Kevin S. Fridy–Professor of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Tampa, and slated after this interview to deliver a talk, “Human Bycatch in a West African Wildlife Corridor,” as part of the Pints of Science lecture series offered monthly at venerable Tampa concert venue New World Brewery—traces his path from kid growing up in Palatka, FL to accomplished academic. Explaining there was just one high school in Palatka, and characterizing it as “rough”—he noted a jarring attrition rate: 700-800 students would start attending, and four years later, only 300 would remain—he recalls almost an intuitive inclination to study hard and excel academically. It worked. He earned a scholarship, attending George Washington University, and when an opportunity arose to study abroad, Fridy selected Ghana. This, it turns out, launched a long, professionally and personally fruitful relationship—Fridy estimates he’s traveled to the West African country more than two dozen times. He recounts how his first trip there, in 1997, as a 20-year-old who’d never traveled internationally, shaped him in multiple ways. Fridy really took to Ghana, finding some notable parallels between the country and his native Palatka. Amidst return journeys to Ghana, and further strides down the road of academia—he’d followed his B.A. in International Relations by securing a Master’s in the same field—a mentor advised him to get a Ph.D. As it happens, the University of Florida, in Gainesville—about 40 miles from Palatka—runs the largest collegiate African Studies program. Fridy did indeed get his Ph.D from UF, in Political Science. (At one point in our conversation, he describes himself as a “mainstream political scientist.”) In something of a sneak preview of that night’s Pints of Science lecture, he outlines how he and various colleagues came to formulate a slice of research anchored in Ghana’s Red Volta’s Forest Reserve. They recognized it as a significant wildlife corridor, but wondered what else might be learned by setting up 20 camera traps in that area for a year. Fridy says that yearlong assemblage of images documented the expected heavy elephant traffic—the Reserve serves as a wildlife corridor for more than 90 percent of West Africa’s elephants (though chiefly in the “dry season,” Nov. to March)—but also an enormous presence of cattle, and comparatively little human activity: a handful of hunters, gold miners, and so on. Given the procession of pachyderms, I was struck—and delighted—that there seemed to be no evidence of poaching. Fridy explains that he and others involved in this camera trap exploration of the corridor plan to publish a paper on the endeavor. He observes that the animal emphasis here marks a shift in the direction of his work as a political scientist, and he anticipates he’ll move further in that direction. (https://www.ut.edu/directory/fridy-kevin-s, https://fridy.com/) COMEDY CORNER: Nate Bargatze’s “Eagles” (https://nateland.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE:  King Crimson’s “Elephant Talk” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/TAJune10Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

A.J. Sanjar–a field biologist who’s conducted research with significant implications for reducing the Florida population of the Burmese python, often-massive snakes with few natural predators, an apex invasive species in areas like the Florida Everglades. He recalls growing up in Austin, loving to be outside amidst nature and animals. Recognizing that, over the years, Sanjar clearly reflected an ongoing passion for spending time in the wilderness, and exploring critters of all kinds, his older brother recommended he apply to Texas State University, known for its field biology program. He did, got accepted, and loved it. Research projects quickly followed. Including a trek to Ecuador, where he participated in a fascinating study of frogs and if/when the species transforms at various altitudes. Yet another project, he said, examined snake fungal disease. But his chief research project—he did his Master’s Thesis on it, as a grad student at Southern Illinois University—involves Sanjar and his colleagues using possums fitted with VHF collars to track, then locate the elusive pythons. (This was an extension, Sanjar explains, of a research project by another SIU grad student, Kelly Crandall, who in a study more focused on raccoons and opossums, yielded inadvertent results involving the opossums being consumed by pythons.) The team can follow the signals when an opossum is swallowed whole by a python, leading team members or others to the location of these massive snakes, which can then be removed. The research continues presently, beyond Sanjar’s work that resulted in his Master’s, and he indicates that he’ll be publishing his thesis soon. Burmese Pythons certainly continue to capture people’s imagination, the snakes’ capture remains the focus of all kinds of efforts, small and large. We’re a little over a month away from the annual Florida Python Challenge, a competition whereby contestants capture and kill pythons—following strict guidelines—for prize money! COMEDY CORNER: Dusty Slay’s “Trailer Park Pets” (https://dustyslay.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Junk’s “Burmese Python,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/May27Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Laura Hagen–managing director of wildlife at Humane World for Animals (formerly the Humane Society of the United States)—explains the rationale behind the organization changing its name some 70 years after its inception. Hagen addresses the effectiveness of the re-branding, including erasing the longstanding confusion that was triggered by, for example, donations to HSUS when the donor might’ve meant one of numerous local organizations with “humane society” in their name. Or vice versa. An attorney and veteran animal advocate, Hagen traces the path of her 20-plus year career. That path generally traveled along public policy lines—pausing that journey to fortify those skills by going to law school at Lewis and Clark in Portland, OR, with an emphasis on animal and environmental law. After undertaking other campaigns and jobs, Hagen settled into the employ of HSUS/Humane World for Animals, where she’s now managing director of wildlife. In that capacity, she recently assembled information identifying a circumstance that even those who pay close attention to animal welfare matters may find startling: exactly a decade after Ringling Bros. halted the use of elephants in their shows, it turns out 14 elephants are still regularly forced to hit the road and perform in other circuses. Making the situation even more egregious, most of these elephants are in their mid to late 50s In our conversation, Hagen described some of the exhibitors who own the elephants, and rent these animals (again, these are animals, not equipment to be rented for a weekend home project) for circuses, fairs, Renaissance festivals, and other events where elephants serve as a drawing card. Hagen’s description included the story of Betty, a 57-year-old elephant owned by Carden Circus. Her tale includes lameness exacerbated both by performing and having to give rides, and that even after being cited by the USDA, Carden wouldn’t retire Betty, instead sending her to a roadside zoo in Indiana. Hagen reviewed the ongoing efforts by states and municipalities to pass legislation preventing wild animals from performing within their borders—currently, 12 states and dozens of municipalities have enacted such bans. To see, and support, Humane World for Animals’ work in this regard and otherwise on behalf of captive wildlife, visit this section of their website: https://www.humaneworld.org/en/issue/helping-captive-wildlife   ALSO: I spoke with Doll Stanley, Justice for Animals Senior Campaigner for the longtime animal welfare organization In Defense of Animals (IDA), regarding some pointed criticism IDA voiced of the sentencing a judge recently handed down in a high-profile Florida cruelty case. This case involved the poaching of 13 alligators—authorities originally charged the key defendant, Jacob Latreille, with 14 felony counts of the illegal killing, possessing or capturing of alligators. By the time this case reached its completion, Latreille was, somehow, essentially sentenced to probation. Stanley observed that in this legal realm of animal cruelty, not only are the laws often toothless, but so, too, is the enforcement of those laws—the sentencing. (https://www.idausa.org/)     COMEDY CORNER: Eddie Izzard’s “Talk To The Animals” (https://www.eddieizzard.com/en) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/TAMay20Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Ronan Donovan–a wildlife biologist turned visual storyteller, whose work is featured in an exhibition, Wolves: Photography by Ronan Donovan, on display at the James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, in St. Petersburg—recalls a lifelong love of animals, and exploring the wilderness, that he forged growing up in rural Vermont. Give or take a detail, these passions represent the Donovan narrative thru-line coursing through all phases of his life, up through the present moment, where he’s living in Montana, participating in this interview while outside, occasionally noting when he spots a sandhill crane, or a fox runs by. This storyline runs so deep that even when he got into some criminal trouble as a teenager, he says, racking up two felonies for stealing, his punishment involved being sent to wilderness therapy (in southeast Oregon). For youngsters who are struggling and a bit lost, like he was, Donovan recommends The Student Conservation Association, touting the organization two different times during our conversation. And most of the key episodes of his life seem to involve working (a) outside and (b) with fauna of one kind or another. So, for example, there was a stint lobstering in Maine, and another stint, post-college, helping a PhD student carry out research in California on spotted owls. Somewhere along this path, during the spotted-owls stint, Donovan picked up a camera and started shooting. Which, it’s safe to say, widened out, so to speak, and re-directed his narrative. A subsequent research tour-of-duty, studying chimps in Uganda, led to some profound experiences with those great apes—and inroads as a photographer. Those chimp images constituted a turning point in his career, later yielding various projects in print and on screen…notably including the exhibition Wolves: Photography by Ronan Donovan, which continues through Sept. 7 at the James Museum, in St. Pete. (https://www.ronandonovan.com/, https://thejamesmuseum.org/) Photos by Ronan Donovan ALSO: I spoke with H. H. German, the creator of “Calico,” the first comic-book hero dedicated to fighting animal abuse. I’ve spoken with German periodically since he launched the first “Calico” series about six years ago—extending the “Talking Animals’’ commitment to spotlight and support the first comic-book hero who battles animal cruelty. In this chat, German provides a brief overview of the series, including what prompted him to create “Calico.”  He also addresses the virtues of launching each installment by way of Kickstarter campaigns, going on to offer a description of the new entry to the “Calico” canon: “Calico Unwanted Men.”  German assesses the enthusiastic reaction “Calico” has elicited in various quarters, including the comic book world, the realm of comic conventions, and the general field of animal welfare. (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sigmacomics/calico-book-3?ref=backertracker&utm_medium=web&utm_source=backerkit, https://sigmacomics.com/, https://www.instagram.com/sigma_comics, https://www.facebook.com/sigmacomicsgroup   COMEDY CORNER: Nate Fridson’s “Horse Racing” (excerpt) (https://www.instagram.com/fridskins/, https://astrecords.com/pages/nate-fridson) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/TAMAY6Finalmp3.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Tammy Thies–founder and executive director of The Wildcat Sanctuary, a nonprofit rescue refuge in Minnesota specializing in exploited, aging, and illegally-owned wild cats—recalls how her work in advertising (an earlier career) took her to a photo shoot featuring two Bengal tiger cubs, where she found the cats’ mistreatment concerning, spurring her to volunteer at some sanctuaries. What Thies saw during those stints upset her even more, including breeding and selling wild cats, amidst often deplorable conditions, and an array of abused animals. This ignited the transformation of Thies into ambitious wildcat crusader. This metamorphosis flourished under the tutelage of celebrated actress and big cat advocate Tippi Hedren, whom Thies had read about in a Parade magazine profile addressing Shambala, Hedren’s sanctuary for rescued big cats. Thies dialed the number for Shambala listed in the Parade piece, and Hedren answered! Wait, the story gets better! Having never met, Hedren invited Thies to come visit her at Shambala, where she closely observed the workings of the sanctuary, talking constantly, peppering Hedren with questions–receiving a serious education in how to run a refuge for rescued big cats. Armed with that knowledge, and her volunteer experiences, Thies launched her first sanctuary, starting small—a coupla acres around Atlanta—then kept expanding the parcels of land and numbers of animals, eventually reaching The Wildcat Sanctuary’s current count of caring for 150 wild cats across 220 acres. Often intertwining the narrative of West Coast Game Park—a freshly current news story, involving an egregious roadside attraction in Oregon, now closed down nearly a year after authorities seized 300 animals (as well as large amounts of cash, drugs, and guns)—Thies described how The Wildcat Sanctuary functions when asked by authorities to assist after a raid like West Coast Game Park, or otherwise shutting down a nefarious animal operation. What happens next? What happens to the animals? Theis explains they take in the animals they can accommodate (in the West Coast case,  they took four) and look into available spaces for animals at other legitimate facilities. We also touch on the fundamental importance of fundraising and possessing financial acumen in operating a rescue animal sanctuary, and likewise the profound risk of compassion fatigue, and the attendant requirement to engage in ongoing self-care. (https://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/) ALSO: In an interview recorded the day before the show, I spoke with Congressman Maxwell Alejandro Frost, who represents Florida’s 10th District, which includes Orlando. Orlando is where a horrific story played out recently involving an entity called Sloth World, where Peter Bandre—the would-be entrepreneur behind this enterprise–purchased and shipped a few dozen sloths in seemingly haphazard fashion, resulting in the death of well over 30 sloths. Representative Frost and his team dove into researching the relevant animal welfare laws and violations thereof, he recalled, playing a vital role in authorities becoming aware of this Sloth World debacle, employing full-throttle efforts in media, social media, and other means. Congressman Frost wanted to ensure Bandre wouldn’t receive the permit required to proceed with his “attraction,” forcing him to abandon plans for Sloth World. Thirteen surviving sloths—12 at last count, one of those 13 having died–were subsequently taken in by the Central Florida Zoo. (https://frost.house.gov/) COMEDY CORNER: Brian Regan’s “Flipper & Gentle Ben” (excerpt) (https://brianregan.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/TAApril29Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Mike Birkhead–longtime producer-director of wildlife documentaries (grounded by no less than a doctorate in zoology from Oxford), who served as co-director, co-producer, and co-writer of  “Legendary Tigers Of India,” an episode of Nature that premiered on Earth Day—seems disinclined to highlight the credentials populating his long résumé. Rather, he spends much of this interview enthusiastically touting Valmik Thapar, a monumental, lifelong tiger expert whose protective passion for the cats manifested in endlessly observing, photographing and filming them (The films were often in collaboration with Birkhead.) The conversation echoed the film, which ends up profiling Thapar nearly to the degree it ends up documenting the history of India’s Ranthambore’s National Park, and the rising and falling fortunes of the tigers who’ve lived there. Protracted decades of hunting had decimated the tiger population there, prompting the animals to become reclusive, and flipping their internal clocks to become nocturnal. But owing to the protection afforded by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s ban on hunting in the early 1970s, the numbers rebounded, expanding  a group of about a dozen tigers into a coterie of 70-plus cats. However, Birkhead explained the Ranthambore realm was defined by a cyclical pattern for its tiger tenants, noting that “things went wrong” again in the 1980s—another plunge in the population. The clear culprit was horrifically pervasive poaching—rendered particularly horrific by the tigers, now having become habituated to humans getting quite close, were shot at point blank range. Thapar mentions this detail in a voive-over in the film; Birkhead mentions it in our interview, underscoring how badly Thapar felt about it, and that he blamed himself. Seeking to clarify critical chronology, I ask Birkhead about the making of “Legendary Tigers Of India” relative to Thapar before he passed away in May of 2025. Birkhead confirms that Thapar was not only around for all the filmmaking, but also saw—and loved—the finished documentary. We conclude by chatting about pivotal Ranthambore tigers, including Padmini, Machli, Noor, and Arrowhead.  (https://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature, https://mikebirkhead.com/) [Photos: Birkhead by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images…Noor & cubs by Valmik Thapar…Padmini by Valmik Thapar… Valmik Thapar by Mike Birkhead Associates] COMEDY CORNER: Jim Gaffigan’s “Animal Lover”  (https://www.jimgaffigan.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” Greg Roy’s “Mother Nature” (Happy Earth Day!...Tropical Heatwave!), instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/TAApril22Final.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Melanie Sue Bowles–co-founder of Proud Spirit Horse Sanctuary, who alongside her husband, Jim, has shepherded the sanctuary through nearly 35 years of challenges, changes, and relocations, in service of rescuing horses and providing them refuge–recalls the unlikely beginning, when they were decidedly not horse people. Bowles explained that having bought a home on a five-acre parcel of land (in Myakka FL), while settling into their new digs, they realized that all their neighbors had horses. This may have foreshadowed what would become multiple occurrences of contending with horse-owner group think. She recounts rescuing their first horse, Cody, a troubled soul that posed formidable challenges for first-timers, then—knowing that even a healthy horse needs companionship—began the search for the second one. I observe that even caring for multiple healthy horses would be rigorous for newbies, but many of these animals arrived at Proud Spirit having experienced trauma—at least, neglect, and in some cases, overt abuse. Plus, she notes, the difficult journey of traveling the learning curve was compounded by the ongoing dogma of her neighboring horse people, who criticized Bowles’ methods while recommending practices she found confounding, such as weaning foals from their mothers at three months. While fielding an array of listener questions, including her views on doing business with auction houses/slaughterhouses (opposed) and rodeos (ditto), Bowles addresses the all-encompassing nature of rescue work and running a sanctuary. By way of example, she said she and her husband haven’t been on a vacation in 20 years. This dovetailed with examining the relentless, wearying element of fundraising, an essential enterprise in that realm—to buy food, to pay veterinarians, to cover a myriad of other expenses—that can’t be neglected in the least or the operation is compromised. Or folds. In a way, Bowles and I were revisiting part of an entire program we did in 2015 (https://talkinganimals.net/2015/11/melanie-sue-bowles-founder-director-of-proud-spirit-horse-sanctuary-2/), largely devoted to discussing fundraising in the rescue/sanctuary world, and the stakes of not consistently performing at a certain level. We conclude by touching on her work as an accomplished author, writing three nonfiction books about various aspects (and horses) of Proud Spirit, before turning her attention to writing novels for young readers, aged 8 and up, including “Liberty Biscuit” and “Little Pearl.” (https://horsesofproudspirit.org/)   ALSO: I spoke with Doug Booher, owner of Roxy’s Coffee, longtime animal advocate, and one of the organizers of “Stand Up for Dogs,” an event pegged to National Dog Fighting Awareness Day, slated to happen that night—April 8—at The Dog Bar in St. Pete. Booher briefly describes the current landscape of dog fighting, an under-the-radar, dark enterprise that’s somehow managed to become more nefarious, he noted, owing to the development of a more prominent betting component. He stresses the importance of generating wider support for the Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Animal Trafficking (FIGHT) Act, a bipartisan federal bill (H.R. 3946/S. 1454), designed to strengthen laws against dog fighting and cockfighting. Booher outlined the activities expected to be included across the “Stand Up for Dogs evening, including guest speakers, adoptable rescue dogs, raffles and prizes—and citing the organizations receiving the monies raised that night—as well as coffee from Roxy’s Coffee. (https://baristasblendcoffee.com/pages/events)   COMEDY CORNER: Joe Zimmerman’s “Pet Snakes (DS edit, Part 1) (https://www.zimmermancomedy.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today. AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/TAApril8Final.mp3 | Open [...]

Armando Ubeda–primarily appearing in his guise as a shark expert, although his CV is notably long and wide, having studied marine fauna ranging from coral reefs in Nicaragua to crocodiles in Florida—recalls being first intrigued by the ocean as a young boy, corroborating my observation that being in the sea, and researching its inhabitants, seem to be a prominent thru-line of his narrative. The sea has also long served Ubeda as a source of pleasure and recreation, swimming and diving, he affirms, acknowledging that consequently he feels more connected—maybe even more protective—of the ocean, as a scientist. This brings us to recounting his stint as a coral reef researcher in his native Nicaragua, drawing comparison to more recent investigations of coral issues in Florida, noting the pivotal role that climate change plays. He also addresses one of his postgraduate courses that particularly caught my eye—crocodile ecology…describing the challenges of sexing crocodiles, and we acknowledge that it’s not uncommon for many people to find it surprising that crocodiles exist in Florida, such is the powerful association, apparently, of the mighty alligator. As the conversation darts into shark territory, Armando exudes infectious enthusiasm. Probably not all that surprising, given that he’s a Ph.D. candidate whose thesis is about sharks…with his research focusing on shark reproductive behavior and population structure. That latter element of his research provides a portal into a debate that’s emerged in recent years: Are there more shark attacks these days, or just more reports of shark attacks? Armando resides unequivocally in the more-reports camp, where he believes his fellow scientists also land, citing the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), described as the world’s only scientifically documented, comprehensive database of all known shark attacks. It’s housed at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Armando offers a sneak preview of his talk, “Coastal Sharks of Florida,” he’s delivering on April 10,  part of the Florida Birding & Nature Festival, April 9-12, in and around Apollo Beach. (https://www.floridabirdingandnaturefestival.org/, https://blogs.ifas.ufl.edu/sarasotaco/author/aubeda/) ALSO: I spoke with Ann Paul, a longtime organizer of the Florida Birding and Nature Festival—again, a multifaceted, multi-day extravaganza, scheduled to take place April 9-12, in and around Apollo Beach. Ann reviewed the history and mission of the Festival, and its important changes over the years—notably including shifting the event from October to April: The migration travels the other direction, but with minimal risk now of the Festival proceedings being disrupted by  a hurricane. We know, of course, that Armando Ubeda will be giving a talk about sharks on April 10, but Ann outlined a number of additional lectures, field trips, boat outings, and other activities the Festival is offering across the four days. Some of these, she added, are free to attend, and some require tickets,  (https://www.floridabirdingandnaturefestival.org/)     COMEDY CORNER: Robert Schimmel’s “Punching A Shark In The Nose” MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: Joni Mitchell’s “Black Crow” AUDIO ARCHIVE: Listen Online Now: https://talkinganimals.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/TAApril1EDITING.mp3 | Open Player in New Window

Kevin Nealon–the veteran comedian, longtime animal advocate, former “Saturday Night Live” star (amidst a long list of TV and film credits), and host of the YouTube  series, “Hiking with Kevin”—explains why his animal advocacy and championing of certain animal welfare organizations has receded in recent years. He clarifies that his objection to the animal abuse endemic to factory farming and across other industries remains unwavering, alongside his support of Farm Sanctuary, PETA, and Best Friends Animal Society–entities with which he participated in high-profile campaigns and other undertakings, such as hosting Farm Sanctuary’s 30th Anniversary Gala. Nealon points out this shift in his involvement is chiefly the by-product of changing demands on his time—including widening career opportunities, while he and his wife, Susan Yeagley, have been raising their son. In our interview, Nealon notes that he has become a vocal supporter of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, describing the Trail and its singular importance. He adds that he’s offered his services to the Conservancy, helping implement the organization’s campaign to revamp the snarky phrase “Take a hike” into an upbeat, friendly suggestion to partake in a trek enjoying the healing properties of being outdoors amidst nature. This brings us, quite naturally, to “Hiking With Kevin.” This is the YouTube series he’s hosted for several years, featuring Nealon taking celebrity guests—like Conan O’Brien, Sarah Silverman, and Martin Short—on casual hikes, with occasionally-breathless conversations on boundless topics unfolding on the trails. Nealon recalls the genesis of the series came accidentally, in the wake of a hike with his friend, actor-filmmaker Matthew Modine. All these years later, the show’s going strong, with the element of being engaged in a hike, Nealon observes, seeming to foster notable candor amongst many of the guests. On occasion, the location of the hike can prove significant, like when Lin-Manuel Miranda showed Nealon on their hike key areas where he wrote “Hamilton.” He outlines four films he appears in that will be released in the coming weeks and months, and addresses his role, with Yeagley, as executive producers of “Come See Me In The Good Light,” a beautiful, enormously poignant documentary that was nominated for an Oscar (https://kevinnealon.com/) You can see this interview–at least the Kevin Nealon side of the conversation–here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvY57sECL2g   ALSO:  I spoke with Emiliana Fuger, a Wellington FL resident, sea turtle advocate, and author of the new book, Anatomy Under the Sea: The Adventures of Luna the Loggerhead. She’s also a popular lecturer, visiting schools and other locations, delivering her “Turtle Talks.” Perhaps most significant amongst these details, Emiliana Fuger is nine years old. She recounts that in wanting to research sea turtle anatomy for her science fair project, she was stymied by discovering there were no children’s book on that topic—all she could find was a college textbook. The best way to solve this problem, Emiliana decided, was to write an anatomy book herself. So, she did! Related to that enterprise, she created a sea turtle model, fashioned from paper mache and other materials. In our interview, Emiliana gave a guided tour of her model, describing the location and function of key organs, after cheerfully noting the top, protective shell is called the “carapace.” She revealed that her next book will be a Spanish version of her first one, and she knows she wants to write about a baby turtle’s life cycle for her third book. Emiliana also shares her delight in giving “Turtle Talks,” pointing out that she recently began incorporating three jokes into each presentation. (https://www.lunatheloggerhead.com/) COMEDY CORNER: Tim Harmston’s “Seagull” (https://www.timharmston.com/) MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking [...]

Lenore Braford and Paul Drake–co-founders of Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge, a highly-innovative animal sanctuary in North Carolina; owing to Drake being an architectural designer, each structure is uniquely tailored to the species housed there, reflecting their behavioral inclinations and preferences—discuss “Forever Home,” the new documentary by award-winning filmmaker Allison Argo profiling the Refuge.In addressing the genesis of “Forever Home,” Drake recalls attending a screening of an earlier Argo documentary, “The Last Pig,” gushing to her afterwards, noting the film’s deft capturing of “pigness”—and briefly describing to Argo the animal-centered design he and Braford had cultivated at the Refuge. She instantly replied that maybe she should make a film about that. About nine years later, she did–and it’s out. “Forever Home” presents a rich profile of the Refuge, as well as Braford and Drake, a couple with contrasting, yet complementary personalities—in broad strokes, he’s a creative dreamer, she’s a disciplined realist—and neither comes across as an extrovert eager to land a big hunk of screen time. In our interview, they confirm that impression, noting they’re pleased with the movie’s portrayal of them—they absolutely recognize themselves in the Big Screen Lenore and Paul. They’re a pair whose history dates back to meeting on their first day of school at Oberlin College, sitting shyly at a table, and a memorable encounter when Paul’s parents plopped down. Post-Oberlin, Lenore recalls how a budding interest in launching an animal sanctuary put her on the path to securing internships and other opportunities at assorted sanctuaries—to learn, to get experience, to assess if she liked that kind of work. She threw herself into this, with an overachiever’s zeal, including early in her stint at Farm Sanctuary, memorizing the names of all 300 or more animals living there. Meanwhile, Paul began pursuing a Master’s Degree in architecture at North Carolina State, and as Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge was starting to take shape, he was receiving academic credit towards his degree for the Refuge structures he was designing. When he describes in “Forever Home” why, let’s say, the goat house has vertical spaces, or why the chicken house bears large “wings,” of all things, (they fold down at night to protect against predators)—and shares some similar explanations in our interview regarding positioning and temperatures of these structures—you quickly recognize Paul as a creative mastermind. We conclude our conversation by discussing how, in an echo of Lenore’s experience traveling the shelter learning curve, folks who work at shelters—or aim to start one—reach out to the Braford-Drake team to seek help, exchange ideas, arrange internships, and so on. They also explain they’ve helped establish the “Sanctuary Swap,” whereby the staff of the Refuge annually switches places with the staff of another sanctuary—and all kinds of learning, analysis, insights, and new practices ensue. (https://www.piedmontrefuge.org/) ALSO: I spoke with Christina Antoniou, Director of Community Engagement at Animal Rescue Coalition, or ARC (aka ARC Spay & Neuter Specialists), a longtime Sarasota organization, Antoniou explained, devoted to reducing pet overpopulation—fervently committed to spay/neuter as the means to achieve that—while also providing other forms of animal care, and helping place adoptable animals in homes. In service of its mission, ARC holds events to raise awareness—and, ideally, funds—such as the ARC Walk slated to happen May 3, from 9am to 12:30pm, at Payne Park, in downtown Sarasota. Key elements of the morning, she noted, include the titular walk (participants can take their dog, or not, as well as choose to run or walk the route), food trucks, t-shirts made specially for the Walk, free dog treats, and raffle baskets geared for both dogs and [...]