Thank you for listening to the Audible Café podcast!

Today I am very happy to share my interview with freelance naturalist, photographer, and intrepid Bug Tracker, Charley Eiseman. Charley stalks all manner of critters alone or with his wife, Julia, in the woods and fields of his native Massachusetts and across the US. Since 2011, he has focused his attention and his camera extensively on leafminers and galls — of which there are an astounding number — documenting with great care and precision all the stages of their lives. In fact, he has co-written a book on the  subject (see below).

Insects live quite fascinating lives, whether in the air or under cover of the leaves and stems all around us. I had the great pleasure of not only an interview with Charley about his work, but a tour of his wonderfully rewilded (and pleasantly buggy) acre on a quiet country road in northern Massachusetts.

Charley conducts plant and wildlife surveys for various nonprofits, state agencies, and universities throughout his native Massachusetts and in neighboring states. He holds an MS from the University of Vermont's Field Naturalist Program and a BS in wildlife and fisheries conservation and management from the University of Massachusetts. Despite his current focus on insects, he assures us that he is an extreme generalist with a passion for learning about all living things and their interconnections.

Thank you, Charley, for being so generous with your time and with your wonderful yard, so full of life and food for wildlife and humans alike!

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Thanks again, and have a great week!

SHOW RESOURCES

Charley Eiseman’s Website — http://charleyeiseman.com/

Charley’s Blog, BugTracks

Tracks & Sign of Insects and Other Invertebrates: A Guide to North American Species by Noah Charney; Charley Eiseman

BUY THE BOOK HERE

UPCOMING EVENTS with Charley:

• October 8th — slideshow/talk for the Cambridge Entomological Club in Cambridge entitled “Life in a Leaf: The Wonderful World of Leafminers.” 
• October 9th — “Native Plants as Insect Habitat” a slideshow/talk for Athol Bird & Nature Club, Athol, Mass

Eagle Hill Institute in Steuben, Maine — where Charley does week-long seminars.

Bug Guide website — Charley Eiseman’s images and pages

iNaturalist website