A Cuckoo in the Nest: A Podcast on Chicagoland Biodiversity & Conservation

Another winter resident is on the discussion board today! Have you seen these little gray-bodied beauties in your backyard as of late? Tune in to learn about one of our wintertime visitors and their presence in the Chicagoland community!

Happy New Year! We're starting off 2019 with Jamie Viebach, Will County Program Coordinator with The Conservation Foundation. We're diving into the MANY ways you, yes YOU can support your local environment and better care for your own household at the same time.

Happy solstice, everyone! We're talking about the many ways you can still connect with the outdoors despite it being wintertime in the Chicagoland area. Have any other suggestions? Be sure to let us know to be featured on our social media!

Move over Marvel, the real “Winter Soldier” has arrived! A backyard regular and wintertime warrior, the Black-capped chickadee is a small bird with an amazing amount of resilience! Join us as we talk about this bird’s ability to withstand cold Chicagoland winters, as well as the importance of their presence in our local environment.

Today we're covering a wintertime visitor - the Snowy owl! Tune in to learn more about our climate-sensitive friends.

The snow has (hopefully) fallen and you're enjoying Chicagoland in the winter! Wondering how to better support your local wildlife? Tune to to learn about our best tips for connecting with nature during this time of year.

Today we're chatting about hibernation (and other states of dormancy). Think you know what Chicagoland wildlife is up to this time of year? Tune in to find out!

Have you met Chicagoland's largest weasel species? We're chatting about one of the region's apex predators, and how their return to local waterways has benefited our ecosystem as a whole.

Woodchucks, groundhogs, whistle pigs… whatever you call them, we’d like to formally introduce you to the largest ground squirrel species found here in Illinois!

Happy Bat Week (Oct 24 - 31)! We're chatting about local bat species and how they thrive in the Chicagoland region. Do you know what's fact or fiction? Tune in now to find out!

Known as "tiger owls", these Chicagoland regulars are fierce birds of prey that provide many benefits to our residential areas! Join Hannah and Aimee as they discuss the Great-horned owl.

We're talking all about native mice here in Chicagoland. Join us and learn how about their species, how to coexist and why (despite some conflicts) we need them!

The weather is getting colder, and wildlife is on the move! Join us as we cover some handy tips to help you prepare for changing seasons and changing wildlife behavior.

These birds are described as "plump, short-legged and short-necked", but hey - we're all about body positivity here! Join Aimee and Hannah as they discuss these migratory birds and our role in protecting them for years to come.

The most widely distributed carnivorous mammal in the world, Red foxes can be found across the entire Northern hemisphere, from North America to Europe & Asia. Join Hannah and Aimee as they cover this "catlike canine" that can run up to 40mph!

In this episode we're going underwater and exploring a fisherman's favorite in Illinois - Bluegill! Join us as we talk about this fascinating fish and its presence in Chicagoland waterways.

You either love them or hate them, but either way they're here to stay! Join Hannah and Aimee as they discuss Chicagoland's two most common tree squirrel species: Eastern Gray Squirrels and Fox Squirrels.

What's small, yellow and supposedly yells "po-ta-to chip" wherever they go? American goldfinches! Join Aimee and Hannah as they talk about this common North American finch and their unique presence in Chicagoland.

Annette Prince from the Chicago Bird Collision Monitors joins us today to talk about about our feathered friends that are migrating through Chicagoland this time of year! Find out how CBCM supports wild birds that find themselves stranded in the city and more importantly, how you can help too!

They live a long life (70 - 80 years!)... if they make it. Hannah and Aimee discuss federally and state-endangered Blanding's turtles and how efforts in Chicagoland are working hard to help save their species.

In this episode, Aimee and Hannah talk about the real monsters of Lake Michigan: Sea Lampreys. We also touch on the not-so-real Lake Michigan Monsters, but welcome any evidence that says otherwise. :-) Do you know what lurks beyond the lakefront?

Known as the largest mammal left in Northern Illinois, White-tailed Deer play and important (and sometimes infamous) role in urban environments. Aimee and Hannah talk about the importance of preserving and managing not only Illinois’ state mammal, but one of Chicagoland’s most notable species.

Described by Audubon as the "most widespread and familiar hawk in North America", Red-tailed hawks are the beginner's introduction to birds of prey. Join Aimee and Hannah as they chat about this fierce Chicagoland raptor!

Characterized as “industrious and authoritarian” by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, American Robins are a common yet integral part of Chicagoland wildlife. Join Hannah and Aimee as they talk about the most “basic” bird of them all!