Over the last few months, I’ve been researching and working on a new project. Today I’m super excited to announce that I am launching a Backyard Ecology podcast!
For those who might be wondering, a podcast is kind of like an audio version of a blog. I started listening to podcasts about a year and a half ago and quickly became hooked. You can find podcasts on almost any topic imaginable and I like the fact that I can listen to them while I’m cooking, cleaning, and doing other chores around the house or, in a pre-COVID world, driving to talks and such.
When I started listening to podcasts, I was primarily searching for ones centered around native plants, pollinators, beekeeping, and other nature-related themes. (Imagine that.) I found some good ones that I still listen to on a regular basis, but none of them were exactly what I was looking for. I really wanted a podcast that combined pollinators, wildlife, native plants, etc. with practical, hands-on applications that I could implement on my own property. Being able to implement those things on my own property also meant that the podcast needed to be focused on the eastern U.S. Since that podcast didn’t exist, I decided to start the Backyard Ecology podcast.
In the Backyard Ecology podcast, I will be talking with scientists, educators, and other experts about pollinators, backyard wildlife, gardening for pollinators and wildlife, new research and other news we should be aware of, specific things we can do to help, and many other topics. I have some amazing guests lined up and can’t wait to share our conversations. Some of our first conversations will cover a new quarterly magazine focused on pollinators, new research about growing milkweeds in urban and suburban gardens, an introduction to iNaturalist, what moths do during the winter, the importance of grasslands in the southeastern U.S., and introduced earthworms.
A short episode introducing the Backyard Ecology podcast is currently available on the Backyard Ecology website and in most podcast apps. (Search for “Backyard Ecology.”) If you can’t find it in your favorite podcast listening app, please let me know so I can take the appropriate actions. The first full Backyard Ecology episode will launch on December 3, 2020. After that, new Backyard Ecology episodes will launch every week.
Many of you are familiar with podcasts and already listen to them, but I also know some of you may be new to the world of podcasts. Those of you who are new to podcasts may be thinking, “Ok, this sounds interesting, but how do I listen to your podcast and what do you mean by podcast app?” The answer depends on whether you want to listen on a smartphone / tablet or on your computer.
- If you have a smartphone or tablet, then you can use a podcast app to subscribe to the Backyard Ecology podcast and have new episodes automatically download to your device. Think of the podcast app as the smart version of a radio and each podcast as a radio station. Apple devices come with the Apple Podcast app installed. You’ll need to download an app if you have an Android device, but there are quite a few available and most are free. Once you have a podcast app on your device, search for “Backyard Ecology.” You should see my podcast come up and be able to subscribe from there.
- If you don’t have a smartphone or tablet, then you can still listen to the podcasts on your computer. After December 3, my weekly Backyard Ecology emails will include a link to the most recent podcast along with a link to the most recent blog. (I think you can also install some of the podcast apps on your computer and have new episodes downloaded to your computer in the same way that they download to smartphones and other devices. However, I don’t do that, so my knowledge is fuzzy in that area.)
Hosting a podcast is a new world for me and I want to make the Backyard Ecology podcast the best I can make it. However, I could use your help.
- Please subscribe to the Backyard Ecology podcast and tell others about it. The more people who subscribe to the podcast, the more likely it is to show up in related searches. (Plus, it’s just nice to know that people are listening and I’m not talking to myself.)
- Let me know if you have suggestions for future topics or guests. I’m already mining the interest surveys and comments from my online classes for ideas, but I’m always open to additional suggestions.
- Share with me if there are things that I am doing really well and should do more of or things that you think I could improve upon. I’m learning as I go when it comes to podcasts and recognize that I’m still on the steep end of the learning curve.
I’m really excited (and a little nervous) about this new Backyard Ecology podcast adventure and hope that you will join me on the journey.
Backyard Ecology: Exploring Nature in Your Backyard
Nature isn’t just “out there.” It’s all around us, including right outside our doors. Hi, my name is Shannon Trimboli, and I am the host of Backyard Ecology. I live in southcentral Kentucky and am a wildlife biologist, educator, author, beekeeper, and owner of a nursery specializing in plants for pollinators and wildlife conservation. I invite you to join me as we ignite our curiosity and natural wonder, explore our yards and communities, and improve our local pollinator and wildlife habitat. Learn more or subscribe to my email list at www.backyardecology.net.
