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Science and Nature Podcasts

December 10, 2019

I love a good podcast, but it took me months to find great science and nature podcasts. Now that I have, I thought I’d share them with you!

Here’s 6 of my favourite science and nature podcasts. I’ve included links to some episodes to get you started. Think I’ve missed a good one? I’d love to hear your recommendations in the comments section.

Ologies with Alie Ward

Ologies is my all time favourite science podcast. Each week, Alie Ward interviews a different “ologist” on their research. If you’re looking for a science show with humour, a bit of swearing, and humility, check this one out. Alie helps break down science in a way that is accessible to those without a scientific background. Her approach can be summed up by her motto, “ask smart people stupid questions.”

Episode 25: Melittology (BEES) with Amanda Shaw

Did you know bees can burn their enemies? Neither did I! In this episode, Alie interviews the President of an Urban Bee Keepers Association about the the plight of wild bees, bee sex and death, and bee bread.

Episode 111: Chiropterology (BATS) with Merlin Tuttle

A two part episode (3 full hours!) of EVERYTHING bats. Bat expert, Merlin Tuttle, discusses why our fear of bats is exaggerated, how to get bats to visit your backyard, and how they communicate. Bonus, he also offers a little life advice about following your passions.

Episode 87: Mycology (MUSHROOMS) with Tom Volk

Ever wonder what type of mushroom this 🍄 is? Or, what would happen if you ate the real version? Both are questions answered in this episode. Plus, learn about truffle finding pigs, soil systems, reindeer getting high, and the latest on psilocybin research.

Botanical Mystery Tour

The concept of Botanical Mystery Tour is simple: take a plant or animal from pop culture and see how the real life version matches up to its fictional counterpart. The show is hosted by Jasmine Leonsa and Erica Masini and produced by the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Episode 6: The Silence of the Lambs and Death’s Head Hawkmoths

How did death’s head hawkmoths get their frightening reputation? Is it their red eyes? The skull pattern on their bodies? Their squeaking sounds? Or, maybe it’s their ability to paralyze bees. You decide as you learn more about these ominous moths.

Episode 7: Harry Potter and Magical Plants

Are there plants in real life that have magical properties? That’s the question Jasmine and Erica try to answer in this episode. Learn about devil’s snare, parasitic plants, sneeze weeds, and the weird effects plants can have on the human body. Sometimes reality is stranger than fiction.

Off Track

Off Track is a podcast that combines relaxing nature sounds with interviews with experts on flora, fauna, and environmental issues. The show is hosted by the very clever Ann Jones.

Episode 31/03/2018: Flora Fatale, the Plants With a Thirst For Blood

Plants have had to evolve in some fascinating ways to cope with different environments. Perhaps, the most interesting adaptation has been the ability to kill insects and compost their bodies. Ann interviews Greg Bourke about Australia’s many carnivorous plants and the slow and painful deaths they deliver to their prey.

Episode 09/07/2019: The Curse of the Plastic Nurdle

What is a nurdle!? Nurdles are small plastic particles that are used in the production and manufacturing of larger plastics. Unfortunately, millions of them have made their way into our oceans. Whose responsible for this pollution? What role do manufacturers and producers play? These are the questions explored in this episode.

BEEP Cast: Behavioural Ecology and Evolution

Are you a science nerd? Are you excited by the nitty-gritty details of scientific research? Then this is the podcast for you! Hannah Rowland partners with the Zoological Society of London and Cambridge University to bring you the latest on animal studies.

Episode 22: Marie Herbenstein, Deception and Disguise of Orchid Mantis and Owl Butterflies

This episode is all about deception and disguise in animals. It starts with a discussion of the beautiful orchid mantis and how it catches its prey. It then turns to “eye spots” and why are they so controversial in the scientific community.

Episode 16: The Wiltschkos and Magnetic Navigation in Birds

Did you know? Bats can jam their competitors’ echolocation ability to get more food, fish have a highly developed sense of smell, and birds use the earth’s magnetic field to navigate. Cool, right!?

Nature Guys

A podcast hosted by two friends, Bill and Bob, who met at the Cincinnati Nature Centre. Bill was the Chief Naturalist for the centre and Bob volunteered leading hikes for school groups. In each episode, they cover a different plant or animal.

Episode 30/10/18: Zombie Wasps

All about parasitoid wasps. These wasps are creepy! Learn how they take over the minds of caterpillars and the horrors they unleash on them. Also, is it possible to train wasps to find narcotics and weapons? You’ll have to listen to find out.

Episode 18/9/18: The Sound of Insects on a Late Summer’s Night

Have you ever been outside on a summer’s night and wondered “what is making all that noise?” Bob and Bill discuss singing insects, how they make those sounds, where to find them, and the clever ways they use foliage as sound chambers.

ZSL Wild Science

ZSL Wild Science is hosted by Monni Böhm in partnership with the with the ZSL’s Institute of Zoology. Monni interviews scientists about the latest in environmental science. The podcast is similar to its predecessor, BEEP Cast.

Episode 11: Can We Save Coral Reefs and What If We Don’t?

Coral reefs cover less than 1 percent of the ocean but host more than 9 million species! Is it too late to save them? Monni and Rachel Jones discuss coral bleaching and fate of coral reefs.

Episode 22: Can We Find Better Ways to Live With Wildlife?

Guest host Charlotte Coales speaks with experts about conservation and coexisting with wildlife. Can human beings coexist with large carnivores? How can citizen science help promote conservation? Hear the experts weigh in on these discussions.

Upcoming Posts

I hope this helped you discover a new podcast. I’d love to hear about your favourite science and nature podcasts. You can comment below, send me a message on Instagram @woodland.woman, or message me here.

Finally, come back in a couple weeks for Part 2! I’ll be recommending science and nature podcast for kids!

La Pêche Lake Canoe Camping

November 26, 2019

La Pêche Lake is the perfect place for a no-stress wilderness camping trip. It’s great for people who are looking to try canoe camping without venturing too far into the backcountry. I’d recommend it for first-timers, people with young children, and weekend warriors.

Location & Services

La Pêche Lake is located in Gatineau Park, Québec. It’s an hour drive from Ottawa and 3 hours from Montreal. The location is a popular spot for canoe camping and fishing. The camping season opens mid-May and closes after the Thanksgiving weekend.

Canoe rentals are conveniently located on the beach and include PFDs, paddles, a whistle, and a bailer. The rental office will also provide you with a map of the area. A park employee told me that canoes are never fully booked, so there is no need to make a reservation. However, make sure to book your campsite well in advance. Gatineau Park begins taking bookings in January.

Campsites

Campsites at La Pêche Lake are only accessible by boat. It’ll take you between 30 – 90 minutes to paddle to them depending on the location of your site and your skill level. There are no portages.

At each site you’ll find an outhouse (with toilet paper and hand sanitizer), a place to hang your food, a fire pit, fire wood, and picnic table. You’ll have to pack in your own water or purify lake water.

Late September, I camped with friends at sites 4a and 4b. These sites were well maintained and had nice gravel tent pads. This area is fully shaded but you can catch the sun by the shore. Our only issue was the firewood provided was green. It was comically difficult to start a fire and keep it going. Luckily for us, we paddled over to a neighbouring site where the campers were more than happy to share their dry wood.

On Thanksgiving weekend, my partner and I stayed at campsite 11b. The site was relatively flat with lots of places to tie off a tarp and to hang a hammock. Unlike the sites at 4a and 4b, there is no defined gravel tent pad. It is still easy to find a flat spot to erect a tent. 11b gets some sun at the end of the day.

There are two sites nearby (11a and 11c). We noticed that 11a got the most morning sun. It is also closest to the firewood but furthest to the outhouse. 11c is a smaller and rockier site. It doesn’t get much sunlight. If you are going to camp in this location, I recommend either site A or B.

One cool thing about these locations is the beaver lodge constructed nearby. You have to pass it to land your canoe. We never saw any beavers but we heard them slapping their tails after sundown.

Fishing

Fishing is great on this lake. You’ll find northern pike, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, black crappie, and pumpkinseed fish. You can’t buy fishing permits at the park, so make sure to get them before arriving. There are several locations nearby. We got ours from Ace Hardware in Almonte.

La Pêche Camping Tips

If you are renting a canoe, you’ll have to park and walk a short distance downhill to the rental area. If there are two of you, you can avoid carrying all your gear down this steep hill. After renting the canoe, get one person to paddle the canoe to the nearby boat launch while the other person drives the vehicle there. At the boat launch, you can easily load your canoe close to the shore. There’s also a large parking lot there.
You can check water conditions for swimming before you arrive. I recommend water shoes if you plan on swimming.
If you find yourself in trouble, you’ll be instructed to blow the whistle provided in three long blasts. This is the signal for help.
Visit La Pêche Lake in the fall season when the bugs are gone and the trees have changed colours. The autumn colours begin late September and peak around Thanksgiving.

Have you or are you planning on visiting La Pêche Lake? Do you have any questions or tips? Let me know in the comments section. Happy camping!

Gatineau Park: Free Shuttle this Autumn

October 22, 2019

The National Capital Commission (NCC) is offering a free shuttle service from Ottawa to Gatineau Park on weekends this month to encourage people to get outside and see the fall colours. This weekend is the last weekend to take advantage of this offer!

Gatineau Park Trails

They have routes to Pink Lake, King Mountain, Champlain Lookout, and Mackenzie Estate. I recommend visiting Pink Lake and King Mountain. Pink Lake Trail is a 2.1 km loop with views of a meromictic lake. King Mountain trail is a 1.9 km loop on the edge of the Canadian Shield. At both locations you’ll get to see the last of the fall colours. Use the hashtag #fallrhapsody to participate in their fall photo challenge.

Campfire Cooking: Measuring Cooking Temperature

October 16, 2019

Did you know there’s an easy way to measure the cooking temperature of a campfire? It’s called the “hand test” and it can help you nail the perfect cook every time.

How it Works

You can get a rough estimate of the temperature of a fire by hovering your hand over the cooking area. How long you can hold your hand over the heat gives you an estimate of the temperature:

Less than 1 second: + 600 F (high)

1 – 2 seconds: 400 – 500 F (medium-high)

3 – 4 seconds: 350 – 375 F (medium)

5 – 7 seconds: 325 – 350 F (low)

It’s that simple. Just be careful not to burn yourself while performing this temperature test.

Campfire Cooking Using Temperature Zones

I’ve noticed that professional chefs who cook on open fires often create several temperature zones. For example, they’ll have a spot for grilling vegetables and another for cooking protein. They’ll also have an area to draw hot coals from to increase the temperature of the other zones. It takes practice to master this kind of temperature regulation, but once you get the hang of it you’ll be able to cook anything on an open fire.

Carryover Cooking

Another thing to consider when cooking on a campfire is that the food will retain heat and continue cooking even after it is removed from the fire. This is known as “carryover cooking.” Keep this in mind so you don’t overcook or dry out your food.

Campfire 101

This is one of several posts in my Campfire 101 series. Check out some of the others: Campfire Safety, Types of Firewood and How They Burn and 8 Natural Tinders and How to Use Them. If you have any campfire cooking tips – share them below in the comments section.