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
S3E6: Jerry Connolly Interview - Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:30
This week Charley & Ken chat with their good friend Jerry Connolly. Jerry is a one-of-a-kind character, with a unique life story. He completely transformed his life, from being a professional musician with a well-known b…
S3E5: African Safari [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:23
This week Charley & Ken chat about the Safari industry. Sulphur-breasted Bushshrike recording courtesy of Frank Lambert, XC518607. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/518607. License Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerci…
S3E4: Family life of a guide [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:58
This week Charley & Ken chat about the family life of an international bird guide Black-faced Waxbill recording courtesy of Niall Perrins, XC314017. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/314017. License Creative Commons Attri…
S3E3: Disasters on tours [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:24
This week Charley & Ken chat about disasters they have experienced on tours. Cape Clapper Lark recording courtesy of Frank Lambert, XC521343. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/521343. License Creative Commons Attribution-…
S3E2: North American Bird Migration [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:18
In the second episode of Season 3, Ken & Charley chat about migration, specifically North American bird migration. It's a whole different kind of birding than looking for resident birds in a rainforest, and adds potentia…
S3E1: Driving [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:57
In the first episode of Season 3, Ken & Charley share a few driving stories. Hadada Ibis recording courtesy of Lynette Rudman, XC539146. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/539146. License Creative Commons Attribution-NonCo…
S2E50: Borneo birds - Ken's top 5 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:37
In the final episode of Season 2, Ken tells Charley his top 5 bird encounters from his recent Borneo trip Rail-Babbler recording courtesy of Greg Irving, XC423567. Accessible at www.xeno-canto.org/423567. License Creativ…
S2E49: Malaysia - Crossroads of Sundaland [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:32
Ken chats with Charley about his recent time in Malaysia, a southeast Asian country that Charley also knows well. It's a fascinating and complicated part of the world with excellent food, friendly people, and mega-divers…
S2E48: European Habitats - Dale Forbes's Top 5 & Bottom 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:45
Charley & Ken continue the 6-part mini-series on Habitats of the world. In this episode, Dale Forbes tells Ken & Charley about his favourite 5 (and least favorite 1) habitats from the Palearctic region. Information about…
S2E47: Australasian Habitats - Iain Campbell's Top 5 & Bottom 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:51
Charley & Ken continue the 6-part mini-series on Habitats of the world. Today, Iain Campbell tells Ken & Charley about his favourite 5 (and least favorite 1) habitats from the Australasian region. For more information on…