Leah and Samantha visit with Paula Trater, a biological technician for the Utah Reclamation, Mitigation, and Conservation Commission. They discuss various aspects of the Provo River and focus on the new Provo River Delta project. Leah and Samantha were camp counselors in the summer of 2025 and spent a lot of time on the delta, teaching kids about the June sucker and how the delta is key to helping recover this species.

This episode was published on December 2, 2025

In this episode of the Y Life Science podcast, graduate student Taylor Probst and Dr. Alison Whiting, curator of herpetology, discuss the genus Prasinohaema. Their research on this group of skinks is particularly compelling, as these animals possess green blood. Tune in to learn more about their work and the efforts underway to better understand this unique phenomenon.

This episode was recorded on November 25, 2025.

In this episode of Y Life Science, we talk with Dr. Leigh Johnson, curator of the Bean Life Science Museum herbarium, about how plant species are named and classified. Using the genus Navarretia as a case study, Dr. Johnson explains how herbaria support research on plant diversity, species boundaries, and evolution.

This episode was recorded on November 14, 2025

Dr. Sam St. Clair and graduate student, Ryan Pienaar discuss their ecological research, specifically looking at fires in both desert and forest ecosystems. They talk about how their studies have identified factors in both systems.

This episode was recorded on April 18, 2025

Sylvia and Leah team up with Dr. Jani Radebaugh and Emma Gosselin to uncover how Earth’s sand dunes—specifically those in Alaska—help scientists decode landscapes on other planets. A quick dive into the surprising ways our world mirrors worlds far beyond.

This episode was recorded on April 18, 2025

Dr. Matthew Madsen and Janetta Teichert talk with Sylvia and Leah about range management and their research with the native shrub, Winterfat.

This episode was recorded on April 15, 2025

Bean Museum student hosts, Sylvia and Leah sit down with Dr. Blaine Griffen and students, Bailey Marlow (grad student) and David Neu (undergrad) to discuss their research with native and invasive crab species. They also discuss the human impact we have on our oceans and our stewardship responsibilities.

This episode was recorded on April 9, 2025.

In this episode, Sylvia and Katy visit with Dr. John Sproul and student researcher, Rachel Christensen. John and Rachel share their research with ground beetles and how they find them and sequence their genomes. Discussion topics range from Darwin jokes to museum collections and fly fishing. Mentioned in this episode is a book called, "The Feathered Thief" by Kirk Wallace Johnson.

This episode was recorded on November 25, 2024.