Real vs. Artificial Christmas Trees — Which Is Better for You and the Environment?
Release Date: 12/06/2025
Encore Episode: Spring Weeds, Pests, and Planet-Friendly Solutions
The Backyard Naturalists
This week on The Backyard Naturalists, we’re bringing back a timely favorite from last spring as an encore presentation packed with practical, eco-friendly garden advice. Debbie and Laurie revisit smart, natural solutions for some of the season’s most common backyard headaches, including weeds, garden pests, and unwanted plant invaders. From weed control methods like solarization and hand-pulling to chemical-free pest strategies using neem oil, diatomaceous earth, and even beer traps, this episode is full of easy, earth-friendly ideas for a healthier yard and garden. You’ll also hear...
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What’s It Called? Animal Homes from Nests to Dens
The Backyard Naturalists
What do you call the place an animal lives? In this episode of The Backyard Naturalists, Debbie and Laurie dive into the surprisingly fascinating world of animal homes. From bird nests and squirrel dreys to eagle aeries, bobcat dens, bird rookeries, and bee hives, they explore the wide variety of places wildlife builds, borrows, and calls home. Along the way, they share fun facts about everything from turtles, termites, and raccoons to alligators, snakes, wolves, and even octopuses. As always, the conversation is lively, curious, and full of the kind of nature trivia that makes you look at the...
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Use It Up: Project Pan and Mindful Consumption
The Backyard Naturalists
In this episode of The Backyard Naturalists, Debbie and Laurie take a fresh look at Project Pan, a social media trend encouraging people to use up every last bit of the products they already own before buying more. What starts with makeup and toiletries opens into a bigger conversation about mindful consumption, reducing waste, saving money, and making more environmentally responsible choices in everyday life. From cleaning supplies and pantry items to clothing and online shopping habits, this episode explores simple ways to cut back on excess and rethink what we bring into our homes. Along...
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Encore: Spring Yard Cleanup That Helps Birds and Pollinators
The Backyard Naturalists
In this popular encore episode of The Backyard Naturalists, Debbie and Laurie team up with Chris to tackle a timely spring topic: how to clean up your yard in ways that support birds, pollinators, and other backyard wildlife. From scrubbing bird feeders and bird baths to preparing bird houses for nesting season, they share practical, easy-to-follow tips for creating a healthier habitat just as migration and breeding season begin. Along the way, they explain why fresh water, mealworms, suet, and properly placed nesting boxes can make a big difference for the wildlife that depends on your yard....
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Feathers, Flurries, and the Biggest Animals on Earth
The Backyard Naturalists
This week on The Backyard Naturalists, Debbie, Laurie, and Chris talk birds, snow, and some seriously giant wildlife. After sharing observations from the Great Backyard Bird Count and recent winter weather in the Carolinas, the conversation turns to a big topic, literally. From blue whales and African elephants to ostriches, whale sharks, ravens, and giant owls, the team explores some of the largest creatures on Earth with plenty of laughs and wow-worthy facts along the way. It’s a lighthearted, fascinating episode that blends birdwatching, backyard nature, and wildlife trivia...
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How Well Do You Know Nature? (Encore Episode)
The Backyard Naturalists
Think you know your nature facts? Think again! In this encore episode of The Backyard Naturalists, Debbie and Laurie revisit one of their most entertaining and eye-opening shows—a fast-paced true/false nature quiz led by Chris that’s packed with surprising science and plenty of laughs. From the important role squirrels play in reforesting our forests to the age-old question about whether earthworms really can regenerate after being cut in half, this episode separates backyard biology fact from fiction. Along the way, the hosts share personal stories, friendly debates, and...
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Take a Walk on the Wild Side: The Healing Power of Forest Bathing
The Backyard Naturalists
In this encore episode of The Backyard Naturalists, Debbie and Laurie revisit their inspiring conversation with certified forest therapy guide and author Melanie Choukas-Bradley to explore the healing power of forest bathing, also known as shinrin-yoku. Originating in Japan in the 1980s, this mindful practice invites us to slow down, unplug, and fully immerse ourselves in the sights, sounds, scents, and textures of the natural world. Melanie shares the fascinating science behind forest bathing—including research showing it can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, boost immune...
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Beyond the Slither: The Many Ways Snakes Get Around
The Backyard Naturalists
What does it really mean when we say a snake “slithers”? In this fascinating (and often hilarious!) episode of The Backyard Naturalists, Debbie and Laurie welcome back their most frequent guest—snake enthusiast Jay Bell—to explore the science behind snake locomotion. As it turns out, “slithering” barely scratches the surface. From serpentine and concertina movement to the gravity-defying climb of a Reticulated Python and the straight-line glide of a Gaboon Viper, snakes have evolved remarkably efficient ways to move through forests, deserts, trees, and even loose sand. You’ll...
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The Great Backyard Bird Count 2026
The Backyard Naturalists
Every February, bird lovers around the world step outside, look up, and become citizen scientists, and in this episode of The Backyard Naturalists, Debbie and Laurie invite you to join the fun! We’re diving into the latest results from the Great Backyard Bird Count, a worldwide citizen-science event that started in 1998 and has grown into a truly global celebration of birds, data, and discovery. From over 838,000 participants to sightings spanning 8,078 bird species, the 2025 results prove just how powerful everyday nature lovers can be. You’ll hear highlights from...
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Cold Weather in the Backyard: Helping Birds and Wildlife Through Winter
The Backyard Naturalists
Winter weather in the Carolinas doesn’t come around often, but when it does, it gets everyone talking, including the birds. In this episode, Debbie, Laurie, and Chris share firsthand stories from a week of ice, cold, and wildly overhyped forecasts, then turn their attention to what really matters: how winter weather impacts the wildlife right outside your door. From birds flocking to feeders ahead of a storm to the surprising importance of fresh water, even in freezing temperatures, this conversation is packed with practical, backyard-ready insights. You’ll learn what birds are looking for...
info_outlineIn this festive episode of The Backyard Naturalists, Debbie and Laurie dig into a holiday-season debate that comes up year after year: Should you buy a real Christmas tree or an artificial one? The answer may surprise you and it definitely has more to do with nature, sustainability, and even family traditions than you might expect.
Debbie and Laurie compare the environmental impacts, benefits, drawbacks, and unexpected trivia behind both types of trees (including the very unusual product that inspired the original artificial Christmas tree, yes, it’s true!). You’ll learn why artificial trees have a larger carbon footprint, how long you need to keep one to reduce its environmental impact, and why most of them eventually end up in landfills. Then the hosts explore the world of real Christmas trees, from where they’re grown, to how long they take to reach your living room, to the important role they play in local ecosystems and rural economies. With more than 15,000 farms and millions of trees grown annually, real Christmas trees help stabilize soil, protect water, support wildlife, and provide pure, fresh oxygen, plus they’re fully biodegradable.
This episode also touches on the family traditions tied to choosing a tree, how tree farms replant for the future, and why real trees still come out on top in sustainability studies. And stay tuned: Debbie and Laurie will follow up with a companion episode on what to do with your Christmas tree after the holidays, whether real or artificial.