The Southern Naturalist
By The Southern Naturalist
Get ready to learn and be inspired by nature and all she has to offer! #SONAT
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The Southern NaturalistMay 12, 2024
All About Termites!
Join hosts Dr. Bob Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas on an enthralling exploration of the intricate world of termites in this episode of The Southern Naturalist. Delving into the fascinating natural history of these tiny yet mighty creatures. Yes, they may destroy your house, but after listening to this episode you may gain a newfound appreciation for these often misunderstood insects.
We also hear from a termite expert, Timothy Madere!
If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!!
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Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you!
Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas
Produced by Emma Reid
Intro Music composition by Hunter Wainwright
The Invasion of Cat's Claw Vine
In this episode Dr. Bob and Dr. Aimée Thomas explore the natural history of Dolichandra unguis-cati, otherwise known as cat's claw vine... or that beautiful yellow flower you see all over the roofs of old houses in the spring!
If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!!
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Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you!
Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas
Produced by Emma Reid
Intro Music composition by Hunter Wainwright
The Southern Naturalist is back!
WELCOME BACK NATURE LOVERS!
It's Dr. Bob and Aimée here and we so excited to announce that we are coming back with a second season of the Southern Naturalist! Catch up on all of season 1 and send us your questions and suggestions on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you!
Please share our episodes with fellow nature lovers and write us a review!
Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook and Instagram!
Hosts: Dr. Bob Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas
Produced by Emma Reid
Intro Music composition by Hunter Wainwright
Bayou Sauvage - The Largest Urban National Wildlife Refuge with Pon Dixson
In this episode Dr. Bob and Dr. Aimée Thomas visit Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge in New Orleans East to meet a longtime friend, Pon Dixson with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We discuss the ecological succession that has taken place since Hurricane Katrina decimated the forest. We also talk about Golden silk orb-weavers, Timber Rattlesnakes, Persimmons, the history of the refuge and traditional ecological knowledge.
If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!!
Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you!
Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas
Produced by Emma Reid
Intro Music composition by Hunter Wainwright
Dragonflies: The Most Voracious Predator!
It’s early fall in the South, and for us, that means DRAGONFLIES!
This Nature Note episode is all about the fascinating natural history of the dragonfly, which has been around for about 320 million years and was once up to 3 feet long! We will discuss how dragonflies are one of the most successful and VORACIOUS aerial predators in the world along with their impressive mating and survival strategies.
If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!!
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Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you! Visit our website www.lucec.loyno.edu for more information.
Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas
Produced by Emma Reid
Intro Music composition by Hunter Wainwright
Hurricanes: Everything You Want to Know with Mark Schleifstein
In the South we know hurricanes all too well… so this hurricane season Dr. Bob and Dr. Aimée Thomas decided to go even deeper. This episode features Mark Schleifstein, a Pulitzer Prize-winning environmental journalist and is a must listen if you want to understand the complexities of hurricanes.
Are hurricanes really getting stronger due to climate change?
What happens to birds, plants and other animals during hurricanes?
What does a naturalist notice before and after a hurricane?
What does the “eye” tell you about a hurricane and why do they spin?
How much do wetlands reduce storm surge?
What do hurricane hunters do?
These are just some questions we will answer!
Referenced Links:
Dr. Bob's Lecture Notes: Meteorology and Hurricanes
Hurricane Hunters in Florence YouTube video
Study about lizards and toe pads during hurricanes
How wetlands reduce strom surge
If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!!
Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! And visit our website to learn more!
Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you!
Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas
Produced by Emma Reid
Intro Music composition by Hunter Wainwright
A Naturalist Crosses Lake Pontchartrain
If you’re from Louisiana, you certainly know about Lake Pontchartrain. You probably know that it’s technically not even a lake! It is a divider of habitats, home to many unlikely species and has the longest bridge over water in the world! For a naturalist, it is a major spectacle! That is why Dr. Bob is on his 9th version of a 60+ page document which expands upon all that a naturalist may notice while crossing this giant estuary.
Bob and Aimée discuss the lake’s history, how it changes the climate, rangia clams, bull sharks, sea turtles, purple martins, pelicans flying, cormorants langmire circulation, waterspouts, how the lake was cleaned up, eutrophication and SO much more. Think of this episode as the cliff notes for that document!
Trust us, after this episode your 24 mile drive on the Causeway Bridge will never be the same!
Read the full article here! and visit our website to learn more!
If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!!
Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you!
Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas
Produced by Emma Reid
Intro Music composition by Hunter Wainwright
Bird Flight Over Water - Nature Note
Do you ever wonder how birds can fly so long without ever flapping their wings? Based on Dr. Bob’s nature note, we dive deep into the functional morphology of bird flight - basically how they have adapted to use the environment to get around better! We cover different flight methods such as compression gliding, declivity currents and thermal soaring.
If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!!
Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you!
Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas
Produced by Emma Reid
Student Intern: Kitty Perlsweig
Intro Music composition by Hunter Wainwright
Monarchs, Milkweed and the OE Parasite with the 'Bug Lady'
Dr. Bob and Dr. Aimée Thomas head to Barber Laboratories to dig even deeper into the world of butterflies with Linda Auld, known in New Orleans as the "Bug Lady". They discuss the amazing lifecycle of Monarch Butterflies, the issue with Tropical Milkweed, Linda's research of the OE Parasite and MANY ways that you can get involved with supporting butterflies!
Check out her book, Bug Lady's Butterfly Summer!
Learn more about this episode and our podcast on our website! Also check out Dr. Bob's nature notes!
If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!!
Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you!
Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas
Produced by Emma Reid
Student Intern: Kitty Perlsweig
Intro Music composition by Hunter Wainwright
Gulf Fritillaries and Passion Flowers
This episode will feature two of Dr. Bob's nature notes that are closely connected! One on a beloved butterfly in the South, the Gulf Fritillary, and the other is about that butterfly's host plant, the passion flower!
Joining us in the studio is Linda Auld, known in New Orleans as the "Bug Lady". She has been a caterpillar mama for over 40 years!
Learn more about this episode and our podcast on our website!
If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!!
Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you!
Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas
Produced by Emma Reid
Student Intern: Kitty Perlsweig
Intro Music composition by Hunter Wainwright
Mud Snakes, Amphiuma and More
Join us on a trip to the Joyce Wildlife Management Area in the northwestern end of Lake Pontchartrain to learn all about the elusive and BEAUTIFUL mud snake and their prey, the very strange looking amphiuma! Out there we will meet another snake lover and herpetologist, Oliver Ljustina who is conducting a long-term snake tagging project in the area.
Learn more about this episode and our podcast (with many reference links, photos, and a cheat sheet) on our website! www.lucec.loyno.edu
If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!!
Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you!
Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas
Produced by Emma Reid
Student Intern: Kitty Perlsweig
Intro Music composition by Hunter Wainwright
Lightning Bugs (or Fireflies!) - Nature Note
In this Nature Note edition of The Southern Naturalist, we answer all of your burning questions about the majestic, magical lightning bug!
Questions like, why do they glow? what makes them glow? Where can I find them and why do I remember seeing more as a kid? We also dig deeper into how they are named, why beetles are so cool, metamorphosis and bioluminescence!
Our resident bug expert Zack Lemann joins the conversation as we talk about on the evolutionary biology and mating habits of fireflies and how they are natures "femme fatales!"
If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!!
Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
Learn more about this podcast (with many links and a cheat sheet) on our website!
Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you!
Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas
Produced by Emma Reid
Student Intern: Kitty Perlsweig
Music composition by Hunter Wainwright
Spring Frogs in Jean Lafitte National Park
Join Dr. Bob and Dr. Aimée Thomas on the annual Spring Frog Walk in Jean Lafitte National Park. This episode dives deep into the calls, anatomy and seasonality of frogs in the South. We also share some tips for identifying common frogs at night and discover some other animals along the way!
Learn more about this podcast on our website and please leave us a review!
Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you!
Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
Hosted by Dr. Bob Thomas & Dr. Aimée Thomas
Produced & Edited by Emma Reid
Music composition by Hunter Wainwright and Dirk Powell
Alligators in Winter - Nature Note
Do you ever wonder what alligators do in the winter? Well, you're not alone! This is Dr. Bob's highest searched Nature Note and it is full of many educational and fun facts. As always, there will many be tangents and stories. We will discuss brumation versus hibernation as well as other adaptation strategies for animals in the winter!
Dr. Bob Thomas has been writing short essays on natural history for many years, so we decided to record him reading them and add some discussion with Dr. Bob's daughter, colleague and fellow nature lover, Dr. Aimée Thomas! Visit Lucec.loyno.edu to read other nature notes!
Learn more about this podcast on our website and please leave us a review!
Do you have any more questions about this topic or natural history in your area? Message us on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you!
Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
Produced by Emma Reid
Student Interns: Kitty Perlsweig and Hannah Chaisson
Sound editing by Ben Ross
Music composition by Hunter Wainwright and Dirk Powell
Bugs and Black Lights with Zack Lemann
On the very first episode of The Southern Naturalist, get ready to be captivated by Dr. Aimée Thomas and Dr. Bob Thomas as they go black lighting (a common method for collecting and studying insects) and bug searching in Audubon Park at night. Our special guest is an enthusiastic entomologist named Zack Lemann. We will cover many topics in this episode including insect anatomy, trap jaw ants, dragon flies, nocturnal insects, defense mechanisms and what is means to be a naturalist! We hope you enjoy!
Learn more about this podcast on our website and please leave us a review!
Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at sonatpodcast@gmail.com and we will answer you!
Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
Produced by Emma Reid
Student Interns: Kitty Perlsweig and Hannah Chaisson
Sound editing by Ben Ross
Music composition by Hunter Wainwright and Dirk Powell
Trailer - Meet Bob and Aimée
For all things green, tune into The Southern Naturalist! Hosted by father-daughter duo Dr. Aimée and Dr. Bob Thomas. Premieres April 22, 2022!