Constant Wonder

The best way to see the world is on foot, it might be argued. Mary Colwell has had amazing encounters with wildlife on her walking treks around the globe. She's even used her walks to raise awareness and increase protection of the fascinating but imperiled curlew. Mary Colwell, Director of Curlew Action; TV and radio producer, conservationist; author, "Curlew Moon"

A man with premonitory dreams about wolves becomes the harbinger for peace between predators and cattle owners through empathy and hands-on conservation.

When Paula Whyman started trying to rehabilitate 200 acres she'd just bought, she knew very little about conservation. Among many other challenges, she faced off with mile-a-minute vine and rattlesnakes, but, with self-effacing humor and passion for this corner of the Blue Ridge Mountains, she persisted (and still persists!) in restoring the land to a healthy equilibrium. Guest: Paula Whyman, author of "Bad Naturalist: One Woman’s Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop"

Use the power of retreat and meditation to ease the stress of our frenetic lifestyle. From decades of friendship with the Dalai Lama, Pico Iyer has learned the value of sacred silence. Guest: Pico Iyer, author of "Aflame: Learning from Silence"

If snorkeling seems like something you can only do on a tropical vacation, think again. In this podcast episode, we meet a river snorkeling guide who encourages us to stick our heads in the water, right in our local streams and rivers. Keith Williams thinks you'll be amazed at the aquatic life you'll see there. Tune in to Constant Wonder and get hooked with some amazing fish tales. Guest: Keith Williams, author of "Snorkeling Rivers and Streams: An Aquatic Guide to Underwater Discovery and Adventure" and guide at Freshwater Journeys Originally aired on January 25, 2023

After waking from a coma with devastating brain damage, Samina Ali relearns to walk and speak alongside her newborn son. Guest: Samina Ali, author of "Pieces You'll Never Get Back: A Memoir of Unlikely Survival"

When Chloe Dalton starts caring for a newborn hare, the line between "indoors" and "outdoors" blurs—inviting her to explore the natural world that she previously took for granted. Guest: Chloe Dalton, author of "Raising Hare: A Memoir" © The British Library; Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en; BYU Broadcasting does not claim ownership in the wildlife sounds provided by The British Library obtained at https://bit.ly/4ipDIU8; no changes made

From rural oddity to New York Times writer, Wilson Bentley's singular devotion to snow and desire to share it with others changed snow science forever. Guests: Wayne Howe, former president of the Jericho Historical Association; Kenneth Libbrecht, professor of physics at the California Institute of Technology; Anna and Juniper of Jericho, VT; Seth of Provo, UT. Special thanks to Rod Gustafson for voicing Wilson Bentley. Photo courtesy of snowflakebentley.com

Clint Edwards' hilarious honesty gives encouragement to those struggling with mental health challenges. Facing off his anxiety with humor and hope, he learns to raise his a family of his own after growing up at odds with his parents. Guest: Clint Edwards, blogger and author of "Anxiously Ever After: An Honest Memoir on Mental Illness, Strained Relationships, and Embracing the Struggle" Originally Aired on February 8, 2023

When Korean adoptee Sara Jones went looking for her birth family, she wondered if a strange tattoo given to her in childhood could unlock any secrets. Adopted into an American family at age three, Jones found much success here in America, becoming an attorney and CEO. It wasn't until her own kids started asking questions that she decided to search for her birth family. And she started her search with that mysterious tattoo. Guest: Sara Jones, CEO of InclusionPro, Board Member of The (Utah) State Workforce Development Board, Board of Trustees for Intermountain Salt Lake Valley Hospitals, Co-Founder of Women Tech Council. Originally aired on October 26, 2022

A norm-shattering young White female doctor joins Black paramedics in 1970s Pittsburgh. And, meet the graceful but determined Black paramedic who provided unheralded leadership in spite of racism from patients and superiors. Guests: Kevin Hazzard, author of "American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America's First Paramedics" John Moon, former paramedic at Freedom House and former Assistant Chief, City of Pittsburgh EMS Photo Credit: Harvard University, Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America Originally aired on September 28, 2022.

Before 1966, if you needed transport to the hospital, authorities might send a police car, or even a hearse. That year, Pittsburgh's non-profit Freedom House set out to change that for the city's predominately Black Hill District. Staffed by trained Black men, their ambulance service served as a model for newly emerging paramedic services around the country. Guests: Kevin Hazzard, author of "American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America's First Paramedics" John Moon, paramedic at Freedom House and former Assistant Chief, City of Pittsburgh EMS Photo Credit: Heinz History Center Originally aired on September 21, 2022.

The Earth's crust reveals a dynamic, lively epic unfolding. If it may, at first, seem strange to "turn to stone" for wisdom, Marcia Bjornerud will convince you that dramatic changes in the Earth's geology offer enlightenment for its human residents. Guest: Marcia Bjornerud, author of "Turning to Stone: Discovering the Subtle Wisdom of Rocks" and Professor of Geosciences and Environmental Studies, Lawrence University

After cancer takes his brother's life, Dacher Keltner repeatedly experiences awe in ways that expand the boundaries of what, even for him, is real. Guest: Dacher Keltner, founding director, Greater Good Science Center, UC Berkeley; author, "Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life"

Jarod Anderson found unique purpose in the woods of his childhood during a life-threatening battle with depression. As the host of the popular podcast "The Cryptonaturalist," he shares real love for nature with thousands through whimsical, magical, and outright outrageous stories.

What can animals written off as "mindless" or "scary" teach us about developing compassion for the natural world and for other people? Guest: Sy Montgomery, author of "What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World's Most Familiar Bird"

Darkness makes even the most familiar places unfamiliar. But Leigh Ann Henion finds this exciting, not scary—night reveals a magical, wondrous world. Guest: Leigh Ann Henion, author of "Night Magic: Adventures Among Glowworms, Moon Gardens, and Other Marvels of the Dark"

A new season of fresh content is on its way! In the meantime, nature writer Gayle Boss takes a minute to enumerate the many joys that Constant Wonder brings her as a listener. Find out why an "abandon to wonder" can make all of us feel more alive!

Marcus shares an original Christmas message.

When an ermine kills her beloved chicken one Christmas morning, Sy Montgomery learns a lesson in forgiveness that reaches far beyond the hen house. Part of a Constant Wonder series marking the Christian Advent with daily vignettes that distill the spirit of the season, in keeping with our mission of exploring wonder and awe in all nature, human or wild, vast or small: encounters that move us beyond words. Guest: Sy Montgomery, author of "What the Chicken Knows" and "How to Be a Good Creature"