Bad at Goodbyes

Hi! Snow and ice this weekend in New York kept me from the studio and from recording this week's episode. We'll be back next week, Feb 4, to learn about the Arabian Leopard (Panthera pardus nimr). Till then, let's take care of each other and all of our kin.

Madagascar Banana :: Ensete perrieri
Bad at Goodbyes :: Episode 064
On today’s show we learn about the Madagascar Banana, a critically endangered flowering plant native to the island nation of Madagascar roughly 250 miles off the southeastern coast of the African mainland.
(00:05) Intro
(02:05) Species Information
(21:33) Citations
(22:58) Music
(29:37) Pledge

Research for today’s show was compiled from:
Allen, R. 2018. Ensete perrieri. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2018: e.T98249345A98249347. – https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-1.RLTS.T98249345A98249347.en
Allen, Richard; Clarkson, James J; Ralimanana, Hélène (6 July 2018). "The critically endangered Madagascar Banana". Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. - https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/madagascan-banana
Borrell, James S et al. “Enset in Ethiopia: a poorly characterized but resilient starch staple.” Annals of Botany v.123, no.5 (2019): 747-766. - https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcy214
Grubb, Peter J. “Interpreting some outstanding features of the flora and vegetation of Madagascar.” Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics v.6 no.1-2. p 125-146. 2003. – https://doi.org/10.1078/1433-8319-00046
Humbert, H., and Jean-François Leroy. 1936. Flore de Madagascar et Des Comores : Plantes Vasculaires. Tananarive: Imprimerie officielle. – https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/8099122
IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Andrefana Dry Forests - 2025 Conservation Outlook Assessment. IUCN World Heritage Outlook. October 11, 2025. – https://worldheritageoutlook.iucn.org/explore-sites/andrefana-dry-forests
Musée colonial de Marseille. 1907. Annales du Muśee colonial de Marseille. Vol. ser. 2 v. 7. Marseille: Faculté des sciences de Marseille, Musée colonial. – https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/45311062
UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre. World Heritage Datasheet: Tsingy De Bemaraha Strict Nature Reserve. -

Spoon-billed Sandpiper :: Calidris pygmaea
Bad at Goodbyes :: Episode 063
On today’s show we learn about the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, a critically endangered migratory avian, a bird native to breeding ground in far northeastern Russia in the Chukotka autonomous district, that migrates to summer in Southeast Asia, in Bangladesh, Thailand, Myanmar and China.
(00:05) Intro
(02:05) Species Information
(25:24) Citations
(27:20) Music
(35:19) Pledge

For more information about Spoon-billed Sandpiper conservation see the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at https://wwt.org.uk/.
Research for today’s show was compiled from:
Animal Diversity Web at the University of Michigan. Labuda, C. 2023. "Eurynorhynchus pygmeus". https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Eurynorhynchus_pygmeus/
Bird Conservation International v.20, no. 2 (2010): 95–111. Zöckler, Christoph, Evgeny E. Syroechkovskiy, And Philip W. Atkinson. “Rapid and Continued Population Decline in the Spoon-Billed Sandpiper Eurynorhynchus Pygmeus Indicates Imminent Extinction Unless Conservation Action Is Taken.” – https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270910000316
Bird Conservation International v.26, no. 4 (2016): 476–89. Zöckler, Christoph, Alison E. Beresford, Gillian Bunting, Sayam U. Chowdhury, Nigel A. Clark, Vivian Wing Kan Fu, Tony Htin Hla, et al. “The Winter Distribution of the Spoon-Billed Sandpiper Calidris Pygmaeus.” – https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270915000295
Bird Conservation International v.28, no. 2 (2018): 251–62. Chowdhury, Sayam U., Mohammad Foysal, M Abdullah Abu Diyan, And Sakib Ahmed. “Discovery of an Important Wintering Site of the Critically Endangered Spoon-Billed Sandpiper Calidris Pygmaea in the Meghna Estuary, Bangladesh.” – https://doi.org/10.1017/S0959270917000247
Birds of the World. Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA. van Gils, J., P. Wiersma, C. J. Sharpe, and G. M. Kirwan (2020). Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Calidris pygmaea), version 1.0. In Birds of the World (J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, J. Sargatal, D. A. Christie, and E. de Juana, Editors). – https://doi.org/10.2173/bow.spbsan1.01
Diversity v. 15, no. 4: 584. Loktionov, Egor Y., Roland A. Digby, Nickolay N. Yakushev, Ivan A. Shepelev, Jodie P. Clements, Pavel S. Tomkovich, Nigel S. Jarrett, Nigel A. Clark, Rhys E. Green, Elena G. Lappo, and et al. 2023. "Evaluating the...

We're on a short holiday break. New episodes return in January 2026. Thanks for listening!

Mulanje Cedar :: Widdringtonia whytei
Bad at Goodbyes :: Episode 062
On today’s show we learn about the Mulanje Cedar, a critically endangered conifer tree native to the African nation of Malawi, specifically to Mount Mulanje in the southeast.
(00:05) Intro
(02:05) Species Information
(23:53) Citations
(25:52) Music
(32:02) Pledge

For more information about Mount Mulanje conservation, please see the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust at https://mountmulanje.org.mw

Research for today’s show was compiled from:
Bayliss, Julian, Steve Makungwa, Joy Hecht, David Nangoma, and Carl Bruessow. “Saving the Island in the Sky: The Plight of the Mount Mulanje Cedar Widdringtonia Whytei in Malawi.” Oryx 41, no. 1 (2007): 64–69. – https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605307001548
Burger, Niel. “Disturbance ecology and size-class structure of the Mulanje cedar of Malawi, Widdringtonia whytei, and associated broadleaved forest.” Botany honours project 2010. University of Cape Town. – http://hdl.handle.net/11427/24397
Chanyenga, Tembo F., Coert J. Geldenhuys, and Gudeta W. Sileshi. “Effect of Population Size, Tree Diameter and Crown Position on Viable Seed Output per Cone of the Tropical Conifer Widdringtonia Whytei in Malawi.” Journal of Tropical Ecology 27, no. 5 (2011): 515–20. – https://doi.org/10.1017/S0266467411000204
Chanyenga, T., Shaw, K. & Mitole, I. 2019. “Widdringtonia whytei.” The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2019: e.T33216A126090798. – https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T33216A126090798.en
CNN. “Saving Malawi’s Mulanje Cedar.” October 2025. Inside Africa S21 E21. – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTNGckdP7kk
Earle, Christopher J., ed. "Widdringtonia whytei." The Gymnosperm Database. February 10, 2025. – https://conifers.org/cu/Widdringtonia_whytei.php.
Farjon, A. 2019. “Widdringtonia whytei.” Threatened Conifers of The World – https://threatenedconifers.rbge.org.uk/conifers/widdringtonia-whytei
Frank, Fred & Mwabumba, Lusayo & Mhango, Jarret & Missanjo, Edward & Kadzuwa, Henry & Likoswe, Michael. (2023). “Genetic and Phenotypic Parameters for Growth Traits of Widdringtonia whytei-Rendle Translocation Provenance Trials in Malawi.” Journal of Global Ecology and Environment. Volume 17, Issue 4. 32-48. – https://doi.org/10.56557/jogee/2023/v17i48222
Martin, Emma, and Burgess, Neil. "Mulanje Montane Forest-Grassland." One Earth. September 23, 2020. – https://www.oneearth.org/ecoregions/mulanje-montane-forest-grassland
Mitrani, Leila. 2017. “Reproduction and establishment of two endangered African cedars, Widdringtonia cedarbergensis and...