In winter, 2/3 of the summer bird species fly south; but those that remain are easy to see against the snowy, leafless landscape. John demonstrates how to attract birds through "squeaking and pishing," explains what to look for in binoculars, and identifies some colourful denizens of the winter woods.
Winter is the time for warm-blooded animals-birds and mammals. But whereas birds are easy to find, mammals can be wary. In this show, shot in a lovely black spruce woodland, we learn to identify, interpret, photograph, sketch and cast tracks. John's impersonation of leaping frogs and rabbits is another notable highlight.
John Acorn dons chest waders and headlamp to show us a variety of frogs as they call, court and lay their eggs in a nearby pond. In the "Nature Nook," we learn how to properly care for captive-bred frogs in aquaria, and see a few dozen fire-bellied toad tadpoles going through the miraculous transformation from egg to tadpole to froglet.
For bird watchers, spring migration is an annual highlight as birds arrive in huge numbers in their brightest courtship plumage. At Beaverhill Lake, one of North America's premier birding hotspots, John takes us on a tour of the countryside while watching for migrating shorebirds and raptors. The appearance of a hunting Peregrine Falcon, complete with a high-speed dive at a Northern Shoveller, makes the day.
This show is devoted to those most lovable of all insects, ladybugs-how to find and identify them, what they eat and how they live. A highlight is learning why ladybugs are red and black, dramatically demonstrated when John's ladybug meets his pet leopard gecko.
The world of microscopic life is an alien realm, literally right at our fingertips, accessible to anyone with {dollar}20 to spend. John's impersonation of Antoni Van Leeuwenhoek, the inventor of the microscope and his parody of the "50s science movie guy" ensures that we all chuckle through the topics of amoebas, parameciums and rotifers
Next to birds, wild flowers attract most people to the study of nature. We discover many delightful blossoms, including Brown-eyed Susans-which inspire John's parody of a country tune. Then as an "earthy old-world botanist," John explores the finer points of flora science.
Natural subjects are usually too small or far away for normal photo techniques. John discusses how to choose a telephoto lens, how to get close to your subjects, and how to hold the camera steady for best results. Special segments on sitting in "blinds" and stalking wild creatures.
Having written the book, Butterflies of Alberta, John is a natural to discuss butterfly watching and butterfly gardening. The butterflies were particularly cooperative and we feature stunning images of Anglewings, Fritillaries, and a territorial Silver-spotted skipper. Lest anyone think of butterfly watching as a sissy sport, catch John's interpretation of the butterfly net as Samurai sword.
As society's involvement in nature shifts away from hunting and fishing toward birding and flower finding, more people are pursuing nature with a camera. John demonstrates techniques of close-up photography, using both 35mm SLR equipment and "the world's crummiest camera," to show that good work is possible on any budget. Just when things are getting a mite technical, John bursts into song with, "Right in your face with the close-up lens."
Pond life is a perennial favourite topic with most nature nuts. John gets up to his armpits in pond water to point our giant water bugs, whirligig beetles, pond skaters, back swimmers and others. We also feature the spectacular pond aquarium John has set up in the studio.
As an entomologist, tiger beetles are John's specialty, and most of his technical publications have dealt with these fierce little predators. Some tiger beetles are brightly coloured, and all are fascinating-becoming almost as popular as butterflies.
Each year, hordes of people travel to places where they can watch wild salmon swim upstream, spawn and die. It's probably some sort of deep metaphor for life itself. While we don't have salmon on our show, we do catch Fathead minnows spawning under a floating piece of wood, and even do some snorkeling. This time we have a guest, fish biologist Hilary Jones, the "Queen of the Fatheads." Together with the entire production crew, they sing "a wholesome environmental anthem for the 90s."
Winter is a slow time for nature's creatures, and a slow time for nature nuts. Nonetheless, John Acorn gets out and manages to connect with all of the obscure, secretive critters that will soon keep him occupied once the snow melts.
When most people thing of wildlife, they think of ungulates-big grazing animals. In Elk Island and Jasper National Parks, John Acorn and guest Mike Sullivan track down fully half of North America's ungulate species.
The easiest way to connect with wild birds is to attract them to your yard, and bird boxes are a sure way to give yourself a first hand look at birds. If you're not a great carpenter, don't fret. John will help you get the job done to the birds' satisfaction.
Did you know that John Acorn used to hate spiders? Join him for a whirlwind tour of tarantulas, black widows, jumping spiders, wolf spiders, orb weavers and more.
Next to spiders, snakes are probably the most misunderstood creatures on earth. In the scenic badlands of Alberta, John Acorn goes in search of rattlesnakes, bullsnakes, and hognose snakes-and meets some intriguing creatures along the way.
What sort of person would hang a bed sheet in the woods at night, illuminate it with a backlight, and paint a mixture of sugar, beer and rum on all of the nearby trees? Join John Acorn and moth expect Tracy Kutash to find out.
They're fast, they're colourful, and they're just about everywhere. We look at dragonflies and damselflies, from egg to larva to fast-flying adult.
July 26th is "Big wet rodent day" and we celebrate beavers, muskrats, capybaras, nutrias, aplodontias, Florida water rats, and other big ones.
Farmers hate them, fishermen use them for bait; they come in plagues and make chirping sounds. Just what are grasshoppers anyway, and what are they doing down there in the grass?
If you like butterflies and moths then you have to love caterpillars, since you can't have one without the other. How to find, identify and rear caterpillars.
A look at the weird and wonderful lives of ants, bees and wasps. Are their societies like ours, or are they more efficient and co-operative like science fiction would have us believe?
You might think the dinosaur craze has peaked, that this theme has been approached from just about every possible angle, until you take John Acorn's tour of the dinosaur world today.
A veteran of standard 8 and super 8 home movies, home video and of course, professional television, John Acorn will show you how to make your own nature videos.
Despite being captive, aquarium fish provide a very important link between people and nature. After exploring the topics of guppies, cichlids, and aquarium care, John sings a lively tune about "Ed, the guppy guy" and his fish-watching family.
Are there really monsters in the wilderness, like Sasquatches and Ogopogi? John Acorn doesn't think so, and he's tired of the way monster stories make scientists look bad, and kids lose sleep. So he's gone deep into Sasquatch Provincial Park in B.C. in search of the truth about hairy manlike monsters. Hey, it's a healthy alternative to the X-Files.
Canada isn't generally a very lizardy place, so the Nature Nut hits the road for this one, and explores the world of lizards in the Sonoran Desert near Tuscon, Arizona. He gets lucky when he finds not only a big, beautiful collared lizard, but wild Gila Monsters as well!
More creepy crawlies! The Tuscon area is renowned for scorpions and John has a great time here, searching for deadly poisonous Centruroides, and setting up a terrarium for a huge Emperor Scorpion as well. Friends from the University of Arizona help out with the search, and with the song as well.
Darwin studied earthworms, and the Nature Nut's portrayal of the great evolutionist is a trip down one of the most forgotten back alleys in the history of science. And don't miss the worm anatomy lesson, based around the old saying, "life, it's just a bunch of tubes," or the rousing rendition of the worm blues.
Time for a few warm fuzzy critters. John looks for squirrel family animals, and finds everything from Woodchucks along a major freeway to flying squirrels in a nest box intended for owls. For those who can't resist those big brown eyes, this episode is a guaranteed crowd pleaser.
After reading some of his wackier fan mail, John shares some new photo tips, and caps the show off with a song about mites, written by a professor at Queen's University. Dressed as women, John Acorn and his collaborator Michael Becker prove once and for all that their musical style is theirs and theirs alone.
Reminiscing about the days when he used to work in a water strider research laboratory, the Nature Nut takes us on a tour of the wonderful world of insects that walk on water. Superb close-up videography makes this a fascinating topic. And then there's Stenus, the living soap boat, and Acorn's unique demonstration of the soap boat principle.
From time to time, the Nature Nut brings in expert help, and with two of the world's top scarab beetle experts, he takes this episode to explore the prairies of Saskatchewan in search of these nifty critters. From the beliefs of ancient Egyptians to the writings of the French naturalist Jean-Henri Fabre, Acorn and his guests cover the topic from one end to the other, sharing their contagious enthusiasm for the semi-sacred scarabs.
You might think it impossible for nature lovers to get much enjoyment out of fly watching, but after John introduces you to rainbow-eyed horseflies, delta-winged beeflies, and deadly predator robber flies, you might just change your mind. As usual, the Nature Nut goes to great pains to point out the obvious things that are right under our very noses, such as: "Flies, they fly. That's why we call them flies!"
Why not take a trip to the mountains? That's what John Acorn thought as he went in search of Pikas, Dippers and other mountain animals. In Alberta's Kananaskis country, the Nature Nut takes a look at everyone's favourite nature watching destination, and when music time rolls around, we get a rare glimpse of that consummate mountain man, Joe DeSciz himself.
No, this isn't a fishing show, but trout fishermen have often been accused of being just as much naturalists as sportsmen. Join the Nature Nut as he explores clear mountain streams and opal-coloured lakes in search of the elusive trout.
What's a carabid? Why, it's a ground beetle, of course, and in most parts of the world there are as many species of ground beetles as there are birds. Too bad so few people appreciate them, but isn't it handy that the Nature Nut is one of those overlooked few? Carabid races, anyone?
An off-beat introduction to the world of mushrooms, with tips on cooking, identification, and even mushroom art.
Shot in Ramsey Canyon, Arizona, the hummingbird capital of North America, this episode gives you all the tips you need for hummingbird watching, as well as attracting them to your own yard.
Join John Acorn for a slug and snail-watching tour of the Pacific Northwest, featuring giant banana slugs, cute little land snails, and the mysterious "Mystery snail" as well.
In the wet coastal forests of British Columbia, John searches out more salamanders than you can shake a stick at, and he gives tips on pet salamanders too.
John Acorn's guide to selecting binoculars, hand lenses, spotting scopes and more, packed with tips on how to use and care for your outdoor optics.
For many winter tourists, the reptiles and amphibians of Hawaii are more familiar than those back home. From the Jackson's Chameleon to the Blind Burrowing Worm Snake, you couldn't ask for a nicer bunch of "herpetiles" than these.
Introduced species are responsible for more environmental disruption than just about any other factor, and the Hawaiian Islands are perhaps the most overrun.
Animal colours are a great source of interest to nature nuts, but learning to interpret them takes practice. Join John Acorn for a tour of animal colours on Maui.
Join John Acorn in the swamps of southern Florida in search of wayward crocodiles, golfing 'gators, a visit to an alligator ranch, and the joys of alligator watching in the winter.
Anoles (or American Chameleons) are some of the most popular pet lizards, and the commonest in the American southwest. A look at their world, with tips on keeping your own anole healthy and happy.
Pet reptiles are becoming more and more common, almost like traditional domesticated animals. John shares his love of snakes, turtles and lizards, while showing off a few newly developed tricks of the reptile keeper's trade.
An up-close look at the world of woodpeckers, covering everything from feeding these fascinating birds in your back yard to identifying the various species.
John responds to viewer mail and viewer feedback, identifying pond creature drawings, answering questions about ladybug hibernation (with the help of an entomological friend), and recreating the guppy behaviour experiments of the Nature Nut's long-lost Acorn relative, the squirrel girl.
Owls are everywhere, if you know where and how to look for them. With the help of biologist Dr. Gordon Court and a captive barred owl named Hootie, we find the wise but secretive owls of western Canada-Snowies, Great Greys, Boreal and Great Horned Owls, among others.
On a southern Utah night, John seeks the beautiful "ermine-coated, raven-eyed gems of the desert," the yucca moths. Guest Shelley Humphries explains how the desert plant called the yucca relies on these moths for pollination and John is visited by the ghost of C.V. Riley, who first described the moth/plant relationship.
Once on the verge of extinction, the spectacular peregrine falcon is making an amazing North American comeback. This bird is just as at home among the tall buildings of modern cities as it is in its natural cliff habitat. Join John Acorn as he seeks the fast flying raptor with the "Elvis-like" sideburns.
The Nature Nut takes us on a tour of some lovely Canadian sand dunes where he introduces us to many of the unique plants and critters, including the charming kangaroo rats and the ever popular tiger beetle.
John and guest Jack Wojcicki introduce us to the unusual lifestyle of the digger wasp, a crazy critter that not only digs burrows in the sand and lives underground, but captures prey by delivering a paralyzing sting.
In late summer after the rains begin, the night bugs of the Arizona desert begin to emerge. John and guest entologist Dr. David Maddison hang a large back-lit bed sheet in the desert and see what shows up, crawls up and flies up.
Millions of Mexican free-tail bats congregate under bridges, around buildings and in the caves of Texas. The Nature Nut and David Stuart visit a sink hole cave and watch as bats swirl out every night to feed on insects. Then learn about bat, bird and dinosaur wings and meet Vlad the fruit bat.
Do you have creepy spider webs in your basement? Silverfishes in your dishes? The Nature Nut investigates the creepy, harmful and harmless bugs that people have in their houses.
Go behind the scenes at one of the nicest zoos in North America. John is joined by guests Sid Andrews and Brian Keating as he meets many zoo residents-including John's favourite, the wacky binturong.
Learn everything you ever wanted to know about turtles as John visits with turtle expert Dr. Peter Pritchard in Florida. Find out how to make a nice tank for them and meet one of the most unusual turtles of all-the Alligator Snapping turtle.
Toasty warm water emerges from thousands of springs in central Florida, attracting all sorts of critters. View the amazing fish and turtles as well as the endangered manatee. And watch for raccoons, "the ring-tailed thing from the Florida spring!"
John flees the dead of winter to heed the call of the Snork and Maskel in Maui. After reviewing what snorkling gear to use and how to use it, the Nature Nut floats along the surface of the ocean and talks to the dazzling reef fishes by means of an underwater tablet.
Christmas in the tropics? Why not! One of the niftiest environments on the planet is the tropical coral reef. In this episode John explores the living reef and various invertebrate creatures that are related to corals, as well as the odd sea turtle. He finishes by singing, "deck the deck with lots of deck stuff," in our first Christmas Coral.
Travel to Costa Rica and explore the colourful world of rainforest butterflies. Some are transparent, some are drunkards, others are the size of a saucer and attracted to blue hankerchiefs! With fake heads, warning colours and a taste for rotten bananas mixed with raw fish and beer, these butter-flies truly make the ones back home seem tame.
Discover the biggest, boldest beetles of the forests of La Selva, Costa Rica. From the harlequin beetle with its wonderful colours to hitch-hiking pseudo-scorpions, and the bearded weevil with the huge hairy nose it uses as a weapon, there is something here for every beetle lover.
The Nature Nut risks life and limb to discuss tropical ants-including the bullet ant, whose sting is as painful as a gunshot, leafcutters that carry carefully clipped fragments back to their nest, and trap-jawed ants with the fastest mandibles in the animal world.