Nature is a very broad term, and as we often discuss on this show, everything is connected. Geology impacts soil, which dictates what plants can grow. But if we pull back even further, the ultimate engine driving our planet's systems is the Sun. So when I think of Nature’s Archive—and that big concept of "Nature"—I love bringing these grand, foundational subjects into our scope.

Today is one such instance. Our guest is Dr. Ryan French, a solar astrophysicist and author who specializes in studying solar flares. Solar activity affects life on Earth in surprising ways—from creating spectacular auroras (the northern and southern lights) to disrupting GPS systems and power grids. And most fascinating for naturalists: these solar storms can even disrupt bird navigation and alter the foraging habits of bees.

Dr. French walks us through why solar flares occur, an even more impactful phenomenon called a coronal mass ejection, why these events follow an 11-year cycle, the current state of space weather forecasting, and how you can see and photograph beautiful auroral displays yourself.

Dr. French has an extremely fun and informative social media presence, so be sure to check out ryanjfrench.com for resources and links.

This was a super fun discussion—one I’ve wanted to have pretty much since I started Nature’s Archive.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Links

Compilation from Solar Flares and Eruptions from Dr. French's YouTube Channel

ryanjfrench.com

Check our Ryan's Books, including Space Hazards and The Little Book of Eclipses

NOAA's Space Weather Site, including predictions and real-time observations

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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!

From the archive...

It’s summertime, and around the globe record heat is dominating, from Europe to the midwest, and across the oceans as well.

As you know, heat is a key driver to wildfires. In fact, it is one of the three key ingredients, along with fuel and oxygen.

Global oxygen levels, at least within our lifetimes, aren’t going to change much. But heat and fuel can and will change. Obviously, heat is increasing, so one variable is driving more fire potential. And in many areas, fuel is also increasing. Whether it be from invasive species like cheat grass in the high deserts, or excessive understory growth due to both invasive species and decades of fire suppression.

Sometimes fuel is indirectly created by heat, which causes die-off of many trees and shrubs. And more complex still is the die-off caused by pine beetles, which are actually native. But they can turn destructive when excessive heat weakens tree defenses, and due to the forest service treating so many forests as dense monoculture crops.

I’d like to share this interview with Lenya Quinn-Davidson, discussing fire management. This interview was recorded 2 years ago, but is more relevant than ever.

Case in point, we’re barely into the traditional fire season and 2026 has already had record breaking wildfires in Nebraska, and Oklahoma and Kansas had a nearly 300,000 acre wildfire in February, along with a 35000 acre fire in Florida.

Wildfire is complex, often misunderstood, and turned into political fodder. So please take a few minutes and enjoy this episode from the archive.

You can find Lenya at LenyaQD on twitter.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Also check out our Episode 109 - Cultural Fire with Margo Robbins, for more great fire information.

Links
California Prescribed Burn Associations
Dixie Fire
Scott Stephens - wildfire reconstructions from UC Berkeley
UCANR Fire Advisors
WTREX - Women-in-Fire Prescribed Fire Training Exchanges

Thanks to Kat Hill for editing help in this episode.

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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!

Have you ever noticed how certain sounds, voices, or songs can instantaneously transport you to another world? Whether it’s a track from high school or the specific creak of a childhood porch, audio has a unique "backdoor" into our deepest memories and emotions.

In this episode, we explore how to tap into that same principle to radically deepen our connection to nature. While we are biologically biased to navigate the world through a visual "spotlight," we often miss the 360-degree sanctuary that sound provides. By shifting our focus from looking to listening, we move beyond simple identification and start experiencing nature as a floodlight—an immersive, restorative flood of information that lowers our stress and pulls us directly into the present moment.

To explore this invisible landscape, I’m joined by my friend Sue Pelmulder, a birder and audio engineer who learned how to combine these skills and reveal a new connection to nature. Together, we set out on a 5:00 AM "field trip" for the Santa Clara Valley Bird Alliance’s annual Birdathon. Using high-end recording gear, including an 18-inch parabolic dish that acts as a "zoom lens for the ears," we captured the hidden details of the California's Diablo Range. From the haunting, prehistoric calls of the Pied-billed Grebe to the singular "water glump" of a diving Western Grebe, this episode is an immersive look at how listening can reveal a world that our eyes alone would have entirely overlooked.

Ultimately, this journey isn't just about professional gear or rare species; it’s about the "treasure hunt" and connection to nature available right outside your front door. We discuss how you can get to know your individual neighborhood birds, and why tools like Merlin are leveling the playing field for new observers. Whether you are an experienced birder or someone looking for a "universal reset button" for a tired mind, this conversation with Sue Pelmulder will challenge you to close your eyes, open your ears, and discover nature in a new way.

FULL SHOW NOTES with Photos!

Birds Appearing in this episode: California Quail, White-throated Swift, Pied-billed Grebe, House Wren, Great-horned Owl, Western Grebe, Violet-Green Swallow, and more!

Sue's Recording Gear

Telinga Modular Parabolic Collector

Warm Audio WA-84 mono microphone with omnidirectional capsule

Recording on a Zoom H6 Handy Recorder at 48KHz linear PCM

Sony MDR-7506 headphones

Other Recording Gear (lower budget)

You can purchase "shotgun" microphones that provide some directionality (not as good as a parabola), but they are much more portable and much cheaper. Michael uses a Rode VideoMic Pro. Usually, the longer the shotgun mic, the more directional it is.

Zoom also makes smaller and less expensive recorders than the H6 Sue uses. Michael uses an H4N, but Zoom makes other less expensive recorders. Just make sure the connector types match your microphone.

For an ultra-portable (and inexpensive!) solution, Michael uses his smartphone and connects the Rode VideoMic Pro using a cable that converts the 1/8" output to a USB-C.

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!