E66 Scott Weidensaul – The Return of the Oystercatcher & Stories of Hope for Birds 🐦🌎

E66 Scott Weidensaul – The Return of the Oystercatcher & Stories of Hope for Birds 🐦🌎

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2523691/fan_mail/new] Award-winning author, ornithologist, and conservationist Scott Weidensaul returns to Naturally Scott to discuss his inspiring new book, The Return of the Oystercatcher: Saving Birds to Save Ourselves. Rather than focusing solely on declining bird populations and environmental challenges, Scott shares something equally important: hope.  podcast-scott-weidensaul.txt From the remarkable comeback of Bald Eagles and Canada Geese to the recovery of American Oystercatchers, Scott highlights conservation victories that prove people can make an extraordinary difference when science, persistence, and collaboration come together.  podcast-scott-weidensaul.txt The conversation also explores Indigenous-led conservation efforts protecting millions of acres of Canada's boreal forest, one of the world's most important breeding grounds for migratory birds. These stories demonstrate that successful conservation isn't just possible—it's happening today.  podcast-scott-weidensaul.txt In this episode: 🦅 The incredible recovery of Bald Eagles  🪿 Why Canada Geese are one of conservation's greatest success stories  🐦 How American Oystercatchers reversed decades of decline  🌲 Indigenous communities protecting Canada's boreal forest  🌎 Why optimism matters in conservation  📖 The stories behind The Return of the Oystercatcher If you've ever wondered whether conservation success stories still exist, this episode is full of reasons to believe they do. 👉 Subscribe for updates and bonus content:  https://naturallyscott.kit.com/5fd12c6752 [https://naturallyscott.kit.com/5fd12c6752]

E65 Naturally Scott Adventures – Alligators, Big Cypress & Florida’s Living Dinosaurs 🐊🌿

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2523691/fan_mail/new] Welcome to another edition of Naturally Scott Adventures, where Scott Harris takes you into the field to experience some of North America's greatest wildlife spectacles, iconic species, and wild places. In this episode, Scott heads deep into Florida's Big Cypress National Preserve in search of one of America's most ancient and awe-inspiring predators: the American alligator. What follows is a journey into a landscape that feels frozen in time, where cypress swamps, sawgrass wetlands, and sun-soaked canals are home to hundreds of alligators and countless other wild creatures.  Scott shares stories from years of encounters with alligators, including a heart-stopping close encounter with a massive 13-foot gator in South Carolina and why these reptiles inspire a uniquely primal reaction unlike almost any other animal in North America.  Along the way, he explores why Big Cypress may be the best place in America to see alligators in the wild and what makes these prehistoric predators so successful after more than 100 million years.  In this episode: 🐊 Why alligators are nature's perfected predators  🌿 Exploring Big Cypress National Preserve  🚗 Driving the famous Loop Road  🦅 Red-shouldered hawks, wood storks, deer, and other wildlife  🐻 The surprising connection between gators, bears, and Florida panthers  📸 Tips for finding and photographing alligators  🦖 Why seeing a giant alligator feels like stepping back in time From ancient reptiles to unforgettable wildlife encounters, this episode celebrates one of the most fascinating animals in North America. 👉 Stay up to date and get bonus content here: https://naturallyscott.kit.com/5fd12c6752 [https://naturallyscott.kit.com/5fd12c6752]

E64 George Archibald – Dancing with Whooping Cranes & Saving the World's Rarest Birds 🏗️🦩

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2523691/fan_mail/new] Few people have done more to save cranes than George Archibald. In this episode of Naturally Scott, Scott Harris sits down with the co-founder of the International Crane Foundation for a remarkable conversation spanning decades of conservation, adventure, and hope. George shares the incredible story of helping rescue the Whooping Crane from the brink of extinction, including his famous partnership with a crane named Tex and the unexpected journey that led from a Wisconsin field to Johnny Carson's stage.  The conversation also explores the migration of more than a million Sandhill Cranes through Nebraska's Platte River Valley, conservation work across Africa and Asia, and the challenge of protecting cranes while improving the lives of the people who share their landscapes.  In this episode: 🏗️ The story of Tex, the world's most famous Whooping Crane  🦩 How dancing helped save a species from extinction  🌎 The International Crane Foundation's work across the globe  🕊️ One million Sandhill Cranes on Nebraska's Platte River  🌍 Conservation projects in Africa, Korea, and beyond  👨‍🌾 Why successful conservation must benefit local communities  ✨ Hope for some of the world's rarest birds George's life story is a reminder that one person truly can make a difference—and that saving wildlife often begins with relationships, persistence, and a willingness to think differently. 👉 Stay up to date and get bonus content here: https://naturallyscott.kit.com/5fd12c6752 [https://naturallyscott.kit.com/5fd12c6752]

E63 Naturally Scott Adventures – Colonial Spanish Mustangs & the Wild Horses of Corolla 🐎🌊

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2523691/fan_mail/new] Welcome to another edition of Naturally Scott Adventures, where Scott Harris takes you into the field to experience some of North America's greatest wildlife spectacles, iconic species, and wild places. In this episode, Scott heads to the remote beaches of Corolla in North Carolina's Outer Banks to spend time with one of the most fascinating populations of wild horses in America: the Colonial Spanish Mustangs.  For more than 500 years, legend holds that these remarkable horses have survived along this isolated stretch of coastline after Spanish ships wrecked offshore. Whether every detail of the story is true or not, the horses themselves are very real—and absolutely unforgettable.  Scott shares stories from multiple visits to the Outer Banks, including close encounters with stallions, mares, and foals, sunrise moments on empty beaches, and why these horses have become one of his favorite wildlife experiences anywhere in North America.  In this episode: 🐎 The legend of the Colonial Spanish Mustangs  🌊 Wild horses living along the beaches of the Outer Banks  ☀️ Sunrise encounters in Corolla and Carova  📸 The best ways to experience the horses responsibly  🐻 Nearby wildlife opportunities at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge  🦅 Osprey, bald eagles, dolphins, and other coastal wildlife  ✨ Why some wildlife experiences stay with us for a lifetime Part history, part adventure, and part wildlife story, this episode explores one of the most unique natural experiences on the East Coast. 👉 Stay up to date and get bonus content here: https://naturallyscott.kit.com/5fd12c6752 [https://naturallyscott.kit.com/5fd12c6752]

E62 Jessica Ware – Dragonflies, Ancient Flight & the Secret World of Insects! 🪰🌎

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2523691/fan_mail/new] Dragonflies are older than dinosaurs, can migrate across oceans, and spend most of their lives underwater. In this fascinating and surprisingly fun episode of Naturally Scott, Scott Harris sits down with entomologist and evolutionary biologist Jessica Ware of the American Museum of Natural History to explore the incredible world of dragonflies, damselflies, insect evolution, and why insects deserve far more attention than they get. Jessica explains how dragonflies were among the first animals ever to fly, how some species migrate over 11,000 kilometers across oceans, and why these ancient aerial predators are among the greatest hunters on Earth. Along the way, the conversation dives into: 🪰 The difference between dragonflies and damselflies  🌎 Dragonfly migrations across oceans  ❄️ Dragonfly nymphs freezing solid in Arctic winters  👀 Why dragonflies have some of the best vision in the insect world  🦟 How dragonflies help control mosquitoes and other pests  🦖 Giant prehistoric “dragonflies” from hundreds of millions of years ago  🐛 Why insects may be the most overlooked animals on Earth Jessica also shares how childhood curiosity led her into science and why she believes insects deserve the same wonder and attention we often reserve for birds and mammals. 👉 Stay up to date and get bonus content here: https://naturallyscott.kit.com/5fd12c6752 [https://naturallyscott.kit.com/5fd12c6752]