5d ago

    49 - The Birth of the Audubon Society

    Debbie brings Haley another bird episode! We've got fancy hate, old time-y drama, and women who change the world for birds! We're diving into the story of Harriet Hemenway and Minna Hall and the birth of the Audubon Society. Let's Connect: insta: @creaturemeetsculture creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com Sources: https://www.audubon.org/art/birds-of-america/snowy-heron-or-white-egret https://www.nps.gov/guis/learn/nature/snowy-egret.htm https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Snowy_Egret/lifehistory https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Egret/overview https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/greategret.htm https://www.vam.ac.uk/blog/projects/female-founders-of-the-royal-society-for-the-protection-of-birds https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1880-1889/ https://web.stanford.edu/group/stanfordbirds/text/essays/Plume_Trade.html https://www.audubon.org/magazine/hat-tip-women-who-started-modern-bird-conservation-us https://www.massaudubon.org/about/history https://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/encyclopedia/conservation/george-bird-grinnell/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/migratory-bird-act-anniversary-keeping-feathers-off-hats-180969077/ https://www.lindahall.org/experience/digital-exhibitions/drawn-from-nature/04-the-audubon-societies/ https://www.fws.gov/story/2020-03/harriet-hemenway https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-two-women-ended-the-deadly-feather-trade-23187277/ https://www.bwht.org/explore/home-of-harriet-hemenway/ https://www.masshist.org/collection-guides/view/fa0368 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/migratory-bird-act-anniversary-keeping-feathers-off-hats-180969077/ https://www.fws.gov/story/how-two-people-saved-millions-birds https://www.audubon.org/about/history https://archives.nypl.org/mss/2099

  2. Sep 30

    48 - Jackie and Shadow UPDATE: The Recent Developments of the Big Bear Bald Eagles

    Haley has already told us all about Jackie and Shadow (catch up with episode 30 if you haven't already), but there's been a lot happening with our beloved Big Bear Bald Eagles, and Haley has all the tea for us. Heads up, it's not a very cheery update, but there is a whole lot to get caught up on! So buckle up an join us! Let's Connect! insta: @creaturemeetsculture creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com Sources: https://www.ojairaptorcenter.org/ https://friendsofbigbearvalley.org/

  3. Sep 23

    47 - The Beaver Parachute Drop of 1948

    We've got a special guest today, people! Debbie is joined by her lovely and very supportive Max, who listens to the story of the time in history when government employees brought 76 beavers up into a plane and dropped them in parachutes! What started as a project to relocate beavers out of populated areas without killing them turned into a conservation tactic to restore ecosystems back to their intended condition that is only made possible with the presence of beavers. Let's Connect! insta: @creaturemeetsculture creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com Sources: Heter's scientific record: https://archive.org/details/Transplanting_Beavers_By_Airplane_And_Parachute_Elmo_W_Heter_1950.pdf General: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/beaver https://www.britannica.com/animal/beaver https://www.fws.gov/story/beavers-work-improve-habitat https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/American-Beaver https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Castor_canadensis/ https://defenders.org/blog/2023/06/original-ecosystem-engineers-beavers https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eap.2225 https://www.smithsonianmag.com/air-space-magazine/beavers-on-parachutes-144129480/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/why-beavers-were-parachuted-into-the-idaho-wilderness https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2023/dec/18/its-been-75-years-since-idaho-parachuted-beavers-i/ https://methowbeaverproject.org/get-involved/ https://www.beaverinstitute.org/help-us-help-beavers/donate/ https://www.slobeaverbrigade.com/2024/02/01/cdfw-beaver-restoration-program-needs-our-help/

  4. Sep 15

    46 - The Songs of the Humpback Whale: The Album that

    Debbie brings Haley a story about whales that helped bring us whale protection laws we still depend on today. When an album exclusively comprised of whale songs was released in 1970, only a few biologists understood the impact the project could have internationally. Their predictions and hope became a reality as people around the world connected with the unique, relaxing, and sometimes melodic sounds of humpback whales. The album resonated with enough people to incite change for whaling laws. In 1982, the International Whaling Commission voted to pause commercial whaling of all species and populations, with the ban officially taking effect for the 1985/86 whaling season. That moratorium technically remains in effect today. Let's connect! insta: @creaturemeetsculture creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com Sources: How to Get Involved: Ocean Alliance: https://whale.org/adopt-a-whale/ Happywhale: Take a picture of a whale and upload it. Their system matches it against a database to identify a speicifc whale and track its movements over time! https://happywhale.com/ NOAA's Ocean Alert app (to report whale sightings) https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/help-whales/ Entanglement Hotline: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-life-distress/report-entangled-marine-mammal Support Responsible Whale Watchers: https://whalesense.org/ General Sources: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/humpback-whale https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/humpback-songs-archival-save-the-whales-ceti-roger-payne https://mauinow.com/2021/02/08/a-whale-of-a-tale-roger-paynes-album-of-humpback-songs-still-resonates-50-years-later/ https://www.npr.org/2015/08/06/427851306/it-took-a-musicians-ear-to-decode-the-complex-song-in-whale-calls https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1439-0310.1988.tb00718.x https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.173.3997.585 https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/Songs-of-the-Humpback-Whale.pdf https://whale.org/history-and-legacy/dr-payne/ https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/60218/roger-payne-whale-songs-listening-remembering/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/what-is-on-voyagers-golden-record-73063839/ https://iwc.int/management-and-conservation/whaling/commercial https://iere.org/which-countries-hunt-whales/ https://uk.whales.org/2026/06/22/fin-whaling-in-iceland-resumes/

  5. Sep 9

    45 - Rin Tin Tin: WWI Rescue Pup Turns Hollywood Star

    Debbie brings Haley a true rags-to-riches story. When American Serviceman Lee Duncan rescued a littler of puppies and their mother from a bombed German kennel center in France in 1918, no one could have predicted that one of those puppies would become a world-renowned silent film star. Lee Duncan adopted Rin Tin Tin and took him back to Los Angeles when the war ended, starting the pup's famous movie career. Join us as we take a trip to 1920's Hollywood and the wild (but true!) story of Rin Tin Tin. Let's Connect: insta: @creaturemeetsculture creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com Sources: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeds/german-shepherd-dog-history/ https://gsdca.org/breed-history/ https://www.webmd.com/pets/dogs/cm/what-to-know-about-german-shepherds https://www.mwdtsa.org/german-shepherd-dogs-military-brief-historical-overview/ https://www.military.com/daily-news/investigations-and-features/2025/10/22/rescued-wwi-battlefield-dog-became-hollywoods-biggest-star-and-saved-warner-bros-bankruptcy.html https://www.npr.org/2011/09/24/140746523/rin-tin-tin-from-battlefield-to-hollywood-a-story-of-friendship https://www.britannica.com/topic/Rin-Tin-Tin https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/object/nmah_1802879 https://www.thewrap.com/rin-tin-tin-oscar-win-first-best-actor/ https://www.npr.org/2011/09/29/140808201/rin-tin-tin-the-dog-who-never-died https://www.npr.org/2012/11/02/164131783/rin-tin-tin-a-silent-film-star-on-four-legs

  6. Sep 2

    44 - The (Believed) Extinction and Recovery of the Black-Footed Ferret

    Debbie brings Haley a story that is so unfathomable you will either think 1. they had to have made this up (we didn't) or 2. how haven't I heard about this yet? In 1981, a ranch dog named Shep killed a small animal likely burrowing in his owner's backyard. But that small animal was a black-footed ferret, a species that had been believed to be extinct for years and that biologists had dedicated decades to trying to revive. Join us as we tell this story in awe of the persistence of conservationists, scientists, and the species that just wouldn't give up. Let's Connect! insta: @creaturemeetsculture creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com Sources: Adopt a Ferret: https://gifts.worldwildlife.org/gift-center/gifts/Species-Adoptions/Black-footed-Ferret Ferret Cam: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/webcams/black-footed-ferret-cam Support Ferret Organizations: https://defenders.org/wildlife/black-footed-ferret https://www.blackfootedferret.org/donations.html https://www.fws.gov/office/national-black-footed-ferret-conservation-center/visit-us/locations/national-black-footed-ferret-conservation-center Travis Livieri: https://prairiewildlife.org/ General: https://www.fws.gov/species/black-footed-ferret-mustela-nigripes https://www.fws.gov/sites/default/files/documents/historic-news-releases/1981/19811106B.PDF https://www.fws.gov/story/new-hope-ferrets https://www.fws.gov/story/cloned-black-footed-ferret-kits-offer-hope-species https://www.fws.gov/story/2023-05/partnership-brings-black-footed-ferret-back-home https://www.fws.gov/office/national-black-footed-ferret-conservation-center/visit-us/locations/national-black-footed-ferret-conservation-center https://www.azgfd.com/2026/03/16/endangered-black-footed-ferrets-released-in-northern-arizona/ https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/black-footed-ferret https://reviverestore.org/projects/black-footed-ferret/ https://www.blackfootedferret.org/donations.html https://defenders.org/blog/2013/10/endangered-ferrets-return-fort-belknap https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/black-footed-ferret/ https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1049&context=gpwdcwp

  7. Aug 26

    43 - Smokey the Bear: The Wildfire Preventin' Bear

    In this week's episode, Savanna brings Debbie a story most of us have seen images of Smokey the Bear in fire-prone areas across the country. But the true tale dates back to the 1940s and involves a large team dedicated to reducing the number of wildfires. Let's Connect: insta: @creaturemeetsculture creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com Sources: https://www.britannica.com/animal/black-bear https://smokeybear.com/

  8. Aug 19

    42 - The Incredible and Lasting Impact of P22, The Mountain Lion of Griffith Park

    Haley brings a story to Debbie that not only took the world by storm, but also inspired a years-long project that will massively improve the wildlife in LA. In 2012, P22, a mountain lion living in Los Angeles, crossed two LA freeways as a young cat and lived alone for a decade in Griffith Park, becoming a beloved local celebrity. He became an ambassador for the animals impacted by habitat fragmentation and drove support for the largest wildlife crossing to have ever been created. This major crossing across the 101 freeway is still in development and set to open at the end of this year. Let's Connect: insta: @creaturemeetsculture creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com Sources: General mountain lion information: https://mountainlion.org/ Griffith park information: https://recreation.parks.lacity.gov/griffithpark/ Wildlife crossing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IfuCObE0Zo https://101wildlifecrossing.org/ https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-7/district-7-projects/d7-101-annenberg-wildlife-crossing NPS study: https://www.nps.gov/samo/learn/nature/puma-profiles.htm Stories of P22: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/requiem-for-a-great-cat? https://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-mountain-lions-of-los-angeles/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/cougars https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/p22-hollywood-cougar-steve-winter-photography

See All (49)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Best friends Debbie, Haley, and Savanna tell each other animal stories throughout history. Join us as we are in awe of how cool animals are, how weird people are, and how much fun it is to spend time with your friends. PS: we're not experts but we prioritize research and always work to bring you the most accurate info we've got

Information

  • Creator
    Debbie Bishop, Haley Perez, Savanna Smith
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    49
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Debbie Bishop, Haley Perez, Savanna Smith
  • Show Website
    Creature Meets Culture

You Might Also Like