The Cryptonaturalist

There are many voices in the woods. The more you listen, the more you’ll here.

Special thanks to Ella Watts for voicing Juniper Grey. Ella Watts is a podcast producer for BBC Studios, and executive producer for the science fiction drama podcast The Orphans, a terrifying adventure about robots, clones and friendship. You can find Ella on Twitter @GejWatts , or follow her podcast @OrphansAudio. Find out more about The Orphans at orphanspod.com

Exclusive stickers, pins, shirts, and access to bonus content and strange expertise on strange topics awaits you at our patreon page. Patreon.com/CryptoNaturalist.

You’ll find information about submitting your poetry or prose for our hidden lore segments in the about section of our website at CryptoNaturalist.com. The CryptoNaturalist is written and read by Jarod K. Anderson. Thanks to Adam Hurt for the use of his song Garfield’s Blackberry Blossom off of his album Insight. For more information on Adam’s music, performances, and teaching, visit adamhurt.com.

Owls know about you. The least you can do is know about them.

Special thanks to Hank Green. Hank Green is the CEO of Complexly, a production company that creates educational content, including Crash Course and SciShow, prompting The Washington Post to name him "one of America's most popular science teachers." Hank co-hosts Dear Hank and John, an advice podcast, and Delete This, a review of his Twitter feed. Find out more about Hank’s many delightful projects at HankGreen.com.

There’s a cemetery that has never had a proper gate, but we’ll explore it all the same.

The CryptoNaturalist has been nominated for the 2019 Audio Verse awards in the categories of: Spoken Word – Program; Spoken Word – Writing; and Spoken Word – Performance. Visit https://audioverseawards.net/ before October, 31st to vote.

When a landscape chooses a rhyme scheme, we must join in the poetry.

This episode is written as a series of Shakespearean sonnets.

Hidden lore by Leslie J. Anderson

If you crawl into a burrow to meet its owner, it’s good to keep an open mind and a close eye on all your body parts.

Thank you to Jeffrey Cranor for playing Dr. Simon Blank. Jeffrey is a co-creator of a number of my favorite podcasts including Welcome to Night Vale. Give a listen to Jeffrey’s newest podcast Start with This. It’s a creativity and writing focused show and each episode centers around a topic from world building, to opening lines, and even failure.

Hidden lore by Tyver Foucault. Tyver can be found exploring the unusual places that radiate outward from Columbia, South Carolina. He has written over a thousand micro stories in the Strange Twitter sphere, and he welcomes you to read along on Twitter @TheDoorTHEDOOR

Cats are cats, even when they’re also trees or crustaceans.

This episode was co-written by Alice Pow. You can find Alice on twitter @AlicePow8. Special thanks to Matt Young for playing Skipper McCloud. You probably know Matt as Usidore the Blue from (one of my favorite podcasts) Hello from the Magic Tavern. The premiere of Magic Tavern season three that starts on July 22nd.

Hidden Lore poetry by Aspen Hougen. Aspen Hougen is a poet and anti-racist educator. She lives in Montana's Gallatin Valley with her wife and son. Find her on Twitter @anagyo_yo.

I don’t want to alarm you, but today’s creature is a lot closer to you than it is to me.

Angela Hall played by Jordan Cobb. Learn more about Jordan’s work at www.jordanvcobb.com or on Twitter @inkphemeral.

Hidden Lore poetry by Taylor A. Greene. Taylor A. Greene is a graduate student of archaeology at Ole Miss and a Kentucky native. His poetry is inspired by love, loss, and the beauty of Southern nature. His work has been featured in Rootstalk: A Prairie Journal. In lieu of a personal website, Taylor requests listeners "pay it forward" with love and joy.

Sound Effect Credits:

Splatter: https://freesound.org/people/Aegersum/sounds/344904/

Chitter: https://freesound.org/people/Tomoyo%20Ichijouji/sounds/279040/

Owl Screech: https://freesound.org/people/Yacob_l/sounds/397690/

This is a bonus episode from the CryptoNaturalist Patreon page. Subscribing to our Patreon page supports the show and unlocks more bonus content. Visit www.patreon.com/cryptonaturalist for details.

Winter Horses and Other Unknowables was written by Leslie J. Anderson

Find Leslie on twitter @inkhat or at www.lesliejanderson.com.

You are a cryptid worthy of study, a creature of the marshland night, a fascinating animal who is about to make a new friend.

Hidden Lore poetry by Jarod K. Anderson.

Please take a moment to leave a review for The CryptoNaturalist wherever you listen to this podcast.

Ambient wetland sound credit: https://freesound.org/people/tonant/sounds/260760/

Today we learn about the small, migratory songbird that’s bigger than all existence.

Holly Day’s poetry has recently appeared in Plainsongs, The Long Islander, and The Nashwaak Review. Her newest poetry collections are In This Place, She Is Her Own (Vegetarian Alcoholic Press), A Wall to Protect Your Eyes (Pski’s Porch Publishing), Folios of Dried Flowers and Pressed Birds (Cyberwit.net), Where We Went Wrong (Clare Songbirds Publishing), and Into the Cracks(Golden Antelope) .