Urban Wildlife Podcast

Disney World

In this episode we talk about the fauna of Disney World as well as Tony’s birthday plans, which include a birthday bird walk. For the first time, but not the last time, B

Uneasy about fishing

Billy and Tony are back with their first episode in almost two years. After some updates they talk about their uneasy relationship with fishing and how to connect urbanit

Hawk Watching and Bird Feeding

Billy and Tony sit down with Rich Conroy of the Militia Hill Hawk Watch and of the Dresher, PA Wild Birds Unlimited to chat about the joys of hawk watching and lots of ot

Urban Life Rafts for Migrating Birds

Billy talked with author Scott Weidensaul about the wonders of bird migration and how urbanite humans can make their city habitats better for avian visitors. Topics inclu

Urban Coyotes with Stan Gehrt

Tony and Billy talk with one of their urban wildlife heroes, Stan Gehrt, who has been studying Chicago’s coyotes for more than 20 years. Dr. Gehrt has just authored a new

It’s Always Groundhog Day

Tony and Billy talk about one of their favorite critters, the (urban) woodchuck (a.k.a. groundhog, monax, whistle pig, etc.) and its marmot relatives around the globe. Ot

Tony and Billy Catch up and Opine on Beavers, Hunting & Conservation, and Land.

Tony and Billy got together ostensibly to talk about urban beavers (Castor canadensis), but the conversation wandered far and wide, touching on such subjects as hunting a

Charismatic Mega Fish Fauna

The biggest animal in Philadelphia (and other port cities) isn’t a deer or a coyote, it’s a fish. We talk with biologist Shannon White about Atlantic sturgeon and her res

Chasing the Urban Exotic Episode Repost (In Memory of Scott McWilliams)

In memory of Scott McWilliams, who passed away from brain cancer recently, we are reposting this episode from 2015. Scott was a great Philadelphian, physician, Billy’s he

Harbor Seals to Whales, Everything in Between

Andrew Budziak traveled from Vancouver to St. John’s and four cities in between to photograph Canadian urban wildlife for his video series Edge of Frame. Billy and Andrew

The Most Beautiful Snake in the Country

The San Francisco garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia) is shockingly beautiful and sadly endangered. It’s small range lies within the San Francisco Bay Area (no

The Tyranny of Roads (and what to do about it)

You might only think of them as paths from here to there, but roads are vast structures whose density largely defines urban areas and determine what can survive in them.

Post Office Fossils and Mountain Beavers

Seattle naturalist and author David B. Williams talks with Billy about the urban nature world of Seattle, including the geology of building stone, backyard eagles, and mo

What do to about deer?

There are too many white-tailed deer for forests in much of eastern North America to regenerate. Should we put them on birth control? Should we let hunters take care of t

Book Talk: Exploring Philly Nature and BEYOND!

Billy’s book, Exploring Philly Nature: A Guide for All Four Seasons is out! Buy your copy ASAP! (go ahead, this podcast episode will still be here when you’re done). Tony

City Nature Challenge and Urban Biodiversity in Southern Ecuador

(English/Español) The City Nature Challenge starts on Friday, April 29, and in this episode Billy talks with Angel Mario Hualpa Erazo of Ecuador’s Green Jewel, based in L

Save the Rats

Urbanites are starting to learn to live with predators like coyotes, bobcats, and hawks, but what about their rodent prey, like rats? We talk with political scientist and

A New Urban Hunter

Troy Bynum (@tb_wildlife_photography on Instagram) is Philly naturalist, wildlife photographer, and a new urban hunter. Troy talks with Billy about the experience of hunt

A New Hope: Advocating for Wildlife, Cats, and People in Tulsa

Local wildlife lovers and cat lovers can all feel outgunned and overwhelmed when the national, multi-million-dollar organizations that push TNR come to town. Tulsans for

Best Summer Ever

Billy and Tony chat about a summer spent doing urban environmental education together.