Photo: Thinkstock

Podcasts for aspiring explorers

When a remote bird sanctuary or the Masai Mara is calling your name, plug into the Nature Conservancy's Nature Stories. The cast of characters ranges from baby elephants to ancient cave people to the "bilingual sparrow" (Nature.org/podcasts).

If your wanderlust reaches to the outer limits of the mind and universe, try The Guardian's Science Weekly (Guardian.co.uk/audio), which delves into everything from the latest climate change news to the evolutionary roots of music-making.

For a suspenseful oceanic voyage, listen to writer Deborah Scaling Kiley's masterful "Lost at Sea," about a shipwrecked sailor's narrow escape from a watery grave—just one of the gripping yarns available from storytelling collective The Moth (TheMoth.org).

Next: Need some new tunes? We have 3 albums for you to check out