Adventures of a Bad Naturalist with Paula Whyman

This episode delves into the journey of Paula Whyman, author of Bad Naturalist: One Woman's Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop. Paula discusses her transformation from a nature enthusiast to a dedicated ecological restorer. The conversation touches on the diverse challenges and rewarding experiences of managing invasive species, the necessity of well-considered ecological interventions, and the intricate balance required to support native plants and wildlife. Through her personal anecdotes and expert insights, Paula illustrates the importance of connecting with nature right where you are and the impact of slow, deliberate efforts in ecological restoration. 00:00 Discovering Nature Close to Home 01:30 Traveling with a Baby: Tips and Experiences 04:19 Gardening Adventures and Native Landscaping 05:29 The Irony of Mowing Less 07:54 Introducing Paula Wyman and Her Book 09:35 Paula Whyman's Journey to Becoming a 'Bad Naturalist' 10:34 Challenges and Rewards of Land Restoration 24:46 The Importance of Native Plants and Ecological Balance 33:55 Invasive Species Statistics 35:09 Tree of Heaven: A Persistent Problem 39:10 Spotted Lantern Fly Invasion 40:15 The Origin and Spread of Tree of Heaven 42:49 Autumn Olive: A Regrettable Introduction 45:45 Challenges with Multiflora Rose 48:20 The Importance of Native Plants 50:13 Creating Habitats for Declining Bird Species 52:07 The Concept of Slow Living 01:00:08 The Good Dirt: Restoring Soil Health 01:01:04 Ongoing Projects and Future Plans 01:03:06 Final Thoughts and Resources Resources: Paula Whyman's Website Bad Naturalist Wilding by Isabella Tree Nature's Best Hope by Doug Tallamy ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ 🌻 About Lady Farmer: Subscribe to The ALMANAC, a Lady Farmer Newsletter & CommunityVisit Our WebsiteFollow @weareladyfarmer on InstagramEmail us at thegooddirtpodcast@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail! Call 443-459-1950 and ask a question or share what the good dirt means to you! Original music by John Kingsley. Editing and podcast production by Lady Farmer.  The Good Dirt podcast is proudly part of the Connectd Podcasts network.  🌿 The Good Dirt Producers: • Wendy Gray