Episode 1
Kelly Brenner (Naturalist)
In this episode, Julie speaks with Seattle-based Naturalist, Kelly Brenner! We talk about slime molds, dragonflies and nudibranchs! And, we talk about her book, “Nature Obscura: A City’s Hidden Natural World”.

About this episode
Kelly Brenner is a naturalist and author from the Seattle region. In this episode, Kelly shares her knowledge about all sorts of marine and land-based creatures, ranging from sea slugs to dragonflies. We also talk about what it’s like to work as a nature writer. Kelly has a vast amount of knowledge about nature as she stays perpetually curious about the world around her.
Learn more about Kelly Brenner: http://www.metrofieldguide.com/
Buy Kelly’s book, “Nature Obscura”: https://www.mountaineers.org/books/books/nature-obscura-a-citys-hidden-natural-world
Follow Kelly on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KellyBrenner
Follow Planet B612 on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlanetB612fm
Support the podcast on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/julielaurin
Visit the website: https://planetb612.fm/
Interview with Kelly Brenner: Writer and Naturalist
Episode Timestamps
- Introductions and how Kelly got involved in writing about nature [0:22]
- Documenting nature when travelling [4:15]
- Kelly’s work as a photographer [5:00]
- Writing online content and books [6:40]
- Talking about family life [8:06]
- What are slime molds? [8:56]
- What does a slime mold look like? [9:53]
- Are slime molds related to mushrooms? [10:51]
- Difference between a naturalist, and a scientist [11:08]
- Early explorers were naturalists [12:18]
- Designing for the “big picture” [13:16]
- How to pronounce “nudibranch” [13:57]
- What is a nudibranch? [14:26]
- Why nudibranchs are so unique [15:46]
- An interesting fact about nudibranchs [16:57]
- Nudibranch Appreciation Society [18:06]
- Nudibranchs are all sea slugs [18:42]
- How Kelly does research on creatures [19:17]
- Collaborations with other experts [20:00]
- Kelly talks about dragonflies [20:39]
- Julie reads excerpt from Kelly’s book [21:50]
- More facts about dragonflies [22:19]
- Dragonflies: what happens when it rains? [23:24]
- Intro to Kelly’s book “Nature Obscura” [23:52]
- Shout-out to illustrator for the book [24:11]
- Kelly’s favorite season [24:52]
- The transitions that happen through the changing of seasons [25:35]
- The fear of spiders [27:10]
- Creatures that feed on rotting wood [28:48]
- Creatures and plants that inhabit urban environments [30:03]
- What Kelly looks at under microscopes [31:25]
- Building a backyard pond for invertebrates [32:06]
- Pond life [33:15]
- Pond maintenance [34:22]
- Winters in Seattle [34:50]
- Hummingbirds in the wintertime [35:08]
- Climate change in Seattle [35:47]
- Tools to bring on a hike [37:11]
- Life during a pandemic [39:40]
- Leaving the city [40:43]
- Kelly’s other interests: anime [41:52]
- Learning the art of Kendo [42:16]
- Yelling and exertion [43:39]
- Kelly’s future plans [44:41]
- #Invertefest [44:59]
- Observing creatures at night [47:00]
- Folklore of nature [48:42]
- Kelly’s future books [49:46]
- What country does Kelly want to explore next? [50:22]
- Kelly’s fiction and parting remarks [52:35]
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