In this episode Dr. Bob and Dr. Aimée Thomas visit Bayou Sauvage Urban National Wildlife Refuge in New Orleans East to meet a longtime friend, Pon Dixson with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. We discuss the ecological succession that has taken place since Hurricane Katrina decimated the forest. We also talk about Golden silk orb-weavers, Timber Rattlesnakes, Persimmons, the history of the refuge and traditional ecological knowledge. If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!! Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at [email protected] and we will answer you! Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas Produced by Emma Reid Intro Music composition by Hunter Wainwright

It’s early fall in the South, and for us, that means DRAGONFLIES! This Nature Note episode is all about the fascinating natural history of the dragonfly, which has been around for about 320 million years and was once up to 3 feet long! We will discuss how dragonflies are one of the most successful and VORACIOUS aerial predators in the world along with their impressive mating and survival strategies. If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!! Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook and Instagram! Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at [email protected] and we will answer you! Visit our website www.lucec.loyno.edu for more information. Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas Produced by Emma Reid Intro Music composition by Hunter Wainwright

In the South we know hurricanes all too well… so this hurricane season Dr. Bob and Dr. Aimée Thomas decided to go even deeper. This episode features Mark Schleifstein, a Pulitzer Prize-winning environmental journalist and is a must listen if you want to understand the complexities of hurricanes. Are hurricanes really getting stronger due to climate change? What happens to birds, plants and other animals during hurricanes? What does a naturalist notice before and after a hurricane? What does the “eye” tell you about a hurricane and why do they spin? How much do wetlands reduce storm surge? What do hurricane hunters do? These are just some questions we will answer! Referenced Links: Dr. Bob's Lecture Notes: Meteorology and Hurricanes Hurricane Hunters in Florence YouTube video Study about lizards and toe pads during hurricanes How wetlands reduce strom surge If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!! Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! And visit our website to learn more! Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at [email protected] and we will answer you! Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas Produced by Emma Reid Intro Music composition by Hunter Wainwright

If you’re from Louisiana, you certainly know about Lake Pontchartrain. You probably know that it’s technically not even a lake! It is a divider of habitats, home to many unlikely species and has the longest bridge over water in the world! For a naturalist, it is a major spectacle! That is why Dr. Bob is on his 9th version of a 60+ page document which expands upon all that a naturalist may notice while crossing this giant estuary. Bob and Aimée discuss the lake’s history, how it changes the climate, rangia clams, bull sharks, sea turtles, purple martins, pelicans flying, cormorants langmire circulation, waterspouts, how the lake was cleaned up, eutrophication and SO much more. Think of this episode as the cliff notes for that document! Trust us, after this episode your 24 mile drive on the Causeway Bridge will never be the same! Read the full article here! and visit our website to learn more! If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!! Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at [email protected] and we will answer you! Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas Produced by Emma Reid Intro Music composition by Hunter Wainwright

Do you ever wonder how birds can fly so long without ever flapping their wings? Based on Dr. Bob’s nature note, we dive deep into the functional morphology of bird flight - basically how they have adapted to use the environment to get around better! We cover different flight methods such as compression gliding, declivity currents and thermal soaring. If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!! Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at [email protected] and we will answer you! Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas Produced by Emma Reid Student Intern: Kitty Perlsweig Intro Music composition by Hunter Wainwright

Dr. Bob and Dr. Aimée Thomas head to Barber Laboratories to dig even deeper into the world of butterflies with Linda Auld, known in New Orleans as the "Bug Lady". They discuss the amazing lifecycle of Monarch Butterflies, the issue with Tropical Milkweed, Linda's research of the OE Parasite and MANY ways that you can get involved with supporting butterflies! Check out her book, Bug Lady's Butterfly Summer! Learn more about this episode and our podcast on our website! Also check out Dr. Bob's nature notes! If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!! Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at [email protected] and we will answer you! Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas Produced by Emma Reid Student Intern: Kitty Perlsweig Intro Music composition by Hunter Wainwright

In this Nature Note edition of The Southern Naturalist, we answer all of your burning questions about the majestic, magical lightning bug! Questions like, why do they glow? what makes them glow? Where can I find them and why do I remember seeing more as a kid? We also dig deeper into how they are named, why beetles are so cool, metamorphosis and bioluminescence!  Our resident bug expert Zack Lemann joins the conversation as we talk about on the evolutionary biology and mating habits of fireflies and how they are natures "femme fatales!" If you enjoyed this episode please leave us a review!!! Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Learn more about this podcast (with many links and a cheat sheet) on our website! Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at [email protected] and we will answer you! Hosts: Dr. Robert Thomas and Dr. Aimée Thomas Produced by Emma Reid Student Intern: Kitty Perlsweig Music composition by Hunter Wainwright

Do you ever wonder what alligators do in the winter? Well, you're not alone! This is Dr. Bob's highest searched Nature Note and it is full of many educational and fun facts. As always, there will many be tangents and stories. We will discuss brumation versus hibernation as well as other adaptation strategies for animals in the winter! Dr. Bob Thomas has been writing short essays on natural history for many years, so we decided to record him reading them and add some discussion with Dr. Bob's daughter, colleague and fellow nature lover, Dr. Aimée Thomas! Visit Lucec.loyno.edu to read other nature notes! Learn more about this podcast on our website and please leave us a review! Do you have any more questions about this topic or natural history in your area? Message us on social media or email us at [email protected] and we will answer you! Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Produced by Emma Reid Student Interns: Kitty Perlsweig and Hannah Chaisson Sound editing by Ben Ross Music composition by Hunter Wainwright and Dirk Powell

On the very first episode of The Southern Naturalist, get ready to be captivated by Dr. Aimée Thomas and Dr. Bob Thomas  as they go black lighting (a common method for collecting and studying insects) and bug searching in Audubon Park at night. Our special guest is an enthusiastic entomologist named Zack Lemann. We will cover many topics in this episode including insect anatomy, trap jaw ants, dragon flies, nocturnal  insects, defense mechanisms and what is means to be a naturalist! We hope you enjoy! Learn more about this podcast on our website and please leave us a review! Do you have any more questions about nature? Message us on social media or email us at [email protected] and we will answer you! Follow @SoNatPodcast on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter! Produced by Emma Reid Student Interns: Kitty Perlsweig and Hannah Chaisson Sound editing by Ben Ross Music composition by Hunter Wainwright and Dirk Powell