GenX, Church, and Academia (and two pollinators) with Professor Ed J. Blum

GenX, Church, and Academia (and two pollinators) with Professor Ed J. Blum

Author: Christy Hyman, PhD May 21, 2026 Duration: 39:00
What does it mean to grow up saved—and then spend your career studying how race, religion, and power have always been tangled together in the west? Christy sits down with Ed J. Blum, historian of Ideas, to find out. From his evangelical upbringing in suburban New Jersey to his landmark scholarship on W.E.B. Du Bois, Ed traces the through-line between personal faith and intellectual obsession. He and Christy swap stories of religious intensity— her family's fervor (at least on Easter), his Mis...

Christy Hyman is a geographer with a deep affection for birds and the wild spaces just outside our doors. In Random Nature, she sits down with fellow academics, not for stiff lectures, but for genuine conversations that explore the surprising and personal relationships we have with the natural world. You’ll hear how a sociologist might find order in a tangled forest, or how a historian sees the landscape as a living archive. These discussions get at the heart of how people who think for a living actually *experience* nature-whether they seek it out daily on long walks or observe it more quietly from a kitchen window garden. This podcast lives in the intersection of science, culture, and everyday life, revealing that our connection to the environment is rarely straightforward. It’s often messy, overlooked, and wonderfully random. Each episode is an invitation to reconsider your own surroundings, to notice the details in your own home, garden, or local park through a slightly different lens. Tune in for thoughtful, meandering talks that bridge the gap between scholarly insight and simple, personal appreciation.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 50

Random Nature
Podcast Episodes
Destination Birding. Backyard Birding, Black Birders Week [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:23
In this episode of Random Nature we explore the captivating worlds of destination birding and backyard birding. I shout out several other cool podcasts: Lifelist Hannah and Erik go Birding Bird Banter Science of Birds Bi…
That time the birds helped me find my car [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:38
In this episode, we dive into a strange journey. One where birds help humans find their cars in a city packed with parking decks.
My Book Comes out in October 2025 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 12:24
In this episode I discuss updates about birds and travel as well as provide details on my upcoming book, The Cultural Heritage Resilience of the Great Dismal Swamp: Exploring the Cultural Heritage Resilience of the Great…
My Heaven Child's Birthday. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:57
On a Heaven child’s birthday, we know that the object is to celebrate that they were born. This is a very coherent form of commemoration. I love my son as much as the day I birthed him, as much as they day of funeral, an…
Fred Beaudry, PhD [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:17
Today we explore the fascinating world of ecology and conservation! We have a special guest who has dedicated their life to studying bird ecology. With a wealth of knowledge about avian habitats, behaviors, and conservat…
Jim Anderson, PhD [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:22
This episode introduces us to my friend and collaborator Jim Anderson, PhD. Anderson recounts his experiences growing up on a dairy farm in rural Wisconsin, emphasizing activities like cow-milking, fishing, hunting, and…
Cape May actually sucked [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 13:54
How to bird on the conservative Jersey Shore without losing your mind.
Oscar de la Torre, PhD [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:36
In today's episode, we talk to historian of the African Diaspora, Oscar de la Torre! Our conversation spans the globe!
Random Nature is BACK! Updates! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:23
In this episode, I give you updates on what I have been up to and provide a few random nature moments I experienced, with bonus tidbits on a few of my friends' most random nature moments.