The NATURALLY SPEAKING Podcast

Episode #17: Wild Sea Otters

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 06:52:09 -0800

There are less than 3,000 California sea otters left in the world and they are one of our most adorable and poster-friendly endangered species. Incredibly agile in the water, sea otter once spent significant time on land. Now, with their protected status and lack of land-based predators, they are venturing onto the beaches once again to rest and play.

Click Here To Download: Episode #17: Wild Sea Otters.

Episode #16: Marine Ecosystems

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 08:10:28 -0800

Over seventy percent of the Earth's surface is covered with water and clean water is essential to life. Today we highlight some of the vastly different ecosystems that thrive beneath the water, both fresh and salty, by taking a little trip through some of the exhibits at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Click Here To Download: Episode #16: Marine Ecosystems.

Episode #15: Monterey Bay Kelp Forests

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 12:48:50 -0800

All the diving we've done in the Monterey Bay has been in Kelp Forests. The kelp can grow more than 4 inches per day, and is an ecosystem unto itself. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has the best kelp exhibit in the world - showcasing leopard sharks, rockfish and a wolf eel.

Click Here To Download: Episode #15: Monterey Bay Kelp Forests.

Episode #14: Wild About Otters

Mon, 09 Apr 2007 12:47:02 -0800

Mamlambo, Inc. donated a portion of Go Fish! Monterey Bay profits to marine conservation causes like the Wild About Otters exhibit that just opened at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. This exhibit showcases all sorts of freshwater otters, like African Spotted-Neck Otters and Asian Small-Clawed Otters.

Click Here To Download: Episode #14: Wild About Otters.

Episode #13: Jellies

Fri, 06 Apr 2007 12:46:33 -0800

I've only been stung by a jellyfish once, and it's not something I'm eager to repeat. I prefer to look at these ungulating invertebrates from behind glass, liek at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Jellies: Living Art exhibit.

Click Here To Download: Episode #13: Jellies.

Episode #12: Autumn In The Sierras

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 01:11:19 -0800

We have a lovely little campsite we like to visit in the fall when the aspens turn yellow and it gets chilly and wood smoke is on the breeze. It's five hours from home, but it's the closest we can get to real autumn weather and foliage in California. Enjoy!

Click Here To Download: Episode #12: Autumn In The Sierras.

Episode #11: Jackass Penguin Colony In South Africa

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 13:10:44 -0800

Last fall, my husband and I took a honeymoon around the world. Along the way, we stopped in South Africa and took in the local seaside. Just south of Cape Town, there is a little place called Boulder's Beach, where you can see Southern Right Whales and their calves just off the beach, and a colony of Jackass Penguins has set up a rookery amongst the large rocks that give the beach its name.

Click Here To Download: Episode #11: Jackass Penguin Colony In South Africa.

Episode #10: Maui, Hawaii

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 21:09:57 -0800

Last winter, we headed off to Maui, Hawaii to take in some of the state and national parks, as well as the Road to Hana. The lush landscape is littered with the greenest vegetation and lots of waterfalls, not to mention bamboo forests. Still, this isolated ecosystem faces many dangers, especially from invasive plants and non-native animals.

Click Here To Download: Episode #10: Maui, Hawaii.

Episode #9: Frolicking Hippos

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 21:07:46 -0800

Last fall, my husband and I took a honeymoon around the world. One of our favorite places that we stopped was in Tsavo National Park in Kenya. This video was taken from the porch of our safari tent, overlooking the waterhole. This short clip was about a couple of young hippos who always hung out together at this time of day, splashing and mock fighting amongst themselves before the pod hauled out to forage for the evening.

Click Here To Download: Episode #9: Frolicking Hippos.

Episode #8: Kenya Waterhole

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 21:02:50 -0800

Last fall, my husband and I took a honeymoon around the world. One of our favorite places that we stopped was in Tsavo National Park in Kenya. This video was taken from the porch of our safari tent, overlooking the waterhole. I especially like the last few moments of this video, when all the hippos call out to each other. You'll also get a few yawns and snorts along the way.

Click Here To Download: Episode #8: Kenya Waterhole.

Episode #7: Sunrise In Tsavo National Park, Kenya

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 17:58:45 -0800

Last fall, my husband and I took a honeymoon around the world. One of our favorite places that we stopped was in Tsavo National Park in Kenya. Now I know that the video quality here is pretty bad, but I really thought it was interesting the way the bird and animal noises for markedly louder at the very moment the sun rose. For more photos of our trips to Africa, check out our African Field Notes and the Special Assignment: Around the World in 40 Days.

Click Here To Download: Episode #7: Sunrise at Finch Hatton's In Tsavo National Park, Kenya.

Episode #6: Afternoon Prayer Call In Cairo

Wed, 07 Feb 2007 18:21:07 -0800

Last fall, my husband and I took a honeymoon around the world. Our first stop was Egypt, where we visited Cairo and stayed in Giza. One afternoon, we decided to go into Old Cairo and visit the Citadel Of Salahideen in Old Cairo (commonly known as "The Citadel").

As we stood on Mokattam hill at the Citadel overlooking the City of Cairo, the afternoon prayer call sounded. Five times per day, Muslims are called to prayer - at dawn, at midday, the middle of the afternoon, sunset, and in the evening. We were standing there admiring the view of Cairo, with the Great Pyramids in the distance, when the afternoon prayer call swept across the city.

Click Here To Download: Episode #6: Afternoon Prayer Call In Cairo.

PGO #5: Weather & Acts Of Nature

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 20:11:28 -0800

In this episode, I'll talk about some of my experiences with weather conditions and acts of nature - everything from earthquakes to hurricanes to clouds of icky bugs.

Click Here To Download: Episode #5: Weather & Acts Of Nature.

Our Second Poll: Listener Content Preferences

Sun, 12 Mar 2006 20:05:07 -0800

Our second poll on listener preferences showed that people liked video over audio, barely.

PGO #4: Northern Elephant Seals of Año Nuevo

Thu, 16 Feb 2006 22:50:52 -0800

I thought we'd shake things up a bit this time and have a break from listening to what I'm thinking. Instead, I thought I'd give you all a little glimpse into what I've been seeing. Therefore, without further ado, here's some of my video footage from a project I'm working on involving Northern Elephant Seals up at Año Nuevo State Reserve, along the California coastline. For supplemental materials, check out my special photography essay on the Northern Elephant Seal.

Click Here To Download: Episode #4: Northern Elephant Seals of Año Nuevo.