Today’s guest, Rachel Garard, brings a rare combination of personal experience, professional expertise, and scientific training to the table. Rachel had a sighting 24 years ago—an encounter that left a lasting impression and quietly shaped her curiosity for decades. For the past four years, she’s been privately researching the Bigfoot phenomenon, and over the last two years, she’s taken that research into the field, applying a disciplined, evidence-based approach.

Professionally, Rachel has worked as an Industrial Hygienist for over 20 years. She is a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Certified Safety Professional (CSP), and a Registered Professional in SDS and label authoring. Her extensive experience includes disaster response and environmental assessments across more than 30 U.S. states, including critical work following Hurricane Katrina and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Her academic background includes degrees in Geology, Biology with an emphasis in Genetics, and Microbiology—giving her a solid foundation in the biological and environmental sciences.

Rachel brings a grounded, scientific perspective to the Bigfoot conversation—one shaped by real-world experience, rigorous methodology, and a sincere curiosity about the unknown. We’re excited to have her on the show today.

Welcome to another episode of Bigfoot Forensics, where science meets the strange. Today, we're joined by someone whose life work spans rainforests, reptiles, and rare moments captured through the lens—Dan Nedrelo.

Dan is a nationally recognized environmental educator, wildlife photographer, and herpetologist with over four decades of experience in the field. His photography has been featured in more than 200 books and magazines, and his work has taken him across the globe—from the forests of Costa Rica to the rugged outback of Tasmania and the remote river systems of Wisconsin. He’s led field expeditions, taught countless students and educators, and worked as a contract biologist and keynote speaker for organizations including the Wisconsin Science Teachers Association.

Whether he’s photographing the wild or coordinating with global magazines on natural history features, Dan’s passion lies in connecting people to the natural world. His deep background in herpetology and conservation, combined with his artistic eye, gives him a unique perspective on the creatures many overlook—and the ones that just might be out there, waiting to be discovered.

https://youtu.be/W15kVpYgrHI?si=iAuYraZOotHf1wqh

Eyeshine is a visible effect caused by the tapetum lucidum, a reflective layer of tissue located behind the retina in the eyes of many animals. This layer acts as a retroreflector, bouncing light that passes through the retina back into the eye, thereby enhancing the animal's ability to see in low-light conditions. This adaptation is particularly beneficial for nocturnal and crepuscular animals, which are active during the night or at dawn and dusk.

There are included charts within the video. You will find that there aren't that many online. There is a reason. Watch to find out why.