If any animal in the eastern US has a myth, it's the fisher, also sometimes called the fisher cat. What's true about this giant weasel and what's just a story around the campfire? If you've never heard of fishers, should you be afraid of them? As they retake new territory, when are they coming to your backyard, or could they live there already? Most importantly, are they really cats? If fishers aren't making that terrifying screech outside your window at night, what is - and hear the noise for yourself!Listen in on eyewitness accounts of a legendary creature stalking the streets and backyards of America, described as a "killer that knows little fear."Dr. Laken Ganoe, a postdoctoral wildlife ecologist with the Quest Lab at the University of Rhode Island, reveals the real animal behind the legend and shares her thoughts about why fishers inspire such fear and loathing.Listen to “Legend of the Fisher (Cat),” and subscribe to “30% Wild” at www.thirtywildpod.com Essential fisher facts for those who've never heard of themAre wolverines as scary as people say?What "everybody knows" about fishers - but isn't trueHow to eat a porcupineHow to tell if a fisher lives in your neighborhood (Hint: you won't see or hear it)What a mysterious chuckle in the woods meansCommunity science, aka citizen science, and learning from roadkillWhy hunters need to stay alert in fisher countryIncludes the original story, “Tonight on Creature Adventure!”
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Fear in the woods
What makes a place creepy, and most especially, what makes the woods spooky? Is it just the animals that are scary, or is there something else waiting off the trail? From abandoned cabins to strange echoes, we run away with our imaginations and delve into the research on what we like and don’t like about potentially threatening places in the outdoors. Plus how to have the best haunted house or front yard this Halloween.We also get just freaked out enough on the trail of a long-ago crime, deep in the Connecticut woods.With stories from this season’s wildlife experts about what to worry about when you’re alone in the woods, and what they’ve seen and heard out there. Listen to “Fear in the Woods,” and subscribe to “30% Wild” at www.thirtywildpod.comThe deep dark woods as iconic creepy placeHalloween decorations and cliched spooky places – why are *these* the places we fear? Mysterious crashes in the woods at nightMistaking bears for BigfootAnecdotes ain’t scienceWorking in the woods alone after watching scary moviesTrusting your gut vs dismissing your anxietiesHow to handle your fears in the woodsTaking care of scary places by avoiding them Snakes and cheeseburgersHow to stay safe from scary animals in the woodsHow to keep your dog safe in the woodsIncludes the original *true* story, “Coincidence?”
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Back from the Dead, aka Rewilding
What past life is in your yard, waiting to be resurrected? What do zombies have to do with ecology? In the spookiest way possible, we dig into rewilding your yard, neighborhood, or even whole regions. Get all the basics on bringing nature back to a space near you, including why you’d want to and how you’ll benefit. Plus pro tips about how to start with a tiny rewilded patch, right in your own backyard, porch, or patio, and remaking the world, one tiny action at a time.We also join a lonely coyote on a hair-raising night full of urban myths - and invasive species.Listen to “Back from the Dead, aka Rewilding,” and subscribe to “30% Wild” at www.thirtywildpod.comThe basics on rewilding, in campfire story/urban myth styleAccidental rewilding through neglect, and the sometimes-creepy places it createsInvasives vs native speciesNature keeps us healthyWhat good is a tiny rewilded patch?Doing what you can with what you’ve gotChoosing a good rewilding siteMaking a small-site rewilding planPro tips about plants, tools, and materialsIncludes the original story, “Hitchhikers.”
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Mountain Lions in the East, Part 2
Mountain lions, cougars, panthers, pumas - by any name, they’re the scariest animal out there, at least in our imaginations. On “30% Wild,” we look at the prospect of these big cats returning to the eastern part of the United States, where we know they live right now, and how they can show up virtually anywhere from time to time. How dangerous are these top predators? How do you stay safe during wildlife encounters? We also talk about black panther sightings, and learn why you shouldn’t choose the legendary Native American Underwater Panther as a kayaking buddy. Brian Roell, Wildlife Biologist and Large Carnivore Specialist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, tells us about the real animal behind the stories, evaluates your chances of seeing a black panther in the wild, and shares a hair-raising bear encounter from the north woods of the Upper Peninsula.Listen to “Mountain Lions in the East, Part 1” and “Mountain Lions in the East, Part 2,” and subscribe to “30% Wild,” at www.thirtywildpod.com Are mountain lions dangerous to you?Will mountain lions return to the eastern US? Could they already be here? How to handle mountain lion encounters and stay safeWhere cougars live, past and present, and where they could turn up nextWhy black panther sightings are dismissed by expertsHouse cat or cougar? Cases of mistaken identityHow cougars are weathering climate changeCougars and deerIncludes the original story, “Copper Mine.”
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Mountain Lions in the East, Part 1
Mountain lions, cougars, panthers, pumas - by any name, they’re the scariest animal out there, at least in our imaginations. On “30% Wild,” we look at the prospect of these big cats returning to the eastern part of the United States, where we know they live right now, and how they can show up virtually anywhere from time to time. How dangerous are these top predators? How do you stay safe during wildlife encounters? We also talk about black panther sightings, and learn why you shouldn’t choose the legendary Native American Underwater Panther as a kayaking buddy. Brian Roell, Wildlife Biologist and Large Carnivore Specialist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, tells us about the real animal behind the stories, evaluates your chances of seeing a black panther in the wild, and shares a hair-raising bear encounter from the north woods of the Upper Peninsula.Listen to “Mountain Lions in the East, Part 1” and “Mountain Lions in the East, Part 2,” and subscribe to “30% Wild,” at www.thirtywildpod.com Are mountain lions dangerous to you?Will mountain lions return to the eastern US? Could they already be here? How to handle mountain lion encounters and stay safeWhere cougars live, past and present, and where they could turn up nextWhy black panther sightings are dismissed by expertsHouse cat or cougar? Cases of mistaken identityHow cougars are weathering climate changeCougars and deerIncludes the original story, “Copper Mine.”
Season 1: Scary Animals in the Backyard-
Bears in the suburbs?
Mountain lions in Chicago?
Wolves in…New York??
Where *can't* you run into big predators these days, as climate change and habitat destruction push wildlife to the brink?
What's behind these stories and their grip on our imaginations?
And what creatures could be lurking outside *your* door?
As schemes multiply to re-forest and rewild vast acreage, it can be enough to keep newcomers to outdoor pursuits from setting foot outside - and make seasoned hikers, gardeners, and birders question how well they really know their favorite haunts.
Join me, an author and designer who’s spent a lifetime wandering around the woods, as we confront the fear and fascination of encountering a scary animal outdoors, alone, in a place you thought was safe.
For everyone intrigued by our wild neighbors and everyone peeking outside from behind the curtains, it's "30% Wild: Scary Animals in the Backyard."
Listen and subscribe at thirtywildpod.com, and get every episode before it gets you
Ireland