Constant Wonder

Businesswoman Françoise Malby-Anthony traveled the world for work, until a chance encounter in the metro changed her life. Within a year, she'd quit Paris for South Africa, where she and her partner, Lawrence, established a wildlife preserve for troubled and orphaned elephants and rhinos. When Lawrence passed away suddenly, the responsibility for these animals fell to Françoise. Join us in this tale of love, loss, and connection beyond the grave. Guest: Françoise Malby-Anthony, owner of Thula Thula Private Game Reserve and author of "The Elephants of Thula Thula" Learn more about Françoise and the Thula Thula reserve on their website: https://thulathula.com/our-story/ Thula Baba traditional lullaby accessed on the Soweto Gospel Choir YouTube channel. Originally aired on March 27, 2024

The "Bear Man of India" is best known for his work rescuing sloth bears from inhumane conditions, but Kartick Satyanarayan knew he wanted to help animals from a young age. It all began with full-moon nights spent high in a jungle tree, watching a procession of wild animals visit a nearby watering hole. In the intervening 30 years, he's braved the "timber mafia" and even gunshots in a tireless crusade to protect wildlife. Guest: Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS Originally aired May 29, 2024

A small-town mortician savors life. Find out why "the internet's favorite mortician" encourages people not to skip out on funerals. And why he also advises listeners not to worry about "being an inconvenience" in either life or death. Guest: Victor M. Sweeney, author of "Now Departing: A Small-Town Mortician on Death, Life, and the Moments in Between" https://www.instagram.com/victor.m.sweeney/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ktLen9cVM

Tara Roberts comes to find joy in learning about her ancestors—even though history once seemed too traumatic to face. Guest: Tara Roberts, author of "Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging"

Fiona Robertson has had a lifelong fascination with the ancient standing stones that dot the British Isles. As her own life filled with storms, these megaliths became examples of endurance, able to survive millenniums of weathering. Join us as we follow Fiona through the stone lands to explore how these mysterious sites connect us to the past, redefine our present, and give us hope for the future. Fiona Robertson is a writer, editor and megalith enthusiast who takes her family across the British Isles in search of standing stones. She is passionate about archaeology, history and folklore. Visit her line to learn more about her work: Author website: https://fionarobertsonbooks.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stone_lands/?hl=en

Anne Fadiman has an infectious curiosity. In this episode. she'll introduce us to ice-bound explorers who turn to theater, art, and journalism to stave off boredom and madness. Then we travel across the globe to a matchless night beneath Halley's Comet. We'll also meet a indomitable young student who lived by the motto "Yes to everything!" Guest: Anne Fadiman, author of "Frog and Other Essays" and "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" https://us.macmillan.com/author/annefadiman

Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people to nature by promoting swimming, hiking, climbing, skiing, hunting, and many more recreational activities. Founder Rue Mapp reminds us of the historical connections Black people have to the Earth, and she encourages people to look to nature for healing, hope, and fun! Guest: Rue Mapp, founder of Outdoor Afro and National Geographic Fellow https://ruemapp.com Chapters: (0:00) Introduction (5:27) Out of the Comfort Zone (9:17) Black Relationships With Nature (26:24) Reconnection (35:45) Outdoor Afro's Healing Hikes (45:56) Spiritual Transformation

A love story for all time: Eleanor of Castile died in 1290, but her story still resonates today, thanks to the depths of her husband's devotion. You might know King Edward I as the fierce Edward Longshanks, but discover him in this episode as a besotted and grieving husband. Guests: Alice Loxton, author of "Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England's Lost Queen" https://aliceloxton.com; John Hibbs, tour guide at St. Mary's, Conwy, Wales https://caruconwy.com/our-churches/st-marys-conwy/; Kam Caddell of Kam Tours https://www.kamtours.com; Penny Griffin, reader and lector at St. Mary Magdalene, Geddington, England https://www.geddingtonweekleychurch.org.uk/; Luke McDonnell, muralist https://www.chibacreative.com/mural; Patricia Yiga, London commuter CHAPTERS (0:00) Introduction (4:43) Meet Eleanor (20:14) 12 Crosses, 200 Miles (29:15) Eleanor Watches Over Me (Geddington) (39:18) In Death We Cannot Cease to Love (Mural) (49:31) Everyone Plays Their Part (London Tube) (54:00) A Message from Grandfather

Stay in tune with our phenomenal world. Join us for explorations of science, art, history, and more. We're on a quest to find awe and wonder in all nature—human or wild, vast or small. Encounters that move us beyond words. Hosted by Marcus Smith, Constant Wonder is a production of BYUradio.

Personal stories from an ethnobotanist who travels the world to find healing plants, a writer who conducted "frog church" as a child, and a biogeochemist who connects soil microbes to constellations of stars. Gems from past episodes of Constant Wonder that will speak to newcomers and longtime listeners alike! Guests: Sasha Reed, biogeochemist and USGS research ecologist https://www.usgs.gov/staff-profiles/sasha-c-reed Cassandra Quave, ethnobotanist and professor of Dermatology and Human Health at Emory University https://naturespharmacy.substack.com/ Lyanda Lynn Haupt, naturalist and eco-philosopher https://www.lyandalynnhaupt.com/

Artifacts hundreds of years old are exposed on the shore of London's River Thames when the river's tide goes out. Mudlarks walk the banks, searching for fragments and relics that reveal stories long forgotten. Come walk along the river with us as we connect past and present, from the Roman era to the modern day. Guests: Flora Spiegel, editor and mudlark https://www.instagram.com/thankyou_riverthames/?__d=11 Lara Maiklem, mudlark and author laramaiklem.com Kate Sumnall, Curator of Archaeology at London Museum https://www.londonmuseum.org.uk/whats-on/secrets-thames/ Note: you must have a permit from the PLA to mudlark on the Thames.

When Shep the ranch dog discovered a mysterious rodent raiding his food dish, the canine forever changed the trajectory of the black-footed ferret species. Join us as we explore the precarious but wonderful lives of North America's only native ferret. We'll even take you along on a release of captive-born ferrets into the wild. Guests: Travis Livieri, founder and Executive Director of Prairie Wildlife Research https://prairiewildlife.org/ Justin Chuven, Deputy Recovery Program Coordinator at the National Black-footed Ferret Conservation Center https://www.fws.gov/office/national-black-footed-ferret-conservation-center Brian Maxfield, wildlife conservation biologist with Utah Department of Natural Resources Jimmy Breitenstein, wildlife photographer https://www.jimmybreitenstein.com/ Other voices from the ferret release: Clint Sampson, Crew, Marek

When options for recess became limited during the pandemic, a group of children in Oak Park, Illinois created Leaf Town, a thriving metropolis made of fallen leaves and lost trinkets. Beth and Kathleen Rooney recount the rise, fall, and rebuilding of the little community and remind us of the value of imagination and attention to little things. A conversation with Beth and Kathleen Rooney. https://www.leaftownforever.com

When Ava Chin went looking for the father who had abandoned her family, she discovered the rich and complicated legacy of her Chinese immigrant relatives. Her great-great-grandfather helped build the railroad that united America, but his adopted country soon turned against him, legislating the Chinese Exclusion Act. This episode of the Constant Wonder podcast explores how Ava Chin's family continued to thrive in America, despite intense discrimination. As her family history unfolds, we witness Ava Chin lay claim to a past she never knew she had. Guest: Ava Chin, author of "Mott Street: A Chinese American Family's Story of Exclusion and Homecoming" Excerpts from "Butterfly Lovers’ Violin Concerto" used by permission from the BYU Chamber Orchestra Originally aired Sept 27, 2023

Enjoy an audio advent calendar with a short episode for every day from December 1 through Christmas. Each episode invites thoughtful reflection on the season, inspired by nature’s miraculous phenomena (from a turtle hibernating through the cold of winter to an astronomer puzzling over the star of Bethlehem) as well as music and art traditionally connected with the biblical story of the Nativity. Advent is a series from the Constant Wonder podcast, produced by BYUradio.

There’s a sea change happening . . . on land. People are rethinking what a garden is, what a yard is for, what urban green spaces can do to help life flourish. This visionary who promotes “more-wild-than-not” landscapes is a leader in redefining beauty. Rebecca McMackin grew up on a small farm in Connecticut, where her love for the natural world first took root. She spent a decade as Director of Horticulture at Brooklyn Bridge Park, managing 85 acres of organic parkland and championing biodiversity in the heart of the city. She's now one of today's preeminent voices in the cause of life-supporting, ecologically sound gardening practices. Guest: Rebecca McMackin, Lead Horticulturist for the American Horticultural Society, publisher of the "Grow Wild" newsletter

Neurosurgeon Jay Wellons performs the most delicate surgeries on the traumatized brains of children, where every cut and stitch has life-changing consequences. He’s also an enthralling storyteller and a tireless advocate for his patients–a lesson he learned the hard way. Join us as he shares inspiring tales of his patients’ journeys. Guest: Jay Wellons, MD, Cal Turner Chair and Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; author of "All That Moves Us: A Pediatric Neurosurgeon, His Young Patients, and Their Stories of Grace and Resilience" Originally aired November 22, 2022

Octopuses, chickens, hummingbirds, turtles, emus... the list of animals that Sy Montgomery has befriended goes on. On Constant Wonder, we explore all sources of awe—human and wild—and in this episode we'll bring you exciting stories from both worlds. Guest: Sy Montgomery, naturalist and author of over thirty books, including "The True and Lucky Life of a Turtle"

What happens when you combine a professional cellist's technical skill and a physicist's experiment with vibration sensors? You get a play-able beehive—a living collaboration between humans and animals. In this episode, learn about the beautiful and musical lives of bees. Guests: Professor Martin Bencsik of Nottingham Trent University Professional cellist Deirdre Bencsik

After taking on the care of a beehive, Jessica Lahey quickly discovered that no amount of research could prepare her for the real buzz—like what happens when a hungry bear raids the hive. In this episode, Jess shares what it’s like to balance heartbreak and humor, protecting her bees while still finding empathy for the wild creatures that see them as a snack. Guest: Jessica Lahey, amateur beekeeper and author of "The Gift of Failure" and "The Addiction Inoculation."