Wild Interest

18h ago

Join us as we get into the holiday spirit with a special Christmas-themed episode! Frankincense sounds intense... what the heck is myrrh? Learn about the three wise men, also known as the Magi, and the gifts they carried across the desert. Pucker up as we unravel the mysteries of mistletoe, and hear all about Three Kings Day, which comes 12 days after Christmas and is believed to be the day the Magi first saw the baby Jesus. Our special correspondent Rio tells us how he celebrates Christmas in Puerto Rico, and we get to enjoy a special holiday song from musician OK Ivy . All that plus Grandparent Stories, jokes, songs, and a real stumper of a riddle. To hear the original, longer version of Wild Interest producer Scott Gurian's story about parranda Christmas caroling in Puerto Rico, check out his podcast Far From Home. Music in this episode included Act II Hygro by Jo Wandrini courtesy of Epidemic Sound . Timestamps for this episode are available below. Parents: visit our website to help your kids contribute jokes or favorite sounds, or to send us a message: www.wildinterest.com/submissions 0:00 - Christmas Special Intro 1:28 - Three Kings Day 6:29 - Joke Time 7:04 - Call for Submissions 7:31 - The Music of OK Ivy 13:32 - Favorite Sounds 15:03 - Riddle Question 15:24 - Singing a Christmas Round 16:27 - The Meaning of Mistletoe 21:07 - Frankincense and Myrrh 22:27 - Christmas Caroling in Puerto Rico 26:25 - Grandparent Stories 33:56 - Riddle Answer 34:17 - Christmas Reflections 34:58 - Twas the Night Before Christmas 39:38 - Call for Reviews 40:00 - Show Credits 40:39 - Bloopers wildinterest.com

Dec 4

Buckle up buttercups! In this thrilling Wild Interest, we mic Evan up for the first HUGE rollercoaster ride of his life. Listen to Evan shriek as he whips around Candymonium, the tallest, fastest, and longest coaster at Hershey Park. Then listen to Nichole harangue Evan for being too short to go on a zipline by himself. (Typical big sister behavior.) Finally, hear them both shout to the treetops as they whizz along the longest zipline in Central America. Brooklyn’s PS 66 gets in the mix with a mind-bending riddle; Dean in New Paltz, NY interviews his grandma; and Gianna in New Jersey shares her favorite sound. Oh, and there’s even a Cryptid who rides rollercoasters. Leave it to Evan. 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 01:28 - Rollercoasters! 04:18 - Hershey Park 05:08 - Evan's First Big Rollercoaster Ride: Candymonium 07:27 - Riddle Clue from PS 66 in Brooklyn 07:53 - Ziplines! 11:11 - Favorite Sound 11:47 - Call for Submissions 12:14 - Cryptid Corner: Rollercoaster Ghost Riders 15:09 - Joke Time 16:00 - Grandparent Stories: Dean's Grandma 20:21 - Riddle Answer from PS 66 in Brooklyn 20:44 - Credits 20:55 - Call for Reviews & Word of Mouth 21:16 - Bloopers wildinterest.com

Nov 5

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 16 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 17 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

Sep 11

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

Aug 26

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

Jul 18

Is music truly the universal language? And what in the world is the Voyager Golden Record doing floating around in space right now? In this episode of Wild Interest, sibling hosts Nichole and Evan continue their sonic exploration by taking a trip to Belize to sit in with drummers carrying on the African Garifuna tradition as they gear up for the epic "Battle of the Drums!" Then, they chat with bluegrass pioneer Ron Thomason of the Dry Branch Fire Squad about mandolins, guitars, horses, and how to turn your own body into a drum kit. But wait, there's more! Ever wonder what aliens might think of human music? Nichole and Evan dive into the incredible story of the Voyager Golden Record —a musical time capsule about life on Earth that's currently 15 billion miles away in interstellar space! Plus, in Cryptid Corner, Evan investigates the Fossegrim, a harmless but damp Norwegian creature who's suspiciously amazing at playing the fiddle. This episode features all your favorite segments: Animal Call, Grandparent Story, Favorite Sound, jokes and a riddle. Parents: visit our website to help your kids contribute jokes or favorite sounds, or to send us a message. Listen now and discover the wild rhythms that connect us all! Timestamps for this episode are available below. 00:00 - Episode 14 Intro 01:43 - Ron Thomason 08:59 - Animal Call Clue 09:28 - Word of Mouth 09:44 - Garifuna Drummers Kirwin Ramirez and Kayton Martinez 17:48 - Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters 22:10 - Riddle Clue 22:28 - Favorite Sound 23:21 - Grandparent Stories: Eileen 29:59 - Animal Call Reprise 30:11 - Cryptid Corner: The Fossegrim 33:16 - Joke Time 34:03 - Call for Submissions 34:28 - Animal Call Reveal 35:42 - Voyager Golden Record 46:51 - Riddle Answer 47:16 - Preview of Episode 15 48:10 - Credits 48:34 - Bloopers Click here for tickets to Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters in Nashville wildinterest.com

Jun 9

Mabuhay Wildings! What in the world does "mabuhay" mean, and how did the Philippines give us both Olympic champions AND the modern yo-yo? This week on Wild Interest, our Philippines Independence Day special is one great big celebration of Filipino life and culture around the world. First up: Nichole says "hi" to Hidilyn Diaz, champion weightlifter and the first Filipino ever to win an Olympic gold medal. Next, Evan riffs with Ramón de Ocampo, acclaimed actor and voice of the hit Diary of a Wimpy Kid audio books. But wait, there's more! Ever wonder about the history of yo-yos? Evan spins a yarn about yo-yos with his pal Jaxx, and learns some tricks from world champion freestyle yo-yo pro Bryan Jardin. Plus, our hosts take listeners on a lush audio journey through the beautiful island nation. This episode features all your favorite segments: Grandparent Stories from Manila, Animal Calls, jokes, a pesky riddle, and an extra-creepy Cryptid Corner that takes us into the forest realm of the shape-shifting Tikbalang. Happy Independence Day — let's get wild! Listen now and celebrate the wild culture of the Philippines! 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 13 Intro 02:15 - Philippines Travelogue 05:31 - Riddle Question 05:51 - Ramón de Ocampo 15:22 - Animal Call Clue 16:12 - The Yo-Yo: Pedro Flores, Jaxx, and Bryan Jardin 23:45 - Animal Call Reprise 25:03 - Hidilyn Diaz 32:07 - Joke Time 33:05 - Call For Submissions 33:31 - Grandparent Stories: Carmen 37:50 - Favorite Sound 39:09 - Animal Call Reveal 40:28 - Cryptid Corner: Tikbalang 44:26 - Riddle Answer 44:46 - Preview of Episode 14 45:26 - Credits 46:06 - Bloopers wildinterest.com

May 7

Hey Wildlings! Do you believe in rooting for the underdog? What about the under-eagle? And what in the world happened 45 years ago that made everyone believe in miracles? This week on Wild Interest, Evan takes us back to the "Miracle On Ice" when the US Olympic hockey team didn't have a snowball's chance in heck of beating the stronger, faster Russian team — but somehow they did! He reports in person from where the magic happened in Lake Placid, NY. Plus, Nichole talks to educator and parenting expert Jayme Yannuzzi of Teach Talk Inspire about what it's like to be a momfluencer, and learns how easy it is to make the icky, gooey non-Newtonian liquid known as Oobleck. But wait, there's more! Ever wonder about the Russian Revolution? We learn about it through Nichole's experience in the musical "Anastasia." Think you're sharp? See if you can hold your own in Concentration 64 as Evan and Nichole face off in this hand-clapping, rhythmic battle of wits. This episode features all your favorite segments: Animal Calls with a particularly prickly little guy, jokes, Favorite Sound, Grandparent Story, and an ice-cold riddle that's sure to freeze you in your tracks. Let's get wild! Listen now and discover the wild power of believing in miracles! 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 12 Intro 02:07 - Evan's Miracle on Ice 07:00 - Riddle Clue 07:18 - Anastasia 13:07 - Animal Call Clue 13:38 - Favorite Sound 15:07 - Concentration 64 19:13 - Animal Call Reprise 19:34 - Cryptid Corner: Mermaid, Whale, or Spy? 22:40 - Joke Time 23:39 - Call for Submissions 24:06 - Grandparent Stories: Vincas 30:10 - Animal Call Reveal 31:46 - Jayme Yanuzzi of Teach Talk Inspire 41:11 - Riddle Answer 41:32 - Preview of Episode 13 41:43 - Call for Reviews + Word of Mouth 42:00 - Credits 42:22 - Bloopers wildinterest.com