Jumpstart Nature Jumpstart Nature

Periodical cicadas are amazing animals - they spend nearly 13 or 17 years underground, and all decide, together, to come out and party in your trees at the same time.

They are loud, and perhaps you think they are annoying. But they are one of the most accessible demonstrations of nature's abundance that still occurs.

But cicadas are super important to our ecosystems and the food webs that support life. Their story is full of history, drama, and even optimism. And right now, as this is being released in 2024, a rare "double emergence" is occurring.

So now is the time to give cicadas a second look, and see just how magical the "magicicada" genus is.

Host Griff Griffith, with the help of renowned cicada researchers Dr. Chris Simon, Dr. Gene Kritsky, and Dr. Matt Kasson, as well as All Bugs Go to Kevin founder Kevin Wiener, takes a fun, and sometimes disturbing look at cicadas, why they matter, and how they reflect biodiversity in general.

See the Full Show Notes and photos on Jumpstart Nature's web page.

Beyond a podcast, Jumpstart Nature is a movement fueled by volunteers, igniting a fresh approach to reconnecting people with the natural world. In the face of our pressing climate and biodiversity challenges, we're on a mission to help you discover newfound purpose and motivation.

Join us in this vital journey towards nature's revival. Explore more and show your support at jumpstartnature.com, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.
For even deeper nature insights, delve into our companion podcast, Nature's Archive.

Links to Topics Discussed
All Bugs Go to Kevin: Facebook Group | YouTube Channel
Cicada Safari App
cicadas.uconn.edu - perhaps the best, most authoritative resource on periodical cicadas
The full length interview with Dr. Chris Simon is available on Nature's Archive podcast feed.

CREDITS
This podcast episode was written, edited, and produced by Michael Hawk. Our host and co-writer is Griff Griffith. Kat Hill provided editing assistance.

Thanks to the team at cicadas.uconn.edu for allowing us to use some of their recordings of periodical cicadas, as well as Kevin Weiner for use of his photos and audio.


The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Lofi Prairie  by Brian Holtz Music
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9247-lofi-prairie
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license


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Have you ever seen a bird or a tree, and wondered what it is? Why did that bird show up here? How come I've never seen that tree anywhere else?

Just a few years ago, you'd need to consult an expert or spend loads of time reviewing field guides and natural history books to get those answers.

Today, the answers are at your fingertips. And with curiosity comes the satisfaction of learning.

Explore the transformative power of the iNaturalist app through the journeys of Jennifer Rycenga, a humanities professor turned nature enthusiast, Joseph Montes de Oca, a high school foreign languages teacher,  and Cat Chang, an  architecture professor and now, an iNaturalist board member.

Hear how this technology is connecting millions globally, from identifying species to contributing to vital science databases.

And learn how YOU can join the movement and start your own adventure today!

>>> See the full show notes and images on jumpstartnature.com  

 Beyond a podcast, Jumpstart Nature is a movement fueled by volunteers, igniting a fresh approach to reconnecting people with the natural world. In the face of our pressing climate and biodiversity challenges, we're on a mission to help you discover newfound purpose and motivation.

Join us in this vital journey towards nature's revival. Explore more and show your support at jumpstartnature.com, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and  YouTube.

Links to Topics Discussed
The City Nature Challenge
Alison Young's Nature's Archive interview about the City Nature Challenge
Eastern Grey Squirrel observations on iNaturalist - A North American species that has been introduced in many places around the world
How-to Use iNaturalist: Mobile Phone, Website, and iNaturalist's in-depth videos
The Yard of the Future - Jumpstart Nature podcast episode from last season

CREDITS
This podcast episode was written, edited, and produced by Michael Hawk. Our host and co-writer is Griff Griffith.


The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Imagefilm 033 by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/535-imagefilm-033
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Music: Mystical Autumn by MusicLFiles
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9755-mystical-autumn
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
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Jumpstart Nature's next season is making great progress, but it's still a few weeks away. So we decided to share one of our top episodes from our sister podcast, Nature's Archive. It's with Dr. Doug Tallamy, the world renowned author, entomologist, native plant advocate, and co-founder of Homegrown National Park (instagram).

In this episode of Nature's Archive, Dr. Tallamy discusses why oak trees are perhaps the most important tree on Earth! And despite their reputation, there are oak trees in all sizes - and you may be able to plant one in a small yard! Be sure to check out Dr. Tallamy's latest books, including The Nature of Oaks and Nature's Best Hope.

And please check out Nature's Archive! If you are interested in birds, mushrooms, butterflies, beavers, regenerative agriculture, snowflakes, climate change, wildfire, and so many other nature topics, there is likely an episode that you'll enjoy. 
Full Show Notes


LINKS
Bringing Nature Home
California Native Plant Society CalScape native plant finder
Homegrown National Park (instagram)
Kenneth V. Rosenberg - lead author of study showing 3 billion birds have been lost
Michelle Alfandari - Partnered with Doug to create Homegrown National Park
Nature’s Best Hope
Sudden Oak Death
The Nature of Oaks

Support Us On Patreon! We need your support to continue to produce Jumpstart Nature Podcasts and develop new and innovative ways to reconnect people to nature.
Support the Show.

Please Join the Jumpstart Nature Patreon to support creation of future episodes

Our pilot season is over, but Griff Griffith and Michael Hawk have more great nature knowledge to share!

Today's episode answers your questions about the Jumpstart Nature episodes we've already published and gives you an exciting peak into what comes next.

In fact, maybe YOU can be part of a future podcast episode? Be sure to listen to hear how.

And perhaps most importantly, Griff, Michael, and the Jumpstart Nature team need your support! If you agree with their vision, enjoy this podcast, and want to hear more, please become a member of our Patreon! You'll have the satisfaction of supporting this important work - and you'll get some perks, too!

Please Join the Jumpstart Nature Patreon

Submit your questions, ideas, or feedback to podcast (at) jumpstartnature.com

Griff on TikTok / Facebook
Redwoods Rising TikTok / Facebook

Check out the Jumpstart Nature Newsletter

And be sure to like, share, rate, and review this podcast on the app of your choice!

Join us in this vital journey towards nature's revival. Explore more and show your support at jumpstartnature.com, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
For even deeper nature insights, delve into our companion podcast, Nature's Archive.

Full Show Notes
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What is "normal" or even "natural" in nature? In a world where everything is constantly changing, the human desire to define things as "normal" has broad implications on how we see the world, and how we choose to conserve it (or not conserve it!).

This desire to establish a personal "normal" leads to a quirk of psychology called Shifting Baseline Syndrome.

Learn about the dramatic impacts that it has in this Jumpstart Nature episode.

Join your guide, Griff Griffith, as he explores what shifting baseline syndrome is through some incredible examples. With the help of Dr. Loren McClenachan, Dr. Alison Whipple (San Francisco Estuary Institute), Ben Goldfarb (author and environmental journalist), and Francisco Saavedra Jr (forestry student and member of the Pit River Tribe Madesi band), we look at the many ways that shifting baselines steer us in the wrong direction.

See the full show notes and images on jumpstartnature.com.

Beyond a podcast, Jumpstart Nature is a movement fueled by volunteers, igniting a fresh approach to reconnecting people with the natural world. In the face of our pressing climate and biodiversity challenges, we're on a mission to help you discover newfound purpose and motivation.

Join us in this vital journey towards nature's revival. Explore more and show your support at jumpstartnature.com, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
For even deeper nature insights, delve into our companion podcast, Nature's Archive.

Links to Topics Discussed
Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet, by Ben Goldfarb
Eager: The Surprising Secret Life of Beavers, and Why They Matter, by Ben Goldfarb
Everyone’s Guide to Helping our Planet, Jumpstart Nature's list of easy things you can do...TODAY.
Loren McClenachan on Nature's Archive Podcast
Redwoods Rising
The Underworld: Journeys to the Depths of the Ocean, by Susan Casey

Links to Additional Resources
Anecdotes and the Shifting Baseline Syndrome of Fisheries (Daniel Pauly)
Daniel Pauly’s TED Talk
Documenting Loss of Large Trophy Fish from the Florida Keys with Historic


The following music was used for this media project:
Music: Lofi Prairie  by Brian Holtz Music
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/song/9247-lofi-prairie
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Support the Show.

Human society is more connected than ever. Between mobile phones and internet applications, we can connect with each other instantaneously, around the globe.

And more traditionally, the United States alone is home to nearly 4 million miles of roads, structures which, for many of us, have only served to enhance our sense of connectedness to the cities we live in, to our families and friends, and to the larger world around us. Yet, these same roads that connect people have the opposite effect to the natural world, extracting an extreme toll on the plants and animals around us, and in many unexpected ways.

And roads and highways are just the tip of the iceberg. Join us as we unravel the many complex dimensions of wildlife connectivity while revealing the surprising toll that human activity has inflicted on the movement of species. Join your guide, Griff Griffith, as he is helped by experts Ben Goldfarb, Beth Pratt, and Robert Rock, who will also teach us how we can help restore essential links while supporting the health of the living beings around us.

FULL SHOW NOTE ON JUMPSTARTNATURE.COM

Beyond a podcast, Jumpstart Nature is a movement fueled by volunteers, igniting a fresh approach to reconnecting people with the natural world. In the face of our pressing climate and biodiversity challenges, we're on a mission to help you discover newfound purpose and motivation.

Join us in this vital journey towards nature's revival. Explore more and show your support at jumpstartnature.com, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

For even deeper nature insights, delve into our companion podcast, Nature's Archive.

Links to Topics Discussed
Anthropophony
Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping the Future of Our Planet, by Ben Goldfarb
Lights Out Program from the Audubon Society
Living Habitats, Robert Rock's landscape design company
Phantom Road Experiment
Save LA Cougars
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