Constant Wonder

Lea Korsgaard felt a tug toward the natural world and followed it, setting out to find all 64 species of butterfly in her native Denmark. What began as an impulse became a consuming quest that transformed her understanding of nature, mortality, grief, and joy. In this episode, Lea and host Marcus Smith revisit the journey: the small tortoiseshell butterfly that connected her to her mother’s story, the family members drawn into her search, and the exhilaration of finding out that maybe her quest hadn't been about butterflies at all. Their conversation explores how learning to see the natural world can open us to realities larger than ourselves—and how encounters with nature can hold grief and joy at the same time. Guest: Lea Korsgaard, author of "The Butterfly Season: What 64 Butterflies Taught Me About Nature’s Great Mysteries and the Meaning of Life"

Karl Gönner was a Nazi, and his family didn't ask a lot of questions about that time in his life. In this episode of Constant Wonder, Gönner's grandson Burkhard Bilger speaks with co-host Tennery Taylor about his search for the full story of his grandfather's past. After growing up with only a vague understanding of his grandfather's dark history, Bilger decided to search for the full truth behind his heritage. He discovered that during his grandfather's time occupying a French village, Gönner saved dozens of lives from Nazi oppression, while simultaneously leading the Hitler Youth Program. This family's history is more inspiring than they'd ever suspected. Guest: Burkhard Bilger, author of "Fatherland: A Memoir of War, Conscience, and Family Secrets" and staff writer at "The New Yorker" Originally aired on August 8, 2023 Chapters: (0:00) Meet Nazi Karl Gönner through his grandson Burkhard Bilger (9:40) Karl Gönner as a teacher (14:20) A Nazi in occupied France (23:08) Discovering the "reasonable" Nazi (31:14) Gönner's daughter and her struggle with his history (38:10) The End of WWII (48:12) Serendipitous inspiration in classified archives

As a teenager, Walt McLaughlin told his parents he'd been talking to God in the woods, and he ended up in a psychiatric ward on Thorazine. Years later a philosophy degree had done nothing to assuage his existential anxiety, so he hitchhiked west — and eventually flew alone into Alaska's Endicott River Wilderness with a .44, no radio, and two-and-a-half-weeks worth of food. On this episode of Constant Wonder, the writer and erstwhile hiking guide tells host Marcus Smith how a death wish that had shadowed him since adolescence finally broke — on a rain-soaked escarpment, with a raven croaking at him from a branch — and how he came to accept that the world is harsh yet beautiful. Walt McLaughlin lives in northern Vermont, close to the New England woods and wilds he loves. There he's proprietor of the small indie press Wood Thrush Books, online at woodthrushbooks.com. This episode includes a first-person account of depression and a suicide attempt. Guest: Walt McLaughlin, publisher and author, “Cultivating the Wildness Within”; “Arguing with the Wind: A Journey into the Alaskan Wilderness”; and “Confronting the Unknowable: Essays on God, Nature and Being Human”

What if protecting humans is the key to protecting wildlife? In this episode, Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka tells host Marcus Smith how people living near African nature preserves can unknowingly pass illnesses to nearby mountain gorillas—and how she's working with local communities to shield these endangered animals from disease and habitat loss. As Uganda's first wildlife veterinarian, Kalema-Zikusoka pioneered the use of "One Health" in gorilla conservation—an approach that treats human, animal, and environmental health as interconnected, rather than separate concerns. By investing in the health and economic security of nearby communities, she keeps gorillas healthy too. The payoff is a thriving gorilla tourism industry that benefits the entire country. Guest: Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, founder and CEO of Conservation Through Public Health and author of "Walking with Gorillas: The Journey of an African Wildlife Vet" Chapters: (0:00) Meet Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka (8:28) A Lonely Childhood (17:29) To Become a Wildlife Vet (22:46) Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (32:44) What is One Health? (46:27) How to End Poaching Photo credit: Jo-Anne McArthur / #unboundproject / We Animals Media Originally aired May 24, 2023 Note: Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka's mother, Canon Hon . Rhoda Kalema, passed away in 2025.

Flowers, believe it or not, are nature's greatest revolutionaries. In this episode of Constant Wonder, biologist David George Haskell and host Marcus Smith discuss how flowers turned enemies into allies and used ultra-precise adaptations to survive an intensely competitive natural world. By exploring the floral connections that draw him closer to his mother and great-great-grandfather, David also examines how flowers have changed in just a few short decades. He makes the case for following a single bloom's growth and decay over the course of several months, and describes the benefits of keeping a floral diary—an easy way for anyone to become more attentive to the subtle turning of the seasons. Guest: David George Haskell, author of "How Flowers Made Our World: The Story of Nature's Revolutionaries" Chapters: (0:00) Meet David George Haskell (7:21) Searching for orchids with his mother (13:52) Glimpses of himself in his great-great-grandfather (21:56) Why are flowers revolutionaries? (31:05) Balancing cooperation and conflict (34:59) Tracking a magnolia bloom (44:42) David's floral diary

They are like street musicians, busking with words instead of instruments. Typewriter poets Kathleen Rooney and Allison Fragakis share with Constant Wonder's Tennery Taylor how they write poems-on-demand for complete strangers. Whether at a farmer's market, tucked between the stacks at a library, or as entertainment at a wedding, typewriter poets surprise customers with a keepsake that reflects unexpected insight into a stranger's life. (Or maybe it's a poem about a burrito! These poems don't have to be serious.) Kathleen Rooney and Allison Fragakis share their creativity and love of community through impromptu poetry sessions on typewriters. Guests: Kathleen Rooney, co-founder of "Poems While You Wait"; English professor at DePaul University; author of "Man Overboard!" and other books https://kathleenrooney.com/ Allison Fragakis, songwriter, author, artist, and poet. Her album "Pass the Dream" is available August 21, 2026 https://www.writingallison.com/

Jeremy Jones has loved exploring the Blue Ridge Mountains since childhood, and despite his world travels, his identity as a "mountain person" always brought him home. His family has lived in Henderson County for five generations—so when Hurricane Helene sent the river rising toward his old farmhouse, it threatened more than a house. In this episode of Constant Wonder, Jeremy joins host Marcus Smith to share what it took to rebuild, and how the experience reconnected him to his neighbors, his family, and a history in these mountains that runs deeper than he'd realized. Guest: Jeremy Jones is a professor of English Studies at Western Carolina University, and the author of books "Cipher: Decoding My Ancestor’s Scandalous Secret Diaries" (Blair, 2025) and "Bearwallow: A Personal History of a Mountain Homeland" (Blair, 2014).

Snakes. Scorpions. Sharks. From a young age, Rachel Graham has always been interested in marginalized, "scary" animals. In this episode of Constant Wonder, she and host Marcus Smith discuss how she embarked on her quest to change people’s mindsets about sharks—fascinating and threatened creatures that regularly fill her with awe. From being surrounded by a real-life sharknado to swimming alongside curious whale sharks, Rachel has had many peaceful, once-in-a-lifetime encounters with these megafauna. As part of her work with the non-profit conservation organization MarAlliance, she partners with local fishermen and coastal communities to protect vulnerable marine wildlife. Guest: Rachel Graham, Founder and Executive Director of MarAlliance Chapters: (0:00) A real-life sharknado (9:43) Mr. Facey the whale shark (18:16) The dangers of overfishing (26:10) Childhood nature adventures (34:47) Caring for hammerheads (45:03) How old can sharks get? Originally aired November 9, 2022

Gaelynn Lea plays the violin like a cello — a technique she discovered almost by accident, one that would eventually carry her from a small-town orchestra to NPR's Tiny Desk Concert and, later, to composing the original music for Broadway's revival of Macbeth, starring Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga. In this episode of Constant Wonder, she talks with Marcus Smith about her unconventional technique, the unexpected opportunities it opened up, and how her songwriting continues to evolve. Gaelynn Lea was born into a family of artists, with musical parents and an early start in youth theater. But everything changed in elementary school, when an orchestra teacher encouraged her to try holding the violin like a cello — a small discovery that would shape the rest of her career. Guest: Gaelynn Lea is a violinist, songwriter, composer, disability advocate, and author of "It Wasn't Meant to Be Perfect: A Memoir." Photo credits to Mike Madison

Dino Martins is an entomologist who finds beauty in every bug. In this episode of Constant Wonder, he tells host Marcus Smith about his passion for parasites and how a lifetime of studying creepy-crawlies draws on both scientific and spiritual knowledge. Dino Martins grew up in Kenya, surrounded by wildlife and the insects that feed on them. Seeing parasitic wasps colonize caterpillars taught him the value of paying close attention, and he can enthrall even a skeptic with the marvels of the tsetse fly. He winningly argues that parasites and other predators are full of wonder and worthy of our fascination. Guest: Dino Martins, entomologist, evolutionary biologist, and author of “Hidden Creatures: Luscious Leeches, Bashful Botflies, and the Wondrous, History-Shaping World of Parasites” Visit our Substack for a look at Dino Martins’ art! https://bit.ly/4eZekFN (0:00) Meet Dino Martins (8:34) A Childhood Full of Creatures (25:10) A High-School Dropout? (30:45) The “Ick” Factor (33:43) Coexistence & Control (44:34 Spirituality in Spiders (49:14) Parasitic Paradoxes

Late-in-life debuts, comebacks, and triumphs. In this episode, "Roctogenarians" author Mo Rocca shares with Constant Wonder host Marcus Smith awe-inspiring stories of people who made major career pivots late in life. Yasmeen Lari was a famous Pakistani architect celebrated for her work in steel, cement, and glass. In her 60s, after a massive earthquake hit her country, she began to work with locals, building humble homes of adobe, mud, and bamboo. Painter Henri Matisse, debilitated by stomach cancer in his 70s, hung up his brushes and took up scissors to continue making art. And Disney illustrator Tyrus Wong waited until he was 90 years old to receive full credit for the revolutionary work he'd done on "Bambi." Never say it's too late to succeed! Guest: Mo Rocca, correspondent for "CBS News Sunday Morning," author of "Roctogenarians: Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs," and host of the "Mobituaries" podcast Chapters: (0:00) What Makes a "Roctogenarian"? (3:32) A Revolutionary Disney Animator (17:00) Origin of Mo Rocca's Obsession with Roctogenarians (22:33) An Artist's Self-Reinvention (32:40) Paper Plant Specimens (36:13) From Modern to Humble Architecture Originally aired July 24, 2024

Amy Leach is an essayist and musician with a penchant for improvisation. In this episode of Constant Wonder, she and host Marcus Smith share a worldview: one filled with awe and praise for everything from puppies to porcupines. With roots in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Amy has found a more expansive view of God and the sacred. Amy Leach is the kind of person who believes in finding what you're not necessarily looking for, be it on a walk outside or around your local Walmart. Since she was young, she's nursed a passionate love for music, but prefers to improvise over following a score. She tells stories of being transfixed by birds and bears and ibexes while looking for words to describe the indescribable. But most importantly, she finds divinity in nearly everything, even pickles. Guest: Amy Leach, essayist and author. Her latest book is “The Salt of the Universe: Praise, Songs, and Improvisations.” Chapters: (0:00) Meet Amy Leach (5:13) In the Thrall of the Violin (13:52) Spirit of the Music (20:31) Praise for Everything (32:44) Birding and Bearing (38:22) Serviceable & Mysterious

What does it mean to truly listen: not just hear, but attend to the world with exquisite care? In this episode of Constant Wonder, host Marcus Smith sits down with Hank Lentfer, a sound recordist and acoustic ecologist who has spent decades capturing the natural world's most breathtaking voices from his home base in Gustavus, Alaska, gateway to Glacier Bay National Park. Lentfer shares unforgettable recordings — a humpback whale trumpeting over a mirror-calm sea, barnacles whispering as a shadow passes over them, ancient air bubbles escaping from icebergs — and the stories behind each one. But this episode is about far more than wildlife audio: along the way, he reflects on hunting as a spiritual practice, our amnesia in supermarkets, the never-ending dawn chorus that circles the globe, and caring for a mother with dementia whose face still lit up at a Hank Williams song. Lentfer's memoir "Faith of Cranes" is the throughline, and finding the sounds and stories that remind us we are not separate from the world is his life's work and the beating heart of this conversation. Guest: Hank Lentfer, author of "Faith of Cranes: Finding Hope and Family in Alaska" Photo Credit: Taliesin Black-Brown Chapters: (0:00) Meet Hank Lentfer (9:56) Unexpected Sounds (16:37) A Childhood of Blessed Insignificance (26:51) Uramuro's Satisfaction (37:08) Hunting and Amnesia Factories (52:24) Several Awakenings

Harriet Tubman was sustained by vivid dreams and fierce spiritual faith as she risked everything—again and again—to guide enslaved people to freedom. In this episode of Constant Wonder, Harvard historian Tiya Miles explains to co-host Tennery Taylor how Tubman's intense spirituality and her connection to the natural world empowered her and shaped her into a compelling leader. As a child, Tubman worked in swamps and timber yards, enduring grueling labor that also prepared her to flee to the North in 1849. But her own freedom was only the beginning: for the rest of her life, she dedicated herself to helping her family and friends escape slavery as well. Guest: Tiya Miles, author of "Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People" Chapters: (0:00) Introduction (5:15) A childhood spent outdoors (12:54) The night the stars fell (16:41) Harriet Tubman's prayers and faith (30:27) Working in a timber yard (34:50) Escaping to the North (44:35) Walking across the Ohio River (51:27) Freeing her brothers (1:03:08) Applying dreams

George Smith is a maintenance worker by day, but his true passion lies in tracking and monitoring peregrine falcons. In this episode, he tells host Marcus Smith about his adventures in rock climbing and checking in on his birds. George has developed methods to trap them in order to collect DNA and give them tracking microchips. This methodology has helped him to catch poachers, bring them to justice, and release the falcons back to the wild. Lynn Schofield and Sean Peterson are scientists who discovered a peregrine falcon nest on the bell tower at the University of California Berkeley. The nest is presided over by a matriarch affectionately called “Queen Annie” and her mate. Schofield and Peterson founded Cal Falcons, a livestream of the nest that brought Annie worldwide fame. Guests: George Smith, Peregrine Coordinator for the Scottish Raptor Study Group https://www.scottishraptorstudygroup.org/ Lynn Schofield and Sean Peterson, biologist and ecologist with Cal Falcons https://calfalcons.berkeley.edu/ (0:00) Meet George Smith (4:32) To Trap a Peregrine Falcon (12:34) Poaching & Repatriation (21:45) George’s Nest Checks (26:37) Meet Lynne Schofield and Sean Peterson (27:20) Cal Falcons on the Campanile (33:23) Queen Annie Originally aired on September 25, 2024

Dan Roche has an implausibly realistic prosthetic eye. He was born with a cataract on his right eye, rendering him partially blind and very self-conscious. In this episode of Constant Wonder, he tells host Marcus Smith about how ocularist Michael Strauss made him a prosthetic that transformed his life. Now, Dan is fascinated by the industry of eye making, and the ocularists that dedicate their lives to the practice. Dan Roche grew up hating his sightless right eye. After medical complications and fruitless corrective surgeries, he had it removed and replaced with a prosthetic. No longer fragile glass spheres, prosthetic eyes are intricate, bespoke medical devices. (Check out Dan's photo and see if you can tell the difference!) Modern ocularists, like Michael Strauss, facilitate both emotional and physical healing with their work, giving Dan (and other patients) confidence and a new lease on life. Guests: Dan Roche, professor of English at Le Moyne College, and author of "Eyes by Hand: Prosthetics of Art and Healing" https://www.eyesbyhand.com/ Michael Strauss, ocularist https://strausseye.com/ (0:00) Meet Dan Roche (and His Eye) (15:21) History and Structure of Prosthetic Eyes (22:38) Eye Contact and Confidence (30:57) Michael Strauss, the Ocularist (33:30 A Therapist and a Technician (46:22) Do You Know That Guy? (52:48) The Power of Empathy Photo credit: Dan Roche

Caroline Sanderson grew up surrounded by classical music, but didn't truly fall in love with it until after her father passed away. Now, she remembers him by learning to really listen to the music that he loved. Beethoven - Symphony No. 6; Stravinsky - Rite of Spring; Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 23; Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 22; Chopin - Prelude No. 15, Raindrop; Brahms - Symphony No. 1, movement 3; Sibelius - Symphony No. 5; Schumann - Kinderszenen No. 1; Chopin - Opus 10, Etude No. 3; Schumann - Träumerei; Guest: Caroline Sanderson, a writer and books journalist. Her memoir is titled “Listen With Father: How I Learned to Love Classical Music."

Plants are just as alive as any animal-- and they've developed incredible survival strategies. Zoë Schlanger gives us an insider's look on some of the most unique adaptations in the wild world of plants. Far beyond just leaning into the light, these plants don disguises, train themselves into toxicity, and possibly even count. Plants are alive, but are they sentient? Guest: Zoë Schlanger, author of "The Light Eaters" and journalist covering health, science, and the environment. (0:00) Meet Zoë Schlanger (6:18) Pothos & Azolla (16:08) Acacia Tannins (21:02) Venus Flytrap Math (22:21) Dodder Vine Predation (28:50) Boquila, the Mimic (40:04) Consciousness & Communication

Geologist Ron Harris forecasted the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, and so the loss of life in that disaster devastated him. In this episode of Constant Wonder, he tells host Marcus Smith how, after that tragedy, he expanded his work to include disaster prevention and well as forecasting. He estimates his foundation has saved 50,000 lives so far. Ron Harris has been obsessed with plate tectonics since childhood. As a professor of geology, he published widely on threats of earthquakes and tsunamis, but two events convinced him that forecasting wasn't enough. One day, he overhead his young son saying that his dad "wasn't a doctor who helped people," and then there was the catastrophic loss of life in the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. He decided to found In Harm's Way, which helps people prepare for natural disasters. Guest: Ron Harris, professor of geology at BYU and founder of In Harm's Way (0:00) Meet Ron Harris (5:39) The Eruption of Mount St. Helens (11:01) A Doctor Who Helps (18:16) Boxing Day Tsunami 2004 (22:51) Moken Survival Strategies (25:19) Ron's Calling (32:24) Social Media and Mitigation (38:06) Local Disaster Mitigation (41:14) Surfing and Purpose (47:04) Spreading the Word of 20-20-20

Entomologist Steven Peck came down with a bacterial infection that plunged him into a chaotic world of hallucinations, where he thought even his kids were imposters. Now, he has a new definition of what "real" really means. In this episode, Marcus Smith speaks with Steven Peck, an author and BYU biology professor. Peck found his world overturned by a brain infection that caused severe hallucinations. Suddenly, he plunged from the rational world of academia into a terrifying realm of assassin-children, evil doctors, and river-rafting MRI machines. Emerging from that chaos, he decided to explore the wonders of the human mind, uncovering unexpected kindness along the way. Steven Peck, professor of biology at BYU and author of over forty short stories and novels https://stevepeckniche.com/ (0:00) Reptilian Gateway to Wonder (15:50) The Beginnings of Madness (21:02) Assassins, Evil Organizations, and Detainment (30:56) A Changed Steven (36:46) A Break in the Illusion (41:14) Fly Fishing with a New Perspective Originally aired Nov 1, 2023