S6E35: Ken in Eastern Panama

S6E35: Ken in Eastern Panama

Author: Ken Behrens & Charley Hesse March 29, 2026 Duration: 1:20:30

Is the Darien actually the dangerous borderland that most people make it out to be? Is it crazy to bring young kids on a Darien trek to visit the nest of a Harpy Eagle?! Ken tells Charley about his eastern Panama adventure.


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Intro by Jenna Pinchbeck https://www.jennapinchbeck.com/ Jennapinchbeck@gmail.com. Theme music by John Behrens https://nashvilleaudioproductions.com/Feel free to contact us at: ken.behrens@gmail.com &/or cfchesse@gmail.com


Black-crowned Antpitta recording courtesy of Scott Olmstead, XC694955. Accessible at https://xeno-canto.org/694955. License Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0


Naturally Adventurous Podcast

Nature - Travel - Adventure - Birding


There’s a particular kind of curiosity that pulls you off the beaten path, toward the rustle in the undergrowth or the call from a distant canopy. Naturally Adventurous is built on that impulse, hosted by two guides who have followed it across continents. Ken Behrens and Charley Hesse aren’t just passing through; they’ve built lives in the remote corners where they’ve settled, from Madagascar to Thailand, Ecuador to South Africa. Their conversations are less like formal interviews and more like the stories swapped at the end of a long day in the field, rich with the details of a lifelong obsession with birds and natural history. Each episode pulls you into the texture of a place-the sounds, the surprises, the occasional misadventures-that comes from seeking out wild creatures in wild landscapes. You’ll hear about the logistics of navigating a swamp, the thrill of an unexpected sighting, and the quieter reflections on how these journeys shape a perspective. This podcast is for anyone who feels that pull toward the untracked, offering a deeply personal and authentic audio postcard from the world’s most fascinating ecosystems, all through the experienced ears of two people who have made a life out of looking.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 287

Naturally Adventurous
Podcast Episodes
S3E36: A day in the life of Charley & Ken [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:28
Charley & Ken interview each other about their daily lives. These are examples of bonus content sent to supporters on Patreon. If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page at: https://www.patreon.co…
S3E35: Travelling Japanese-style with Mikiko Hashiba [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:53
Charley interviews Mikiko Hashiba, a Japanese nature tour leader, about her 25-year career and how the Japanese travel. If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page at: https://www.patreon.com/natur…
S3E34: Pumas in Chile with Charley & Ken [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:57
Charley tells Ken about his recent adventures in Torres del Paine NP, southern Chile looking for Pumas. If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page at: https://www.patreon.com/naturallyadventurous?…
S3E33: Masked Finfoot & Big Year highlights with Phil Chaon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:01
Charley chats with Phil Chaon about his Masked Finfoot adventure in Bangladesh and other Big Year highlights. If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page at: https://www.patreon.com/naturallyadvent…
S3E32: Charley's Hokkaido Highlights [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:42
Charley recently guided two trips in Japan. Most of the top highlights were on the island of Hokkaido. These are distilled into a scintillating "top 5" that he shares with Ken. If you wish to support this podcast, please…
S3E31: Japan Freeform with Charley & Ken [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:16
Ken recently passed through Japan, and Charley has spent years of his life there. It's a fascinating place, and there is lots to talk about. If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page at: https://…
S3E29: Taste of Sulawesi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:10
Ken and Charley chat about Sulawesi, a big Indonesian island that Ken recently visited on his way to West Papua. It has a fascinating mix of Asian and Australasian components, and loads of endemic wildlife. If you wish t…
S3E28: West Papua [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:14
Charley and Ken chat about Ken's recent trip to West Papua. New Guinea is a wild and rugged place, with some of the world's best birds. It's also fascinating from a cultural perspective. If you want to see the display of…
S3E27: Ken's Argentina trip top 11 birds (5 to 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:12
Ken continues with his top 11 birds from his recent Argentina tour. Today we go from 5 to 1. If you wish to support this podcast, please visit our Patreon page at: https://www.patreon.com/naturallyadventurous?fan_landing…