A Little Greener

Trees help give us clean air to breathe, keep us cool, and can even benefit our mental health. But not everyone has equal access to trees. In this week's episode, Casey and Sara discuss the benefits (and challenges) of urban trees and take a look at the factors involved in tree disparity across different neighborhoods. Resources for this episode: The Inequitable Distribution of Urb

With the total solar eclipse visible over parts of North America in just a few days, Casey and Sara discuss what we know about animal behavior during eclipse events. Listen to find out: What are Baily's Beads and why does Sara like them so much? How would Casey's pets respond to a total solar eclipse? Why should we care about how animals act during an eclipse? If you are in the pat

Join Casey and Sara for a discussion on the North Atlantic right whale. Learn where you can find these amazing animals, why they're called "right" whales, and what we can do to help save this incredibly endangered species. Resources for this episode: Reducing Vessel Strikes to North Atlantic Right Whales | NOAA Fisheries North Atlantic Right Whale | NOAA Fisheries We know how to sa

Pulling weeds around the yard isn't most people's idea of a good time. Busting out a spray bottle of herbicide might be the easy way out, but what's the price we pay for that? Casey and Sara discuss the use of herbicides in agriculture and urban areas, including the recent news surrounding the use of dicamba. Resources for this episode: Protecting Pollinators from Herbicides: Rethi

Last spring, Casey and Sara discussed some of the ways parents might be able to make eco-friendly choices while expecting and raising a baby. Now that Casey is a mom, she's taking a look back at how things went for her and sharing some additional tips and resources based on her experiences. Resources for this episode: Climate change is making people think twice about having childre

In this reunion episode, Casey returns to the podcast, joining Kristen and Sara in a discussion about the impact of various art forms on the environment, as well as the other ways that art and nature intersect. Nature often inspires art (and might be considered art in and of itself), art often depicts nature, and art can also be used to benefit nature and conservation! Resources fo

Kristen and Sara discuss the threats facing coral reefs around the world, what conservationists are doing to help, and how we can all get involved! Resources for this episode: Visual Feature | Status of Coral Reefs of the World What Florida’s coral bleaching means as high ocean temperatures continue - The Washington Post Warming, acidic oceans may nearly eliminate coral reef habi

When we think of coral most of us probably think of giant, colorful reef structures. But there's so much more to coral! We take a deeper look at the tiny animals that make up those reefs--and that can be found beyond those reefs, as well. Video for Weekly Challenge: Lens of Time: Corals in Motion Resources for this episode: What are corals? | ICRI NOAA CoRIS - What are Coral Reefs

Kristen and Sara discuss the pros and cons of using water to produce electricity. Listen in to learn the three main ways we currently produce hydropower, the environmental impacts, and how hydropower might fit in to the future of energy production. Resources for this episode: Planning a Microhydropower System | Department of Energy Dam that threatens orangutan habitat faces three-y

With all the hype around Barbie these past few weeks, Sara and Kristen decided to take a look at the environmental impact of the iconic doll--and some of our other toys, as well. Listen in as they chat about their favorite Barbies, the challenges of plastic, and how to balance our desire to give the kids in our lives the things that they want and still be a little greener. Resource