Podcast Summary: Short Wave — "Come critter spotting with us on a cold winter's night"

Original air date: January 19, 2026
Hosts: Emily Kwong & Burleigh McCoy
Guests/Naturalists: Serenela Linares, Natalie Howe, Matt Felperin, Anna Kahanui
Setting: Patuxent River State Park, Maryland
Episode Length: ~15 minutes

Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Emily Kwong takes listeners on a nocturnal adventure through Patuxent River State Park, Maryland. Alongside a group of enthusiastic naturalists, the hosts explore how nature thrives—even in the dead of winter—by searching for glowing lichens, elusive owls, mysterious fungi, and animated salamanders. The episode blends scientific curiosity, wonder, and humor, revealing how much life persists through winter’s chill and offering insight into both the creatures themselves and the passionate people who observe them.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting off on a Night Hike

• Emily joins a group of naturalists for a night hike with UV lights and homemade banana bread ([00:42]).
• Host Emily sets the scene: "We were bundled in our winter coats... no idea what the park looked like because it was so dark and we don't have half of these critters' night vision." ([03:37])

2. Lichen Under UV Light: Nature’s Sunscreen

• Under leadership of Serenela Linares and ecologist Natalie Howe, the group discovers patches of lichen glowing under UV lights ([04:00]-[05:39]).
• Notable Moment (UV magic):
  • Serenela Linares: "Nothing out of the ordinary, right?... Everything looks pretty much the same until..." ([04:17])
  • Emily describes: "It suddenly glowed neon yellow. The lichen, one particular part of it was fluorescing, so absorbing the ultraviolet light... and emitting visible light." ([04:39])
• The different colors signal different lichen species, each with unique fluorescence chemistry:
  • Emily: "The yellow lichen is called Pixene subsenaria and the orange lichen is Pixene seridiata. Both have chemicals in their tissues which allow them to fluoresce." ([05:36])
• Science takeaway: Lichen fluoresce as a protective response to UV light, effectively acting as their own sunscreen ([05:51]).

3. Examining the Forest Life Up Close

• The naturalists search with UV lights, referencing field guides, and even find trash that reflects interestingly ([06:21]-[06:27]).
• Natalie Howe: "Once I actually got too excited about finding, like, a soggy piece of toilet paper because it reflected weirdly." ([06:27])

4. Moths, Mercury Lamps, and Owl Calls

• The group spots moths drawn by mercury vapor lamps, used because moths navigate by moon and stars ([06:38]-[07:03]).
• Matt Felperin announces owl calling, explains barred owl’s territorial nature, and provides a mnemonic:
  • Matt Felperin: "There's a mnemonic for it... Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you all?" ([07:33])

5. Fungi and Citizen Science: BioBlitz and iNaturalist

• Anna Kahanui, co-founder of Capital Nature, excitedly documents a “snow fungus” and demonstrates her use of the iNaturalist app (5,107 observations!) ([08:14]-[08:47]).
  • Emily: "Learning to identify and name and even just notice the life forms around me is one of the best ways to deepen your relationship to land and to nature." ([08:51])
• Discussion of the City Nature Challenge—a global BioBlitz for citizen scientists ([09:16]).

6. Childlike Wonder Returns: Crustaceans, Isopods, and Incredible Fungi

• The hike becomes a playful, immersive experience: “Just watching these grown adults act more and more like kids was so amazing... jumping and shrieking when a tiny crustacean like an isopod appears.” ([09:37])
• Serenela Linares quizzes the group: "Give me a number of how many sexes do you think [Gizophilum commune] has?" ([10:09])
  • The answer: “20,000 different sexes.” ([10:31])
  • Serenela Linares: “It’s very successful, very abundant, and found almost everywhere. Take a look.” ([10:36])

7. Redback Salamanders—Masters of Winter Survival

• Discovery: An eastern redback salamander, which can burrow up to a foot deep in winter to stay moist and absorb oxygen ([10:49]-[11:10]).
• Emily: "One of the most interesting things I picked up was the fact that redback salamanders will bury themselves... to stay warm and wet." ([11:10])

8. Bioluminescent Honey Mushrooms: Not Tonight!

• The group finally finds the coveted honey mushroom—a bioluminescent species in summer, but dormant in winter ([11:51]-[13:23]):
  • Serenela Linares: “Come get me, I’m delicious. And by the way, take my kids away. So how do you advertise your burger king at 2 a.m.? You need a neon sign...” ([12:42])
  • In summer, the glowing acts as an invitation for animals to eat (and thus spread) the mushroom’s spores.
• Big idea: In winter, many organisms, like these fungi, conserve their energy and pause flashy displays—a lesson for all listeners about slowing down ([13:26]).

Memorable Quotes and Moments

• On lichen’s UV glow:
  • Emily: “It was like the Las Vegas Strip.” ([04:56])
• On mushrooms with many sexes:
  • Emily: “20,000. This fungi has 20,000 different sexes.” ([10:31])
  • Serenela Linares: “It’s very successful, very abundant, and found almost everywhere. Take a look.” ([10:36])
• On the winter lesson:
  • Emily: “Which I think provides a nice life lesson for wintertime, you know, about not spending energy when you don’t have to.” ([13:26])
  • Burleigh: “Slow down, rest, conserve your energy, and... you can consider this hike your permission slip.” ([13:37])

Notable Timestamps for Segments

• Night hike begins, lichen discovery: 00:49–04:56
• Exploration with UV lights and field guides: 05:05–06:38
• Mercury lamp for moths, owl calls: 06:38–07:46
• Fungi and citizen science (BioBlitz/iNaturalist): 08:14–09:16
• Playful discoveries (isopods, fungi biology): 09:37–10:36
• Redback salamander details: 10:49–11:10
• Bioluminescent honey mushroom and winter lessons: 11:51–13:37

Takeaways and Tone

The episode’s tone is one of genuine curiosity, playful wonder, and encouragement for listeners to venture out and notice the natural world—even (especially) in winter. It’s a celebration of both scientific exploration and the sense of childlike awe that comes with paying attention to one’s environment.

• Final message: Winter isn’t lifeless; it's a period of adaptation, subtle activity, and strategic rest—something both animals and humans can learn from.

For more on joining the City Nature Challenge or the Great American Campout, see the show links on NPR's website.