We Are Nature: Recent Episodes
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Stories about natural histories and livable futures presented by Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Season One centers climate action, and how humans are working together towards a just and joyous future for all life. Hear interviews from the frontlines of climate change mitigation, adaptation, and justice with people who grow our food, protect our greenspaces, and fight polluting industries. Researchers at Carnegie Museum of Natural History and host Michael Pisano connect these community climate action stories to natural history, ecology, and environmental science.
What are plastics and how are they made? How do they get into our waterways? How do novel materials like plastics define the age we live in? What materials might replace them? Featuring Nicole Heller, Curator of Anthropocene Studies at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and Heather Hulton VanTassel, Executive Director of Three Rivers Waterkeeper. Encounter nurdles, small plastic pellets, mentioned in this episode in the exhibition The Stories We Keep: Bringing the World to Pittsburgh.
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What can we learn from lakes about livable futures? How can people in the Anthropocene find optimism and be moved to climate action? Featuring Soren Brothers, the Allan and Helaine Shiff Curator of Climate Change at the Royal Ontario Museum.
Thanks for listening! Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop on the latest news from the museum.
Why is the museum hoarding alcoholic pickle jars? What kinds of research are made possible by the museum’s herpetology collection? How are organisms changing because of climate change, urbanization, and other anthropogenic pressures? Featuring Jennifer Sheridan, Associate Curator of Amphibians and Reptiles at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Encounter frog specimens from Borneo mentioned in this episode in the exhibition The Stories We Keep: Bringing the World to Pittsburgh.
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How does urbanization impact nonhumans? What can we learn from Pittsburgh’s past and present air quality challenges? How do we make space for biodiversity in cities? Featuring Serina Brady, Collection Manager of Birds at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and Jon Rice, Urban Bird Conservation Coordinator at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
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What would a snail scientist do with a blank check? What can we learn from snails and their kin? Why is the ocean getting more acidic, how do we know, and why does that matter? Featuring Tim Pearce, Curator of Mollusks at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
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How do humans support some plants and endanger others? What do herbaria teach about climate change? How can people and plants collaborate towards livable futures? Featuring Mason Heberling, Curator of Botany at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and Bonnie Isaac, Collection Manager of Botany at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
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A second serving of bone banter with two of the museum’s veteran vertebrate virtuosos. How are charisma, colonialism, and extinction linked? What is de-extinction, and will cloning mammoths save the tundra? Featuring Matt Lamanna, Mary R. Dawson Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and John Wible, Curator of Mammals at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
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What dinosaurs and mammals survived the end of the Cretaceous, and why? What can we learn about resilience from survivors of past extinctions? What can we learn about adapting our culture and cities from the story of evolution? Featuring Matt Lamanna, Mary R. Dawson Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and John Wible, Curator of Mammals at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
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What surprising biodiversity lives alongside us here in Pittsburgh? How can we befriend bugs? What could be awesome about having humans as neighbors? Featuring Ainsley Seago, Associate Curator of Invertebrate Zoology at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and Kevin Keegan, Collection Manager of Invertebrate Zoology at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
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What do we know about the early peopling of our continent and our region? What was the landscape and the climate like then? What can we learn from this natural history about interacting with the land and water today, and moving forward as good stewards? Featuring Amy Covell-Murthy, Archaeology Collection Manager and Head of the Section of Anthropology at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and Kristina Gaugler, Anthropology Collection Manager at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
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What is the Anthropocene, and when might it have started? What is the great acceleration? Can we expect, or engineer, a great deceleration? What can we learn from nuclear history about nuclear futures? Featuring Travis Olds, Assistant Curator of Minerals at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and Nicole Heller, Associate Curator of Anthropocene Studies at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Encounter Trinitite glass, mentioned in this episode, in the exhibition The Stories We Keep: Bringing the World to Pittsburgh.
Thanks for listening! Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop on the latest news from the museum.
We Are Nature returns on November 7, 2025! Tune in to delve deep into Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s collection of over 22 million items. Fourteen Carnegie Museum of Natural History experts as well as special guests from Three Rivers Waterkeeper and the Royal Ontario Museum join the podcast to discuss collection items as windows into the science and ethics of the Anthropocene, the time period when human activities began significantly shaping their environment.
Thanks for listening! Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop on the latest news from the museum.
On today’s show, the last episode of Season 1, we look ahead at possible futures. Join us in imagining a planet with space and dignity for all earthlings. Featuring Museum Director Gretchen Baker, Curator Nicole Heller, and Educator Taiji Nelson from Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
Watch the companion We Are Nature video series here.
Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson and Michael Pisano. Editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.
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Bugs make the world go around. Well, bugs and fungi. And bacteria. And algae. And…ok, it’s all important. We humans rely on many tiny neighbors, and now more than ever, their future relies on us. Come along on a visit to Pittsburgh’s Garfield Commnity Farm, and travel back to the Cretaceous to learn about the origins of flowers. Featuring the farm’s Community Engagement Coordinator AJ Monsma, youth farmer Israel, and Israel’s friend Tommy the Bee.
Visit garfieldfarm.com to learn more about Garfield Community Farms.
Watch the companion We Are Nature video series here.
Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson and Michael Pisano. Field Reporting by Di-ay Battad. Editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.
Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
Biodiversity is key to our resilience as the climate changes. Our guest today is Conservation Biologist Charles Bier, Senior Director of Conservation Science the at Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. Charles has nurtured a deep relationship with Pennsylvanian nature since he was a six-year-old walking around with snakes in his pockets, and has spent his career trying to preserve our wonderful woods, wetlands and waterways.
Visit waterlandlife.org to learn more about Western PA Conservancy’s work to protect and restore exceptional places.
Watch the companion We Are Nature video series here, including a short video about freshwater mussels featuring Charles’ colleagues at WPC.
Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson and Michael Pisano. Editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.
Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
Tiffany Taulton is a climate policy expert, community organizer, professor of environmental justice, and one of the authors of Pittsburgh’s Climate Action Plan. She joins the show to talk about how our region is preparing for climate change, how that resilience benefits public health, and how climate action can embrace justice and equity.
Visit hazelwoodinitiative.org to learn more about the Hazelwood Initiative.
Watch the companion We Are Nature video series here.
Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson and Michael Pisano. Field Reporting by Jamen Thurmond and David Kelley. Editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.
Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
How are labor and climate related? Today’s episode is all about supporting workers as the climate changes, and about work that supports climate action. Learn about labor history, a just transition, doughnuts and degrowth. Featuring Landforce’s Executive Director Ilyssa Manspeizer and Site Supervisor Shawn Taylor.
Visit landforcepgh.org to learn more about the great work Landforce is doing to care for people and greenspaces.
Watch the companion We Are Nature video series here.
Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson and Michael Pisano. Field Reporting by Jamen Thurmond and David Kelley. Editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.
Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
By taking care of greenspace, we care for ourselves. Hear about best practices for getting young people involved in land stewardship, and about how fostering a relationship with the outdoors is essential climate action. Featuring Naturalist Educator Nyjah Cephas and two of her students from the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s Young Naturalists program.
Visit pittsburghparks.org to learn more about the Young Naturalists internship, and about Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s work to steward urban greenspace.
Watch the companion We Are Nature video series here.
Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson and Michael Pisano. Field Reporting by Di-ay Battad. Field Recording by Delaney Greenberg. Editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.
Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
Our globalized food system is already feeling the impacts of climate change. Today’s episode shows how decentralizing that food system can help us both be more resilient to extreme weather, and lessen industrial agriculture’s harmful effects. Featuring interviews with urban farmers at Braddock Farms.
Visit growpittsburgh.org to learn more about Braddock Farms and Grow Pittsburgh’s work to teach people how to grow food and promote the benefits gardens bring to our neighborhoods.
Watch the companion We Are Nature video series here.
Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson and Michael Pisano. Field Reporting by Di-ay Battad. Editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.
Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
Some freshwater mussels can live for over 100 years! During that time, they filter water and improve aquatic ecosystems. Today’s episode is about how aquatic life intersects with the human world. We’ll learn about everything from mussel charisma to climate-proofing infrastructure. Featuring an interview with Eric Chapman, Director of Aquatic Science at the Western PA Conservancy.
Visit waterlandlife.org to learn more about Western PA Conservancy’s work to protect and restore exceptional places.
Watch the companion We Are Nature video series–including a short video about freshwater mussels–here.
Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson and Michael Pisano. Field Recording by Mark Mangini. Research and editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.
Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
Dr. Carla Rosenfeld is is the Carnegie Museum’s assistant curator of Earth Sciences in the section of Minerals and Earth Sciences. She also happens to study how pollutants and nutrients behave in the environments like abandoned minelands, of which Pennsylvania has maaany. We chat about interspecies collaboration, soil science, the importance of diversity, and much more.
You can learn more about Dr. Rosenfeld’s research at carlarosenfeld.com. Might we also recommend a visit to the museum’s stellar mineral collection?
Watch the companion We Are Nature video series–including a short video about abandoned mineland remediation–here.
Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson and Michael Pisano. Field Recording by Mark Mangini. Research and editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.
Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
There are less than 5,000 coal jobs left in the state of Pennsylvania, and that number is shrinking. That’s good news for the climate, but what’s next for the commonwealth’s coal communities? Join organizers from the Mountain Watershed Association for insight on building community, protecting public health, and creating new opportunities. Plus, the natural history of coal, water quality watchdogging, and much, much more!
Learn more and watch the companion We Are Nature video series–including a short doc about Mountain Watershed–here.
Visit mtwatershed.com or facebook.com/mountainwatershed to get involved with Mountain Watershed Association’s work and to learn about protecting waterways near you.
Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson and Michael Pisano. Field Recording by Mark Mangini. Research and editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.
Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
Monoculture is messing up the climate. Befriending biodiversity–especially in the soil– can help! Featuring interviews with Michael Kovach (Regenerative Farmer & President of the PA Farmers Union) and Dr. Bonnie McGill (an Ecosystem Ecologist).
Learn more and watch the companion We Are Nature video series here.
Visit thewalnuthillfarm.com to learn more about the Kovach’s regenerative farm, and pafarmersunion.org to learn more about the PA Farmers Union.
Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson and Michael Pisano. Field Recording by Mark Mangini. Research and editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.
Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
Why should Pittsburghers care about climate change? What’s happening in our backyard, and how does it connect to the big picture? Representative Summer Lee joins us to talk about environmental racism, intersectional climate justice, and much more. Host Michael pops in and out with the natural history (and livable future?) of steel.
Resources for Air Quality and Climate Justice Action around Pittsburgh:
• North Braddock Residents for our Future
• Breathe Project
• GASP
• UNITE
Learn more and watch the companion We Are Nature video series here.
Episode Credits: Reporting by David Kelley and Jamen Thurmond. Produced by Taiji Nelson. Research and editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Amos Levy. Silly voices by Mackenzie Kimmel.
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A behind-the-scenes chat between co-hosts Taiji and Michael about effective climate change communication, plus our goals, hopes, dreams, and terrors for this first season.
Learn more and watch the companion We Are Nature video series here.
Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson. Editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Amos Levy.
Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.
Why is it so hard to talk about climate change without plunging into an anxious doomscroll? How can we change the ways that we talk about the story of life on earth to emphasize hope over despair, and collaboration over competition? Featuring Radiolab’s Jad Abumrad and Nicole Heller, Associate Curator of Anthropocene Studies for Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
Learn more and watch the companion We Are Nature video series here.
Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson. Research and editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.
Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook.