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NC State ecologist on the science behind humans' interdependence with nature. Plus, a NC mystery – 'Devil's Tramping Ground.'

 The Call of the Honeyguide: What Science Tells Us about How to Live Well with the Rest of Life book cover; Rob Dunn author photo
author photo by Amanda Ward
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NC State ecology professor’s new book The Call of the Honeyguide: What Science Tells Us about How to Live Well with the Rest of Life

When you look out your window, what do you see? Perhaps birds, a tree or bushes — maybe some insects if you look really closely.

photo of Rob Dunn in WUNC studio
Erin Keever
/
WUNC

North Carolina State University ecology professor Rob Dunn sees all that and so much more, exploring the connections and interactions between humans and the rest of nature in his new book called The Call of the Honeyguide.

Dunn talks with Due South’s Leoneda Inge about why trees are helpful "jerks" and what the paintings of Georges Seurat show us about the natural world.

Rob Dunn, professor in the Department of Applied Ecology and senior vice provost at North Carolina State University, and author of The Call of the Honeyguide: What Science Tells Us about How to Live Well with the Rest of Life


The Devil's Tramping Ground in Chatham County, North Carolina.
The Devil's Tramping Ground in Chatham County, North Carolina.
0:33:00

The Broadside: 'Where the Devil’s in the dirt'

There's something eerie in a North Carolina forest – an empty, desolate circle where absolutely nothing grows. It’s known as the Devil’s Tramping Ground, where legend has it the Devil himself walks around the circle plotting his evil deeds against the world. The spot has attracted brave campers, paranormal investigators, and curious people passing through for centuries.

So, what’s really going on here? WUNC’s podcast The Broadside investigates.

Cliff Bumgardner, producer and director with PBS North Carolina

Brad Thompson, regional agronomist for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services

Related:

Leoneda Inge is the co-host of WUNC's "Due South." Leoneda has been a radio journalist for more than 30 years, spending most of her career at WUNC as the Race and Southern Culture reporter. Leoneda’s work includes stories of race, slavery, memory and monuments. She has won "Gracie" awards, an Alfred I. duPont Award and several awards from the Radio, Television, Digital News Association (RTDNA). In 2017, Leoneda was named "Journalist of Distinction" by the National Association of Black Journalists.
Anisa Khalifa is an award-winning podcast producer and host at WUNC. She grew up in a public radio household, and fell in love with podcasts shortly before her friends convinced her to start one with them about Korean dramas. Since joining WUNC in 2021, Anisa has produced Me and My Muslim Friends, CREEP, Tested and Dating While Gray, and is the host of WUNC's weekly podcast The Broadside.
Charlie Shelton-Ormond is a podcast producer for WUNC.
Rachel McCarthy is a producer for "Due South." She previously worked at WUNC as a producer for "The Story with Dick Gordon." More recently, Rachel was podcast managing editor at Capitol Broadcasting Company where she developed narrative series and edited a daily podcast. She also worked at "The Double Shift" podcast as supervising producer. Rachel learned about audio storytelling at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies. Prior to working in audio journalism, she was a research assistant at the Aspen Institute in Washington, DC.