Advertise on podcast: to know the land

I am in love with Cranberries. I have loved them for a long time. When I ended up in a bog full of Wild Large Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon) last year, I knew I had to come back again and harvest some. The plan worked out and this year, on a beautiful early Autumn day, I got to hike out to that very same bog with a couple of pals and harvest a small buckets worth, for cookies, for sauce, for crumble and for joy. I didn’t know much about the natural history of Cranberries until now, but as is the case with this radio/podcast project, I learn with the shows. Hope you enjoy! To learn more :Michigan Shrubs and Vines by Burton V. Barnes, Christopher W. Dick, and Melanie E. Gunn. University of Michigan Press, 2016.Natures Garden by Samuel Thayer. Forager’s Harvest, 2010. The Book of … Swamp and Bog by John Eastman and Amelia Hansen. Stackpole Books, 1995.

In this wonderful season of harvest and plenty I wanted to share some gratitude for my favorite fruit. Like most everyone, I have long appreciated Apples (Malus domestica). They are fairly ubiquitous and common, but, as with many of the forms of life I like to talk about on this show, I feel like they are also underappreciated. We notice the fruit, but do we know how the flowers grow? The growth habit of the tree? The history? Some of us might need a refresher. Hope you enjoy! Photo by Nat To learn more :Ep. 256 : Apple Scat of Coyotes and Red FoxEp. 135 : Brian Husband and The Ontario Heritage and Feral Apple ProjectThe Book of … Field and Roadside by John Eastman and Amelia Hansen. Stackpole Books, 2003.Apples of North America by Tom Burford. Timber Press, 2021.Trees of Power by Akiva Silver. Chelsea Green, 2019.

Crayfish have fascinated me all my life. My mother told me stories of finding bright blue crayfish in streams as she was growing up. I see them now everyday in the river I live and work alongside. Crayfish are plentiful and seem to be throughout the Great Lakes bioregion, but I still don’t know enough about them. I want to know more. Summer is pretty much through, and Autumn is in the air. I can smell it. And really, it’s been a while since I have released a new show, but I have been thinking about this one for a good long time. I just keep getting hung up on the unanswered questions. I hope that just going through the motions, and ignoring the self doubt, might be enough to get back into the game. Photo: Rusty Crayfish in Guelph By Ryan Hodnett - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=97211151, edited for clarity and cropped. To learn more :Field Guide to Crayfishes in Canada (pdf)Crow’s Path Natural History of CrayfishTracks and Sign of Insects and Other Invertebrates by Charley Eiseman and Noah Charney. Stackpole Books, 2010.A Guide To Common Freshwater Invertebrates of North America by J. Reese Voshell, Jr. McDonald & Woodward Publishing Company, 2002.Crayfish Gastroliths, which I didn’t talk about but should have.

When we see certain things everyday, we start to encounter them with routine and we can sometimes begin to overlook them. They become mundane and the magic is forgotten. This is tricky in human-human relationships as well as human-plant relationships. Sometimes it is good to remember the qualities that got us stoked in the first place, that filled us with awe and wonder, and bring us back into good relationship with those we once desired to know more and saw as significant in our lives. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to do an episode reorienting to Plantain; turning back towards a treasured companion on the bumpy trail of life. Many of us are very familiar with this plant, but perhaps we also take them for granted, their being ever present and underfoot with a pretty nondescript flower. But Summer is here, and the season is full of bumps and bites. Now is the time to turn again to our trusted friend along the path and reacquaint ourselves once more. Hope you enjoy the show. To learn more : Field Manual of Michigan Flora by Anton Reznicek and Edward Groesbeck Voss. University of Michigan Press, 2012.Nine Herbs Charm - Anglo-Saxon poem featuring PlantainBraiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Milkweed Editions, 2013.Invasive Plant Medicine by Timothy Lee Scott. Healing Arts Press, 2010.American Wildlife Plants: A Guide to Wildlife Food Habits by Arthur C. Martin, et al. Dover, 1951.Population Dynamics of the Perennial Herbs Plantago Major L. and P. Rugelii Decne by Wayne R. Hawthorn and Paul B. Cavers.NorthEast Medicinal Plants by Liz Neves. Timber Press, 2020.Botany in a Day by Thomas J. Elpel. Hops Press, 2013.The Book of … Field and Roadside by John Eastman and Amelia Hansen. Stackpole Books, 2003.

I have been out with my students a lot in the past month and a half and it seems that every time we go out we are looking to the trees and shrubs that are growing in disturbed areas and likening these disrupted habitats to post glacial landscapes. Some of my students are able to recognize the similarities between an urban construction/destruction site, and some are still picking it up. I always do my best to explain what I am seeing, I still don’t know much and wanted to go a little bit deeper, as always. For this show I share some of what I am learning about the migration of trees and different flora through southern Ontario after the glaciers receded. On top of this, I wanted to note how these development sites also hold hope, and set examples for wild rejuvenation through random ecological assemblages and novel ecosystems in the face of uncertain futures of changing climates and infrastructure degradation. Please appreciate the fun title as well. To learn more : After the Ice Age by E. C. Pielou. University of Chicago Press, 1991. Ontario Forests : A Historical Perspective by K. A. Armsom. Fitzhenry and Whiteside, 2001. Wild Urban Plants of the NorthEast (2nd ed.) by Peter Del Tredici. Cornell University Press, 2020. Legacy : A Natural History of Ontario edited by John B. Theberge. McClelland & Stewart, 1989. glaciationtreesOntariopost-glaciationdisturbancenovel ecosystemsinvasive

After my recent jaunt to go visit some migrating salamanders, I had so many questions. For years I have been making my pilgrimage to visit the salamanders as they make their ways to their breeding pools. All the while, I have been reading about “Unisexual Ambystomas” and was confused by the complexity of “the complex”, a small group of closely related salamanders and sperm stealers. Yeah, sperm stealers. After I heard some friends had ran into a local salamander afficionado, Annika Wilcox, I asked if she would like to hang out on air for an hour to discuss her love for the Order Urodela. I had so many questions of my own, along with questions from roommates, pals, and some of my students. I hope this helps us all learn a little bit more about those wild weird and wonderful amphwibians (see what I did there?). To learn more : Ep. 282 : Spotted Salamander Migration

The other day, while out with my students, we came across four basking snakes on the side of a gravel access road cutting through an Eastern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) forest. Two Eastern Garters (Thamnophis sirtalis sirtalis), a single Red-bellied (Storeria occipitomaculata), and a Brown Snake (Storeria dekayi). Three of the four stuck around and we watched, told a story, and asked questions about the snakes. Some of the questions I could help the students find the answers, but some I was at a loss. Do multiple species of snakes share a hibernaculum? What is a hibernaculum really? Do all snakes use them? What characteristics are the snakes looking for in a hibernaculum? These and a couple other questions really sat with me for the day. When it came time for the radio show, while I had a lot of interesting sightings this first warm week of Spring, the hibernacula question still held my heart. So I obviously had to look it up and learn more. To learn more : The Snakes of Ontario : Natural History, Distribution, and Status by Jeffrey C. Rowell. Self published, 2012.Amphibians and Reptiles of the Great Lakes Region by James H. Harding & David A. Mifsud. University of Michigan Press, 2017.

Two friends and I got in my car on a stormy night to drive 35 minutes through the thick rain to sneak around the woods looking for migrating Salamanders. This wasn’t the first time either. I have been doing this pilgrimage for a few years, and am still excited every time. This time I brought a recorder with us as well, to try and hold the moment to better convey over the radio. Thanks to all the Spotted Salamanders and frogs and worms for just doing their thing. Also to Nat and Dani for coming along. To learn more : Metamorphosis by Peter B. Mills. Self published, 2016. Wading Right In by Catherine Owen Koning and Sharon M. Ashworth. University of Chicago Press, 2019. Intracellular invasion of green algae in a salamander host by Ryan Kerney, Eunsoo Kim, Roger P. Hangarter, Aaron A. Heiss, Cory D. Bishop, and Brian K. Hall. (pdf) Algae invasion : Algae and salamander relationship is mutually beneficial by Marilyn Smulders.

On a very cold day in February, while trailing a Algonquin Wolves (Canis lycaon) across the frozen Lake of Two Rivers, South of highway 60 running through Algonquin Provincial Park, a fellow tracker and I came across a nest. I took out my phone and quickly took some measurements and moved on. It wasn’t too long, as it was -30°C (-22°F/243K) and my hands we’re screaming at me, but this little discovery started itching my memory of the day and pestering me to figure out who it was. I did a little bit of research, through which I came to the conclusion that the nest may have been built by a Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). This is the story of that discovery and some of the readings which led me to a possible answer to an ageless question; whodunnit? To learn more : A Field Guide to the Nests, Eggs and Nestlings of North American Birds by Colin Harrison. Collins, 1978. Peterson Field Guide to Eastern Birds’ Nests by Hal H. Harrison. Houghton Mifflin, 1975.Peterson Field Guide to North American Bird Nests by Casey McFarland, Matt Monjello, and David Moskowitz. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021.Bird Nest Finder by Dorcas Miller. Nature Study Guide Publishers, 2024. Inaturalist identifications of Red-winged Blackbirds in the area of the nestInaturalist identifications of Swamp Sparrow in the area of the nest

It’s always nice to have a few days off during this time of year. While a lot of folks are busy with family, or having cozy times at home, I can wander through the snowy woods looking for the signs and tracks of all the other animals who we share the land with. For today’s show I am just telling some stories of some of the trails I have been on over the past week, detailing some of what I have been observing and learning. Fondling icy Coyote tracks, to learning about a new species of Poison Ivy (new to me), to finding a flayed Cottontail carcass, it’s been a ton of fun this past week. Hope you enjoy! To learn more : Peterson Field Guide to North American Bird Nests by Casey McFarland, Matt Monjello, and David Moskowitz. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021.Minnesota Wildflowers entry on Western Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron rydbergii)Minnesota Wildflowers entry on Eastern Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)Field Manual of Michigan Flora by Edward G. Voss & Anton A. Reznicek. University of Michigan Press, 2012.The Nature of Oaks by Douglas W. Tallamy. Timber Press, 2021.American Wildlife Plants: A Guide to Wildlife Food Habits by Arthur C. Martin, et al. Dover, 1951.The Deer of North America by Leonard Lee Rue III. Lyons Press, 1997.Acorns and Deer Management article by Dr. Craig Harper and Jarred Brooke (pdf)

Winter Solstice has returned. Technically it’s in a few days but with the longer nights, it’s certainly being felt. This year I have been out tracking, indoor climbing and baking up a storm at home. It’s been a lovely, snowy descent into the dark. Again, like last year, I have been reading, writing, listening to a lot of film soundtracks and watching silly movies. But I also try to make space for the reverence. Of course, this comes through the tracking, learning and sharing naturalist knowledge, and spending quality time outside, but I also celebrate through stories and songs, both new and ancient, and kept warm beside friends, old and new, nibbling on delicious baked goods. Every day is magical, but the spiraling year allows for seasons and celebrations to be longed for, and appreciated deeply when the those same seasons and celebrations return once again. And, once again, I get to rebroadcast the 1985 radio play by Alison McLeay “Solstice” for the 8th year in a row. I am so grateful to get to air it again and celebrate the season of darkness with a deep dive into the origins of some of the celebrations and stories my ancestors may have participated in and shared this time of year. Get yourself a nice warm drink, a cozy blanket, light a candle and enjoy.

While out tracking in the new snow the other day I came across some relatively small tracks, reminiscent of a Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) or Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), though small enough to be a Short-tailed Weasel (Mustela ermina). It took a second before I recognized them as Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans) tracks. I have been encountering Southern Flying Squirrels in various ways for a few years, including tracks, scat, feeding sign, live sightings, and I even pet one once, but through all of this, I didn’t know much about them. Hence, inspired by my recent tracking outing, I figured I would take some time to get to know the Southern Flying Squirrel a little better. Hopefully we can learn a little more together. To learn more : Mammal Tracks and Sign by Mark Elbroch and Casey McFarland. Stackpole Books, 2019.The Wild Mammals of Missouri 3rd Ed. by Charles W. Shwartz and Elizabeth R. Shwartz. University of Missouri Press, 2016.Mammals of Algonquin Provincial Park. The Friends of Algonquin Park, 2018. Climate change induced hybridization in flying squirrels by GARROWAY, BOWMAN, CASCADEN, HOLLOWAY, MAHAN, MALCOLM, STEELE, TURNER, WILSON. Global Change Biology, 2009.

While tracking White-tailed Deer at Mono Cliffs with the Earth Tracks apprenticeship, we saw lots of signs of the rut and the subtle ways deer communicate. We studied three main signs: scrapes, rubs and lick branches. Together, these clues form a multisensory language of scent, sight, and even ultraviolet signals that share details of identity, territory, and mating readiness. These clues along the trail are a real insight into how deer express themselves across the landscape in ways most of us overlook. To learn more : Ep. 256 : Apple Scat of Coyotes and Red FoxGlands on a White-tailed Deer Leg - I copied a lot of my information from that post and used it here as well.Appearances can be Deceiving by Dan Strickland from The Raven talks about… DEER & MOOSE. The Friends of Algonquin Park, 2003. Stokes Guide to Animal Tracking and Behaviour by Donald and Lillian Stokes, Little, Brown and Company, 1986.Field & Stream : The Total Deer Hunter Manual by Scott Bestul & Dave Hurteau. Bonnier, 2013.Rubs and Scrapes Glow Like Highway Reflectors to a Deer’s Eyes by Lindsay Thomas Jr. Deer (The Wildlife Series, Book 3) edited by Duane Gerlach, Sally Atwater & Judith Schnell. Stackpole Books, 1995.The Deer of North America by Leonard Lee Rue III. Lyons Press, 1997.Naturekind : Language, Culture & Power Beyond The Human by Melissa Leach and James Fairhead. Princeton University Press, 2025.Eavesdropping on Animals by George Bumann. Greystone Books, 2024.

I have missed a few of the notable migrations this year; Salamanders, raptors, and until yesterday, the Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha). The salmon are a unique one on this list for me though, special in a strange kind of way. Firstly, fish and I never sat well until I got to know the salmon. They changed how I saw all fish species, and now instead of a feeling of ick, I get a wonder, awe and reverence. Secondly, this migration back to the homeplaces of the individual salmon, while bringing the promise of future life, also means imminent death for the hundreds of fish who make the journey. There is a beauty and sadness in it that floods right through me.   This episode was recorded along the banks of the Credit River, which is also a bit of a homecoming for me as well. The Credit is a river I have known, a river which has shaped me  deeply and set me on a course I am wading my way through.  I am unfathomably grateful for the salmon and for the river for sharing so much with me and helping to shape this episode. To learn more : Freshwater Fishes of Ontario by Erling Holm, Nicholas E Mandrak, Mary E. Burridge. Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), 2010.Fishes of Toronto : A guide to their remarkable world. City of Toronto, Royal Ontario Museum, 2012. (pdf)Salmon Country by Robert H. Busch. Key Porter Books, 2000.

It isn’t often that I get to see bear scat down here in Guelph, but in Parry Sound, there are many Black Bears, and while visiting the Sound for a trailing workshop, we came across some of their scat. For me, it was an event. A highlight of the weekend visit with friends and practicing our trailing together as a crew. Black Bears are pretty majestic, if that’s the right word, and carry a weight, beyond their materiality, in my imagination of what is “wild”. Even if we don’t get to see the bear, their scat was plenty enough to get me thinking about the plants their consuming, how their digestion works, and how their being themselves impacts and plays with the land they make up and inhabit. Big thanks to Diana Clements for organizing the workshop, and to Matt Nelson for teaching us. To learn more : Towards A Better Understanding of ScatTracking the American Black Bear by Preston Taylor. Self published, 2021.Mammal Tracks and Sign by Mark Elbroch and Casey McFarland. Stackpole Books, 2019.Forest Plants of Central Ontario by Brenda Chambers, Karen Legasy, and Cathy V. Bentley. Lone Pine Publishing, 1996.Up North Again by Doug Bennet and Tim Tiner. McClelland & Stewart Inc, 1997.Information on Trailing Evaluations from Tracker Certification North America