Question Park: What Climate Change Means for Our Natural Spaces

When communities get involved with research, the possibilities are endless! This week Will and Rebecca talk to Chris Blume, a wildlife biologist who studies bats - well, specifically bat poop. Working with community partners in Baltimore and beyond, Chris studies the distribution of pollutants like heavy metals throughout neighborhoods. And he also gets the chance to introduce residents to the nature thriving all around them!

Are humans part of nature? Is nature in cities? You better believe it! This week Rebecca and Will talk with Aleigh Hunt, a city kid turned urban ecologist. In this episode we talk with Aleigh about the importance of establishing human connection to nature in our communities, equitable access to green space, and the potential for wildlife to flourish in urban centers. 

Do emotions belong in climate change communications? That's an emphatic YES from Will and Rebecca and our guest this week. Rishya Narayanan is an expert climate communicator and platform builder. She is also a co-founded of Professionals of Color in the Environment (POCIE), a group dedicated to connecting BIPOC environmental professionals in Massachusetts. Join Will, Rebecca, and Rishya as we talk about telling climate change stories, creating transformative spaces, and hear a cameo from Rishya's adopted parrots!

Kids are courageously curious, and the best education harnesses that curiosity. This week we're back at camp with Devin Genovese from Truckee Meadows Park Foundation. Will and Rebecca talk with Devin about learning through play in outdoor education, how to spark joy with bottle rockets, and how climate change is shaping their programming. Plus, hear Rebecca say the word "crick" like an old-timey person.

What does an urban farm have to do with climate change? How can seed-saving build resilience? And why am I craving carrots? This week Will and Rebecca talk to Marlene Hild of Urban Roots in Reno, Nevada. As a farm educator (and experienced gardener), Marlene knows first-hand how teaching kids about gardening and farming can lead us to a sustainable future. Plus, Will once again defends New Jersey and Reno from the ire of rest of America.

Digging in the dirt, splashing in ponds: outdoor experiences help build life-long love for nature and our non-human neighbors. But how can educators navigate bringing kids outside in a changing climate? And how is climate change affecting how we teach young people? This week Will and Rebecca talk to Lora Allison, nature educator and nature camp director about just those questions!

Welcome back to Season 3 of Everything’s Changing! Rebecca is joined this season by Will Kaselow: naturalist, scientist, and New Jersey stan. For our first episode together, we talked to Chantal Bilodeau, playwright and artistic director of the Arts & Climate Initiative. Join us as we explore the role of theater in climate action, have our minds blown by the “solar punk” movement, and kick off the latest season of EC!

It's the end of Season 2! Juliet and Rebecca take some time to reflect on our conversations over the past nine episodes. From sitting with climate grief to planting milkweed, our guests let us explore climate and environmental topics in new ways. Plus, Rebecca tries out a new way to say "hello" (spoiler alert: it doesn't work).

If you think you’re seeing more extreme weather events on the news more often in recent years, you’re right: weather-related disasters have increased in the last 50 years. Dr. Allison Wing, professor in the department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science at Florida State University, is one expert that’s looking to help humans stay ahead of these disasters as much as possible. In this episode, Dr. Wing chats with Juliet and Rebecca about her research into tropical cyclones (aka hurricanes), what more extreme weather means for us, and how meteorologists like her are working alongside technology to help us stay informed about coming disasters.

Just in time for National Monarch Butterfly Day, Rebecca and Juliet are chatting with Dr. Rebecca Snyder, curator of conservation and sciences at the Oklahoma City Zoo. Dr. Snyder helped found the Oklahoma Monarch and Pollinator Collaborative, also known as Okies for Monarchs, which involves 50 organizations around the state, in increasing habitat for monarchs and other pollinators. Check out this week’s episode to learn more about these majestic creatures, what we can do to revitalize populations and the wonderful world of zoo conservation efforts!