Park Wakeup Call: Recent Episodes
Park Wakeup Call
A podcast about the intersections of environmental justice and racial equity. Explore how climate change affects diverse populations all over the globe. Investigate uncomfortable truths about climate change’s impact on vulnerable communities, uncover hidden histories behind our national parks, and listen in for eye-opening interviews with park rangers, activists, experts, and survivors.
Join me on a disturbing, fascinating, and ultimately hopeful journey through Iceland--the land of fire and ice. You'll hear about climate impacts in Iceland from two experts, and take a peek into a 99% renewable utopia. Plus, discover how glaciers are formed, and learn about the terminal illness plaguing these colossal formations.
Learn about Ms. Joleen Hyde's experience growing up under Apartheid. She reflects on the interplay between her gender and ethnic identities in the context of this racist and patriarchal regime. Touching on the nuances between the demoralizing nature of segregation, vs the empowering potential of affinity groups, Ms. Hyde brings her experiences into a current-day context. She also shares suspenseful, captivating anecdotes from her youth.
Part 2 of the in-depth series on Andre Peterson, who formerly attended a competitive private school in Northern, VA. He is currently a musician and activist. We dove into Andre's perspective about his experiences with homelessness during his time at Potomac School. But one piece was missing from the story--what about Potomac's perspective on how the school supported Andre?
Hear from Mr. Grant, who grew close with Andre, and offers some captivating insights on the school's progress since Andre's attendance years ago.
From age 7 to 17, Andre Peterson's bus whisked him from his southeast DC neighborhood to a competitive private school in one of Virginia's wealthiest regions. Teetering between two vastly different worlds, Andre's cosmos unraveled at age 17, when he lost his way and became homeless. Then, he discovered his calling: music helped Andre find his rhythm, rebuild his life, and change the world.
Earth Sangha is a more than two decade old non-profit organization based in the Washington DC region. The core values that guide its efforts in ecological restoration and social justice are rooted in the Buddhist philosophy. Listen in to a captivating interview with Earth Sangha's conservation manager, Mr. Matt Bright, as he helps us navigate the intersections between income inequality and climate change, as well as how Buddhist mindfulness practices can help combat climate change and fight social inequity.
La Gomera, a remote island in the Canary archipelago, rises from the sea, a shining example of hope in a changing world. We often speak of the unavoidable devastation of climate change and the disappearance of tradition in the modern age. La Gomera offers a tale hope against all odds: reflecting its volcanic origins, this tiny island is a powerhouse for change. Throughout history, the people of La Gomera summoned cultural pride to renew a community trampled by colonialism, revive their unique whistled language, and reinvigorate an ecosystem devastated by overuse. From whales that sequester carbon, to mandatory whistling-lessons in schools, to pole-vaulting down cliffs, this island anomaly offers boundless hope for a culturally and ecologically rich future, despite our changing planet. Designated a U.N. climate Hope Spot, La Gomera offers lessons for the larger world in building community to overcome global perils.
Learn about climate change's impacts on the Costa Rican rainforest from Abel Bustamente, a native wildlife guide. How do we balance profit and sustainability? Is there such a thing as eco friendly tourism, or is that an oxymoron? With his wry humor, youthful energy, and captivating expertise, Mr. Bustamente's insights will stick with you long after this audio-journey through the Gandoca Manzanillo rainforest ends. Meet bullet ants and poison dart frogs, tarantulas and sea-turtles; catch the perspective of a local, non-indigenous Costa Rican on the government's relationship with the native BriBri community (a stark contrast to that of Haniel, the indigenous citizen profiled in the previous episode! )----more----
Listen in for a captivating interview with an indigenous Costa Rican wildlife guide! Take an audio and story-telling journey with me through the native Bribri community. Learn about climate change's impact on one of the world's few matrilineal society. Discover a radical farming method that fuses the jungle with crops to fight climate change and colonization. Lastly, cocoa is central to the Bribri--this episode is chockfull of chocolate.
Delve into the controversy over Bears Ears National Monument, in Southeastern Utah. At its crux, the debate centers around the right to tribal sovereignty, complicated by some Indigenous peoples' precedented mistrust in the federal government. Here is an opportunity for Native Americans to reclaim and protect this sacred region--but the question is, how does the government factor into that equation? Plus, hear from a Potomac student with Native Heritage.
Climate change and colonization are inextricably linked, especially in the landscape of national parks. Voyage to Acadia National Park, Maine: the Wabanaki homeland. This environmental justice centered episode focuses climate change's impact on the park and the Wabanaki people who are tied to it. Learn about the special form of indigenous wisdom rising to the forefront of the climate change action plan--an all in one key to saving the planet and decolonizing it. Plus, a ranger interview!
The 2nd episode in a three part series examining climate change’s impact on our national parks. Every episode features an unsettling, surprising, and hopeful interview with an expert, each with a unique perspective on what climate change means for our parks and how we can best adapt.
This episode: Interview with Patty Glick, Senior Scientist for Climate Adaptation for the National Wildlife Federation.
The 1st episode in a three part series examining climate change’s impact on our national parks. Every episode features an unsettling, surprising, and hopeful interview with an expert, each with a unique perspective on what climate change means for our parks and how we can best adapt.
This episode: Interview with Larry Perez, Communications Coordinator for NPS Climate Change Response Program.
EXTRA! An interview with a professional Grand Teton Ranger! Learn about climate change's impacts on the park from an expert! Delve into the misunderstandings lacing this park's untold history. Learn about the rage-filled rock clashes that sculpted the Tetons we see today, and discover Shoshone history.
Meaty secrets, megafauna, drought-resistant microbes, dune migration, and climate refugees...
Does the haunting past of White Sand and its desert natives cradle the secret to combatting modern day climate change? Learn about the legacy of these indigenous climate-change fighters, colonialism, and how these ancient climate migrants would be experiencing deja-vu today.
In this episode, learn about Rock Creek Park--the surreptitious racial divider between Washington D.C.s neighborhood. Communities of color are disproportionately affected by climate change, especially because of "Green Gentrification".
Come with me to explore Colonial Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg. I dig deep into history to unearth the unspoken stories of the Virginia Native Powhatan tribe and the African captives, as they faced the English settlers. Learn about climate change's effects on the tidewater region, and the Virginia Indians of today.
Learn about the single-celled thug that's caused massive carnage of aquatic life on Sanibel Island, Florida: Harmful Algae Blooms. This environmental warfare was carried out by some unlikely suspects... find out who's to blame for this attack on our own shores.
Also: Climate change's devastating effects on Sanibel, bizarre marsh-creature facts, engrossing history, and biking, paddling, and birding gems.
Sometimes, refuges come in many forms. Learn about tidal marshes like no other, where the legacies of Freedom Seekers, abolitionists, and Underground Railroad "conductors" are sewn into the fabric of Blackwater's wilderness--wetlands that provide temporary respite for 50,000 migrating birds. Climate change threatens to literally and figuratively erode both the stories of the past and the species, habitats, and ecosystems of the present, as rising waters seize thousands of acres of marshland.
This episode features an ecosystem like no other. Off the Southern California coast, these islands teem with over 2000 species, 145 of which are found nowhere else on earth. I'll discuss the islands' dramatic formation, and you'll discover the bizarre natural contradictions responsible for the ecological diversity. I recount the unsettling history of the native island people, and the long term cultural and environmental scars left by Europeans. Plus, climate change, DDT, and a hike review!
Learn all about Governor's Island, a lesser-known national park in an unexpected place--NYC. I'll discuss the monument's immersive history, quirky (and eerie) attractions, and the city's fascinating response to the climate change that threatens the island. You'll also learn about the systemic racism buried in Central Park, and how climate change disproportionately affects communities of color. Lastly, find out how climate change's impact on Lady Liberty is a metaphor for our nation.
In this special-edition episode, I discuss the Coronavirus Pandemic's effects on air and water quality, as well as its impact on wildlife. We'll travel to China, India, and Albania, to check out the bright side of COVID-19. Get ready to ponder what this pandemic says about our relationship with the earth, as well as how National Parks fit into it all.
Wild ponies, shipwrecks, and climate change, oh my! In this episode, you'll learn all about Assateague Island National Seashore! Listen in for the compelling tale of how wild ponies came to populate the island, some brief history, and an engaging interview with a park ranger. And, as usual, lots of striking information about climate change and its grip on this national treasure and its environment...
In this episode, you'll learn about the natural and historical wonders of two National Historic Parks and a National Battlefield. Plus, you can learn about the whimsical Shepherdstown. I'll briefly discuss the tragic history of John Brown and the harrowing tale of Burnside Bridge. Also, I will let you in on the best biking and hiking in these areas, and as always, explain how climate change will affect these precious parks.
In this episode, I discuss several of the phenomenal hikes in glacier national park, ranging from the 16 mile Dawson-Pitamakan hike to the 6 mile Hidden Lake trail. Learn how climate change will affect the intriguing ecosystem and wildlife in Glacier National Park. Lastly, listen in for the fascinating history of the park, and the tragic circumstances of the Blackfeet Native Americans.
In this episode, I talk about the geology of the magnificent Glacier National Park. Learn about how global warming is affecting the glaciers, why the rocks are multicolored, and where the layers in the mountains come from. Plus, there is a fascinating interview with Bob Shuster, the longest serving ranger in the park. He'll share about his suspenseful adventures with bears, his favorite trails, and more!
In this episode, I discuss some of my favorite hikes in Shenandoah National Park. Also, I have a fascinating interview with a Shenandoah Park Ranger! Listen in for a brief and intriguing history of the park, too.