Have you ever noticed that oak trees sometimes have bumper crops of acorns, and sometimes hardly produce a thing? What causes this? And why?

Join host Griff Griffith and producer Michael Hawk on an exploration of acorn masting (bumper crops), with a special deep dive into one species that profoundly benefits - the charismatic Acorn Woodpecker.

Along with our special guests, Dr. Walter Koenig (both a masting and Acorn Woodpecker researcher), and Dr. Doug Tallamy (author of The Nature of Oaks), we guide you through the interesting tale of acorn masting, and oaks in general.

This episode is part of a playful exercise in community podcasting, with 6 different shows each producing their own stories about or inspired by the mystery of masting, and releasing them at (approximately) the same time.

For other masting stories, check out:

• Future Ecologies
• Golden State Naturalist
• Learning from Nature: The Biomimicry Podcast
• Nature's Archive
• Outside/In

We’ll populate this Spotify playlist with all our stories as they come out!

Beyond a podcast, Jumpstart Nature is a movement fueled by volunteers, igniting a fresh approach to reconnecting people with the natural world. In the face of our pressing climate and biodiversity challenges, we're on a mission to help you discover newfound purpose and motivation.

Join us in this vital journey towards nature's revival. Explore more and show your support at jumpstartnature.com, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, BlueSky and YouTube.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Links to Topics Discussed and Supporting Resources

Calscape - find hyper-local native plants in California

NWF Native Plant Finder

Homegrown National Park and their Map

The Nature of Oaks

Send us a text

Support the show

Have you ever found it tough to talk about big issues, especially when people already have strong ideas? In the world of nature and climate, we often see communication that feels more like telling people what to do, or how to think. It's easy for us all to dig in our heels, even if we're wrong, and shut down new ideas. Today, we're exploring a different path.

--

Griff: I was very radical and had really bad ecological depression because was from the Bay Area and watched all my favorite places get destroyed.

So I was, you know, really felt like the only thing left to do was to fight. And that's where I was at at 18, 19, 20. Pretty much all the way until 23, I was in a very radical mind state. Mostly angry and depressed.

--

That's Griff Griffith, someone many of you know as a passionate environmental communicator and a key collaborator with Jumpstart Nature. Like many, Griff once felt that fighting and lecturing were the only ways to defend the places he loved. But a surprising encounter on a work site with a farmer named Pops changed everything. Griff realized that truly saving biodiversity needed a different approach.

Today, Griff shares his remarkable personal transformation, revealing the power of nuance in communication and how embracing a different approach can yield incredible results for nature. It's a candid and thought-provoking conversation we can all learn from. We also dive into how even dandelions can have a surprising place in conservation—another vivid example of how our perspectives can evolve.

Because this conversation embodies the spirit of both our shows, I'm excited to release it on both the Nature's Archive and Jumpstart Nature feeds! If you're listening on Nature's Archive, know that Jumpstart Nature usually takes you on an immersive journey into thought-provoking topics that help you save biodiversity.

And if you're on the Jumpstart Nature feed, Nature's Archive brings you deep-dive interviews with top minds in ecology, biodiversity, and nature more broadly. Get ready, because this summer we're gearing up for many new episodes across both feeds! Our new team of volunteers is hard at work, and we already have several amazing interviews recorded that I can't wait to share with you.

For now, let’s lean in for Griff's truly inspirational story of personal transformation.

FULL SHOW NOTES

Links

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Bringing Nature Home – by Doug Tallamy

Homegrown National Park

Nature’s Best Hope – by Doug Tallamy, Dr. Tallamy’s 2020 release

Send us a text

Support the show

Cats are independent, lovable, and endlessly entertaining—but with nearly 100 million outdoor cats in the USA alone, they become one of the most devastating forces against wildlife, killing billions of animals each year. At the same time, outdoor cats face harsh, short lives filled with disease, injury, and danger. So how do we balance our love for cats with our responsibility to protect biodiversity?

Join host Griff Griffith as we explore the complex reality of outdoor cats with veterinarian Dr. Mike Armer, TNR (Trap-Neuter-Release) advocate Allison Fluty, and biologist Sophie Osborn. They’ll tackle tough questions, debunk myths, and reveal how cat lovers and wildlife advocates can find common ground. Whether you adore cats, cherish wildlife, or both, this episode will challenge your perspective—and offer real solutions.

FULL SHOW NOTES with extra resources, including impacts of outdoor cats, ways to enrich your indoor cat's life, and studies on TNR efficacy.

Also check out our full interview with Sophie Osborn to hear more about her efforts to reintroduce endangered birds, and how cats are hindering efforts.

Additional Credits

Filmmusic.io Compositions - License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Cinematic Suspense Series Episode 009 by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/8224-cinematic-suspense-series-episode-009

Imagefilm 018 by Sascha Ende
https://filmmusic.io/en/song/315-imagefilm-018

Lockdown by Sascha Ende
Free download: https://filmmusic.io/en/song/7658-lockdown

Miles Ewell Compositions:
Principal Dean - Clic [C670 Records]
Principal Dean - ANX

Send us a text

Support the show