Bugs and Birds: Celebrating World Migratory Bird Day
35 MinutesGuests: Chris Elphick
October 12 is World Migratory Bird Day, a global campaign that aims to raise awareness of migratory birds and the need for international cooperation to conserve them. This year's theme for the campaign is “Protect Insects, Protect Birds,” underscoring the importance of invertebrates to migratory birds. Xerces is also, for the first time, an official partner in World Migratory Bird Day, so we are focusing this episode on the intersection between birds and bugs.
Spider Sense Part 2: Unraveling the Secrets of Arachnids
44 MinutesGuests: Sebastian Echeverri
In part two of this spider special, we dive into Sebastian's research during his PhD. Did you know that jumping spiders can dance? How well can jumping spiders see? Why do so many people fear spiders? And why and how should we help them?
Spider Sense Part 1: Unraveling the Secrets of Arachnids
33 MinutesGuests: Sebastian Echeverri
Spiders. There is a lot that people don't know about these interesting creatures. What makes them unique and what role do they play in our environment?
Bee City and Bee Campus USA: Protecting Pollinators One Community at a Time
36 MinutesGuests: Laura Rost
An important element in the success of pollinator conservation efforts is communities of passionate people taking action. Bee City USA is one Xerces Society program that is helping people to do just that. Established in 2012, Bee City has been uniting communities around a shared goal of creating meaningful change for pollinators through policy change, habitat creation, and education.
Exploring Wasps: Myths, Facts, and Fascinations
43 MinutesGuests: Jennifer Hopwood, Rae Powers
Wasps. That word alone may make you squirm. They aren’t fluffy and cute like their close relatives, bees, and they don’t have the best reputation, but they do play an important role in our environment. Maybe they just need a PR makeover?
Pollinators in a Changing Climate: Threats and Solutions
34 MinutesGuests: Angela Laws
We’ve all heard about climate change. It’s a rather complicated issue—one that has come up several times in this podcast as we discuss the threats facing invertebrates. So in this episode, we will focus on what we can expect as our climate changes and what that means for our pollinators. And of course, what actions you can take to help these important insects in the face of climate change.
Wings of the Rockies: Exploring Butterfly Life Histories
44 MinutesGuests: Steve Armstead
In this episode of Bug Banter, we are closing out our series on butterflies across the United States by exploring those found in the Rockies. From prairies to mountain tops, the Rockies are made up of a diversity of ecosystems varying in altitude and temperature.
All About Bees: Celebrating Pollinator Week
59 MinutesGuests: Kass Urban-Mead, Rich Hatfield, Mace Vaughan
Happy Pollinator Week! In celebration, we assembled a panel of bee experts for this special Q&A session on bees, originally recorded live with audience questions.
Wings of the East: Exploring Butterfly Life Histories
36 MinutesGuests: Ray Moranz
Continuing with our series on butterflies, we are highlighting the butterflies east of the Rockies, which is a huge area and encompasses so many different environments — prairies in the Great Plains and the Midwest; forests of New England and the Southeast; mountains of the Appalachians; the wetlands and beaches of the Atlantic and the Gulf coasts.
Wings of the West: Exploring Butterflies
38 MinutesGuests: Kevin Burls
We often hear about monarch butterflies, but there are many other species of butterflies in North America. So we are kicking off a series of three podcast episodes to highlight butterflies in different regions of the US and today we are focusing on butterflies west of the Rockies!