Did you listen to the Tarantula Hawk and think. "I can easily take that pain". First off, you probably can't. Second, the Bullet Ant would like to have a talk with you.Native to many rain forests these massive ants have earned their place among the true stinging insects. The Schmidt description is intense and, much like many of his descriptions. Makes me want to never experience the feeling, yet still morbidly curious.Hope you enjoy.

Today I am joined by Zach Kantor Anaya, the Santa Margarita River Preserve Manager & Southcoast Regional Director for the WIldlands Conservancy. The Wildlands Conservancy is the largest nonprofit land management group in the western United States and managed of 2 million acres of land. I asked about how the group manages conservation as well asked him about the Santa Margarita River Preserve.The river is extremely beautiful and oftentimes feels like you stepped into a fantasy world. It al...

Side stories returns with a bit of a horror story this time. The tarantula hawk is an incredibly distinctive wasp with a size and sting to match. Though not very aggressive it still very wise to watch yourself around lest you suffer their sting. Despite all of the horror, I enjoyed learning about them and hopefully you will too.The Sting of the Wild: The Story of the Man Who Got Stung for Science”Memoir of Justin Schmidt

Welcome to the first episode of Side Stories. A separate series focusing on one individual topic. These will fill gaps in the main content due to difficulty setting up interviews. I will be the lone speaker and try to strike a balance between educational information about the subject and a more casual tone. One disclaimer, I am not a biologist or chemist. I will do my best to interpret the studies I read, but if you notice any inaccuracies feel free to let me know through my email.Today we fo...

The Fallbrook Land Conservancy is a community based nonprofit that handles land management and conservation. Learn how they pursue this goal and how they approach land management and conservation. I spoke with Susan Liebes, the board chair of the group who informed us how they operate as well as some of their history and goals.Trail sounds recorded at Los Jilgueros Preserve.Falbrook Land Conservancy:https://www.fallbrooklandconservancy.org/

The Santa Rosa Plateau is a preserve in Southern California near the Cleveland National Forest. It contains many rare and unique wildlife and is a truly a sight to behold. Learn about it with me as I interview the Riverside County Park's interpreter, Rob Hicks. Here we particularly focus on how the preserve has recovered from the fire several years ago.Santa Rose Plateau Website:https://the-nef.org/Riverside County Parks Website:https://www.rivcoparks.org/santa-rosa-plateau-wildlife-area