PALOOLA: Botanical

Oct 31 2021 2

PALOOLA: Botanical Podcast artwork

Botany Is in (Almost) All Things My name is Paula de la Cruz, or PALOOLA—to some of my friends. I have written about gardens, botanical art, travel and culture for many US publications. PALOOLA is my monthly podcast that looks into new ideas in art, design, technology and health, all inspired by nature and botany. In conversations with guests, I explore how botany is in our daily lives in aspects that aren’t immediately apparent. Join us! For comments: [email protected] To see images of what we discuss https://www.instagram.com/paloolabotanica/

Subscribe on Podcast Addict

Apples 🍎 of New York: Part I

Oct 31 2021 26 mins

This is our favourite episode to date! On part one of this two-part episode we travel across continents and centuries to explore the history of apples—wild and grafted—of New York City. I am joined by Tony Sclafani, Chief Communications Officer for the Javits Center who discusses the center's new rooftop orchard and farm. New York-based artist Sam van Aken, talks about his upco

Environmental Diaries: Julia Sweig on Lady Bird

Oct 01 2021 22 mins

While listening to her husband's Great Society speech in 1964, Lady Bird Johnson found her mission. The following year, and during a turbulent time of race riots in America, speaking at the National Council of State Garden Clubs, and the American Forestry Association, Lady Bird said “Beauty cannot be set aside for vacations or special occasions. It cannot be for the occasio

Kelp, Forests Underwater

Aug 25 2021 27 mins

Unlike the kelp forests of Chile, and South Africa’s Cape Peninsula, which are mostly stable, all of the kelp forests of the northern hemisphere are rapidly declining. Off the coast of California, kelp forests have declined more than 95%, with just a few small isolated patches remaining, mainly because of rising water temperatures Kelp, called the sequoias of the sea for their ca

Swimming in Nature

Jul 29 2021 25 mins

Each year about 31% of the US population over the age of 16, swim in oceans, lakes and rivers. Yet, despite such low percentage, a quintessential image of an American summer is children swimming and playing in a lake. In fact, the top swim city in the US measured by the number of active swimmers, accessible pools and top-level swimmers, is Ann Arbor, built along the banks of the Hu

Botany (Music)

Jun 13 2021 20 mins

Botany in Music. We talk to Texas-based music producer Spencer Stephenson about his band Botany. Stephenson was inspired to name his band after his wanderings through Fort Worth’s botanical garden in 2009. Botany is part abstract hip hop and part psybient—electronic music that combines chill-out and psychedelic elements—and like many psychedelic ambient bands, is named after

May Flowers

May 08 2021 13 mins

Botany in Art Why are flowers a cliché of femininity in art, when so many of them have both female and male reproductive organs? Today, we talk with Sixtine Dubly, a Paris-based journalist, author and curator, who focuses on the evolving use of flowers in art. Please join us to discuss the role of nature in art, and the value of art in botanical research. Take a look at photos of

Maasai Adventures in Botany

Apr 06 2021 17 mins

Botany in Safaris: Part II As part two of our episodes about traveling in the Mara, I am talking with Fred Ronko, a Maasai naturalist from Lemek—a village in the northern, greater Maasai Mara. For decades, Fred has been guiding photographers and film crews in the Mara, as well as visitors traveling with the award-winning safari company, Asilia Africa. Fred will share where he gre

Search for Birds & Flowers, Find Lions

Mar 22 2021 43 mins

Botany in Safaris: Part I Great discussion with Nicky Fitzgerald, owner of Angama Mara a safari lodge perched on the edge of the Rift Valley overlooking the Mara Triangle in the south of Kenya. Nicky’s experience in the safari world is unparalleled and her zest for life comes through in her stories: where the Mara gets its name, a surprising encounter with an elephant mare, and w

Come Be Barefoot in Hawaii

Jan 28 2021 34 mins

Botany in Architecture The Hawaiian way of living mostly in nature, and in airy homes has attracted thousands of families who have relocated from the Continental US since the pandemic started. Right before the Covid-19 pandemic hit the tourism industry, Mauna Lani, one of the most iconic resorts on the Big Island, had just finished its $200 million, 15-month renovation. It closed s

...And Trees Gave Us Posters

Dec 01 2020 18 mins

Botany in Communication We wouldn’t have posters without paper, and we wouldn’t have paper without trees. Posters were one the earliest forms of advertisement, and they are to this day the most cost-effective form of promotion. But we also buy posters for their design and art value, as well. Today, I talk with Angelina Lippert, Poster House chief curator, the first museum in th