
8.2K
Downloads
82
Episodes
I study animal behavior and I’ve had a bird’s eye view on how reconnecting with nature helps us live better lives. #WildConnection is a fun, engaging, and informative podcast hosted by me, Dr. Jennifer Verdolin, aka Dr Jen. No subject is off limits. You can expect a splash of humor and passionate conversations about humans, other animals, and how we are all connected. Episodes are released on Sundays. #WildConnectionPodcast is hosted by Podbean and available wherever you get your podcasts. Host: Jennifer Verdolin Twitter and Instagram @RealDrJen Get in touch and tell me what you want to hear more about info@jenniferverdolin.com
Episodes

Sunday Apr 17, 2022
Of Mice, Humans, and Tails with Dr. Jason Organ
Sunday Apr 17, 2022
Sunday Apr 17, 2022
If you’ve been listening for a while you know I have a fascination with bones. I have a rabbit cooking in a bush as we speak. But the truth is that I know so little about bones. That’s about to change because this week’s guest is in the know about bones, muscles, how they work and how they shape what we and other animals can do.
Jason Organ is an Associate Professor of Anatomy, Cell Biology & Physiology at the Indiana University School of Medicine, where his research examines how the structure of bone and muscle influences how they work. He is also the host of the Science Night Podcast, an exceptional podcast and not just because he had me on a while back. He is also the co-editor of the Science Communication blog at the Public Library of Science.
You can keep up with Jason on Twitter @OrganJM
You can also listen to his podcast Science Night
and follow the podcast on Twitter @ScienceNight1
To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too.

Sunday Apr 10, 2022
In the Barn with Dr. Marty Edwards
Sunday Apr 10, 2022
Sunday Apr 10, 2022
This week we are celebrating National Farm Animal Day and it's going to be a party. We are talking horses, pigs, cows, goats, and even sheep. Joining us for this celebration is the incredible Dr. Marty Edwards. You may recall from last week’s episode she promised us some stories from her time learning about farm animals.
So hang on, it's going to be a wild ride.
To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too.

Sunday Apr 03, 2022
On the Road with Dr. Marty Edwards
Sunday Apr 03, 2022
Sunday Apr 03, 2022
This weeks episode features someone near and dear to me. She was my vet who helped me take care of my beloved Senor Antonio Buttones in his final weeks. In fact I am dedicating this episode to him.
As you will hear in the Show veterinarians have one of the highest suicide rates by profession so be sure to check out the show notes for links to help support veterinarians. Dr. Marty Edwards is more than just a veterinarian, shes also a humanitarian as far as I’m concerned. She also is a veterinarian that comes to you which means she has had some experiences. I got to sit down with her to learn more about how she got interested in veterinary medicine, get a sneak peak into some of her home visit adventures, and learn about her volunteer work spaying and neutering cats on Hatteras Island in NC.
If you want to support veterinarians please visit Not One More Vet
If you want more information on trap, neuter, return projects in NC check out the organizations we talked about on the show
To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too.

Sunday Apr 03, 2022
Shifting Seas with Lela Schlenker
Sunday Apr 03, 2022
Sunday Apr 03, 2022
March is Women’s History Month, at least in the United States so I am continuing to feature women scientists on the podcast all month. I thought I would start off with a little history about women in Stem. We women have a way of persisting and despite continuing to face barriers to professional advancement, we just will not stop. What lengths have we gone to? Like Rosalind, of Shakepeare’s As You Like It, who disguised herself as a young man in an effort to travel through the forest without fear of harm, Women have altered their appearance and behavior throughout history to succeed in STEM fields dominated by men. While some, like military surgeon James Barry, whose real name was Margaret Ann Bulkley, went to extraordinary measures that lasted a lifetime, others like Jeanne Baret disguised herself as a man to get onboard a scientific expedition well before Darwin ever set foot on the Beagle. It would take until 1959 before women, presented as women, were even permitted on scientific expeditions. Fast forward to today when my guest Dr. Lela Schlenker spends most of her time asking if she can come aboard a commercial fishing boat.
Dr. Lela Schlenker is a marine scientist with a fascinating background. She is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Williams Mystic Program. This is a really special program run by Williams College in collaboration with Mystic seaport. This is an important program to Dr. Lela Schlenker and you’ll find out why in the episode.
You can keep up with Dr. Lela Schlenker on her website
lelaschlenker.com
and on Twitter @LelaSchlenker
To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too.

Sunday Feb 13, 2022
Community Led Conservation with Samantha Farquhar
Sunday Feb 13, 2022
Sunday Feb 13, 2022
This week’s guest is Samantha Farquhar. She is a dynamic interdisciplinary researcher with a focus on coastal systems in the Integrated Coastal Science Program at East Carolina University working on her doctorate. I got to talk to her about her past and present work and the importance of community led conservation initiatives.
Here are links to some of Samantha's work that we cover on the podcast
https://www.unh.edu/unhtoday/2021/12/industrial-fishing-distant-waters
In this episode we are also celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science which was on February 11th.
To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too.

Sunday Jan 30, 2022
In the Bone Room With Dr. Ann Ross
Sunday Jan 30, 2022
Sunday Jan 30, 2022
In another life I would have been a forensic anthropologist. I devoured books by Iris Johanson and her main character forensic specialist Eve Duncan. The truth is I like to solve puzzles and becoming a police detective or forensic anthropologist was high on my list. I still love crime/mystery novels and as you’ll here, who knows maybe there is a career change in my future. It is this love of forensics and solving of mysteries that drove this week’s guest to become a Forensic anthropologist. Dr. Ann Ross. She is a Professor at NC State University and works with the NC Medical Examiner to identify human remains and shed light on what happened to someone’s bones.
She is a Professor at NC State University and works with the NC Medical Examiner to identify human remains and shed light on what happened to someone’s bones.
Dr. Ann Ross' Lab: https://sites.google.com/ncsu.edu/forensicanthropology/
An article featuring Dr. Ross: https://raleighmag.com/2016/10/the-bone-doctor/
To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too.

Sunday Jan 16, 2022
Participating in Science with Dr. Caren Cooper
Sunday Jan 16, 2022
Sunday Jan 16, 2022
Today’s episode is part of the special WIS series. You may have heard me talking about this on other episodes and that is because I got a small grant from the AGU’s Sharing Science program to highlight some incredible women scientists.
This week it's all about what does it mean to get involved with science for the layperson or nonexpert. What does it look like, why is it important, and what are the contributions that people make to science?
My guest is Dr. Caren Cooper. She’s part of NCSU’s Leadership in Public Science Program and the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Biology Program. She is passionate about the social side of science, getting people involved in a variety of ways, and looking at what it means for laypersons to participate in science. She’s also an ornithologist and outstanding mentor to the next generation of scientists.
You can keep up with Dr. Cooper on Twitter: @CoopSciScoop
and visit her website for more links to other parts of her work: https://www.carencooper.com
And don't forget to check out her TED TALK: Everybody Counts
To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too.

Sunday Jan 02, 2022
The Joy of Sweat with Sarah Everts
Sunday Jan 02, 2022
Sunday Jan 02, 2022
This week’s episode is all about sweat, smelling it, hiding it, and people whose job it is to decide what the nature of yours is like. Never let them see you sweat right? Not this week. And before I forget, this is the second in our special WIS series sponsored by the American Geophysical Union’s Sharing Science grant.
Sarah Everts is the author of The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration and she is also a science journalism professor and chair of digital science journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa.
To keep up with Sarah you can follow her @saraheverts on Twitter and check out her website http://saraheverts.com
To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen for Instagram and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too.

Sunday Dec 26, 2021
Into Space with Dr.Katie Mack
Sunday Dec 26, 2021
Sunday Dec 26, 2021
It is post holiday and before New Years and this episode starts the launch of a special Women in Science Series. I want to acknowledge the sponsor of this series, the American Geophysical Union. Wild Connection was the recipient of their Sharing Science grant and I couldn’t be more thrilled.
The James Webb infrared telescope successfully launched this week. You might be wondering why this is a big deal. It’s a big deal because this powerful, well the most powerful, telescope ever built will let astronomers and astrophysicists like my guest, Dr. Katie Mack looks deep into the history of galaxies far far away.because of light years and all that, what we see is the past when we look in the present. This telescope will give scientists and us the chance to see far far back into time and cosmic history. It is expected to peer so far back that it will catch a glimpse of galaxies that were formed over 13 billion years ago. It’s going to take a while to start receiving images but when I recorded this podcast Dr. Katie Mack was simply hoping the launch would be a success.
Dr. Katie Mack is an astrophysicist at North Carolina State University and she is also the Author of The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking).
To keep up with Katie you can follow her @AstroKatie on Twitter and check out her website https://www.astrokatie.com
To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen for Instagram and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too.

Sunday Dec 19, 2021
Animal Magnetism with Dr. Andres Vidal-Gadea
Sunday Dec 19, 2021
Sunday Dec 19, 2021
This episode is a fun one for me because, well, I have ummm navigational difficulties. I should be more precise. I can navigate perfectly well in exactly the opposite direction I should be going. That means if I was a snow goose that was supposed to end up on Pea Island from Alaska I would end up somewhere near the Philippines instead. I have what I call directional dyslexia and I found out that I am not the only one. Dr. Andres Vidal-Gadea is an Associate Professor of Molecular Neuroethology at Illinois State University studying the molecular and cellular basis of behavior. His research is making waves, electromagnetic waves that is.
To keep up with Dr. Andres Vidal-Gadea you can visit his lab and follow his lab on Facebook
To follow us on social media visit @wildconnectpod and @realDrJen for Twitter & @RealDrJen for Instagram and www.jenniferverdolin.com for more. Love the show or simply enjoyed this episode? Give us a like and share so others can find us too.