Constant Wonder

He Found Self-Confidence Through a Lifetime of Service

Growing up in an unstable home with an alcoholic father, David Hudson questioned his own worth from an early age. Now a retired Salvation Army officer, Dave reflects on the mentors and experiences that helped him find his confidence and dedicate his life to helping others. https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/

Gems from Constant Wonder: Adventures in Nature

Personal stories from an ethnobotanist who travels the world to find healing plants, a writer who conducted "frog church" as a child, and a biogeochemist who connects soil microbes to constellations of stars. Gems from past episodes of Constant Wonder that will speak to newcomers and longtime listeners alike! Guests: Sasha Reed, biogeochemist and USGS research ecologist https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/sasha-c-reed Cassandra Quave, ethnobotanist and professor of Dermatology and Human Health at Emory University https://naturespharmacy.substack.com/ Lyanda Lynn Haupt, naturalist and eco-philosopher https://www.lyandalynnhaupt.com/

London Reveals Its Secrets to Mudlarks of the Thames

Artifacts hundreds of years old are exposed on the shore of London's River Thames when the river's tide goes out. Mudlarks walk the banks, searching for fragments and relics that reveal stories long forgotten. Come walk along the river with us as we connect past and present, from the Roman era to the modern day. Guests: Flora Spiegel, editor and mudlark https://www.instagram.com/thankyou_riverthames/?__d=11 Lara Maiklem, mudlark and author laramaiklem.com Kate Sumnall, Curator of Archaeology at London Museum https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/secrets-thames/ Note: you must have a permit from the PLA to mudlark on the Thames.

Returning Ferrets to the Wild After Near Extinction

When Shep the ranch dog discovered a mysterious rodent raiding his food dish, the canine forever changed the trajectory of the black-footed ferret species. Join us as we explore the precarious but wonderful lives of North America's only native ferret. We'll even take you along on a release of captive-born ferrets into the wild. Guests: Travis Livieri, founder and Executive Director of Prairie Wildlife Research https://prairiewildlife.org/ Justin Chuven, Deputy Recovery Program Coordinator at the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center https://www.fws.gov/office/national-black-footed-ferret-conservation-center Brian Maxfield, wildlife conservation biologist with Utah Department of Natural Resources Jimmy Breitenstein, wildlife photographer https://www.jimmybreitenstein.com/ Other voices from the ferret release: Clint Sampson, Crew, Marek

A Town Made Of Leaves Brought Beauty and Hope

When options for recess became limited during the pandemic, a group of children in Oak Park, Illinois created Leaf Town, a thriving metropolis made of fallen leaves and lost trinkets. Beth and Kathleen Rooney recount the rise, fall, and rebuilding of the little community and remind us of the value of imagination and attention to little things. Guests: Beth and Kathleen Rooney, authors of "Leaf Town Forever" https://www.leaftownforever.com