Mother Nature Will Kill You
By Jillian Swinford and Haley Burleson
Mother Nature Will Kill YouJul 26, 2021
Episode 80 - Committed To The Bit
Jillian and Haley dive into the Timothy Treadwell documentary "Grizzly Man" before Jillian tells the story of chronobiologist Michel Siffre and the time isolation experiments. Haley talks monarch butterflies during conservation corner.
Sources: Caveman: An interview with Micchel Siffre, Joshua Foer and Michel Siffre, Cabinet Magazine
Siffre Cave Study Psychology, Study Smarter
Chronobiology, McGill Six Months Alone in Midnight Cave, James M. Deem
Deep Time Study: French volunteers leave cave after 40 days in isolation, BBC A test subject who spent 40 days in a cave for science breaks down what it was like, from weird sleep patterns to generating power with a bike. Marianne Guenot, Business Insider Michael Siffre, Wikipedia
Amistad National Recreation Area
IUCN Changes Migratory Monarch Status from Endangered to Vulnerable, Monarch Joint Venture
Conservation in North America, USDA
Monarch Butterfly, National Wildlife Federation
Episode 79 - If Not Friend, Why Friend Shaped?
Corey decides he wants to come on the podcast again and Jillian, Corey, and Haley talk about all kinds of personal news, including a move and a wedding. Jillian then dives into the highly controversial life and death of Timothy Treadwell, and Haley talks grizzly bears during conservation corner.
Sources:
We Watched "Grizzly Man" With a Bear Biologist. It Got Weird. Emma Veidt, Backpacker
Timothy Treadwell Devoted His Life To Grizzly Bears - Until They Ate Him, Katie Serena, All That's Interesting.
The Man Who Loved Grizzlies, Ned Zeman, Vanity Fair
Alaskan Peninsula brown bear, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Wikipedia
Grizzly Bear, National Wildlife Federation
Episode 78 - Muffin Walloper
Haley and Jillian talk about the troubling "spinning fish disease" in the Florida Keys before diving into the tragic tale of the Yarnell Hill Wildfire and the Granite Mountain Hotshots. Haley brings it back up during conservation corner with the Apache trout.
Sources:
19: The True Story of the Yarnell Hill Fire, Kyle Dickman, Outside Magazine Granite Mountain Hotshots: The firefighting team that died battling the Yarnell Hill Fire, Janelle Foskett, Fire Rescue 1 19 Firefighters Die Battling Arizona’s Yarnell Fire, David Greene, Ted Robins, NPR Two Years After Deadly Wildfire, Are There Lessons in the Ashes, NPR Staff, NPR On This Day: Remembering the Yarnell Hill Wildfire, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information 10 years later: Remembering the Yarnell Hill Fire and the Granite Mountain Hotshots - 12 News Arizona What It’s Like to Fight Fires With Hands and Tools, Insider News How Fighting Wildfires Works, Wendover Productions Apache Trout, Western Native Trout Iniative.org
Episode 77 - God Bless This Meth
Jillian and Haley talk about how history always repeats itself with a recent news story about Donner pass. Jillian dives into more prehistoric stories with the lost land of Doggerland and the hominids of Rising Star Cave. Haley rounds it out with some seal talk.
Sources: Doggerland- The Europe That Was, Benjamin Kessler, National Geographic Doggerland: Lost ‘Atlantis” of the North Sea gives up it’s ancient secrets, Daniel Boffey, The Guardian Letter from Doggerland, Jason Urbanus, Archology Study finds indications of life on Doggerland after devastating tsunamis, Esther Addley, The Guardian Tiny island survived tsunami that helped separate Britain and Europe, Michael Marshall, New Scientist Bondevik, S., F. Lovholt, C. Harbitz, J. Mangerud, A. Dawson, J.I. Svendsen. 2005. The Storegga Slide tsunami–comparing field observations with numerical simulations. Marine and Petroleum Geology. 22(1–2): 195–208. Doggerland: How did the North Sea’s Atlantis Sink? Alexander Freund, DW News Ancient Human Relatives May Have Buried Their Dead, Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine Unknown: Cave of Bones, Netflix Ancient Human Relatives Buried Their Dead in Caves, New Theory Claims, Carl Zimmer, New York Times The Latest on Homo naledi, John Hawks, American Scientist Were small-brained early humans intelligent? Row erupts over scientist’s claim, The Guardian A research team’s finding of pre-human burial sites was publicly lauded. Then came the peer reviews. Maya Fazel-Zarandi and Julian Hartman-Sigall, The Daily Princetonian The truth about animal grief, Zoe Cormier, BBC Earth
Gray Seal, NOAA Fisheries
Episode 76 - Dyslexia Strikes Again
Haley and Jillian are back with a super uncomfy story about what happens when a dive boat leaves you behind, the true story of the disappearance of Tom and Eileen Lonergan. Haley takes us to the Great Barrier Reef during conservation corner with the dugong.
Sources:
Tom and Eileen Lonergan: The American Couple Who Disappeared in the Great Barrier Reef, Kara Goldfarb, All That’s Interesting
Mystery of couple left behind in shark-infested waters still missing 23 years on, Nilufer Atik and Adam Solomons, Mirror From the Archives, 1998: Two scuba divers lost, left behind in open water, Paul McGeough, Brisbane Times
The Dive to Nowhere: An Account of the Missing Lonergans, Brown Lotus, Medium The True Story Behind ‘Open Water’ Is A Dark Mystery That Goes Way Beyond The Horror of The Film, Erin McCann, Ranker Great Barrier Reef, Wikipedia Central Great Barrier Reef, Great Barrier Reef.org The Dugong & Seagrass Conservation Project
MNWKY Rewind Ep. 6 - Death is Fine Before 11 PM
It's the last MNWKY Rewind before the break is over and we are back! This time we bring in Corey for a space focused episode talking about the experiment that is HI-SEAS Mars.
Sources:
HI-SEAS, Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation
When A Mars Simulation Goes Wrong, Marina Koren, The Atlantic The Habitat Podcast, Gimlet Media
MNWKY Rewind Ep. 5 - She Wants A Spa Day
On this episode of MNWKY Rewind we go back to one our favorite topics...caves! This week we revisit the absolutely terrifying story of the Plura Cave Tragedy.
Sources:
The cavers who went back for their friends, William Kremer, BBC News
Diving Into the Unknown, Amazon Prime
MNWKY Rewind Ep. 4 - Don't Trust A Goose
On this episode of MNWKY Rewind, we go back to our famous deadly mountain, Everest, with the mysterious disappearance of George Mallory and Sandy Irving.
Sources:
George Mallory, British Explorer and Mountaineer, Encyclopedia Britannica What Really Happened to George Mallory and Andrew Irvine?, Killer Climbs Mount Everest – Archaeology in the Death Zone, Lars Pilo, Secrets of the Ice Ghosts of Everest, Eric Simonson, Jochen Hemmleb, Larry Johnson, Outside Magazine
Lost on Everest, National Geographic, Renan Ozturk
MNWKY Rewind Ep. 3 - Anemonometer
Time to switch gears on this next episode of Mother Nature Will Kill You Rewind. This time we go back to the Great Storm of 1900, otherwise known as the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history.
Return for new content and regular episodes on March 4th, 2024. See you then:)
Sources:
Isaac’s Storm, Eric Larson
Tropical cyclone, Storm Surge , Wikipedia
Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, National Hurricane Center
The Great Galveston Hurricane of 1900, NOAA, Ron Trumbla
MNWKY Rewind Ep. 2 - Dirty Ernie
Time to finish our first trip down memory lane with the second chapter of the story of Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance.
Mother Nature Will Kill You Rewind is our way to say thank you while we are on break. Visit some episodes from the podcast's past, and some stories you may have forgotten about. Come back for regular and new episodes on March 4th :)
Sources:
Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, Alfred Lansing
The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, Wikipedia
Chasing Ernest: A Journey to South Georgia to Find the Ghost of Shackleton, Kraig Becker, Popular Mechanics
MNWKY Rewind Ep. 1 - Texantarctica
Time to take a trip down memory lane with Mother Nature Will Kill You Rewind as Haley and Jillian go on a long needed break.
In this episode we revisit the story of Ernest Shackleton and the Endurance expedition and their incredible story of survival. A story that Jillian brings up constantly.
Episode 75 - Just Goin' Off Vibes
It's our last episode before the break! Today, Jillian lightens the mood (a little bit, not a lot, this is Jillian we are talking about) and talks about legendary Hawaiian Surfers Eddie Aikau and Duke Kahanamoku. Haley brings conservation corner back to birds with the Hawaiian honey creeper.
Sources
The surfing life story of Eddie Aikau, Surfing Today Examining The Death of Eddie Aikau (Eddie Would Go), Michael Woodsmall, The Inertia Eddie Aikau: The Rad Life of a Hawaiian Surfing Legend, Lorraine Boissoneualt, JSTOR 1978 Voyage to Tahiti Canceled After Hokule’a Capsizes, Hawaiian Voyaging Traditions Duke Kahanamoku and The Superhuman Rescue, Gordy Grundy, The Inertia Heroic efforts of “Duke” of Corona del Mar Remembered, David Henley, Daily Pilot Duke Kahanamoku Part 2: The Day He Saved Eight Souls, Roy Tomizawa, The Olympians
The Duke Kahanamoku Story, Duke Kahanamoku.com
Episode 74 - They've Got the Audacity
Haley and Jillian talk about holiday traditions before jumping into the heavy story of the 1936 Eiger Disaster. Haley brings the vibe back with a conservation corner about Alpine Ibex.
Happy New Years!
Sources:
Toni Kurz and the Insanity of Climbing Mountains, Gene Smith, The Less Wrong Podcast
Tragedies on the Mountain: The Eiger 1936, Rob Slade, Wired for Adventure
The Eiger - Wall of Death, BBC
Alpine Ibex, Animalia.bio
Episode 73 - Sweet N'Death
Haley and Jillian go to the north pole...or almost, with the complete disaster and how-not-to of the Polaris Expedition. Haley talks about Santa's favorite animal for conservation corner, the Reindeer, or Caribou.
Sources:
Polaris Expedition, Wikipedia
What happened to the Polaris Expedition and did it lead to Murder? Discovery.com
Wait. Did That Really Happen? Potential Poison on the Polaris, Emily Niekrasz, Smithsonian Institution Archives
ENVS 15: The Earth’s Cold Regions, The Polaris Expedition, Dartmouth College
The Polaris expedition and the problem of bias in Arctic exploration history, Nanna Katrine Luders Kaalund, Arctic Relations
Episode 72 - I Love A Conspiracy Theory
Jillian and Haley round out their Titanic special with the survival stories of Margaret "Molly" Brown and Charles Joughin, and talk about the Titanic/Olympic switch conspiracy theory.
Sources:
Houston woman missing at Big Bend National Park found after a week, park rangers say, ABC news
Meet Margaret "Molly" Brown, Historic Denver.com
11 Unsinkable Facts About 'Titanic' Survivor Molly Brown, Cailey Lindberg, Mental Floss
The Incredible Story of Charles Joughin and How He Survived The Titanic, Gina Dimuro, All That's Interesting
The Amazing Story of Titanic Survivor Charles Joughin, Andre Nolan, Titanic Universe
The head baker of the Titanic spent two hours in frigid water and emerged with only swollen feet, Ada McVean, McGill University
Charles Joughin, Wikipedia
Revived Titanic-Olympic 'switch' conspiracy sunk by ships' differences, Reuters Fact Check, Reuters
Episode 71 - Most Erotic Moment
Jillian finally watches the 1997 James Cameron classic, Titanic, and talks about the real disaster. Haley talks about the only animal today that could have seen the wreck and lived long enough to tell us about it, the Greenland Shark.
Sources: How Did The Titanic Sink, BBC
Timeline of the Titanic’s Final Hours, Amy Tikkanen, Encyclopedia Britannica Titanic Facts.net Irish Man Eugene Daly’s eyewitness account of the sinking of the Titanic, Senan Moloy Irish Central 10 Titanic Survivors Describe What The Sinking Was Actually Like, Elise Hennigan, Ranker Sunken Dreams: The Finns on Board the Titanic, Jarno Linnolahti, Elizabeth Uchanov Titanic: The True Story Behind the Movie’s Controversial Shootings, Christy Box, Screen Rant Greenland Shark, Wikipedia
A Mysterious Greenland shark showed up in Belize, thousands of miles from its arctic home, Zoe Zottile, CNN
Old and cold: extreme longevity in Greenland Sharks, David Malmquist, Virginia Institute of Marine Science
Episode 70 - Babe, This Song Slaps
Haley and Jillian enter the terrifying world of Mammoth Cave with the story of Floyd Collins before Haley talks about a local Kentucky cryptid, the Pope Lick Monster. Happy Halloween!
Sources: Tragedy at Sand Cave, Mammoth Cave National Park
The Kentucky Cave Wars, Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park, Wikipedia
The Agonizing Death of Floyd Collins, The Cave Explorer Who Was Trapped Underground for 17 Days Before He Finally Perished, Austin Harvey, All That Is Interesting
Pope Lick Monster, Cryptid Wiki
Episode 69 - Crystal Girlies
Jillian, Corey, and Haley reuinite for another round of Appalachian Trail Tales with the spooky Not Deer, more Appalachian folk magic advice, and the arm-hair raising story of Pam Bales' rescue on Mount Washington in New Hampshire.
988 Suicide & Crisis Prevention Lifeline
Sources
Danger Zones Mt. Washington, Douglas MacDonald, Mt. Washington Avalanche Center
Why is Mount Washington so dangerous? Julia Clark, Adventure.com The Mystery on Mount Washington, Pam Bales, Backpacker Emotional Rescue, AMC Staff, Appalachian Mountain Club Story of Mount Washington rescue makes it to the big screen, but the mountain does not, David Brooks, Concord Monitor Footprints in the snow lead to an emotional rescue, Ty Gagne, The Union Leader
Not Deer, Cryptid Wiki
Appalachian Witchcraft for Beginners, Auburn Lily
Episode 68 - The Vibe Is That It's Haunted.
Haley and Jillian talk recent news about the astronauts and cosmonauts that were stuck at the International Space Station for a year. Then Jillian delves into the lore-ridden story of Marguerite de la Rocque and the Isle of Demons.
Sources
Three astronauts return to Earth after year in space. NASA's Rubio sets US record, Marcia Dunn, ABC News
The Marooning of Marguerite de la Rocque, History Courses
Marguerite de La Rocque, Wikipedia
The Elusive Isle of Demons, Cynthia Smith, Library of Congress Blogs A Woman to Know: Marguerite de la Rocque de Roberval, Julia Carpenter, A Woman to Know.com
This phantom island was once believed to lie in the Strait of Belle Isle, Ainsley Hawthorn, CBC Canada
Lac Wood Screecher, Cryptid Wiki
Wendigo, Wikipedia
Episode 67 - Smartest Bear, Dumbest Human
Haley and Jillian catch up on the latest disaster/survival news, including the story of the American caver who was trapped in a cave in Turkey. Then Jillian gets spooky season started with the terrifying story of the Night of the Grizzlies.
Sources:
An American researcher is trapped deep inside a Turkish cave. Here's what to know, Juliana Kim, NPR
American Researcher stuck deep in a Turkish cave is rescued after falling ill, NPR
The 50-Year Legacy of Glacier’s Night of the Grizzlies, Ben Goldfarb, Outside Magazine
The Deadly Grizzly Bear Attacks That Changed the National Park Service Forever, Emily E. Smith, Smithsonian Magazine
Night of the Grizzlies: Lessons learned in 50 years since attacks, Sarah Dettmer, Great Falls Tribune
Glacier National Park (U.S.), Grizzly bear, Wikipedia
Meet Montana's Monsters! Treasure State Lifestyles
Episode 66 - The S.S. Ariana Grande
Haley and Jillian wrap up the astounding conclusion of the Air Guard rescue during "The Perfect Storm", and then for conservation corner, the girls talk about the rich history of Atlantic Cod, and why they almost disappeared.
Sources:
The Perfect Storm - Sebastian Junger
30 October 1991, Bryan Swopes, This Day in Aviation History
Atlantic Cod, NOAA Fisheries
Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World, Mark Kurlansky
Episode 65 - Flying Kiddie Pool
It's the summer of climate change! Haley and Jillian talk about the California hurricane and the wildfires in Maui before Jillian dives into the many stories behind the "Perfect Storm" of 1991
If you are able to donate to any of these Maui based organizations to help the victims of the Lahaina wildfires, we thank you for your support:
Sources:
The Perfect Storm, Sebastian Junger How do Hurricanes form? NOAA
1991 Perfect Storm, Wikipedia
30 October 1991, Bryan Swopes, This Day in Aviation History
Episode 64 - The Coconut Crab Theory
Jillian regales Haley on her trip to the far away land of Finland. Then Jillian and Haley talk Amelia Earhart, and a very strange crabby theory surrounding her disappearance. Haley brings the Sumatran orangutan to conservation corner.
Sources:
Amelia Earhart Was Declared Dead 80 Years Ago. Here's What to Know About What Actually Happened To Her, Olivia Waxman, Times Magazine.
The Legend of Amelia Earhart's Disappearance, Dominick Pisano, Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
An Amelia Earhart conspiracy, a missing rifle and powerful pincers: the coconut crab is an icon, Angela Heathcote, Australian Geographic
Was Amelia Earhart Eaten By Crabs, Andrew Daniels, Popular Mechanics
Recent Discoveries End in Disappointment and More Mysteries in Earhart Disappearance, Larry Holzwarth, History Collection
USF Forensic Anthropologist Testing Human Remains Believed to Potentially Belong to Amelia Earhart, University of South Florida
Sumatran Orangutan, The Denver Zoo
Episode 63 - Idiot-Rod
Haley takes us on a cool trip to Alaska with the true story of the 1925 Nome Serum Run and Togo, the REAL Balto. Trust us, Togo is much better. Jillian talks Sockeye Salmon for Conservation Corner.
Sources
Togo, U.S. National Park Service
Togo (dog), 1925 Serum Run to Nome, Wikipedia
Wild Salmon Center, Sockeye Salmon
Sockeye Salmon, Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Pacific Wild, Salmon: A Keystone Species, Hannah Bugas, PacificWild.org Stat of Alaska’s Salmon and People, Social and Cultural Dimensions of Salmon Systems Working Group Sockeye Salmon, NOAA
Episode 62 - Prius On A Cliff
Haley and Jillian discuss their impending meet-up, then Haley talks about the four kids that survived a plane crash and four months in the Colombian jungle. Then Jillian dives into the main story - a family vacation gone horribly wrong in Death Valley.
Sources
How Indigenous kids survived 40 days in Colombia's jungle after a plane crash, John Otis, NPR
The disturbing disappearance and death of the German Tourists in Death Valley, Strange Outdoors
The Missing German Family Death Valley, Vanished U.S Death Valley, Highest Temperature Recorded on Earth, Wikipedia
Episode 61 - Out of My Tax Bracket
This episode is a two-fer! Not only is Jillian sharing the tale of Dave Crocket and the eruption of Mount St. Helens, but Haley and Jillian dive into the recent Titanic submarine catastrophe. #OceanGate
Sources: Titanic sub search turns desperate as experts estimate Titan’s oxygen is depleted, Emily Olsen, NPR Missing Titanic submersible: what is the Titan tourist sub and what might have happened to it? Graham Russell, The Guardian What it’s like inside the Titanic-touring Submersible that went missing with 5 people on board, Emma Tucker, CNN Live Missing Titanic Sub Search, CNN See How Crushing Pressure Increase in the Ocean’s Depths, Sophie Bushwick, Scientific American Marine group says 10 subs in the world can dive to Titanic depths. Titan is the only one not certified, Ryan Cooke, Royal Canadian News
Mount St. Helens Erupts, History.com He Miraculously Survived the Eruption of Mount St. Helens, David Crockett, Guideposts Dave Crockett’s Narrow Escape, Dana Hunter, Scientific American “I can see it like it was yesterday” : St. Helen’s Eruption Seared Into Witness Memories, Nick Popham & KOMO Staff, KOMO News Harry R. Truman Still Believed In Love As Mount St. Helens Eruption Loomed, Refused to Leave the Mountain That Gave Him Everything, Douglas Perry, The Oregonian/Oregon Live The Floating Logs of Spirit Lake, Kathryn Hansen, Earth Observatory/NASA
Episode 60 - It's Giving Colonialism
Haley and Jillian talk bug infestations and then Haley takes us on a deep dive into the Amazon with the story of Percy Fawcett and the Lost City of Z. Or Zed. Depending on how you pronounce it.
Sources:
The True Story Behind The Lost City of Z, Eliza Berman, Time Magazine
The Lost City, Alexander Lee, History Today
10 Facts About Percy Fawcett and the Lost City of Z, Sarah Roller, History Hit
Percy Fawcett, James Murray (biologist), Wikipedia
Maned Wolf, Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute
Maned Wolf, Canids.org
Episode 59 - Armchair Explorer
Strap in for a freezing conclusion as Jillian and Haley wrap up the South Pole Race extravaganza of Roald Amundsen and Robert Falcon Scott.
Sources:
The Worst Journey in the World, Apsley Cherry-Garrard
Amundsen Expedition Timeline, American Museum of National History
Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, Terra Nova Expedition, Amundsen’s South Pole Expedition, Wikipedia
Episode 58 - With A Side Of Blood
Jillian talks about her latest home disaster before telling Haley about the original exploration race - the race to the south pole between Robert Falcon Scott and Roald Amundsen. Haley talks about the biggest animal yet on conservation corner; the sei whale.
Sources: The Worst Journey in the World , Apsley Cherry-Garrard
Amundsen Expedition Timeline, American Museum of Natural History
Robert Scott Expedition Timeline, American Museum of Natural History
Robert Falcon Scott, South-Pole.com
Roald Amundsen, South-Pole.com Sei Whale, NOAA Fisheries
Sei Whale, Cool Antarctica
Episode 57 - Don't Skimp On The PPE
Haley and Jillian talk all things space, from moon landing conspiracy theories to extra terrestrial life. Jillian delves into the story of the Soviet cosmonauts and the doomed Soyuz 11 which launched to the world's first space station. Haley gets into the stories of the first animals in space, including the indominable mummichog.
Sources: 50 Years Ago: Remembering the Crew of the Soyuz 11, John Uri, NASA.gov
The tragic story of 3 cosmonauts who died in space, Lloyd Lee, Business Insider
Remembering the crew of Soyuz 11, the only astronauts to die in space, Ben Evans, Astronomy.com
Animals in Space, Mummichog, Wikipedia
The First Fish in Orbit, David Samuel Johnson, Scientific American
Episode 56 - You Can't Kill People Karl
Haley shares with us her big exciting news and then Jillian dives on in to the worst buddy trip ever - filled with mayhem, missing people, improvised flame throwers, and forehead worms. This story follows Yossi Ghinsberg and his friends as they go on a treasure quest into the Bolivian Amazon.
Sources:
Jungle, Yossi Ghinsberg The real story behind the movie “Jungle” - heroic survival and mysterious disappearances, Strange Outdoors Israeli adventurer Yossi Ghinsberg harrowing life-and-death story of survival in the Amazon Jungle, David Meddows, Daily Telegraph
I was lost in the Amazon Jungle, Simon Round, The Jewish Chronical
Madidi National Park, National Parks.org
Episode 55 - Giving Me The Gooseys
Haley and Jillian give new listeners an introduction to their madness with lots of fish and science talk, and then Jillian gets into the stories of three prehistoric humans who experienced survival throughout their everyday lives. Haley also talks about the White Sands Pupfish during Conservation Corner.
Sources:
Fossilized Footprints, White Sands National Park
First Americans, Glenn Hodges, National Geographic, January 2015
Ancient bones reveal girl's tough life in early Americas, Traci Watson, Nature
Fossilized Footprints Found in New Mexico Track Traveler With Toddler in Tow, Livia Gershon, Smithsonian Magazine
Bennet et al. 2020. Walking in mud: Remarkable Pleistocene human pathways from White Sands National Park (New Mexico). Science. Volume 249.
White Sands Pupfish, White Sands National Park
Episode 54 - Good Ol' Shoe Snack
Jillian tells the tale of the "lost" Lykov Family and their decades of survival in the isolated Siberian wilderness with no outside human contact, and Jillian and Haley go on many tangents on subjects such as the cordyceps fungus, gun rights, shrimp disease, and bats in the attic.
Sources:
For 40 years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact, Unaware of WWII, Mike Dash, Smithsonian Magazine
Lost in Time: The Incredible Story of the Lykov Family of the Siberian Wilderness, James R. Coffey, Wilderness Defined
Meet the Lykov Family That Survived Alone in the Siberian Wilderness For 42 Years, John Kuroski, All That's Interesting
Meet the Last Lykov, John Martin, Vice Magazine
Taiga, National Geographic
"Zombie" viruses are thawing in melting permafrost because of climate change, Michael Birnbaum and Ellen Francis, The Washington Post
Episode 53 - Uppers and Downers
Jillian and Haley dive deep, deep down into the heartbreaking and terrifying story of Deon Dreyer, Dave Shaw, and Don Shirley, and their dives in Bushman's Hole, the third deepest water filled cave in the world.
Sources:
Where No One Should Go, Don Shirley, Glynn Washington, and Julia Dewitt, NPR
Raising the Dead, Tim Zimmerman, Outside Magazine
Pickersgill’s Reed Frog, Hyperolius pickersgilli, Amphibian Survival Alliance
Episode 52 - The Soapman
Haley and Jillian welcome special guest Ethan Swinford, and the three talk all things Great Lakes with the tragedy of the SS Kamloops and the all-to-real ghost story of Old Whitey, the lone crewman left behind.
Sources:
Isle Royale, SS Kamloops, National Park Service
Meet Old Whitey, the Preserved Corpse of The SS Kamloops, Lake Superior’s Most Haunted Shipwreck, Greg Newkirk, Week in Weird
Old Whitey: The Haunted Corpse of the SS Kamloops, Paranormal Catalog
“Old Whitey” Continues To Haunt Lake Superior Divers, Jojo Girard, 98.7 FGR Grand Rapids
Fatal Diving Accident at Isle Royale; Kamloops Wreck Temporarily Closed, National Park Service, Lake Superior Magazine
Lake Superior, Isle Royale National Park, Adipocere, Wikipedia
Great Lakes Conservation Coalition
Donate to Earthquake Relief:
How to Help Turkey, Syria: Relief efforts ongoing after more earthquakes rock the region, Orlando Mayorquin, USA Today
Episode 51 - Just Keep Your Teeth
Welcome back to the meandering conversations of Haley and Jillian after their long hiatus. Today, Jillian talks about the scandalous, salacious, and sordid tale of the Floreana Affair and Haley talks blue footed boobies.
Sources:
The Galapagos Affair - The Unbelievable True Story Behind the Movie, Happy Gringo
The Mysterious Murder That Rocked The Galapagos Islands, Nikki Vargas, Culture Trip
The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came To Eden, 2013, Streaming on Amazon
The Floreana Affair; Murder in Paradise, Dark Histories Podcast
Blue-Footed Booby, National Geographic
Episode 50 - Sixty Nine? Nice.
After meandering through topics such as holiday adventures and the big winter storm, Jillian and Haley get down to the roots of the podcast with a special story for episode 50. Jillian tells the story of the Chilean Mine Disaster of 2010, and of the thirty three miners trapped in it's depths. Also, Jillian's sleep paralysis makes a shocking comeback, tune in to find out how.
Sources:
Chile Mine Rescue of 2010, Atacama Desert, Encyclopedia Britannica
The Incredible Story of Chilean Miners Rescued From The “Deep Down Dark’, Maureen Corrigan, NPR
Buried Alive - Chile Mine Rescue, Naked Science
Episode 49 - It Just Keeps Getting Worse
Merry Xmas y'all and Happy Holidays! Jillian and Haley delve into the impossible survivor tale of mountaineers Joe Simpson and Simon Yates and their unbelievable adventure in the Andes. Then Haley talks about Andean Condors for conservation corner.
Sources:
Touching the Void, Joe Simpson
Andean Condor, National Geographic
Episode 48 - Satellite Sh*t Stain
Jillian and Haley delve into the unbelievable story of Jill Heinerth, a cave diver who became one of the first (and only) people do dive an ice cave in the interior of an iceberg. Then Haley talks about emperor penguins and Jillian talks about her trip to Big Bend National Park and her potentially-extraterrestrial experience in Marfa.
Sources:
‘The Cave Tried to Keep Us’: The First-Ever Dive Inside An Iceberg, Jill Heinerth and Matthew Stock, WBUR (Boston’s NPR station)
Cave Diver Risks All to Explore Places ‘Where Nobody Has Ever Been’, Dave Davies, NPR
Iceberg, Iceberg B-15, Wikipedia
Antarctica Ice Island Expedition Documentary, National Geographic
Episode 47 - Alaskan Bull Worm
Jillian and Haley bring a Happy Thanksgiving to you with the story of Ryan Osman's run-in with quicksand in Zion National Park. Haley then talks about the conservation and ecology of the Mexican Spotted Owl in a new segment highlight the vulnerable and endangered species that live in the dangerous habitats we talk about - we are biologists after all.
Sources:
I Was Trapped in Quicksand for 12 Hours in a Blizzard, Ryan Osmun and Jason Daley, Outside Online
Arizona hiker rescued from quicksand in Zion National Park Tells Full Story, 12 News
Quicksand traps Zion hiker in freezing creek for 10 hours, Mike Moffitt, SFGATE
They were hiking in the wilderness with no cell service. Then they fell into quicksand, Kayla Epstein, The Washington Post
Can quicksand really suck you to your death? Claudia Hammond, BBC
Zion National Park (U.S. National Park Service)
Mexican Spotted Owl (U.S. National Park Service)
Episode 46 - I Know I'm a Snack, But Not Literally
Jillian concludes the gruesome tale of the Donner Party with their struggle to survive and ultimately be rescued from snowy Truckee Lake in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and Haley tells the story of "Tessie" the famous lake monster of Lake Tahoe.
Sources:
The Tragic Story of the Donner Party, Kathy Weiser, Legends of America
The Donner party, Encyclopedia Britannica
Here’s What Happened to the Surviving Members of the Donner Party, Genevive Carlton, All That Is Interesting
How Lewis Keseberg was Branded the Killer Cannibal of the Donner Party, Michele Debczak, Mental Floss
The Donner Party Diary, December 1846 and January 1847, Daniel M. Rosen
A New Look at The Donner Party, Juliette Schablitsky, 2012, Archeology Magazine
Thatthingido, TikTok
A Guide to California's Monsters and Mythical Creatures , California.com
Episode 45 - Ye Olde Luxury RV
Its time to kick off spooky Halloween with part one of the Donner Party extravaganza, in which Jillian tells of the trials and tribulations that led the famous American wagon train to their horrific predicament. Haley keeps up the spooky vibes with the story of the Bear Lake Monster of Utah.
Sources:
The Tragic Story of the Donner Party, Kathy Weiser, Legends of America.com
The Donner party, Encyclopedia Britannica
The Legend of the Bear Lake Monster, The Bear Lake Chamber of Commerce, Utah Outdoor Activities
Episode 44 - Thicc Boi Mothman
Welcome to the nearly 2 hour spooky season Appalachian Trail extravaganza! After some brief talk of Haley's experience with the recent Hurricane Ian, we dive straight into the magical land that is Appalachia. Part-time co-host Corey returns with some local lore, Jillian covers the tragedy as usual, and Haley talks about cryptids, specifically Mothman, for spooky season.
Sources:
10 Highest Peaks on the Appalachian Trail, Steve Burge, Appalachian trail.com
9 Fantastic Hiker Traditions on the Appalachian Trail, Kenny Howell, thetrek.co
Appalachian Magazine's Mountain Superstitions, Ghost Stories & Haint Tales, Appalachian Magazine
Backwoods Witchcraft: Conjure & Folk Magic From Appalachia, Jake Richards
Hiker who went missing on the Appalachian Trail survived 26 days before dying, Alan Yuhas, The Guardian
Missing Hikers on the Appalachian Trail, The Mountains With Megan
Appalachian Legends, Blue Ridge Outdoors
Episode 43 - Mimosas and Pudding Cups
While Haley is weathering Hurricane Ian, Corey fills in as the co-host for this episode. First, Corey and Jillian talk about the struggles of a man who spent two days aloft on a hydrogen balloon, and then they dive into the mystery of the disappearance of Lisanne Froon and Kris Kremers into the Panamanian Jungle to kick off spooky season.
Sources:
Man in China trapped for two days in hydrogen balloon lands safely 200 Miles Away, Associated Press, USA Today
The Unexplained Disappearance of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon, Katie Serena, All That Is Interesting
Eerie Photos Reveal Last Moments Before Woman Vanished in Panama, Matt Growcoot, Peta Pixel
What Really Happened To Two Dutch Hikers Who Disappeared In Panama, Laura Allan, Ranker
The disturbing deaths of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon on their La Pianista Hike in Panama, Strange Outdoors
Episode 42 - The Jackson Four
Haley and Jillian talk newsworthy stories with a recent arrival of Cuban refugees to the Dry Tortugas and a morbid story about a human foot found in one of Yellowstone's hot springs. Then Jillian dives into the incredible unbelievable tale of Harrison Okene, the man who survived 60 hours underwater in a shipwreck.
Sources:
Part of Human Foot Found in Yellowstone Hot Spring May be Linked to July 31st Death, Amy Beth Hanson and Thomas Peipert, USA Today
Great Survival Stories: Harrison Okene, the Accidental Aquanaut, Chasing Dreams Travel, ExplorersWeb
The man who survived two-and-a-half days trapped on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, Raffaela Ciccarelli, 9 News Australia
Harrison Okene, Ben Thompson, Badass of the Week
Harrison Okene: Moment divers find man alive in sunken ship off Nigerian coast, The Telegraph
Episode 41 - Gotta Catch 'Em All
Jillian and Haley discuss veggie gardens and lawn landscaping before diving straight into Hurricane Katrina. Haley tells the stories of Robert Green, who literally rode his house down a flooded street, and the nurses and doctors who kept Charity Hospital going under the worst conditions. Jillian tells the stories of Poet Shelton Alexander and his experience at the Superdome, and Lawrence Nettles, a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer.
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Sources:
Extremely Powerful Hurricane Katrina Leaves a Historic Mark on the Northern Gulf Coast, Jeffery Medlin, Ray Ball, Gary Beeler
Hurricane Katrina Aftermath, Encyclopedia Britannica
The 30 Deadliest U.S. Mainland Hurricanes, Weather Underground
I Was There: Hurricane Katrina: Rooftop Rider, History.com
I Was There: Hurricane Katrina: Superdome Survivor, History.com
Shelton Alexander: Surviving the Superdome During Hurricane Katrina, John Butler, Last Word on Sports, NFL
I Was There: Hurricane Katrina: Heroes of Charity Hospital, History.com
I Was There: Hurricane Katrina: Rescue Swimmer, History.com
Other view: Rescuers during Katrina a Story of Success, The Times, Picayune, New Orleans
Hurricane Katrina: A Nation Still Unprepared , Special Report of the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate.
Episode 40 - Money Bay-Bee
Haley and Jillian discuss another story of people getting swallowed by whales--and this time it's a twofer. Then Jillian gets into the very recent story of Stephanie Browitt and the vacation gone very, very wrong with the Whaakari/White Island Eruption.
Sources:
"It Was Crazy", says California kayaker who was engulfed in a whale's mouth, Sheena Goodyear, CBC Radio
The Eruption of Instagram Island, Joshua Hammer, GQ
New Zealand volcano victim tells of waiting to be rescued from White Island with burns to over 70 per cent of her body, Stephanie March and Jeanavive McGregor, Four Corners, ABC News Australia
Volcano burn survivor removes face mask for first time: ‘A real fighter.” Andrew Court, NY Post
White Island: NZ Police complete identification of volcano victims, BBC News
Episode 39 - Don't Look At The Photos
Jillian talks about a new discovery - a shipwreck on the Oregon coast from the 1600s. Then Haley dives into the gruesome and nightmare-inducing story of the Byford Dolphin Accident. Haley and Jillian then do some real-time research to answer some pressing questions.
Sources:
Rare Timbers From 17th-Century Spanish Shipwreck Discovered Off Oregon Coast, Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine
The Weird, Dangerous, Isolated Life of the Saturation Diver, Jen Banbury, Atlas Obscura
Byford Dolphin Accident: How Living Under Intense Pressure Led To One Of The Most Gruesome Accidents In History, Jack Dunhill, IFL Science
The Most Gruesome Death: The Byford Dolphin Accident, Gilles Messier, Today I Found Out
Episode 38 - Lizard Roulette
Haley links in a news story to last week's topic--a story about a man who goes after his cell phone...after it falls into the crater of Mount Vesuvius. Then Jillian discusses the story of Ricky Megee, a man who survived 71 days in the Australian outback, but with a true crime twist.
Sources:
US Tourist injured falling into Mount Vesuvius crater after taking selfie, Angela Giuffrida, The Guardian
Robbed & Left To Die, He Survived 71 Days in the Desert on Frogs and Leeches, Cody Assmann, Off The Grid News
Ricky Megee, Bushcraft Buddy
A new lease, The National
Ricky Megee, Wikipedia
Episode 37 - Good Brain Soup
Haley and Jillian discuss the unprecedented flooding occurring at Yellowstone National Park and how it may yield environmental changes for the better. Then Jillian tells the tale of the oldest story on the podcast yet--the ancient destruction of Pompeii from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
Sources:
This Day in History: Mount Vesuvius erupts, History.com Editors, History.com
Did Vesuvius vaporize it’s victims? Get the facts, Robin George Andrews, National Geographic
Mount Vesuvius & Pompeii: Facts & History, Mary Bagley, Live Science
14 Things You Didn’t Know About the Bodies Preserved at Pompeii, Andy Miller, Ranker
Studies reveal gruesome last moments of Pompeii volcano’s victims, Colin Barras, Science