Naturally Speaking

Fungi - the future of the food industry? From locally grown shiitake mushrooms to wild chicken of the woods and giant puffballs, St. Lawrence University student Aidan takes us on a journey of delicious proportions. Aidan begins by introducing us to local mushroom producer Bob Wagner, and giving the listener just the right information if you’re interested in growing your own mushrooms. From there we venture into the forest to harvest wild mushrooms and turn them into quesadillas, pizza, and more. This episode of our Forest Ecology series is sure to make you hungry for some wild delicacies!

As a resident of the North Country it's hard to have not at least heard of the small, shiny green insects known as the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), or at the very least have seen the purple boxes used to survey for the pests hanging from trees. Join St. Lawrence University Forest Ecology student and Angello Johnson, St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Forestry Resource Program Technician and Mohawk basket maker as they explore a local black ash stand and discuss the importance of black ash trees to the community. Learn why black ash is so important to the Akwesasne culture, the history of EAB and the area, and what you can do to help protect the black ash populations from this invasive pests. 

New York State maple weekends have passed, but sugar shacks across the North Country will be collecting and boiling sap until the temperatures rise and trees stop producing. In our most recent episode we learned about the life of a sugar maple, now Peter takes us through the sugaring process with local small business owner John Newman. They cover how John, of Newmanzone Maple, got started with sugaring, some of the challenges that are involved, and what the future of North Country maple sugaring could look like. If you enjoy a hearty plate of pancakes with local maple syrup, this is one podcast you don’t want to miss!

Have you ever wondered what life is like for a sugar maple?  Wonder no more! For the first episode of our Forest Ecology series, Olivia takes us through how a sugar maple experiences the four seasons. This episode will make you want to find the closest sugar maple, give it a pat on the trunk, and say “good job,” because they sure lead an impressive life!

Naturally Speaking is back for Season 2, kicking off with a mini-series from St. Lawrence University Forest Ecology students! With this short overview we’ll introduce the five upcoming podcasts, where students explore a variety of different topics pertaining to North Country forests and trees. Maple sugaring, emerald ash borer, edible fungus, and tree communication are all on the table. This is a series sure to have something for everybody!

In this episode of Naturally Speaking, host Kayla Edmunds is joined by Mark Manske, ornithologist and owner of Adirondack Raptors. Together, they discuss a few things such as what exactly a raptor is and what Mark's business, Adirondack Raptors, does. Plus, learn how that big colorful bird Kevin from the movie Up relate to the study of raptors. Stay tuned! 

Did you know that New York is a continental hub and on the front lines in the fight against invasive species? Have you been wondering what exactly an invasive species is? In this episode, Kayla and Val speak with  Rob Williams and Megan Pistolese from the St. Lawrence Eastern Lake Ontario Partnership for Invasive Species Management and Dr. Linda Auker, invasive species biologist and a professor of biology at Misericordia University in Pennsylvania. The focus of this episode is invasive species in the North Country and what we can do about them!

Just in time for Halloween, Erika Barthelmess, Nature Up North project director, speaks with bat expert Carl Herzog, wildlife biologist with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. They discuss bat diversity and conservation here in New York, and bust common myths about bats. Ever wondered if bats are picky eaters? Do they really control mosquito populations? Do they drink blood?  And what should you do if you have bats living in your house? These questions and more are answered in this podcast episode. Plus, Carl describes the best and worst parts of his job and gives some tips on becoming a wildlife biologist.

Alyssa Watson, a Nature Up North naturalist intern, is joined by Dr. Aileen O’Donoghue, a St. Lawrence University professor of physics and lifelong astronomer. Aileen brings the sky to life through her passionate storytelling as she blends the lines between science and culture. Their conversation touches on the historical naming of stars, the night sky as the original clock and calendar, time in space, and the evolution of the human connection with stars. Aileen also gives her advice to beginner stargazers and an interactive way to create your own sundial right at home. Join us in listening to Alyssa and Aileen as  they begin to unpack the wilderness above.

Please note, the interview took place on July 14th, 2020. Many references to the constellations,  planets, and position of the stars may only be applicable to the night sky in the Northern Hemisphere around the time of the interview. While this episode had several references to St. Lawrence University campus, we note that many areas in the North Country are excellent for stargazing. We encourage you to find someplace dark that is comfortable for you or to take advantage of public spaces around the University.

A full transcription of the episode audio can be found below for accessibility.

Podcast Timeline

8:30 History of stars

9:00 Arabic Influence on star naming

12:00 The original clock and calendar

12:38 The original cultural storybook

15 ?  Time in space, explosions

17:06 Ursa major and The Big Dipper; The Loss of  the tail

20:00 Symbolism and stories of the sky (storybook)

22:15 Technology and our connection to the sky

26;58 Aileen’s suggestions for beginner stargazers

-  365 Starry Nights by Chet Raymo

28:30 Making mental maps of the sky

31:20 Accessibility and stargazing

Welcome to Naturally Speaking, a podcast from Nature Up North.  Nature Up North is an environmental education and outreach project based at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. In this first episode, host Kayla Edmunds, intern with Nature Up North, talks with Nature Up North director Dr. Erika Barthelmess and Nature Up North project manager Madison O'Shea about the Nature Up North project and our desire to start a new podcast series.  Listeners will learn about the history and mission of Nature Up North, place-based environmental education, community science projects, and what we hope to do with our podcast, Naturally Speaking.  We also give an overview of what's to come and highlight some of the goings-on at Nature Up North to take place in the next month.