Wild Interest

People use language to express themselves, but do you ever wonder how other animals communicate with each other? If they don’t speak like us, how do they convey information? In our first Animal Talk episode we learned about the complex ways animals communicate, and how some species even have their own languages and dialects. In “Paw 2” we find out even more about the amazing world of animal talk, and about the science behind linguistic development in animals. Evan interviews Dr. Irene Pepperberg, research professor at Boston University in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences about her groundbreaking work with Alex the African Grey Parrot. Dr. Pepperberg worked with Alex for 30 years and taught him over 100 English words. Not only was Alex able to communicate with humans, he even asked what color he was when looking at himself in the mirror, becoming the first known non-human to ask a question! Nichole goes beneath the waves with Dr. Aude Pacini from the Marine Mammal Research Program at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology. Dr. Pacini records whale and dolphin song with sophisticated underwater microphones. She was part of an expedition where the world-class cellist Yo Yo Ma played music for whales from the deck of a famous Hawaiian canoe! Evan takes us down to North Georgia with Project Chimps, a chimpanzee sanctuary where over 90 retired lab chimps roam freely on six protected acres of forest. Our hosts are also joined by the very human creator of the Brooklyn Folk Festival, Eli Smith, who plays some banjo for us and talks about the upcoming festival this November 7-9. This episode is jam-packed, but don’t worry, we still found room for favorites like Cryptid Corner, Grandparent Stories, jokes and more. Let’s get wild! Listen now and have a whale of a time - this episode's a hoot! Parents: visit our website to help your kids contribute jokes or favorite sounds, or to send us a message. Timestamps for this episode are available below. 00:00 - Episode 17 Intro 01:36 - Dr. Irene Pepperberg & Alex, the African Grey Parrot 14:03 - Joke Time 14:57 - Cryptid Corner: The Wow! Signal 20:09 - Riddle Clue  20:31 - Deep Listening with Dr. Aude Pacini 27:48 - Favorite Sound 28:35 - Call for Submissions 29:02 - Eli Smith & the 2025 Brooklyn Folk Festival  34:44 - Going Ape at Project Chimps with Caregivers Lauren and Tawnya 44:31 - Grandparent Stories: Papa Artie 48:22 - Riddle Answer 49:00 - Preview of Episode 18 49:13 - Credits 49:45 - Bloopers The background music in our interview with Dr. Aude Pacini features audio of live performances by Hawaiian musicians Gary Haleamau and Ledward Kaapana, as retrieved from the Library of Congress. wildinterest.com

Hey Wildlings! Do you ever wonder about things that go “bump” in the night? Do you love ghost stories? What about murky mysteries of the supernatural?  In this episode we’ll tickle all your scary bones with a marvelous mashup of Halloween fun! You’ll find out just where Halloween traditions like pumpkin carving and trick-or-treating come from as Nichole and Evan trace the holiday all the way back to its ancient roots. You’ll learn of a peculiar American hometown custom of telling jokes if you want to get your sweet reward. We’ll teach you some spooky jokes, too — just in case you need one or two to get your hands on that sweet candy!  If you love cryptids, you’re in for a treat, not a trick! Evan presents a who’s who of the weirdest, wackiest, and most hotly contested unverifiable creatures out there. Is Bigfoot bashful, brave or boring? Was that a smudge on the windshield, or the mythological Mothman? Do you believe in the Yeti yet or is the idea abominable? Are you a foe of UFOs or a friend to the little grey men? Can you cope with the Jackalope?? Get your candy out, sit back, and get ready for our haunted, hilarious Halloween episode. Let’s get wild! Listen now and discover the spookiest creatures around! Parents: visit our website to help your kids contribute jokes or favorite sounds, or to send us a message. Timestamps for this episode are available below. 00:00 - Episode 16 Intro 01:19 - Spooky in St. Louis 05:58 - Joke Time: Halloween Edition 06:57 - Bigfoot (from Ep.1 "Beneath the Surface") 11:59 - The Yeti (from Ep. 10 "Music Makers (Side A)") 14:35 - Haunted Halloween History  16:13 - UAPs (from Ep. 3 "UFO Tofu") 20:47 - Area 51 (from Ep.7 "Good Vibrations") 24:18 - Monoliths (from Ep. 4 "Wild and Wonderful") 27:42 - The Jackalope (from Ep. 5 "Folks like Us") 29:41 - Jack O'Lanterns 30:24 - Dover Demon (from Ep. 6 "Tracking") 32:44 - The Loveland Frogman (from Ep. 8 "Dirt") 35:40 - Mothman (from Ep. 2 "Beneath the Surface") 38:21 - Evan's Top Secret Cryptid Corner 42:33 - Conclusion 43:21 - Preview of Ep. 17 44:15 - Credits 48:38 - Bloopers wildinterest.com

Have you ever had that dream where you arrive at school but something’s a little… off? Join us for our Back to School Special where Nichole and Evan experience exactly that. Their plan to squeeze the most out of the final days of summer is thwarted when they doze off by the pool and fall into an unexpected dream that lands them back in the classroom. But this time they’re not students — they’re the teachers! Sharpen your pencils, Wildings: this is learning the Wild Interest way. Prepare to earn your Podcast PhD as our hosts show you an easy way to make ice cream cake at home, and a great prank you can play using a banana. Find out what a palindrome is, and memorize a catchy song that helps you learn the names of all 50 US states. Dive deep into why we have daylight saving time and leap years, and discover the science of solar eclipses from a real astronomer! But wait, there’s more! What’s ASMR? How do you play Concentration 64? How do honeybees communicate? (Hint: they get their groove on!) Kids will come out of this episode prepared to dazzle their schoolmates with scads of new astonishing knowledge — and you’re in store for another hilarious cameo from everyone’s favorite cryptid, Bobby the Bigfoot! Sit back, relax, and let’s get wild! Timestamps for this episode are available below: 00:00 - Episode 15 intro 02:50 - ASMR 05:40 - Cicadas 07:12 - How Honeybees Communicate 10:25 - Leap Years 12:28 - Solar Eclipses 15:18 - Daylight Saving Time 17:17 - Taste Explained 20:48 - Turkey Facts 23:43 - Ice Cream Cake 25:26 - Sliced Banana Prank 26:47 - Concentration 64 30:28 - Singing a Round: Row Row Row Your Boat 32:09 - Singing a Round: Frère Jacques 34:19 - States Song 36:02 - Palindrones 37:10 - Grammartime 39:30 - Magical Number Nine 42:45 - Fun Facts 44:41 - Nichole Wakes Up From Her Dream 46:22 - Credits 46:46 - Bloopers wildinterest.com

Can a podcast hosted by kids be truly awesome? Yes, it can! Wild Interest takes you on an amazing ride through science, fun facts, natural mysteries and more, all hosted by siblings Nichole and Evan. Perfect for your next road trip, school pickup, or anywhere you want to spark a conversation driven by curiosity. Enjoy the magic that happens when kids are inspired by other kids! wildinterest.com