37 - The Dark History of the Sea Otter Fur Trade

37 - The Dark History of the Sea Otter Fur Trade

It's Debbie and Savanna this week, and heads up, it's a dark one. When Vitus Bering died while on an expedition to the far-off islands off the coast of Russia, his surviving crew brought back an item that would define an industry and have devastating effects that would take hundreds of years to begin to restore. Let's Connect: insta: @creaturemeetsculture creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com Sea Otter Support Links: Elakha Alliance: https://www.elakhaalliance.org/ Sea Otter Foundation and Trust: seaotterfoundationtrust.org Wildlife Conservation Network's Sea Otter Fund: https://wildnet.org/wildlife-fund/sea-otter-fund/ California Sea Otter Fund: https://scc.ca.gov/grants/sea-otter-recovery-fund/ Defenders of Wildlife: https://defenders.org/friends-of-sea-otter Sources: https://www.mmc.gov/priority-topics/species-of-concern/northern-sea-otters/ [https://www.mmc.gov/priority-topics/species-of-concern/northern-sea-otters/] https://www.mmc.gov/priority-topics/species-of-concern/southern-sea-otter/ https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/species/northern-fur-seal/resources https://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/events/fursealtreaty/welcome.html https://www.fws.gov/press-release/2023-09/us-fish-and-wildlife-service-announces-southern-sea-otters-will-retain https://www.seaottersavvy.org/we-were-here-seaotters Jim Estes: https://www.usgs.gov/centers/werc/news/emeritus-and-distinguished-alumni-profile-jim-estes-explains-how-sea-otters-run https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2526847122 https://news.ucsc.edu/2016/04/estes-book/ Bering: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vitus-Bering https://www.britannica.com/topic/North-Pacific-Sealing-Convention https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/explorers-travelers-and-conquerors-biographies/vitus-jonassen-bering Sitka: https://www.nps.gov/sitk/learn/historyculture/the-russians.htm https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/sea-otters-and-kelp-a-tale-of-cute-charisma-and-otterly-amazing-climate-heroism https://perc.org/2025/12/17/the-great-sea-otter-comeback/ https://defenders.org/blog/2025/03/what-otter-conundrum Aleut: https://www.apicda.com/communities/aleutculture/ https://ancsaregional.com/ancsaat50/the-aleut-corporation-reclaiming-our-heritage-cultural-and-language-revitalization-among-the-unangax%CC%82-people/ https://ancsaregional.com/ancsaat50/the-aleut-corporation-reclaiming-our-heritage-cultural-and-language-revitalization-among-the-unangax%CC%82-people/ https://www.aleutcorp.com/our-corporation/our-history/ https://commonplace.online/article/first-meetings-in-the-north-pacific/ https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices/timeline/636.html https://akhistory.lpsd.com/southwest-alaska/1743-1867-era-of-russian-violence/ https://www.nlm.nih.gov/nativevoices/timeline/227.html https://www.opb.org/article/2025/01/27/siletz-tribe-gets-156-million-to-reintroduce-sea-otters-to-coastal-waters/ https://natlpark.com/2025/02/ongoing-sea-otter-conservation-efforts-will-bring-populations-to-northern-california-oregon/ https://www.fws.gov/project/exploring-potential-sea-otter-reintroduction

36 - The Bald Eagle: The (Suprisingly Long) Road to Becoming the US National Bird

Debbie brings Haley another bird episode because she's the best friend around! Did you know that the eagle wasn't legally made the national bird until 2024? We didn't know! And after the eagle was first put on that great seal that we still see all over the place today, the eagles themselves had a pretty terrible time of it thanks to the powerful insecticide, DDT. But this is a happy episode because it's a conservation success story! And the eagle eventually became the national bird! This is my stab at a patriotic episode because it will be after the 4th when it comes out, but before the 4th when we recorded it, so it kinda counts! Come for the eagles, stay for the giggles and history (and eagles!). Let's Connect: insta: @creaturemeetsculture creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com Sources: https://www.greatseal.com/committees/finaldesign/thomson.html [https://www.greatseal.com/committees/finaldesign/thomson.html] https://diplomacy.state.gov/the-great-seal/ [https://diplomacy.state.gov/the-great-seal/] https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/4610/text https://www.fws.gov/species/bald-eagle-haliaeetus-leucocephalus https://www.epa.gov/caddis/case-ddt-revisiting-impairment https://www.archives.gov/milestone-documents/original-design-of-the-great-seal-of-the-united-states https://diplomacy.state.gov/the-great-seal/ https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bald_Eagle/overview https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Bald_Eagle/lifehistory Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Bald eagle." https://www.britannica.com/animal/bald-eagle https://fi.edu/en/science-and-education/benjamin-franklin/national-bird https://abcbirds.org/news/bald-eagle-the-ultimate-endangered-species-act-success-story/ https://eagles.org/what-we-do/educate/learn-about-eagles/bald-eagle-decline-recovery/ Maryland Department of Natural Resources. "A Soaring Success: Maryland's Bald Eagle Population Recovery," July 3, 2025. https://news.maryland.gov/dnr/2025/07/03/a-soaring-success-marylands-bald-eagle-population-recovery/ https://www.npr.org/2024/12/17/nx-s1-5231752/turns-out-the-bald-eagle-wasnt-the-official-u-s-bird-until-this-week https://www.allaboutbirds.org/news/bald-eagle-official-national-bird/ https://rollcall.com/2024/08/05/senate-swoops-in-centuries-late-to-name-bald-eagle-national-bird/ https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/bald-eagle-us-national-bird-designation-preston-cook-rcna169790 https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/biden-signs-bill-officially-anointing-bald-eagle-as-national-bird-of-u-s https://www.britannica.com/science/DDT [https://www.britannica.com/science/DDT] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Paul-Hermann-Muller [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Paul-Hermann-Muller] https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/how-ddt-went-from-triumph-to-tragedy/4019480.article [https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/how-ddt-went-from-triumph-to-tragedy/4019480.article] https://www.nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/2010/Bald-eagle-box-1

35 - Frederick II: The World's First Modern Ornithologist

Debbie brings Haley a birrrd episode! And not just any bird episode, we’re talking about the guy who wrote the very first book on Ornithology (the study of birds)! Frederick II (1194-1250) was the ruler of a whole lot of countries, not to mention the Holy Roman Emperor, and he dedicated a lot of his power and resources to make the study of birds more scientific and reliable. Come join us for a deep history dive, a lot of tangents, and, as always, a good amount of laughs.  Let’s Connect! Insta: @creaturemetsculture creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com [creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com] Sources: Haskins article: https://www.jstor.org/stable/552467 Art of Falconry: https://archive.org/details/McGillLibrary-rbsc_art-falconry_casey-wood_SK321F87-18001 [https://archive.org/details/McGillLibrary-rbsc_art-falconry_casey-wood_SK321F87-18001] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Frederick-II-Holy-Roman-emperor [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Frederick-II-Holy-Roman-emperor] https://www.worldhistory.org/Frederick_II/ [https://www.worldhistory.org/Frederick_II/] https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8392/1/3/55 [https://www.mdpi.com/2673-8392/1/3/55] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355742662_Frederick_II_of_Hohenstaufen_and_modern_ecology [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355742662_Frederick_II_of_Hohenstaufen_and_modern_ecology] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Frederick-II-Holy-Roman-emperor/Struggle-with-the-papacy [https://www.britannica.com/biography/Frederick-II-Holy-Roman-emperor/Struggle-with-the-papacy] https://www.historytoday.com/archive/death-emperor-frederick-ii [https://www.historytoday.com/archive/death-emperor-frederick-ii] https://blackcentraleurope.com/sources/1000-1500/frederick-ii-impresses-with-his-processions-ca-1230s/ [https://blackcentraleurope.com/sources/1000-1500/frederick-ii-impresses-with-his-processions-ca-1230s/] Goose: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/barnacle-goose [https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/barnacle-goose] Falcon: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/paid-content-falcons-up-close

34 - Winter the Dolphin: The Rescue and Rehabilitation of a Tail-less Dolphin

Debbie and Savanna are here for the incredible story of Winter the Dolphin. A baby dolphin was found tangled in a crab trap and was rescued by a fisherman who came over to see what was going on. Sea World Institute brought her to Clearwater Marine Aquarium west of Tampa, Florida where her lengthy rehabilitation began. In the process of her rehab, she lost her tail and her adapted way of swimming presented its own issues. A team of dedicated prosthetists made a prosthetic tail that inadvertently helped human amputees as well. Let's Connect! insta: @creaturemeetsculture email: creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com Sources: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-researchers-gave-bottlenose-dolphin-prosthetic-tail/ https://innotechtoday.com/winter-tail-dolphins-prosthesis/ https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/winters-tale-this-prosthetic-tailed-dolphin-was-more-than-a-movie-star https://hangerclinic.com/blog/patient-stories/winter-prosthetic-tail-helps-baby-dolphin-swim-again/ https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna14997569 https://mission.cmaquarium.org/news/tales-of-winter-the-dolphin-new-exhibit-unveiled-at-clearwater-marine-aquarium/ https://www.awesomeclearwater.com/winter-the-dolphin.html https://www.wfla.com/news/pinellas-county/tales-of-winter-new-exhibit-at-clearwater-marine-aquarium/ https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-46994-2_4 https://mission.cmaquarium.org/news/tales-of-winter-the-dolphin-new-exhibit-unveiled-at-clearwater-marine-aquarium/

33 - Wolves of Yellowstone: Wolf 8, Wolf 21, and the World of Rick McIntyre

Debbie and Savanna overcome every technical issue under the sun to bring you this epic story of the initial packs of wolves reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995. Within these first packs lived a runt named Wolf 8, who grew up to mate with a widowed alpha female with 8 pups. Wolf 8 proved himself to be an exceptional alpha, protecting his young, providing for them, and yet exercising compassion and gentle leadership. One of his pups, Wolf 21, would grow up to be one of the most famous wolves in the world, and experts believe most of his leadership skills came from the stepfather who raised him. Debbie read The Rise of Wolf 8 by Rick McIntyre for this episode. McIntyre's expertise and deep knowledge of these animals give us a front row seat on their journey together. Let's Connect! insta: @creaturemeetsculture creaturemeetsculture@gmail.com Sources: Book: McIntyre, Rick. The Rise of Wolf 8: Witnessing the Triumph of Yellowstone’s Underdog Greater Yellowstone Coalition. “A Timeline of the Yellowstone Wolf Reintroduction.” Greater Yellowstone Coalition, greateryellowstone.org/yellowstone-wolf-reintroduction “The Wolf Runt Who Rose to Alpha-Male Status in Yellowstone.” On Point, WBUR, 17 Oct. 2019, wbur.org/onpoint/2019/10/17/rise-of-wolf-8-yellowstone-rick-mcintyre “Rick McIntyre on the Stories of Yellowstone’s Greatest Wolves.” When We Talk About Animals, episode 44, 23 Nov. 2021, whenwetalkaboutanimals.org/2021/11/23/ep-44-rick-mcintyre Bethune, Brian. “How a Runt Wolf from Canada Became a Hero.” Maclean’s, 16 Oct. 2019, macleans.ca/culture/how-a-runt-wolf-from-canada-became-a-hero “1995 Reintroduction of Wolves in Yellowstone.” Yellowstone National Park Trips, yellowstonepark.com/park/conservation/yellowstone-wolves-reintroduction Yellowstone Forever. “Yellowstone Wolf Project.” Yellowstone Forever, yellowstone.org/wolf-project National Park Service. “Donate.” Yellowstone National Park, nps.gov/yell/getinvolved/donate.html