Broadcast: January 8, 2023 at 4:00 p.m.
Listen to this episode: Click here.
From one woman’s dream of swimming with marine iguanas, to uncommon encounters with common rabbits, to a Native American tale of how the dog came to be our loyal companion, and much more (see below).
Part 1
CARE FOR THE COMMON CRITTER: As a wildlife rehabilitator, Julie Zickefoose has had some remarkable encounters with animals. She joins Host Bobby Bascomb to share some of her own stories and animal insights as well as tales of uncommon encounters others have had while helping common woodchucks and rabbits in need.
Part 2
‘IT COULD BE THE LAST ONE’: STORIES OF PEOPLE HELPING RARE CRITTERS: As an endangered species advocate, Tierra Curry gets calls and emails from strangers across the country who think they might have found the very last plant or animal of a particular rare species. She shares some of the most humorous and heartwarming stories with Host Jenni Doering, as well as a story about her own breathtaking encounter with a wolf in an Alaskan snowstorm.
Part 3
WILDLY MAGICAL: ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS IN THE GALAPAGOS: Writer Jennifer Junghans had always dreamed of going to the Galapagos to swim with the marine iguanas. In 2017 she finally had her chance, and although the iguanas stayed high and dry, the experience brought her up close with blue-footed boobies and blacktip sharks, and face-to-face with a curious pufferfish. Jennifer shares her story of visiting “the remote wilderness of her dreams” with Host Aynsley O’Neill, who spent a memorable summer studying in the Galapagos.
Part 4
NATIVE AMERICAN STORIES OF HUMAN AND ANIMAL KINSHIP: Many Native American communities belong to a clan which identifies with an animal, like the bear, deer, or loon, and they are featured in their stories. Storyteller and musician Joe Bruchac of the Nulhegan Abenaki tribe joins Host Bobby Bascomb to share flute music and stories of how the dog came to be a loyal human companion, as well as lessons from a mother bear.