PBS Nature Shorts

   

Thor is writing and hosting an ongoing series of ultra-short (<1 minute) films for PBS Nature to share with their large social media following.  Each episode unfolds like a natural history haiku - a tiny lesson in biology that viewers can look for in their own outdoor adventures.  Find links to the latest episodes at Thor's website, or on the PBS Nature TikTok and Instagram pages! 

BARTHOLOMEW QUILL on the Trail!

This fall the Sno-Island Libraries are featuring BARTHOLOMEW QUILL on the Story Walk trail at Windjammer Park in Oak Harbor, Washington (1600 S. Beeksman Drive).  Signs along the trail feature the story of Bartholomew, brought to life with Dana Arnim's wonderful illustrations.  Learn more about Sno-Island Libraries here, and learn more about the book here.

 

The Judean Date Returns

For everyone following the story of Methuselah, the ancient date palm featured in a chapter of The Triumph of Seeds, he has now been successfully mated with Hannah, a female palm sprouted from seed of the same age.  The first harvest of Judean dates since ancient times has just been announced . . . and apparently they're delicious!  Read a fine story about the effort in The New York Times.

Giant Hornets at PBS Nature Online!

The folks at the flagship PBS show Nature recently asked Thor to comment on the  discovery of Asian giant hornets near his home in the Pacific Northwest.  Read Thor's article, "Giant Hornets, Giant Appetites," on the PBS Nature blog here.

A Mate for Methuselah!

Many readers of The Triumph of Seeds have wondered about the fate of Methuselah, the lonely male Judaean date palm germinated from a 2,000-year-old seed unearthed in Israel.  After years of effort, Sarah Sallon, Elaine Solowey and their colleagues have just announced the germination and establishment of six more ancient date palms, including two females!  When those female trees flower, perhaps this year or next, pollen from Methuselah will be used to begin fully recovering this famous and long lost date variety.  Read their paper here, and a nice news article about the project here.

Thor Talks Bees in The Guardian

Thor was recently invited to conribute an op-ed to The Guardian on bee die-offs in Brazil.  Read the full article here to see how the same policy trends affecting forest fires in the Amazon are having an impact on bees.

BUZZ Shortlisted for Phi Beta Kappa Award!

Buzz has just been honored as one of five titles shortlisted for the 2019 Phi Beta Kappa Science Book Award!  Presented annually since 1959, the award recognizes outstandingn contributions by scientists to the literature of science.  The winning title will be announced in October.  Read more about the Award here.