Random Nature
I'm Christy Hyman and I am a geographer who loves birds and the outdoors. I talk to thinkers & educators about how they view nature and how much or how little they embrace it into their lives. I also reflect on how nature and conservation has positively impacted my life as a grieving parent. Views are my own and not reflective of my university/scholarly affiliations.
Episodes
53 episodes
Bonus: Night of the Capercaillie! (Spooky Season Special)
Just in time for spooky season, a special bonus episode inspired by true events. When two American graduate students take a wrong turn on a remote Scottish forest road, they encounter something ancient and territorial in the fading light. This ...
THE WATERFALL HUNTER
I sit down with the one and only Waterfall Hunter. He tells me about alligators that watch his cousins play basketball on the court. I hear all about his hometown of Cross, South Carolina. Fair warning — I giggle through most of this one, becau...
Misdirected fury at the Lab of Ornithology: Cornell's Reckoning
A fraternity on campus was involved in a major gender-based violence incident. The university administration? Total radio silence. Then, instead of going after the president’s office or student conduct—you know, the people who actua...
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Step into the treetops and discover the extraordinary life of Louis Agassiz Fuertes (1874–1927), the brilliant American ornithologist and illustrator who revolutionized wildlife art and some amazing birders of Latinx heritage conti...
Miracles never cease in the garden!
In this episode, we hear how a litter box lid, some leftover charcoal, and a total refusal to do any research somehow produced a thriving romano bean plant from seeds obtained for free at a America250 thing in Brooktondale, NY. The host is just...
Tech Needs Limits: The Great Dismal Swamp Needs You!
Bonus episode that discusses a massive, power hungry data center that will destroy critical wildlife habitat and public health combined in the Great Dismal Swamp.Please note my cat is loud toward the end, sorry. He hates data centers too...
The New Year- August 2026- Season 5
In this Bonus Episode Christy shares about yet another New Year that begins Season 5 on the podcast. She discusses the part August plays in her grief journey as well as her time in fellowship and community with the Great Dismal Swamp Enslaved A...
Kathryn Benjamin Golden, Phd on The Great Dismal Swamp
On this episode of Random Nature, Dr. Kathryn Benjamin Golden talks to us about growing up in the Bay Area of California, her new book, This Insurgent Ground: Black Women, Marronage, and Rebellion in the Great Dismal Swamp. She also shares a ra...
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BONUS: Next guest plus Canada Wildfires!
Discusses:Air quality advisories in western New York and the Finger Lakes.Wildfire smoke originating in Canada.The particular risks for children, older adults, and people with asthma.The idea that envi...
Sunflower Showdown: HOA vs. Hummingbirds
Today’s bonus episode dives into a surprising HOA vs. sunflowers showdown. We hear how one homeowner’s pollinator‐friendly blooms were slashed by the HOA president—despite no laws banning them— and how kids’ bikes in driveways even earned a ste...
Maia Butler, PhD
In this episode of Random Nature, host Christy Hyman welcomes writer and scholar Maia Butler to trace the landscapes that shaped her life and her work. Maia opens by locating her roots on Coast Salish land in Olympia, Washington, before moving ...
A Pedestrian Birder's Close Call- THE CAR TOOK FLIGHT
In this bonus episode, Christy is on her usual 45-minute walk to her favorite village coffee house when a car goes airborne right in front of her and disappears into a ravine— the motorist, his dog and all. She reflects on the cascade of fears ...
GenX, Church, and Academia (and two pollinators) with Professor Ed J. Blum
What does it mean to grow up saved—and then spend your career studying how race, religion, and power have always been tangled together in the west? Christy sits down with Ed J. Blum, historian of Ideas, to find out. From his evangelical upbring...
Gardening in the Fingerlakes Region
In this episode, Christy checks in with a spring update from the Finger Lakes region of New York, where she'll be based full-time after permanently wrapping up a professional affiliation in North Carolina. She covers the famously unforgiving To...
My son's 20th Birthday in Heaven- Some raw truths on Grief
March 11, 2026. My son's 20th Birthday. A turning that took place in Heaven.
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Common Grackle Operated a Soda Dispenser inside Howard University Cafeteria
Common Grackle Operated a Soda Dispenser in Howard University Cafeteria.You read that right.In this episode of Random Nature, Christy challenges conventional wisdom about avian behavior. What happens when birds don't follow the ru...
MLK and Climate Resilience
On this special MLK Day episode, I explore how Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s fight for justice connects directly to today’s climate crisis. From his support of sanitation workers to the roots of the environmental justice movement, I trace how Ki...
BONUS- My Trade Book is Out Today (sample reading)
In this bonus episode of Random Nature, Christy shares heartfelt reflections on the significance of the day, not only as a time for gratitude but also as a momentous occasion marking the release of their trade book, set for November...
Quick Update in the midst of PURE CHAOS
Hey everyone! It’s been a minute, and I just wanted to check in with you all. I’m still hanging in there, staying prayed up and meditated up amidst the tough times in my home country. A big shoutout to all the ADVOCATES holding the line—let...
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Midwest to East Coast- Random Nature Special Guest, Eric K!
Welcome back to Random Nature, the podcast where Christy the birder/academic explores the enchanting and often surprising connections between humanity and the natural world. Today she engages in a lively discussions with a fascinating gue...
The Griever's New Year- and some Gospel music
In this poignant episode, Christy reflects on the heavy emotions surrounding her new year, a time that marks not just a fresh start but also deep sorrow for those who mourn the loss of a child. With an emphasis on Sufi philosophy, Christy navig...
Things Keep Breaking!!! Part 2! plus COSTA RICA
Welcome back to another episode of the Random Nature Podcast! In this bonus episode titled "Things Keep Breaking, Part Two," host Christy Hyman shares a humorous and relatable tale from her adventures in bird photography. After enjoying some su...
Did a Crow Fly Off with my Car Keys????????
In this whimsical episode, we follow Christy on a light-hearted adventure at her local birdwatching hotspot. Amidst the serene sounds of nature, Christy encounters an unexpected twist when she suspects a clever crow has stolen her car keys. Wit...
THINGS KEEP BREAKING!!! plus birdturf
In this bonus episode, Christy shares her recent experiences with a malfunctioning car battery and the impact it had on her birding adventures. She discusses how her battery seemed to drain quickly, prompting a visit from AAA. After initially b...