

Constant Wonder
BYUradio
Stay in tune with our phenomenal world. Join us for explorations of science, art, history, and more. We're on a quest to find awe and wonder in all nature—human or wild, vast or small. Encounters that move us beyond words. Hosted by Marcus Smith, Constant Wonder is a production of BYUradio.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 23, 2025 • 53min
She Walked 500 Miles for a Bird Under Threat
The best way to see the world is on foot, it might be argued. Mary Colwell has had amazing encounters with wildlife on her walking treks around the globe. She's even used her walks to raise awareness and increase protection of the fascinating but imperiled curlew.
Mary Colwell, Director of Curlew Action; TV and radio producer, conservationist; author, "Curlew Moon"
Learn more about Curlew Action:
https://www.curlewaction.org/
Find Mary Colwell online:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marycolwell1/?hl=en

Apr 16, 2025 • 54min
A New Era of Peace in the Wolf Wars
Daniel Curry had had recurring dreams about wolves, long before he chose to devote his career to helping them. After working with captive wolves for several years, he became a "range rider," a human intermediary between predators and the cattle they might want to eat. In this episode of Constant Wonder, we'll discover Curry's extraordinary empathy for both domestic and wild creatures, and we'll hear how he works to keep them all safe.
Photo credit: Tyler Tjomsland/The Spokesman-Review
Guest: Daniel Curry, range rider and wolf advocate in Eastern Washington
Find Daniel Curry online: https://thewolfranger.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedanimalmanimal/?hl=en
Originally aired on May 17, 2023

Apr 9, 2025 • 53min
Is There Such Thing As a "Bad" Naturalist?
When Paula Whyman started trying to rehabilitate 200 acres she'd just bought, she knew very little about conservation. Among many other challenges, she faced off with mile-a-minute vine and rattlesnakes, but, with self-effacing humor and passion for this corner of the Blue Ridge Mountains, she persisted (and still persists!) in restoring the land to a healthy equilibrium.
Guest: Paula Whyman, author of "Bad Naturalist: One Woman’s Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop"
Find Paula Whyman online: https://paulawhyman.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paulawhymanauthor/?hl=en

Apr 2, 2025 • 47min
Getting Away Makes You a Better Neighbor
Use the power of retreat and meditation to ease the stress of our frenetic lifestyle. From decades of friendship with the Dalai Lama, Pico Iyer has learned the value of sacred silence.
Guest: Pico Iyer, author of "Aflame: Learning from Silence"
Explore Pico Iyer's work: https://picoiyerjourneys.com/#about

Mar 26, 2025 • 53min
How to Snorkel Right in Your Own Backyard (Practically)
If snorkeling seems like something you can only do on a tropical vacation, think again. In this podcast episode, we meet a river snorkeling guide who encourages us to stick our heads in the water, right in our local streams and rivers. Keith Williams thinks you'll be amazed at the aquatic life you'll see there. Tune in to Constant Wonder and get hooked with some amazing fish tales.
Guest: Keith Williams, author of "Snorkeling Rivers and Streams: An Aquatic Guide to Underwater Discovery and Adventure" and guide at Freshwater Journeys
Read more snorkeling stories by Keith at https://blog.nature.org/author/keith-williams/
Originally aired on January 25, 2023

Mar 19, 2025 • 55min
How a Writer Rewired Her Brain After Amnesia
After waking from a coma with devastating brain damage, Samina Ali relearns to walk and speak alongside her newborn son.
Guest: Samina Ali, author of "Pieces You'll Never Get Back: A Memoir of Unlikely Survival"
Find Samina Ali online: https://saminaali.net/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samina.ali.writer/?hl=en

Mar 12, 2025 • 55min
Hare in the House: An Enchanting and Wild Companion
When Chloe Dalton starts caring for a newborn hare, the line between "indoors" and "outdoors" blurs—inviting her to explore the natural world that she previously took for granted.
Guest: Chloe Dalton, author of "Raising Hare: A Memoir"
Visit Cloe Dalton online: https://www.chloedalton.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chloedaltonuk/?hl=en
© The British Library; Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en; BYU Broadcasting does not claim ownership in the wildlife sounds provided by The British Library obtained at https://bit.ly/4ipDIU8; no changes made

Mar 5, 2025 • 54min
The Simple, Wonder-full Life of the Snowflake Man
From rural oddity to New York Times writer, Wilson Bentley's singular devotion to snow and desire to share it with others changed snow science forever.
Guests: Wayne Howe, former president of the Jericho Historical Society; Kenneth Libbrecht, professor of physics at the California Institute of Technology; Anna and Juniper of Jericho, VT; Seth of Provo, UT. Special thanks to Rod Gustafson for voicing Wilson Bentley.
Want to learn more? Check out the Jericho Historical Society! https://www.jerichohistoricalsociety.org/
Photo courtesy of snowflakebentley.com

Feb 26, 2025 • 53min
Humor: A Powerful Tool in the Face of Anxiety
Clint Edwards' hilarious honesty gives encouragement to those struggling with mental health challenges. Facing off his anxiety
with humor and hope, he learns to raise his a family of his own after growing up at odds with his parents.
Guest: Clint Edwards, blogger and author of "Anxiously Ever After: An Honest Memoir on Mental Illness, Strained Relationships, and Embracing the Struggle"
Visit Clint Edwards online to see more of his work:
Substack blog: https://clintedwards.substack.com/about
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/noideadaddyblog/?hl=en
X/Twitter: https://x.com/byclintedwards?lang=en
Originally Aired on February 8, 2023

Feb 19, 2025 • 53min
How Adoptee Found Birth Family Thanks to Mysterious Tattoo
When Korean adoptee Sara Jones went looking for her birth family, she wondered if a strange tattoo given to her in childhood could unlock any secrets. Adopted into an American family at age three, Jones found much success here in America, becoming an attorney and CEO. It wasn't until her own kids started asking questions that she decided to search for her birth family. And she started her search with that mysterious tattoo.
Guest: Sara Jones, CEO of InclusionPro, Board Member of The (Utah) State Workforce Development Board, Board of Trustees for Intermountain Salt Lake Valley Hospitals, Co-Founder of Women Tech Council.
Visit Sara Jones on Instagram to learn more: https://www.instagram.com/saradansiejones/?hl=en
Originally aired on October 26, 2022


