In this episode of the Sunshine Gardening podcast, host Kristin Hildabrand welcomes Colby Dye, a summer extension intern, who discusses his Backyard Biology video series project. The episode starts with Kristin introducing the podcast and setting the stage for an engaging talk about local wildlife and gardening in Kentucky. Kristin shares her excitement about the insights Colby's project brings to home gardeners through his deep dive into the wildlife commonly found in local backyards.







Colby shares his background, explaining that he grew up in Warren County and attended the University of Kentucky, where he majored in environmental science. He discusses his initial contact with the extension office through his involvement with agriculture and natural resources in high school and FFA, which led him to seize the internship opportunity.



Colby preparing the Turtle Pockets- Cook Wild recipe.



Colby explains his project, the Backyard Biology video series, in detail. He describes the motivation behind the project, which was to educate locals about the wildlife in suburban areas of Warren County, particularly as these areas expand into natural habitats. The project includes videos featuring different classes of animals, such as insects, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals, each providing helpful wildlife management tips and identification guides.



Kristin and Colby discuss each video topic, starting with the insect video, where Colby highlights invasive species and pollinators. They then discuss the birds' video, emphasizing the utility of the Merlin app for bird identification and a DIY project for hummingbird feeders. Colby shares his passion for amphibians and reptiles, explaining a fun project called the Frog Hotel, which garnered significant attention and engagement from the audience.




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Tutorial on How to Assemble the Frog Hotel



Colby describes the mammals' video, pointing out the interesting case of the nine-banded armadillos appearing more frequently in Kentucky. He discusses the educational aspect of these videos, including handling the potential health risks from such wildlife.



Towards the end of their conversation, Colby reflects on the success of the Backyard Biology series. He is particularly impressed with the audience engagement and the educational impact of the giveaways linked to each video, such as bee hotels and frog hotels. He is thrilled by the response and notes the significant number of people who reported learning from these resources.



Backyard Biology Poster Highlights



As the episode closes, Kristin expresses gratitude for Colby's contributions to the extension office and his effective educational outreach. They encourage listeners to check out the complete series on Warren County Agriculture's YouTube page and other social media platforms.



This podcast episode reviews the crucial interplay between local wildlife and gardening. It provides listeners with educational resources and DIY projects emphasizing ecological awareness and practical engagement with backyard biology to foster a more vibrant and diverse ecosystem in...