Shows
MammalwatchingEpisode 14: Shavez Cheema, BorneoCharles and Jon talk to Shavez Cheema, founder of Borneo1Stop Wildlife, from his home in Sabah.Shavez talks about a childhood in Brunei surrounded by wildlife and how, at the age of nine, he was inspired to work in conservation after seeing a neighbour's senseless killing of a monitor lizard. We discuss the massive potential for growth in conservation tourism across Borneo, and both the benefits and problems it might create. And Shavez explains why Borneo1Stop Wildlife is committed to opening up new mammalwatching areas and what visitors can expect from them. ...2025-05-1152 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 13: Venkat Sankar & Nicole Haseley's Big California YearCharles and Jon talk with mammalwatching power couple Venkat Sankar & Nicole Haseley from their base at Stanford University in California. Nicole and Venkat 'accidentally' turned 2024 into a Big California (Mammal) Year and ended up seeing a record breaking 150 species in the state by December 31.They talk about some of their big year's highs and lows as well as their favourite places in California to mammalwatch, and offer advice on how to identify small mammals in the field. Plus Nicole explains why browsing iNaturalist pictures in public can be a fast track to romance....2025-04-0750 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 12: Sid Francis, ChinaCharles and Jon talk to legendary mammal guide Sid Francis from his home in Sichuan.Sid runs through a career as geographically diverse as it is professionally. After studying agriculture in the UK he worked as - among other things - a shepherd in the Falkland Islands shepherd and a school teacher in Denmark before moving to China and becoming a wildlife guide. We talk about how much China - and the public's interest in wildlife there - has changed over the past few years. Sid describes the current mammalwatching scene in Sichuan an...2025-03-0958 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 11: The Horn of AfricaIn the first episode of 2025 Charles and Jon talk about their December 2024 trip to Ethiopia's Somali Region and Djibouti. From Dik-diks to Dibatags we discuss some of the rare mammals we encountered along with spectacular species like the poison-covered Crested Rat.We describe the agony of arriving in a camp that looked like the set from a slasher movie, to the ecstasy of taking what appear to be the first ever photos there of a live Abyssinian Genet. And we reveal how we faced up to one of our darkest fears: dinner in a Djibouti s...2025-02-0157 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 10: Marcelo Gavensky and ArgentinaIn the last podcast episode of 2024, Charles and Jon talk to Marcelo Gavensky from his home in Buenos Aires. Marcelo is director of Birds Argentina, a tour company that recently expanded into running mammalwatching safaris.Marcelo talks about the varied career that led him to establish his tour company. He describes some of his favourite encounters and his work to find a reliable method to see the rare Franciscana or La Plata River Dolphin. We also discuss Argentina's massive mammalwatching potential. The country is home to 14 species of cats, 13 species of armadillos and - for the rodent...2024-12-2649 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 9: Rodney Jackson and Snow LeopardsCharles and Jon talk with Rodney Jackson the director of the Snow Leopard Conservancy, who is widely considered the leading world expert on the snow leopard, having devoted over forty years to researching and conserving this elusive cat in South and Central Asia. In a wide-ranging chat Rodney describes his journey from a young boy looking for wildlife around his Harare home to the mountains of Nepal and embarking on a lifetime's quest to study one of the world's most enigmatic cats. He describes the difficulty in even seeing a cat in those early years and discusses t...2024-12-011h 00
MammalwatchingEpisode 8: Coke Smith and Jirayu 'Tour' Ekkul (Thailand)Charles and Jon chat with two Bangkok-based mammalwatchers, Alexander Coke Smith and Jirayu 'Tour' Ekkul. Coke, an American, moved to Thailand a decade ago. He has travelled extensively and many mammalwatchers will be familiar with his superb photos and trip reports. Tour, a Thai citizen, began running trips in the Gulf of Thailand in 2012 to watch the resident Eden's Whales. His company, Wild Encounter Thailand, has grown to offer birding and mammalwatching trips across Thailand and beyond. We talk about the rapid growth of ecotourism in Thailand and ask what that means for conservation, before...2024-11-111h 06
One Symphony with Devin Patrick HughesCounter Classical: Kebra-Seyoun Charles on Redefining Classical BoundariesIn this episode of One Symphony with conductor Devin Patrick Hughes, Devin has an inspiring conversation with bass virtuoso and composer Kebra Seyoun Charles. From their early exposure to African drumming and gospel music to becoming a celebrated classical musician, Charles shares their unique journey and vision for the future of classical music through their "Counter Classical" style. Charles's work embodies a fresh perspective on classical music's future, one that honors tradition while embracing innovation and inclusivity. Their approach shows that classical music's evolution doesn't require abandoning its foundations, but rather expanding its boundaries to embrace diverse influences and...2024-11-1132 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 7: Fernando Tortato & Jaguar tourismCharles and Jon talk to Fernando Tortato from his home in Cuiaba in Brazil's Pantanal. Fernando is Brazil Conservation Program Coordinator for Panthera, the global wild cat conservation organization. Dr Tortato talks about his work researching and championing the rapidly growing Jaguar tourism industry in Brazil. Twenty five years ago it was very difficult to see a wild Jaguar anywhere. Today some of the Pantanal lodges offer 'Jaguar Express Trips' that pretty much guarantee a Jaguar sighting before lunch.In a fascinating interview he talks about trying to balance the intersection of economics, conservation and cul...2024-10-0759 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 6: Rod Cassidy, Sangha LodgeCharles and Jon are joined from South Africa by Rod Cassidy who runs world famous Sangha Lodge in the Central African Republic. A true mammalwatching nirvana.Rod talks about his early career as a bird guide and conservation researcher including his entry for the Darwin Awards during an ill-fated attempt bat collection expedition. He talks about the importance for conservation of the work he and his wife Tamar are doing in the Central African Republic and some of the spectacular mammals they regularly encounter including huge gatherings of Forest Elephants in Sangha Bai, Lowland Gorillas, pangolins and...2024-09-1244 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 5: Claudia Diaz, Wild About ColombiaCharles and Jon are joined by Claudia Diaz, from Wild About Colombia, at her home in Bogota. Claudia and Robin Smith founded Wild About Colombia in 2017 and the company quickly developed a reputation for high quality and adventurous mammalwatching trips. Claudia talks about a career which has taken her from marine biology in Mexico's Gulf of California back to her native Colombia, via studying conservation in the UK. She describes her passion for involving local communities in ecotourism and runs through some of the particular difficulties she and Rob faced in bringing not just ecotourism...2024-08-0559 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 4: The Vaquita (with Barbara Taylor & Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho)Charles and Jon talk to Dr Barbara Taylor (USA) and Dr Lorenzo Rojas-Bracho (Mexico), who together lead the global efforts to save the Vaquita from extinction. The Vaquita, a tiny and beautiful porpoise, is found only at the top of the Gulf of California and holds the unfortunate distinction of being the world's rarest marine mammal (possibly the rarest of any mammal species). There may be as few as 6 animals left alive.The story of the Vaquita's precipitous decline from its discovery in 1958 is as tragic as it is complex. In a fascinating conversation we...2024-07-071h 15
Blues SyndicateSelección 10 2024 blues syndicateSELECCIÓN 10 2024 BLUES SYNDICATE
1- OHOOPEE RIVER BOTTOMLAND – LARRY JON WILSON
2- SHE TURNS MY RADIO ON – JIM FORD
3- IT´S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THAT WAY – STEVE YOUNG
4- AMARILLO HIGHWAY – TERRY ALLEN
5- CLAY PIGEONS – BLAZE FOLEY
6- JUST DROPPED IN – MICKEY NEWBURY
7- NOBODY´S FOOL – DAN PEN
8- NORTHEAST TEXAS WOMEN – WILLIS ALAN RAMSEY
9- I´TS GONNA BE EASY – DOUG SAHM
10- DUBLIN BLUES – GUY CLARK
11- MY SHITS FUCKEP UP – KINKY FRIEDMAN
12- DALLAS – THE FLATLANDERS
13- TUSCALOOSA 1962 – DONNIE FRITTS
14- MILLER´S CAVE – THE INTERNATIONAL SUBMARINE BAND
15- THE MOUNTAIN – LEVON HELM
16- OH I´M A GOOD OLD REBEL – HOYT AX...2024-06-2358 minBlues SyndicateSelección 10 2024 blues syndicateSELECCIÓN 10 2024 BLUES SYNDICATE
1- OHOOPEE RIVER BOTTOMLAND – LARRY JON WILSON
2- SHE TURNS MY RADIO ON – JIM FORD
3- IT´S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE THAT WAY – STEVE YOUNG
4- AMARILLO HIGHWAY – TERRY ALLEN
5- CLAY PIGEONS – BLAZE FOLEY
6- JUST DROPPED IN – MICKEY NEWBURY
7- NOBODY´S FOOL – DAN PEN
8- NORTHEAST TEXAS WOMEN – WILLIS ALAN RAMSEY
9- I´TS GONNA BE EASY – DOUG SAHM
10- DUBLIN BLUES – GUY CLARK
11- MY SHITS FUCKEP UP – KINKY FRIEDMAN
12- DALLAS – THE FLATLANDERS
13- TUSCALOOSA 1962 – DONNIE FRITTS
14- MILLER´S CAVE – THE INTERNATIONAL SUBMARINE BAND
15- THE MOUNTAIN – LEVON HELM
16- OH I´M A GOOD OLD REBEL – HOYT AX...2024-06-2358 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 3: Bradley Trevor GreiveCharles and Jon talk to Australian author, broadcaster and wildlife nut Bradley Trevor Greive (BTG) from his home in California.BTG has an extraordinary CV: he was a paratrooper and cartoonist before becoming a successful author and broadcaster. In between he found time to win the French Polynesian Rock Lifting Championship, graduate from the Russian Cosmonaut Space Program, spend 6 years working on Brown Bears in Alaska and still practice on his ukulele. And he devotes considerable energy to supporting conservation work around the world. As you might imagine we had plenty to talk about.In...2024-06-081h 16
MammalwatchingEpisode 2: Bill Robichaud and the SaolaCharles and Jon talk to conservationist Bill Robichaud, best known for his work to protect what many would argue is the world's most enigmatic mammal: the Saola.Saolas - a beautifully marked 100kg bovid - are often referred to as the 'Asian Unicorn' because of their scimitar-like horns and rarity. The species, first discovered by scientists in 1992 in the mountains of Vietnam, is one of the most stunning zoological discoveries of the past 100 years. Bill has dedicated his career to trying to learn more about - and protect - them, including helping to set up the IUCN's...2024-05-0655 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 1: Peter KaestnerCharles and Jon open Season 3 of the podcast from the jungles of the Ivory Coast, before talking to Peter Kaestner, the world's most accomplished birder. In February 2024 Peter became the first person ever to see 10,000 bird species, though, as we hear at the very end of the episode, the climax of his record came with more plot twists than a Hitchcock movie. Peter talks about his fiercely competitive family, and his older brother Hank's pivotal role in starting a lifelong love of birding. He explains how he chose a career that would best support his...2024-03-281h 16
The Book Snug PodcastS2 Chapter 9: 3 Peas in a Pod (Outside by Ragnar Jonasson with Jay Yoder)Send us a textHi, Friends! We are back in The Book Snug for the newest chapter of our "3 Peas in a Pod" series. In this series, we invite a guest to join us on the show to discuss a book of their choosing. Our guest for this episode is Jay Yoder, Stephany's husband and Julia's dad. Jay chose Outside, a thriller by Ragnar Jonasson, for us to read together and talk about. We loved having Jay on the show! Beware - there are many spoilers in this episode! Books and authors mentione...2024-03-201h 56
MammalwatchingEpisode 23: Sebastian KennerknechtIn the season finale to Season 2 of the podcast, Charles and Jon talk to the founder of Cat Expeditions - camera trap virtuoso and feline aficionado - Sebastian Kennerknecht from his home in California. Sebastian explains how his passions for wildlife and photography were formed and talks about the powerful role photography can play in conservation. He shares fascinating stories that demonstrate both his dedication to - and the skills behind - camera trapping. And we hear about some of his many adventures while photographing 31 of the world's cat species: from almost treading on a Snow Leopard in...2024-02-1254 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 22: Patricia WrightCharles and Jon meet conservation legend and primatologist Patricia Wright. Dr Wright is most famous for her work in Madagascar, including her discovery of the Golden Bamboo Lemur. She is Founder and Executive Director of Stony Brook University Institute for the Conservation of Tropical Environments, and Founder and Executive Director of the Centre ValBio, a research and training center in Ranomafana, Madagascar. Some of her many achievements during a very distinguished career include being the first woman to win the Indianapolis Prize (the 'Nobel Prize for Conservation'), won a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship (Genius Award) and had three...2024-01-1552 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 21: Patricia MediciCharles and Jon talk to conservationist and tapir champion Dr Patricia Medici from her home in Brazil's Pantanal. Patricia is a founding member of the Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (Institute for Ecological Research), a Brazilian non-governmental organization which she helped set up in 1992. She also chairs the IUCN's Special Survival Commission Tapir Specialist Group, a network of over 130 tapir conservationists from 27 different countries.We talk with Patricia about her work and the threats the different tapir species face. She explains how her professional career took a sharp turn towards conservation after meeting Brazil's most b...2023-12-1459 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 20: Connor BurginCharles and Jon meet Connor Burgin a PhD student working on mammalian systematics at the University of New Mexico. As a young boy Connor was fascinated by Wikipedia's list of dinosaurs. His fascination shifted to lists of present day fauna and at the age of twelve he began to create and update his own list of the world's mammals which quickly became the state of art. His childhood project turned into the American Society of Mammalogists' Mammal Diversity Database, which is now widely regarded as the most uptodate and authoratative list of the world's 6500 living mammal species. Connor's taxonomy...2023-11-2254 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 19: John Newby & ChadCharles and Jon talk to the legendary John Newby about his 50 years in Chad and Niger working to save some of the rarest antelopes in the world. This is a fascinating story, which begins in the 1970s when John recalls seeing vast herds of Oryx, Addax and Dama Gazelle in the Sahara. Yet 15 years later these species had reached the edge of extinction. A warning on how quickly things can change. But this is also a story of hope and of nature's resilience when it is is given a chance: thanks to the work of John and his colleagues...2023-10-211h 08
MammalwatchingEpisode 18: Joel BergerCharles and Jon talk to Professor Joel Berger from his home in Colorado. Joel has spent a lifetime studying 'extreme species in extreme places' as a senior scientist with the Wildlife Conservation Society and at Colorado State University and the University of Montana. He has worked on many mammals including Huemul in Chile, Musk Ox in Russia and Pronghorn in the USA. And he has focussed his work on some of the larger and unsung species that live in the world's deserts (of all types). In an entertaining chat, Professor Berger talks about some of the many...2023-09-1147 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 17: Expedition to West PapuaCharles and Jon are reunited with Carlos Bocos who inspired, designed and guided their hugely successful trip to West Papua in June 2023. From Long-beaked Echidnas to Long-fingered Trioks, we talk about the incredible mammalwatching on New Guinea, the extraordinary local communities who helped us along the way, and a death-defying BASE jumping Ground Cuscus.Here is the YouTube trailer.For more information visit www.mammalwatching.com/podcastNotes: Here is Jon's trip report from West Papua. Page 22 of the IUCN Antelope Specialist Group's Gnunewsletter has the article that Charles mentioned at the start of...2023-08-0952 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 16: Luke HunterCharles and Jon talk to Luke Hunter, the director of the Big Cat Program at the Wildlife Conservation Society and one of the world's leading experts on wild carnivore conservation. Luke discusses his work to protect Lions in west and central Africa, the reintroduction of Cheetahs in India, and a tragic story of Cheetah conservation in Iran. We also talk about the growing potential of wild cat eco-tourism around the world and how giving a child a set of toy zoo animals can spark a lifetime of mammal research (or mammalwatching in Jon's case).For more information...2023-07-0354 min
Naturally AdventurousS3E48: Mammal Watching with Charles Foley & Jon HallCharley interviews Charles Foley & Jon Hall, co-hosts of the 'Mammal Watching' podcast.
Hippo recording courtesy of Charles Foley.
If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page at: https://www.patreon.com/naturallyadventurous?fan_landing=true
Feel free to contact us at: ken.behrens@gmail.com or cfchesse@gmail.com
Naturally Adventurous Podcast
Travel Nature Adventure Birding2023-07-0246 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 15: Harriet KemigishaCharles and Jon chat with Harriet Kemigisha - founder of Harrier Tours - from her home in western Uganda. Harriet talks about a life that has taken her from a young village girl exploring the forest with her grandfather on hunting trips, to the founder of a successful wildlife tour company. She recounts her rediscovery of the Green-breasted Pitta in Kibale National Park when she was a ranger in 2005. And she describes how she figured out a strategy to see an African Golden Cat, one of Africa's most secretive and sought-after animals, with the help...2023-05-2455 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 14: Expedition to ChadCharles and Jon talk with Brendan and Dan Nugent - Australian mammalwatching newcomers - about their recent expedition to Chad with Jon. They talk about the other-worldly scenery of the Ended Massif; the Dama Gazelles of Ouadi-Rimé - "the most beautiful things they have ever never heard of"; and a safari on steroids in Zakouma National Park, including being in the middle of tens of millions of Red-billed Quelea (yes, birds!). Plus Brendan explains how ear plugs can help you survive the horrors of a pit toilet.Here is the YouTube trailer.For more information v...2023-05-0749 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 13: Arnaud DesbiezCharles and Jon talk to Whitley Award-winning conservationist Arnaud Desbiez, from his home in the Brazilian Pantanal. Since 2010, Arnaud and his team have been studying one of the planet's most iconic and secretive animals: the Giant Armadillo. Very little was known about this magnificent mammal before their work began and the more the project uncovers the more we understand just how important a role this species plays in the ecosystems it inhabits. Arnaud talks about the challenges both Giant Armadillos - and Giant Armadillo researchers - face. We learn about Giant Armadillos dedication as parents, their longevity and why...2023-04-1458 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 12: Roland KaysCharles and Jon talk to distinguished mammalogist Dr Roland Kays, head of the Biodiversity lab at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and a Professor at North Carolina State University. Roland has published on sloth sleep and incognito Olinguitos and written a North American mammal field guide - also an app - that many of you will have. Roland talks about his work describing the Olinguito, one of the most significant new mammal discoveries of the 21st Century (it was the first new carnivore for the Western Hemisphere in 35 years). He explains his love of both Fishers and...2023-03-1757 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 11: John & Terese HartCharles and Jon talk to legendary mammalogists and conservationists John and Terese Hart about 50 years' of work in the Congo rainforest. John and Terese have made an enormous contribution to studying and protecting African biodiversity and have had way more than their fair share of adventures en route. From discovering new monkey species to studying Okapis, they share spellbinding stories that are guaranteed to make mammalwatchers weak at the knees. For more information visit www.mammalwatching.com/podcastCover photo: Radio collared Okapi. The MaMbuti taught us how to capture them safely. John & Terese Hart.2023-02-281h 08
MammalwatchingEpisode 10: Trip Planning & Equatorial GuineaWe chat with Venkat Sankar about how we plan and prepare for the perfect trip. From designing an itinerary and choosing target species to taking the "right" pictures. We also swap tips on how we identify some of the world's most obscure mammals either in the field or after we get home. And Jon talks about his recent trip to Bioko Island, a place where the primates were nervous and the pedestrian crosswalks plentiful.Notes: Bioko Island trip reports are here. Venkat's Colombia report is here .For more information visit www.mammalwatching.com/podcast2023-02-0948 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 9: Jo SetchellCharles and Jon talk to Professor Jo Setchell from her home in the UK. Dr Setchell, a distinguished primatologist and anthropologist, has studied primates in Cameroon, Gabon, the DRC and Borneo and has particular research interests in sexual selection among Mandrills and primate conservation. Destined for a career in primatology from the age of two, when she was inseparable from her toy monkey, Jo's fascinating research has proved important for science and conservation. And some work - such as discovering that the reddest male Mandrills are a sort of simian Brad Pitt - has cast a whole new light...2023-01-2550 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 8: Tales of the UnexpectedCharles and Jon talk to recently converted mammalwatchers about their early mammalwatching experiences. Admittedly, some of our guests might deny they have been converted but we know different. We talk to Steven Arthur, Cheryl Antonucci's partner, about being stalked by Swamp Rabbits in Missouri. We hear about a trip to Guyana that could have gone very wrong for Ian Thompson, his partner Tracey Watchurst, and their kids Josie and Ben. And Amber Melhouse talks about the romance of wading through a guano-filled bat cave with "wildlife enthusiast" Jon. Here is the YouTube trailer.F...2023-01-0653 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 7: Mammalwatching GuidesCharles and Jon are joined by Season 1 podcast veterans Mac Hunter and Cheryl Antonucci who starred in the first two podcast episodes, along with professional birding - and now mammalwatching - guide Carlos Bocos who dialed in from his home in Spain. We talk about guides: the benefits they bring to conservation, trips and to mammalwatching more generally, as well as the skills every good guide needs. Carlos also offers his thoughts on what makes for a good client and reveals that some clients can be quite difficult. Shocker! Any resemblance - to birders living or dead...2022-12-2146 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 6: Charles FoleyJon finally gets the chance to interview his co-host Charles Foley. Charles shares adventures from a life spent working with African Elephants in Tanzania's Tarangire National Park with his wife Lara. His thirty years of research has generated many advances in our understanding of Elephants, including the long-term impact that poaching can have when it kills all of the older animals in a family. Elephants do indeed have long memories, and so remembering where water can be found might be critical to a family's survival during drought. Charles also explains why it is a good idea to check the...2022-11-2954 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 5: Karina Karenina & Andrey GiljovCharles and Jon talk to Russian biologists and mammalwatchers Karina Karenina and Andrey Giljov (aka The Travelling Zoologists) from their new home in Paraguay. In a journey that runs from the Russian steppes to the Paraguayan chaco, they talk about their work to save Russia's Saiga Antelopes and the role mammalwatching has played. They discuss how their experience as biologists has helped them to develop new techniques to watch mammals around the world. And we learn that Long-beaked Echidnas make wonderful pets.Notes: Here is more information on the comeback of European wildlife including carnivores that Charles ta...2022-11-1250 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 4: Christopher ScharfCharles and Jon talk to Christopher Scharf about his 30 year quest to photograph the planet's most iconic wildlife - a project that is destined to be a time capsule of 21st century wildlife observation. Chris talks about some of the near mythical mammals he has seen and the near mythical adventures along the way. We hear how a quest to photograph a Markhor required an undercover journey into Afghanistan disguised as a local. He explains why finally seeing a wild Sumatran Rhino this year - after repeated attempts - still wasn't enough to take that species off his bucket...2022-10-2644 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 3: The First Mammalwatching MeetingCharles and Jon report back from the inaugural mammalwatching meeting in Asturias, Spain. Join us as we watch Brown Bears, Common Genets and Broom Hares and chat with the participants. In a podcast first you can share the ecstasy of people seeing lifer mammals, followed by the agony when one - a water vole - is devoured by a bear before being fully identified.Notes: The meeting was organized by a Felis, an NGO supporting conservation of the world's wild cats. A report - of both the meeting and the mammals - is here.Here...2022-10-1040 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 2: Robert ShumakerWe interview Dr Robert Shumaker, the President and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoo. Rob is a renowned expert on primate cognition (i.e. primate behaviour and intelligence), a widely published scientist, and a leader in the zoo world. He talks to us about his fascinating research on Great Ape cognition and the very fine line between the abilities of humans and other apes. Rob discusses the future of zoos in the US and the rapidly expanding conservation efforts of the Indianapolis Zoo, and tells enthralling tales of orangutans outwitting both him and their keepers.Notes: You can...2022-09-2557 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 1: Arjan DwarshuisDecember 25 1914: as World War I is raging, British and German troops along the frontline lay down their rifles, and cross the trenches to play a friendly football match. September 2022: the mammalwatching podcast brings a second, arguably greater, testament to the human ability to heal wounds, cross divides and search for peace despite many years of conflict. Yes, Charles and Jon lay down their binoculars to reach out across the barbed wire and welcome a birder onto this podcast. And not just any birder: we are joined from the Netherlands by Arjan Dwarshuis who holds the wo...2022-09-0759 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 27: Merlin TuttleCharles and Jon interview the original Batman, Dr Merlin Tuttle, from his home in Austin, Texas. Merlin has spent 60 years studying - and working to help - bats around the world and his photos and research have been featured in multiple National Geographic articles, the journal Science, and many other places. He founded and led Bat Conservation International for nearly 30 years, left BCI, then founded Merlin Tuttle’s Bat Conservation in 2014 where he remains active. He is a true legend.In a fascinating chat we hear about his skill in training bats (and one bat's particular skill in...2022-06-3053 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 26a: Gear - Charles Hood & Fiona Reid (Part 1)From binoculars to bat detectors, and from thermal scopes to thermarest pillows, we all have our own preferences for mammalwatching gear. We are joined by Charles Hood and Fiona Reid to discuss our kit and share some packing hacks that can make life a little more comfortable on a trip ..... because any fool can be uncomfortable in the bush!We had so much to talk about we decided to split this episode into 2 parts, though we didn't make a video.Notes: Here is a list of some of the gear we about. And here are...2022-06-0942 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 26b: Gear - Charles Hood & Fiona Reid (Part 2)From binoculars to bat detectors, and from thermal scopes to thermarest pillows, we all have our own preferences for mammalwatching gear. We are joined by Charles Hood and Fiona Reid to discuss our kit and share some packing hacks that can make life a little more comfortable on a trip ..... because any fool can be uncomfortable in the bush!We had so much to talk about we decided to split this episode into 2 parts, though we didn't make a video.Notes: Here is a list of some of the gear we about. And here are...2022-06-0929 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 25: Tony FriendWe interview Tony Friend, legendary West Australian mammalogist, from his home in Albany, Australia. Tony talks about almost 40 years of work to save some of West Australia's iconic and wonderfully-named mammals including species like the Chudditch, Woylie and Dibbler. (And if you want to know what they look like you'll need to listen!) Tony talks about the rediscovery in the mid-1990s of Gilbert's Potoroo, a rabbit-sized kangaroo that was thought extinct for 100 years, that was hiding in plain sight. And he describes his role in ensuring that this, the world's rarest marsupial, survives today.Notes: you...2022-05-2257 min
The Movie PodcastTop Gun: Maverick ReviewDaniel aka “Host" and Anthony aka “Jetsetter" review Joseph Kosinski's TOP GUN: MAVERICK. The film stars Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, Charles Parnell, Bashir Salahuddin, Monica Barbaro, Jay Ellis, Danny Ramirez, Greg Tarzan Davis, with Ed Harris, and Val Kilmer. Top Gun: Maverick flys exclusively into theatres May 27, 2022 by Paramount Pictures.Listen to The Movie Podcast review now on all podcast feeds and TheMoviePodcast.caContact: hello@themoviepodcast.caTHE MOVIE PODCAST MERCHANDISE NOW AVAILABLE!After more than thirty years of service as one of t...2022-05-1828 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 24: Rob FosterWe interview Rob Foster from his home in Ontario, Canada about his work in the Canadian boreal forests and his frequent run-ins with Black and Grizzly bears. He describes an astonishing encounter with a predatory Black bear that he fought off for over 45 minutes in the back-woods with only a single can of bear spray and a pocket knife. He also dispenses good advice on how to protect yourself from bears if you are alone in the woods. Notes: Rob has a huge number of entries from his survey work on iNaturalist. The newspaper article highlighting Rob’s f...2022-05-0552 min
Terribly VexedDr. Joseph Bell - The Real Sherlock HolmesOn this episode of The Terribly Vexed Podcast the fellas talk about Dr. Joseph Bell. In 1877, a young outpatient clerk named Arthur Conan Doyle began watching Dr. Bell's incredible powers of observation, deduction, and reasoning while dealing with patients. From something as simple as the color of the mud on a patients shoes Dr. Bell could deduce a patients occupation, where he or she lived, and which boat had ferried them that morning. As a writer, Conan Doyle was inspired by Dr. Bell's "method" and created a character that has become a household name, and one of the most...2022-05-041h 17
MammalwatchingEpisode 23: Terry TownshendWe interview British economist turned conservationist Terry Townshend from his home in Beijing. about the work he has done over the past 12 years in China and some of the mammals he has encountered along the way. Terry describes stumbling on the Valley of the Cats, and its Snow Leopards, thanks to two students who overslept their alarm. He explains why he thinks Tibetan people are some of the happiest and wealthiest on earth. And he recalls a mesmerizing encounter with a family of Pallas’s Cats was the best birthday present ever.Notes: You can read more ab...2022-04-1650 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 22: Mogens TrolleWe interview world famous Danish mammalogist turned wildlife photographer Mogens Trolle from his home in Copenhagen. Mogens talks about the philosophy that underpins his photography and choice of subjects, as well as his earlier work as a wildlife guide then researcher in Brazil. He describes greeting a herd of 3000 migrating Saiga on the Russian steppes and coming face to face with a Jaguar in the Brazilian Pantanal. And he explains why the most sociable primates have the most interesting faces.Notes: The major focus of Mogen's photography in recent years has been primates and his photo of a...2022-04-0139 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 21: Chris and Mathilde StuartCharles and Jon interview Chris & Mathilde Stuart - renowned wildlife researchers and authors - from their farm in South Africa. The Stuarts have had the sort of life many mammalwatchers can only dream of, searching and surveying for wildlife in much of Africa and beyond, including areas which had barely been studied before they arrived. They have written about 30 books and several apps over their long career. During this episode they explain how much work is involved in writing their field guides (answer: a lot!). Chris talks about rediscovering the Arabian Tahr in the United Arab Emirates, and Mathilde...2022-03-1645 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 20: Regina RibeiroCharles and Jon interview Regina Ribeiro, arguably Brazil's top mammalwatching guide. Regina talks about her journey to become one of Brazil's first female wildlife guides, and runs through her own list of the Brazilian Big 5. She also talks about what can go wrong when you have to take a minibus along the Transpantaneira.Here is the YouTube trailer.For more information visit www.mammalwatching.com/podcastNotes: Many trip reports featuring Regina are on mammalwatching's Brazil page, including Jon's first trip to Brazil in 2007. Information from the citizen science report on Jaguar's that...2022-02-2039 min
MammalwatchingEpisode 19: Vladimir DinetsCharles and Jon talk with Vladimir Dinets, naturalist extraordinaire, about his adventures travelling the world searching for wildlife. We hear about a quest to Pakistan to be the first biologist to see a Woolly Flying Squirrel in the wild; and how 48 hours inside a Mexican hollow tree is the perfect place to recover from the flu and look for black Jaguars. And he remembers his first near death encounter, when a 14 year old Vladimir had to battle a monster bear in Siberia. Plus we hear from Howard Frederick about the animal behind his recording of the mystery mammal in e...2022-01-3148 min