Skip to main content

Best Nature Podcasts

Neon sign on a brick wall reads "You are what you listen to"
Photo by Mohammad Metri via Unsplash.com

Did you read my January post about newsletters for nature lovers? This post is about some of the podcasts I listen to that focus on plants and the outdoors. I host a podcast, Your Bird Story, about bird stories and birdwatching in cities. You can listen to it wherever you subscribe to podcasts. Without further ado, here is my list of nature-centric podcasts. 

1. In Defense of Plants

When In Defense of Plants host, Matt Candeias says, "without further ado," this is my clue to devote my 100% listening attention. This is not hard to do. I am consistently amazed by the plant content Matt and his guests share in their conversation. If you are going to add one a plant podcast to your rotation, make it this one. Oh, there's also an In Defense of Plants blog!

2. This Old Tree

Historic trees are full of stories, and Doug Still and his guests uncover them in long-form, monthly episodes. He has an extensive tree people network so you hear the who's who in the urban tree world. Doug loops in listeners by airing their short tales about beloved trees. I am happy to say my story about a row on Kwanzan Cherries was included in Tree Story Shorts II. Get your tree fix with This Old Tree.

3. The Nature of Phenology

A dose of nature can be as short as 5 minutes. WERU's Nature of Phenology pod fits the bill. Hazel Stark narrates the scripts written by Joe Horn. Hazel's voice and the sounds of nature pull you in the seasonal changes of Maine landscapes. You don't have to live in Maine to get the most from this program. I track tree cycles in my local park in NYC. Listening to the podcast provides camaraderie and reattunes me to the outdoors. 

4. What's Going On Out There?

A new podcast in my rotation is What's Going On Out There by Shane Sater based in Montana. I discovered Shane's podcast on LinkedIn when I read his blog post "Spring in Seattle and an Anna’s hummingbird mystery." The narrated posts are the basis of the podcast.

5. Tangled Trees

The arboricultural podcast you need is Tangled Trees by Katie Breukers. Katie is an ISA certified arborist with her own firm, Tangled Trees, in London, Ontario. She is also a student. I like the deep dives Katie takes in urban ecological topics based largely on her first hand knowledge. I look forward to many more episodes.

What did I miss? Please share your favorite nature podcasts with me!

Comments