13 episodes

Nature notes and inquiry from the Montana Natural History Center.

Field Notes Montana Public Radio

    • Science
    • 4.5 • 19 Ratings

Nature notes and inquiry from the Montana Natural History Center.

    Dermestids, Death, and Pandemic Ponderings

    Dermestids, Death, and Pandemic Ponderings

    In late 2020 I’m spending mornings masked, working in a lab in the University of Montana Zoological Museum. The museum houses research collections of natural artifacts like skins and skeletons. But behind the scenes museum staff tend a single living collection: a colony of dermestid beetles, the meticulous scavengers that scour flesh from bones before a skeleton can be installed in the museum.

    • 5 min
    “Spooky” Turkey Vultures Deserve Respect

    “Spooky” Turkey Vultures Deserve Respect

    Why are they so feared and misunderstood? If a bird popularity contest were held, Turkey Vultures would not fare very well. A spooky bird contest, on the other hand? Dead winner.

    • 4 min
    The Wasps Came In To Die

    The Wasps Came In To Die

    First one, buzzing and bumping into the living room window, who was soon joined by a few sisters. Within an hour, there were more than 40 sinisterly striped yellow jackets (Vespula alascensis) zooming from one window to another in pursuit of light, and I was outnumbered.

    • 4 min
    Banding Together

    Banding Together

    As I watched Rob Domenech, executive director of the Raptor View Research Institute, and his research biologist Brian Busby carefully load the three chicks onto the lift, and heard Harriet’s chirps of protest from above, I considered the importance of this work.

    • 4 min
    An Osprey Story: Superpowers, Struggles, & Survival

    An Osprey Story: Superpowers, Struggles, & Survival

    At Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge, I saw an Osprey dive into the deepest section of white water and emerge with nothing to show for its effort, and then retreat to a cottonwood branch to watch for another opportunity in the dark, boiling water.

    • 4 min
    Spotted Tussock Moth: The Fuzzy Orange Spot of Fall

    Spotted Tussock Moth: The Fuzzy Orange Spot of Fall

    A small spot of orange in the middle of the trail caught my eye. It wasn't a leaf or a berry; it was tiny and moving! As I neared the curious sight, I discovered it was a fuzzy caterpillar.

    • 4 min

Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5
19 Ratings

19 Ratings

bbshrmptmpura ,

Perfect, Peaceful, and Intriguing

This is the most perfect nature podcast on the internet. The music, the reading, and the writing are all incredible. It is so difficult to really tell a story with nature writing, and this podcast does it every time.

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