Best Tony Santore Podcasts (2025)

1
Easter Brunch With Father Santore Livestream 2:01:56

14d ago2:01:56

2:01:56

A 2 hour, unhinged livestream rant about ecological succession in lawn slaughter, book reviews, the deranged texas anti-plant bill (SB 1868), and more, all done while wearing a priest outfit.By Tony Santore

1
Costa Rica Habitat Synopsis Rants 2:32:10

23d ago2:32:10

2:32:10

Episodes of the Crime Pays podcast are available Ad-Free on the Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't Patreon at: www.patreon.com/crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt In this episode of the podcast we rant about a myriad of topics and also discuss 4 main habitat types of Costa Rica : Lowland dry forest, where you can get pissed on by spider monkeys and capuchins while…

1
Mosquito Traps & Burrowing "Toads" 1:31:57

1M ago1:31:57

1:31:57

Rants about Mosquito Traps, Burrowing "toads" (Rhinophrynus dorsalis), Texas botanists' resistance to using scientific names, replacing windas, a new species of succulent bamboo from Laos, and more I recommend the hell outta the Biogents Mosquito Trap, which is a pleasant way to reduce mosquito populations in your area using a compound that mimics …

1
Trans-Pecos Botany with Dr Mike Powell 1:50:55

1M ago1:50:55

1:50:55

Dr. Michael Powell is the curator of the Sul Ross Herbarium in Alpine, Texas and a proverbial wizard of West Texas Botany and Plants of the Trans-Pecos. In this episode we discuss how the endangered species act influenced the wariness of Texas ranchers and land owners, the current drought that Texas is in, describing new species of plants, the rock…

1
The New Plant Species Discovered in a National Park 1:34:56

2M ago1:34:56

1:34:56

Deb Manley is a naturalist and long-distance hiker who in March 2024 discovered a plant species that was entirely new to science: Ovicula biradiata (Sunflower Family - Asteraceae). In this episode of Crime Pays we talk about the discovery, the unique flora of the Big Bend region, limestone deserts, the phenomenon of Sky Islands and more. Episodes o…

1
Neotropical Bamboos : What the &@#$ is Gregarious Monocarpy? 1:55:06

2M ago1:55:06

1:55:06

Episodes of this podcast are available Ad-Free on the Patreon at : www.patreon.com/crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt Dr. Lynn Clark studies neotropical bamboos - bamboos from the Americas - specifically the genus Chusquea, which is highly diverse in Central & South America, from the Pine-Oak Forests of Western Mexico all the way down to the temperate rainfo…

1
Forest Restoration, Burning & Dam Removal 1:55:52

2M ago1:55:52

1:55:52

Bruce Shoemaker is a researcher on natural resource conflicts and author of the book "Dead in the Water", about hydropower projects and extractive predatory capitalism in Southeast Asia. In this podcast we talk about turning monoculturres of pine plantations back into biodiverse forest in Northern California, the importance of fire in Northern Cali…

1
"The Living World" Rant & Orchid Pollination Biology 2:35:10

2M ago2:35:10

2:35:10

In this episode we talk about why the word "nature" sucks; how to use the living world to avoid focusing on doom and idiocracy; why aimlessly walking along power line easements, irrigation ditches and railroad tracks in order to look at "weeds" is good for your health; an Australian orchid (Rhizanthella gardneri) that doesn't photosynthesize and bl…

1
Could Peyote Be An Endangered Species One Day? 1:56:24

2M ago1:56:24

1:56:24

Ad-Free episodes of the Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't Podcast are available on the patreon at : https://www.patreon.com/c/CrimePaysButBotanyDoesnt In this episode we talk with Leo Mercado of Morningstar Conservancy, an Arizona-based peyote conservation and propagation organization formed by members of the Native American Church concerned with the i…

1
Chicago Museums, Welwitschia Diorama, Public Urination 1:50:41

2M ago1:50:41

1:50:41

Rants about museums in Chicago, the hall of botany at the field museum, drop-in sinks, Euglossine bees, the genus Gnetum, getting the cops called on you at Chicago Botanical Gardens, the library at said institution, and more. Episodes of the Crime Pays Podcast are available for Ad-Free listening on the Patreon.…

1
New Plant Discovered in West Texas, Neotropical Palms, & Panama Hats 2:07:03

2M ago2:07:03

2:07:03

Episodes of the Crime Pays Podcast are available Ad-Free on the Patreon at : https://www.patreon.com/c/CrimePaysButBotanyDoesnt Rants about the New Asteraceae species discovered at Big Bend National Park, Ovicula biradiata, as well as an exploration of a few species of Neotropical Palms, potential musical choices for waterboarding at Guantanamo Bay…

1
Guayusa Rants 2:10:12

2M ago2:10:12

2:10:12

A 2 hour rant about the upper Amazon, the Paramo, ant symbiosis, Ilex guayusa, ethnobotany at the fruit market, giant neotropical bamboos, and much more. Ad-free episodes of the podcast are available on the Crime Pays Patreon at : https://www.patreon.com/c/CrimePaysButBotanyDoesnt Thumbnail is a photograph of Miconia inobsepta and its swollen petio…

1
Upper Amazon Fungi w/ Alan Rockefeller in Ecuador 1:32:27

3M ago1:32:27

1:32:27

A conversation with mycologist Alan Rockefeller about fungal and plant biodiversity of the upper Amazon of Ecuador. Episodes of the Crime Pays podcast are available Ad-Free on the Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/CrimePaysButBotanyDoesntBy Tony Santore

1
Atlas Nativa de Chile - Miquel Moya 2:10:04

3M ago2:10:04

2:10:04

Miguel Moya is a naturalist and designer who produces field guides and posters for native plants in Chile. In this episode we talk about the sclerophyll forest, the temperate rainforests of Chile Island, indigenous communities in the Southern region, Araucaria forests, Gomortega kuele, Ancient Gondwanan disjunctions, Citronella mucronata, rare plan…

1
Alerce Forests, Bog Tarantulas, & Arachnitis uniflora 2:37:50

3M ago2:37:50

2:37:50

In this episode we talk about Alerce Forests, Ocelot Tarantulas that live in bogs in Temperate Rainforests, Why the Rosulate Form Makes sense in Alpine Habitats, and the extremely weird mycoheterotroph, Arachnitis uniflora. Ad-Free episodes of this podcast can be listened to on the Crime Pays Patreon at : www.patreon.com/crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt…

1
Araucaria Forests of Chile 1:27:19

3M ago1:27:19

1:27:19

Rants about the Araucaria forests of Nahuelbuta and Conguillo, Chile : Towering, 1200 year-old Araucaria araucana trees with an understory of Nothofagus pumilio, dombeyi and obliqua; thigmonastic, moving stamens in Loasa acanthifolia; Chusquea and new world bamboos; Mutisioid composites, biogeographyband plant distributions that are a result of bot…

1
Chilean Flora w/ Botanist Nico Lavandero 1:52:53

3M ago1:52:53

1:52:53

Nico Lavandero is a Chilean Botanist who has described 8 new species of plants in Chile and is in the proc of describing many more. In this podcast we talk about a diversity of subjects, from Chile's 1974 Forest Law that incentivized the destruction of native forest for pine plantations, why plants take on dwarfed rosulate growth forms at high alti…

1
Birdsong Landscapes 2:37:19

4M ago2:37:19

2:37:19

Austin Miller runs Birdsong Landscapes, a native plant landscaping company and Natural History page based out of Southwest Ohio. In this episode we talk about continents as ecosystems, the natural history of Ohio, the Hopewell Culture and the Eastern Agirculture Complex, injecting native plant awareness into popular culture, lawn-killing, freshwate…

1
Potential Problems with Blight-Resistant Chestnuts 1:24:51

4M ago1:24:51

1:24:51

For some background on the developing story of creating a blight-resistant American chestnut, please check out the podcast episode a few episodes back with Erik Carlson. Jared Westbrook is a geneticist with the American Chestnut Foundation. In this episode we talk about what went wrong with the initial round of trials for blight-resistant chestnuts…

1
Better Living Through Reptiles 2:19:21

4M ago2:19:21

2:19:21

In this episode we sit down with Kyle Elmore of the youtube channel @popmilk for a two hour talk about herping (lurking for reptiles and amphibians), creating habitat, passionately obsessing over milksnakes, why Indigo Snakes are so chill, self-education, embracing the living world as a side-hobby, coping with habitat loss, naming milk snakes,, the…

1
The Ruined Christmas Podcast 1:53:50

4M ago1:53:50

1:53:50

Rants about ruining Christmas, disappointed family members, mixing and making soil recipes, Thornscrub Sanctuary update, maintaining a positive outlook despite the spiritually-poisonous effervescent fart of modern consumer society, feral pigs, ruderal plants, and more. Before you whine about the ads, keep in mind all episodes of the podcast are ava…

1
Dissecting the American Retail Slum 59:25

4M ago59:25

59:25

In this episode we talk with Crime Pays Field Correspondent WIll Doran about his traumatic experiences in the Car and Retail Slums of the American Sunbelt, possibly one of the ugliest and most soul-crushing landscapes in the first world. This is a landscape that exists as pure "anti-culture", and as many of you may know, is the only kind of landsca…

1
Talking Philosophy with Kerry Knudsen 1:52:58

5M ago1:52:58

1:52:58

Kerry Knudsen is a Lichen Biologist who originated outside of academia and worked in construction until becoming fascinated by the natural world and immersing himself in desert lichens.In this episode we talk about the modern human approach to the living world, why the study of natural sciences is becoming increasingly popular among people outside …

1
What Happened to the Transgenic American Chestnut? 1:49:36

5M ago1:49:36

1:49:36

Here's your reminder that all episodes of the Crime Pays podcast are available ad-free (because ads are the equivalent of cold sores) on the Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/CrimePaysButBotanyDoesnt. What happened to the transgenic American Chestnut? In January of 2024 news broke out that a "lab error" had "compromised years of research" regard…

1
Mycorrhizal Harvesting, Sky Island Extirpations 1:22:45

5M ago1:22:45

1:22:45

In this episode we talk about how we are explicitly NOT condoning it, how to harvest mycorrhizae from soil duff, what is "KNR" and what "IMO"s are, the paucity of study concerning mushroom diversity in the Davis Mountains and how some species there might be eventually extirpated due to the drying climate, the fungal genus Tarzetta, and more. The ep…

1
Adam Black is NOT a Permaculture Activist 1:24:47

5M ago1:24:47

1:24:47

In this episode I sit down withAdam Black about planting fruit trees in the park, how to save the honeybees, why invasive species don't exist, and how to properly apply a glue-on moustache and select proper attire so as to "fit in" when botanizing in West Texas. /s Adam Black is a field botanist and researcher with Bartlett Tree Research Laboratori…

1
Native, Invasive & Basic Biogeography 1:24:09

5M ago1:24:09

1:24:09

If the terrible Ads are bumming you out, then episodes are available on the Patreon Ad-Free at https://www.patreon.com/c/CrimePaysButBotanyDoesnt In this lecture we rant about Invasion Biology, Continents as Ecosystems, the concept of a "Living Machine", and David Bowie's package in The Labrynth. PDF download for this rant : https://drive.google.co…

1
A Conversation About Human Relationships with the Biosphere 1:27:37

5M ago1:27:37

1:27:37

If the ads are a bummer, then join the Patreon, where you'll have early access to videos, exclusive access to learning material, and Ad-Free episodes of this podcast. This was a conversation I had with my friend Martin Grantham about how humans relate to the living world around them (or rather, how most of them don't) and the factors that influence…

1
Plant Speciation Podcast for You Rotten Degenerates 1:06:58

5M ago1:06:58

1:06:58

This podcast episode is available ad-free on the Patreon with a screenshare of the presentation that accompanies it at www.patreon.com/crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt How do plants evolve? How do plants speciate? What is allopatric speciation? What is sympatric speciation? How do plants like the Hawaiian silverswords evolve to be such big weird bastards w…

1
Tectonic City 2:35:38

6M ago2:35:38

2:35:38

If the ads are a bummer, keep in mind all episodes of the Crime Pays podcast are available Ad-Free on the Patreon at : www.patreon.com/c/crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt Codi Lazar is a Professory of Geology at California State University San Bernardino and a passionate and utterly hilarious geologist. In this episode, we get into the weeds talking about a…

1
A Deep Dive Into Coyote Bush 2:09:16

6M ago2:09:16

2:09:16

Ads are terrible, Ads are hell, and if they bother you, here's a reminder that you can avoid them altogether by listening to this podcast Ad-Free on the Crime Pays Patreon at : www.patreon.com/crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt The genus Baccharis is one of the largest and most diverse in the Composite Family, Asteraceae. It originated in South America a few…

1
Oklahoma City, Limestone endemism, Relict Habitat of West Texas, and more 1:17:46

6M ago1:17:46

1:17:46

If the ads are annoying, keep in mind all podcast episodes are offered ad-free on the Patreon at : www.patreon.com/crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt, where you'll also have early access to videos, exlusive access to plant education lectures, and exclusive access to photo dumps from recent plant excursions that are not visible on any of the other Crime Pays …

1
Plant Anatomy, Again with Dr. Jim Mauseth 2:18:34

7M ago2:18:34

2:18:34

If the ads are bumming you out, keep in mind that ad-free episodes of the podcast are available at : www.patreon.com/crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt Did you know that the distal ends and tips of roots are the only parts doing any absorption? What the hell are cortical bundles and why did cacti evolve them? How can cactus roots grow so quickly after a rain…

1
Plant Tissue Systems Lecture 56:34

7M ago56:34

56:34

A reminder: the ads on this podcast (as well as most podcasts) are terrible. You can get AD-FREE versions of this podcast episode on the crime pays patreon (https://www.patreon.com/CrimePaysButBotanyDoesnt) In this episode: We talk about the three main types of tissue systems in plants : Dermal (trichomes, guard cells) Ground (Parenchyma, Collenchy…

1
Chris Best, State Botanist - USFW 2:46:05

7M ago2:46:05

2:46:05

If the ads are bumming you out, consider joining the Patreon where all podcast episodes are uploaded ad free at : https://www.patreon.com/CrimePaysButBotanyDoesnt Christ Best is the State Botanist with US Fish and Wildlife Service for the state of Texas, a position he has held for 30 years. He has extensive knowledge of plants in the Rio Grande Val…

1
Debunking Charlatans & Posers with Professor Dave Explains 1:05:48

7M ago1:05:48

1:05:48

A reminder: the ads on this podcast (as well as most podcasts) are terrible. You can get AD-FREE versions of this podcast episode on the crime pays patreon (https://www.patreon.com/CrimePaysButBotanyDoesnt) Dave Farina is the host of the "Professor Dave Explains" youtube channel, an educational youtube series exploring a wide variety of scientific …

1
Archaeology, Texas History and Public Land 1:28:20

7M ago1:28:20

1:28:20

David Keller is a historian and archaeologist from West Texas who based out of Alpine, Texas.By Tony Santore

1
Da Tubes Lecture (Shoots and Roots) 54:19

7M ago54:19

54:19

Originally recorded as a class lecture, this podcast episode contains information on root structures and shoots and is accompanied by the PDF found at : https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vA_n1OWw2PpUJSqn3m5lbSOymH_aARB7/view?usp=drivesdk as well as chapters 23,24,&25 of "Raven Biology of Plants" textbook which can be downloaded for free on libgen.is…

1
Phylogenetic Crash Course podcast 1:30:28

7M ago1:30:28

1:30:28

This is the spoken part of a lecture that was presented for patreon subscribers and students on the patreon. To see the accompanying PDF and hear ad-free podcast episodes sign up for the crime pays patreon at patreon.com/crimepaysbutbotanydoesnt We talk about the basic elements of plant identification, how it ties into plant evolution, evolutionary…

1
Texas' Rarest Plant, Caliche Gardens & Crested Peyote 1:31:32

8M ago1:31:32

1:31:32

A reminder: the ads on this podcast (as well as most podcasts) are terrible. You can get AD-FREE versions of this podcast episode on the crime pays patreon (https://www.patreon.com/CrimePaysButBotanyDoesnt) In this episode we talk about Paronychia congesta, one of Texas' Rarest Plants, which grows on Caliche barrens in Jim Hogg County, as well as C…

1
Lycophytes, Quillworts & the "Great Dying" 2:37:21

8M ago2:37:21

2:37:21

I became fixated on lycophytes because of some of the cool desert-dwelling members of the genus Selaginella, not to mention the utterly weird "clubmosses" that thrive in places as disparate as Northern Wisconsin and the slopes of volcanoes in New Zealand, but in this episode botanist Jeff Benca tells us about his work with relatives of the genus Is…

1
West Texas Pine Harvest and Alternation of Generations 1:44:57

8M ago1:44:57

1:44:57

A rant about West Texas Pines and the sand blazing star. At the 40 minute mark we begin our dive into the convoluted, confusing but utterly cool phenomenon of Alternation of Generations we talk mostly about Bryophytes (mosses and liverworts) and Lycophytes ("spikemosses" and "clubmosses"), and the ferns, but not gymnosperms or angiosperms). This tu…

1
A Conversation with Dan Hosage 3:05:50

8M ago3:05:50

3:05:50

A conversation with Chemist, Genius, Botanist,, Propagator, & Madman Dan Hosage about Texas Native Plants, Texas History, and more.By Tony Santore

1
Convincing Mice to Vote for Cats 1:08:39

8M ago1:08:39

1:08:39

NON-BOTANY PODCAST! This week's podcast is a conversation with my friend Jay Lesoleil, political anthropologist and half the means behind the "Fucking Cancelled" podcast about right-wing populism, the failures of the American left, identitarianism, and how to build a non-insane American working class left.…

1
Oaks Are the Beasts of An Ecosystem! A Discussion with Dr. Andrew Hipp 1:26:54

9M ago1:26:54

1:26:54

Andrew Hipp is the director of the herbarium and Senior Sciensist and Researcher in Plant Systematics at Morton Arboretum in Chicago. This is one of the most fun and inspiring conversations I've had in a while, and it's about one of the most ecologically important genera of plants in the Northern Hemisphere : THE OAKS (genus Quercus). In this episo…

1
Aquatic Botany with Casey Williams 2:36:12

9M ago2:36:12

2:36:12

Casey Williams is an botanist and plant ecologist specializing in aquatic plants - both plants that grow completely submerged and which can emerge above the water surface. In this episode, we discuss : -the stresses facing plants that grow underwater, -being limited by CO2 availability instead of water availability, -the endangered Texas Wild Rice,…

1
Rustbelt Tour Recap & Ouachita Orogeny 2:00:55

9M ago2:00:55

2:00:55

Vernonia lettermannii and other cool plants of Western Arkansas Novaculite, Ouachita Mountain Orogeny, Chert Glades of Western Missouri, the most obnoxious cicada species in the world, Detroit Rustic, Pittsburgh Museums, Shared Mountain Ranges of Appalachia and Morocco from the times of Pangaea, Northern Pennsylvania Glaciation, and more.…

1
Mycology Catch-Up w/ Alan Rockefeller 1:56:46

10M ago1:56:46

1:56:46

Alan Rockefeller is a mycologist and educator who has been studying mushrooms all over the world for the past 20 years and recently helped described two new species of Psilocybin mushroom from South Africa. He has helped numerous "citizen scientists" learn to DNA barcode fungi and led hundreds of free mushroom identification walks throughout North …

1
Dr. Daniela Zappi - Brazilian Plant Ecology 1:50:56

10M ago1:50:56

1:50:56

Dr. Daniela Cristina Zappi is a Brazilian botanist, plant collector, and research scientist at the herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew noted for studying and describing Neotropical flora, Rubiaceae, and Cactaceae. She has described over 90 species, most recently a new species in the cactus genus Uebelmannia (U.nuda). In this episode of Crim…

1
Zoe Schlanger, Author of The Light Eaters 1:45:57

10M ago1:45:57

1:45:57

Zoe Schlanger is the author of newly released book "The Light Eaters", which shines a new light on researchers studying plant "intelligence" and behavior.By Tony Santore

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Tony Santore Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen