If you’ve been following Nature’s Archive for a while, you might be familiar with the idea of “leave the leaves”. It represents one simple act of omission - not raking, blowing, or mulching leaf fall - that is resoundingly positive for the environment.

But even if you think you know why leaving the leaves is helpful, I invite you to listen to today’s guest, National Wildlife Federation naturalist David Mizejewski.

If you are unfamiliar with David - let me just tell you his skill and enthusiasm for nature interpretation is second to none.

Today, David walks us through all the ways leaves help the environment - and how bagging them up and sending them to a landfill makes a bad situation much worse.

We also discuss useful tips for keeping leaves even if you have an HOA or difficult neighbors who might think you are neglecting your space.

So if you still have leaves in your yard, please listen and take NWF’s pledge to leave the leaves, and reap the rewards for years to come.

Be sure to follow David on instagram, and get David's Book "Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Other Backyard Wildlife".

FULL SHOW NOTES

People and Organizations

NWF Certified Wildlife Habitat

NWF’s Pledge to Leave the Leaves

Books and Other Things

Attracting Birds, Butterflies, and Other Backyard Wildlife - by David Mizejewski

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Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com

Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.

Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

As a nature lover, I’m often asked about my favorite plants, animals, and insects. And I always struggle to answer those questions, because I have so many favorites, and they are context dependent. But when it comes to birds, woodpeckers often come to mind first.

They’re often colorful, charismatic, and have such an amazing set of adaptations that let them drill into trees, excavate insects from bark, and some even fly catch on the wing.

One of the most interesting woodpecker species is the Acorn Woodpecker, found in much of the west and southwest. They live in large groups, are loud, have a clown face, and can store thousands of acorns in specially drilled holes that are just acorn sizes.

Today’s guest is Dr. Walt Koenig, who has spent several decades studying these birds, in affiliation with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and UC Berkeley. Today we’ll learn about their behaviors, why you don’t find acorn woodpeckers in the east, despite a nice variety of oak trees, and get this - acorns aren’t even their preferred food!

Dr. Koenig has studied their breeding behaviors and group compositions, which is perhaps the most fascinating part of the interview, and I can’t do it justice in a short intro - so you’ll just have to listen.

And if one studies acorn woodpeckers, it follows that one studies acorns, too. So we also discuss the phenomenon of masting - that is, when oak trees produce bumper crops of acorns, in synchrony across wide geographic ranges! In fact, this past year was a mast year for some oak species in California. So if you are interested in what causes masting, you might want to jump to the last 23 minutes or so of the interview.

This re-release of our popular interview with Dr. Koenig is part of a playful exercise in community podcasting, with 6 different shows each producing their own stories about or inspired by the mystery of masting, and releasing them at (approximately) the same time.

For other masting stories, check out:

• Future Ecologies
• Golden State Naturalist
• Learning from Nature: The Biomimicry Podcast
• Jumpstart Nature
• Outside/In

We’ll populate this Spotify playlist with all our stories as they come out!

FULL SHOW NOTES

Support Us On Patreon!
Buy our Merch!

Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com

Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.

Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!

Nearly every great story involves a transformation. In the butterfly world, we call it metamorphosis—the mysterious process where a caterpillar seemingly dissolves itself and is miraculously rebuilt into a creature that takes to the sky.

Our guest today is a living parallel to that transformation.

Liam O'Brien started his career far from the wild, under the bright lights of the stage as a professional actor. Yet, a shift was coming. At a pivotal time in his life, he traded the scripts and the spotlight for the quiet, meticulous study of winged beauty, stepping into the world of lepidoptery.

This pivot wasn't just a career change; it was a profound reawakening. In the precision and fragile beauty of the Bay Area's butterflies, Liam not only found a new scientific passion but he also re-discovered his dormant talent for art. He began documenting his observations with exquisite, original drawings, blending science and creativity in a way only he could.

The final form of this incredible journey is his beautifully illustrated Butterflies of the Bay Area - and slightly beyond.

Today, Liam discusses what makes butterflies so amazing. We discuss how no matter where you live, there are discoveries to be made. And this interview is so much more than just butterflies. You’ll have to listen to hear the raw, jaw dropping story of what led Liam to this life change.

And as you’d expect from a stage actor, Liam is full of charismatic and entertaining stories. And while we get into the details of some specific butterflies and places of the Bay Area, rest assured - there are parallels no matter where you live.

You can find Liam at robber_fly on instagram, and check out the show notes for links to Heyday Press and his book.

And thanks to Amelia Heintz-Botz for editing help with this episode!

FULL SHOW NOTES

Butterflies of the Bay Area and (Slightly) Beyond - Liam's beautiful new book

ADDITIONAL LINKS

Liam's public appearances

The Lepidopterists’ Society

Books

Dangerous World of Butterflies by Peter Laufer

Kaufman Field Guide To Butterflies Of North America

Related Podcast Episode

#46: Paul Johnson - Finding and Counting Butterflies

Support Us On Patreon!
Buy our Merch!

Music: Spellbound by Brian Holtz Music
License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Artist site: https://brianholtzmusic.com

Discover the Jumpstart Nature Podcast - entertaining and immersive, it's the nature fix we all need.

Check past Nature's Archive episodes for amazing guests like Doug Tallamy, Elaine Ingham, and Rae Wynn-Grant, covering topics from bird migration to fungi to frogs and bats!