Creature Comforts

The black bear and Mississippi have a storied history together, dating back to the days of President Theodore Roosevelt. Today on the show we welcome Becky Rosamond from the US Fish and Wildlife Service to talk about the black bear and the Black Bear Program. She shares that the black bear population in Mississippi is around 200 bears but they very hard to spot in the wild. With an emphasis on the slogan "Keep Wild Bears Wild", Becky shares tips about what to do if you become face to face with one of these mighty creatures. Show Links:Black Bears in MississippiBearWise.org   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Firearm season for deer opens this weekend in Mississippi and William McKinley, Deer Program Coordinator for Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, wants all hunters to be safe. He joins the show to update Creature Comforts about the deer population of the state and provide an update about the chronic wasting disease. For the most update information about hunting in Mississippi visit:https://www.mdwfp.com/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mark Woodrey has been looking toward the sky since the days of outdoor trips with his granddad. Those outings began his fascination with birds and now as a research associate at the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center he focuses on the scientific understanding and conservation of coastal ecosystems. This includes the migrating birds that call Mississippi home throughout the year. Mark joins the show to talk about how these birds impact Mississippi and how studying them provide a glimpse into conservation of our natural landscape. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Tom Mann, from the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science, spends many rainy winter nights in the elements. He and a group of volunteers are apart of the Bucket Brigade, a group that expediates passage of salamanders across the road in their direction of movement. This minimizes mortality caused by passing vehicles and keeps their ecosystem in tact. With plenty of knowledge about this small creatures Tom updates us on salamanders found around Mississippi and how you can be a part of this dedicated group. Also Libby Hartfield is back on the program and Dr. Majure answers another round of pet questions. Show Links See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

One of the best things about Halloween season is seeing all our furry friends in their costumes. Social media is flooded with these cute photos, yet is your four legged buddy a fan of your choice of attire? We may never know but Dr. Majure has a few tips when choosing an outfit for your dog or cat. Then he answers your pet questions about bark collars, lost dogs, and cats that love marking their territory. It's an all pet edition of Creature Comforts! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Mississippi Entomological Museum at Mississippi State University has a collection of over two million pinned specimens and is ready to show anyone all two million if they have the time. Today Matt Thorn and Brady Dunaway take time from their duties at the museum to talk about pollinators and other insects around the state with Kevin, Libby, and Dr. Majure. More than just bees and butterflies there are plenty of pollinators that help grow our Mississippi crops and wildflowers. Matt and Brady discuss these bugs and answer calls from listeners about swarms, rare bug sightings, and how Bug Camp crystallized their passion for insects. Show LinksMississippi Entomological Museum See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For this special "Drive Time" edition of Creature Comforts we call on our good friend, biologist Joe Magee to let us know what to look for this fall season. A few frogs are still jumping around but the insects and migrating birds are the main attractions.To show your support for Creature Comforts and MPB Think Radio visit our website, MPBonline.org or call 1-888-372-4483. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Gopher Tortoise Head Start Program has released over 400 endangered gopher tortoises into the wild. Becky Stowe, Director of Forest for the Nature Conservancy joins the show today to talk about this program and more specifically the work happening at Camp Shelby. Recently 94 gopher tortoises were released into the wild of the Longleaf pine system at Camp Shelby. Also Dr. Majure talks about pet safety during severe weather as yet another hurricane enters the gulf and Libby helps a listener identity an insect that has a particular set of skills. Show Links:Gopher Tortoises in Mississippi See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Started in 1998 the Quapow Canoe Company has been exploring the lower Mississippi River with whoever needed a guide. Chief Visionary Officer, John Ruskey has been at the helm of Quapow since the beginning and believes traveling the big river can be as much enlightening as it is educational. In this edition of Creature Comforts John shares about his journey from Colorado to Clarkdale, Libby talks about the abundance of hummingbirds in her yard, and Dr.Majure gives advice for pet owners as we enter the fall summer. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Wildlife Mississippi has been serving Mississippi's land and waters since 1997. At the head of this organization is James Cummins as Executive Director. Joining this edition of Creature Comforts, James talks about working close with politicians and people on the ground to move legislation forward to conserve Mississippi's natural wonders. Also we hear from our resident snake expert, Terry Vandeventer, about a viral video of two rattlesnakes battling for dominance in Wilkinson County. Article and Video of Rattlesnake Battle (Clarion Ledger) See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Secretive marsh birds like the seaside sparrow and clapper rails are hard to study because of their elusive nature. They are heard more than seen and inhabit really dense marsh land areas which hide them from the eye. On this edition of Creature Comforts Jared Feura from the Mississippi State University Coastal Research and Extension Center joins the show to talk about the different techniques he uses to research these birds and the role they play in our ecosystem.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Science Fest is one of the premiere events for the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science and involves all the museums of the LeFleur Museum District. This year the event will be all virtual and friend of the show, Nicole Smith, special events coordinator for the museum joins the show to share all the details. Also since late June the museum has reopened it doors to visitors and Nicole lets us know about new guidelines for visitors and new exhibits. Dr. Majure is also on hand and answers a few more cat centered pet questions, while Libby calls in an gives an update on her travels in the western part of the country. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Friend of the show, entomologist Audrey Harrison joins Creature Comforts to talk about the miracle of migration for the monarch butterfly. Milkweed is always in the conversation when talking of plants that help the monarch on their journey, but what about parsley? Throughout the show Audrey explains what people can do to help and enjoy butterfly migration. Also Dr. Majure gets an update about a pooch that is a very picky eater. News story discussed during episode: Look Up! Purple Martins Delight Downtown Nashville See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The bat may not one of the feature animals when thinking about Mississippi wildlife, such as the deer or catfish. But Mississippi is home to 15 types of bats that play a significant role in Mississippi’s ecosystem. Today we welcome Dr. Nicole Hodges , to talk about the role of the bat and how to even attract them t your home with bat boxes.. Also, Libby and Dr. Majure talk about one of the giant beetles that are making an appearance this time of year.Links discussed in this episode:.Natural Heritage ProgramBuild a Bat HouseNorth America’s largest scarab beetle See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this episode of Creature Comforts we welcome Claire Graves from Pearl Riverkeeper. They are a non-profit organization dedicated to keeping the Pearl River watershed clean and healthy through advocacy and education. And on occasion they even get into the water do the dirty work. We hear from Claire about the work of they are doing and the upcoming Clean Sweep event happening on September 19th. Also Dr. Majure answers your pet questions, while Libby talks about the different types of animals she is seeing outside her Oregon window.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Caring for older pets can come with a particular set of struggles but can also be a joyous time for the owner and pet bond. On this all pet edition of Creature Comforts, Dr. Majure shares advice about caring for senior pets and his own account of what happens when younger animals with older ones occupy the same space. Also how do you know if your pet has allergies? These and other pet related topics are discussed on this episode of Creature Comforts. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jason Hoeksema is a biology professor at the University of Mississippi and President of the Delta Wind Birds organization. As a long-serving advocate for shore birds, Jason is always looking to help create and preserve areas so they can thrive during their long migrations. On this episode of Creature Comforts we talk about the various shorebirds that visit Mississippi, where they can be found, and how citizens can help with their yearly journey. Also Dr. Majure answers pet questions about a cooked dog food and giving a cat an enema.    See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this edition of Creature Comforts our guest is Dr. Marcus Drymon, Assistant Professor at Mississippi State University and member of the Mississippi – Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. Earlier this year he joined the show to talk about the sharks of the Gulf Coast (link). But today we focus on the red snapper and other reef fish found right here off the coast of Mississippi. Also we get an update from a caller about her troublesome cardinal who needs to a major behavior change. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Bob Crosby has been fishing the Mississippi River for over 25 years and is always on the hunt for his next trophy fish. As the owner and operator of Blue Cat Guide Service, Bob wanted to understand the behavior and movements of the big catfish that swim the Mississippi River. In a cooperative program with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks he and his angler friends are tagging the catfish of the river in hopes of studying them more. Larry Bull, Assistant Director Of Fisheries, along with Bob talk about the work they have completed with the fish and how they need the help from the public tracking these fish. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It may seem like mid-summer to us humans but there are already signs in the natural world that we are entering late-summer. Today friend of the program, biologist Joe Magee joins the show to talk about how the birds and other creatures are reacting to these changes. Have you noticed the difference in the dawn chorus? Certain creature songs are missing this time of year. Also Dr. Majure talks about the importance of flea treatment on your pet cats. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.