Nature & Ecology

At the southernmost tip of South Africa, where fresh and salt water collide, a tiny seahorse appears to levitate. Seahorses are the ocean’s slowest swimmers, but they have one of the world’s fastest muscle contractions, using it to suction up their prey. In this episode, we meander through eelgrass with a male Knysna seahorse as he twines tails with his partner, changes color to match the sand, and even gives birth to a brood of tiny seahorses.

Red pandas have thick bushy ringed tails like raccoons, but they aren’t related to panda bears or raccoons—in fact, they have no close relatives anywhere on Earth. In this episode, we wander the Himalayas with a red panda and her cubs as they munch on bamboo, practice walking in the treetops, and settle in to nap together as the first snowfall of the year covers their forest home.

California’s coast redwoods are Earth's tallest living beings, some reaching more than 350 feet high. They can also live for more than 2,000 years, outlasting entire civilizations. In this episode, we spend an evening with an ancient tree. Below ground, its roots tap into a forest-wide network; above ground, its branches harbor life in its many forms.

In the misty Puerto Rican El Yunque rainforest, coquí frogs no larger than your thumb fill the air with their distinctive two-note song: “co-quí, co-quí.” They alternate routines—one night singing to attract potential mates, the next hunting to fuel up for tomorrow’s performance. In this episode, we follow a singer and a hunter amid the vibrant nighttime chorus.

Surviving the unsurvivable. Healing from the unhealable. This is an inspiring memoir of physical and mental recovery, from someone who lived through the Whakaari White Island volcanic eruption. ""I heard someone say, 'Wow!' And someone else exclaimed, 'Look at that!' I had my back to the crater...

Join acclaimed travel writer and incurably curious hiker Tom Chesshyre in this celebration of the Peak District, Britain’s first National Park, on its 75th anniversary 'Funny, fair and honest, and effortlessly readable' Matthew Parris In the heart of England lies a fascinating landscape of...

Concrete Botany is a gritty, kick-in-the-guts look at the ecological disturbance humans have caused and the resilience of the plants living amongst it. Delivered in his raw and unapologetic yet botanically accurate tone, Joey Santore—the unforgettable host of Crime Pays but Botany...

The author of Finding the Mother Tree and scientist who pioneered the concept of sophisticated communication between trees, Suzanne Simard now offers a powerful vision for saving our forests based on nature’s deep-rooted cycles of renewal. "A masterclass on the inner workings of forests...

From the award-winning, New York Times best-selling author of Cod and Salt, To Catch a Fish is an entertaining and beautifully written illustrated collection of essays that explore a lifetime fascination with fishing. For as long as there have been humans, there have been humans trying to catch...

Dawn and dusk – those fleeting, half-lit hours – are when the ordinary becomes extraordinary. In THE SECRET WORLD OF TWILIGHT, author and smallholder Sally Coulthard invites us into this magical in-between realm, where seductive night-blooming flowers open, secretive mammals stir, giant moths reign and fantastical sea creatures ride the tide. Blending natural history, folklore and memoir, Coulthard reveals twilight as a vital, liminal force: one that has inspired awe for millennia and still has the power to illuminate our daily lives.

As climate action accelerates, carbon credits have become one of the most powerful tools for reducing global emissions. Yet few truly understand how these markets work. Understanding Carbon Credits breaks down the science, systems, and strategies behind carbon crediting in a way that’s clear, actionable, and insightful.

How did the world as we know it—from the soil beneath our feet to the air we breathe and the life that surrounds us—come to be? Geologists have proposed one set of answers while biologists have proposed another. Earth and Life is the first book to reveal why we need to listen to both voices—the physical and the biological—to understand how we and our planet became possible.

Caring for your pets and caring for the planet work hand in hand. This friendly, clear, and slightly mischievous guide shows you how to give your dog or cat a wonderful life while lowering your household’s environmental footprint, saving money, and making everyday choices that feel good and do good. James Ellison invites you into his New England home with Sam, Edna, and Milo, where every lesson comes from real life. Sustainable pet care is not an all-or-nothing mission. It is a series of small, thoughtful habits that help pets thrive while protecting the world they live in.

In a world where technology evolves faster than ever, our devices have become both indispensable tools and growing environmental liabilities. This book reveals how the shift from a linear “take-make-dispose” model to a regenerative circular ecosystem can dramatically reduce waste, extend device lifespans, strengthen security, and unlock new economic value. Through clear explanations, real world case studies, mathematical models, and actionable frameworks, it could equip listeners with the knowledge to build computing systems that are not only sustainable but smarter, safer, & more resilient.

Farley Mowat's youth was charmed and hilarious, and unbelievably free in its access to unspoiled nature through bird-banding expeditions and overnight outings in the dead of winter. The author writes of sleeping in haystacks for survival, and other adventures, with equal shares of Booth...

In this nature connection and spiritual wellness tool, Dawn Nelson offers a new way of connecting with trees—and in turn the landscape and nature around us—through stories, lore, and sacred symbolism. Tales drawn from around the world (including North America, Africa, Oceana, Asia, South America, and Europe) reveal how these iconic trees have become so significant in human culture.

Knoxville native Charlie Tombras may be best known for his fifty-seven-year leadership of the nationally recognized advertising firm the Tombras Group, but in his moving memoir, From Out of the Smokies: Stories of Fly Fishing and Life, he chronicles his personal journey, letting business take a backseat.

'A nuanced invitation to see the city as a place of wild co-existence and possibility.' OLIVIA LAING 'Meticulously researched and elegantly written' VICTORIA BENNETT While it's easy to think of the city as a human domain - a place that belongs to us alone - the reality is that nature is always...

John Hanson Mitchell has long written about his garden outside of Boston, and about the plants and animals with whom he shares this land. In 2022, the United Nations and others started reporting the true severity of the climate crisis as the Earth passed a point of no return. All across the globe it was the worst year on record for climate-related disasters. Mitchell, like so many, felt overwhelmed. He looked to the story of Voltaire's Candide, and settled on the famous aphorism from that book: "We must cultivate our garden."

“A work of real passion… More Haskells, please, and more flowers.”—The New York Times Book Review An exquisite exploration of the power of flowers, placing them at the center of the story of how evolution created the world we know today We live on a floral planet, yet flowers don’t get...

Have you ever wondered why we count sheep to get to sleep? Or where the phrase "red herring" comes from? Across British history, animals have been written about in poetry, painted in oils, and even recorded in law. Loved or feared, familiar or endangered, animals are everywhere to be seen. In this enchanting study, Karen R. Jones takes a journey through the history of ten animals to show the extraordinary story of "beastly" Britain.

This one-volume edition of Living the Good Life and Continuing the Good Life brings these classics on rural homesteading together. This couple abandoned the city for a rural life with minimal cash and the knowledge of self-reliance and good health.

If you want to master ship spotting, identify vessels with confidence, and explore the world’s most exciting maritime hotspots, HowExpert Guide to Ship Spotting is your ultimate companion. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced spotter looking to sharpen your skills, this comprehensive guide provides everything you need to take your passion for ship spotting to the next level.

Neither Man Nor Beast explores the common link between cultural attitudes to women and animals in modern Western culture that have enabled the systematic exploitation of both. A vivid work that takes in environmental ethics, theological perspectives and feminist theory.

Get started on your composting journey with this practical, accessible, and fun guide to reducing your waste—including this book when you finish reading! Composting is so much more than just transforming food into soil; it is deeply existential, radical, and soul-opening. And no, it's not just...