Things Keep Breaking!!! Part 2! plus COSTA RICA

Things Keep Breaking!!! Part 2! plus COSTA RICA

Author: Christy Hyman, PhD July 18, 2025 Duration: 14:25

Welcome back to another episode of the Random Nature Podcast! In this bonus episode titled "Things Keep Breaking, Part Two," host Christy Hyman shares a humorous and relatable tale from her adventures in bird photography. After enjoying some successful shots of various birds at Myers Point in Lansing, New York, Christy faces a frustrating technical challenge when her camera malfunctions while capturing backyard visitors. 

Determined to troubleshoot, she tries multiple SD cards, updates the firmware, and examines the camera for debris, but to no avail. As summer fades and the new school year approaches, Christy reflects on the challenges of fitting in her passion for birding amidst a busy schedule, all while living in a remote area with limited access to camera repair shops. 

Join Christy as she wades through the trials and tribulations of bird photography, sharing both her insights and her dismay, as well as tips for staying resilient when things don’t go as planned. Tune in to find out how she navigates this setback in her birding journey and what her next steps might be!


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: English Episodes: 40

Random Nature
Podcast Episodes
Dr. Randal Jelks [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:49
I talk with Dr. Randal Jelks, PhD and he gives us a glimpse of many travels he has had from Louisiana to the Dakotas and beyond.Letters to Martin, Dr. Jelks latest book! Get it here:https://www.chicagoreviewpress.com/let…
Ed Baptist, PhD [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:57
I talk to Ed Baptist, PhD. We speak on Durham, NC, small scale farming, and hawks! I also discuss some challenges with grief. To that end consider this a content warning on profound sadness.
Madeleine Fritz Hooper, PhD [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:19
Madeleine gives us a glimpse of her interactions with Nature through recalling her time as a child loving horses, taking adventures as a college student, and reflecting on the gifts of her father from that she treasures.…
Ignacio Carvajal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:48
Costa Rica, Kansas, RACCOONS!
Minisode: Prelude to the Next! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 9:37
In this minisode I introduce the upcoming podcast guest, José Ignacio Carvajal Regidor, PhD. I also share two Random Nature moments of my very own!
Random Nature Launch Party! [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 26:16
Christy gathers:Elizabeth Sobel, PhdDorothy Kim, PhDJohn Handel, PhDKarin Dalziel, M.A., and artistRaquel Bryant, PhdMary Shelly, attorney and law librarianSteven Nelson, attorneyHannieh Molana, PhDLearotha Williams,, Ph…
Ravynn Stringfield [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:30
Episode 2 debuts today and we are in the studio with writer, artist, and university professor, Ravynn Stringfield! Get into it. Learn about her time growing up in Wakefield, VA spending time with family, becoming a commu…
Noreen Masud [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:27
Random Nature checks in with writer and university professor Noreen Masud who shares how the outdoors and wildlife inform her day to day. From the city of Lahore and the pines of northern Pakistan to the moors of Newcast…