From the Tybee Island Marine Science Center’s Shipwatch loft, Jessica Leigh Lebos sits down with Ted Dennard, founder of Savannah Bee Company (2002) and longtime beekeeper, about honey and the broader world of pollinators.

Dennard explains that honeybees are only one of 20,000+ bee species, names several native types, and describes how native and managed bees can share resources when habitat and flowers are abundant. He discusses Savannah Bee’s new “Beetopia” site at a former soap factory with thousands of native plants, bee tours, and a Matt Willey mural highlighting pollinators.

Dennard covers hive dynamics, seasonal population changes, threats like mites, viruses, and pesticide spraying, and education efforts through The Bee Cause Project (started 2013) serving nearly 3,000 schools. He explains honey’s nectar origins, flower fidelity, varietals like tupelo, and how planting natives, providing water, and reducing pesticides can help bees.

Learn more about the voices and topics in this episode:

What's happening at Tybee Island Marine Science Center

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Become a MEMBER

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Partnership and Donation Opportunities

Proudly produced by Dee Daniels Media Podcast Network

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Sweetest Show Intro

01:38 Pollinators Beyond Honeybees

02:14 Native Bees of the Southeast

02:59 Tybee Plants and Resources

04:20 Beetopia Warehouse Garden

06:13 Beekeeping Science and Art

07:21 Hive Life and Swarming

09:03 Threats to Bees Today

11:10 BeeCause Project in Schools

14:21 Savannah Bee Origin Story

16:15 Honey Terroir and Nectar

17:17 Honey Flavor Sources

17:47 Curating Rare Honeys

18:57 Wild Ecosystems Benefits

20:25 Mind Blowing Bee Math

23:37 How To Help Bees

25:04 Stings And Bee Products

27:06 Bee Society Lessons

28:16 Beyond Honeybees

29:38 Marine Science Center Outro

Recorded in the Ship Watch Loft from the Tybee Island Marine Science Center, host Jessica welcomes back Jacilyn Ledford of Tybee Tour Company for a Halloween-themed episode blending local history with island ghost lore.

They discuss the Tybee Lazaretto quarantine station, used in connection with over 10,000 enslaved West Africans, and reports of shadowy apparitions near the docks. Ledford shares a lighthouse tale about former head keeper George Jackson supposedly pacing between the lighthouse and his home while guarding his teenage daughters from Fort Screven soldiers.

They explore mysteries surrounding the fenced Tybee Memorial Cemetery at Memorial Park, where sonar indicated 20–30 bodies despite few markers and uncertain records after its closure in 1922. Stories continue south with “Sin Bad the Sailor” allegedly cremated into Tybrisa Street and accounts of blue lights and “dune people” emerging from the water near 17th–19th Streets.

Learn more about the voices and topics in this episode:

What's happening at Tybee Island Marine Science Center

Resources:

Become a MEMBER

Volunteer at Tybee Island Marine Science Center

Partnership and Donation Opportunities

Proudly produced by Dee Daniels Media Podcast Network

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Spooky Season Intro

01:24 Lazaretto Dock Hauntings

03:24 Mother Ocean Solace

04:51 Lighthouse Keeper Legend

07:21 Memorial Cemetery Mysteries

13:14 Sin Bad in Tybrisa

14:51 Blue Light Dune People

16:34 Halloween Wrap Up

17:17 Science Center Outro

The Tybee Island Marine Science Center podcast welcomes senior curators Sarah Alley and Rachel Cantrell to discuss fall weather, daily animal husbandry, and preparations for the release of their three-year-old loggerhead sea turtle Ossie.

They explain the multi-week process of ordering, programming, testing, and attaching a satellite tag, and recall last year’s tagged turtle Westie, whose tracker pinged for nearly a year and fueled community updates. The hosts also cover ongoing tank cleaning and resets, new support from partner trawls for collecting animals, and the addition of a downstairs generator that reduces storm-related animal moves.

They share updates on moonfish added to Ossie’s tank, a strong Tybee-found hatchling discovered during a nest excavation, and Rachel’s upcoming move to San Diego for active-duty Coast Guard search-and-rescue command center orders.

Learn more about the voices and topics in this episode:

What's happening at Tybee Island Marine Science Center

Resources:

Become a MEMBER

Volunteer at Tybee Island Marine Science Center

Partnership and Donation Opportunities

Proudly produced by Dee Daniels Media Podcast Network

FIND A FAVORITE SPOT IN THIS EPISODE:

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:41 Meet The Curators

01:44 Ossie Release Prep

02:48 Tagging Day Details

03:21 Westie Release Story

05:26 Tracking Data Hopes

08:02 More Turtles Ahead

08:40 Daily Husbandry Work

09:42 Moonfish Snack Drama

11:32 New Generator Upgrade

12:14 Goober And Tank Plans

13:02 Tybee Hatchling Found

14:16 Nest Excavations Reality

15:05 Straggler Survival Checks

15:36 Foster Turtle Milestones

16:04 Nest 50 Tiny Turtle

16:46 Naming the Newbie

16:54 Rachel Heads to San Diego

18:05 Coast Guard SAR Life

18:25 Helicopter Over Tybee

19:58 California Turtle Surprise

21:16 Finding Wildlife Work

22:59 Favorite Turtle Memories

23:55 Friendship and Teamwork

25:10 Beach Educator Throwbacks

26:27 Goodbyes and Next Steps

26:54 Support the Science Center