Send Crystal a text letting her know what you thought about the show!This is another episode of the Forces for Nature, EarthX Conference series!Daniel Cardenas is the founder of CarbonEx, a Native American-owned carbon solutions firm. With over 20 years of experience in the carbon management field, Daniel shares his insights into one of today’s most polarizing climate solutions—technological carbon capture. As a member of the Pit River Tribe, Daniel brings a unique entrepreneurial and Indigen...

Send Crystal a text letting her know what you thought about the show!This is another episode of the Forces for Nature, EarthX Conference series!Julie Thorstenson is a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Nation and the Executive Director of the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society. Julie's deep connection to the land began in her youth, growing up on her family’s ranch in South Dakota, where she developed a love for nature that would shape her career. Now, she works tirelessly to ensure th...

Send Crystal a text letting her know what you thought about the show!This is another episode of the Forces for Nature, EarthX Conference series!We're never going to create the healthy and humane world we want to see if we continue to be so divided from one another. Manu Meel is working to bring us together. He is the founder of BridgeUSA, an organization that empowers young people to foster constructive dialogue across political and ideological divides. With the United States feeling more pol...

Send Crystal a text letting her know what you thought about the show!This is another episode of the Forces for Nature, EarthX Conference series!Eleanor LeCain is the visionary behind the Solutions Summit, a groundbreaking event on Capital Hill that brings together bold thinkers and decision-makers to tackle some of today’s biggest challenges such as climate change, democracy, economic security, and health. During our conversation, Eleanor shares insights on how the Solutions Summit conne...

Send Crystal a text letting her know what you thought about the show!This is another episode of the Forces for Nature, EarthX Conference series!Theo E.J. Wilson is a TEDx speaker, social activist, and leader in fostering dialogue across cultural and ideological divides. While Theo may not come from a traditional environmental background, his work on social justice, understanding others' perspectives, and the interconnectedness of humanity makes him an ideal person to explore the link between ...

Send Crystal a text letting her know what you thought about the show!This is another episode of the Forces for Nature, EarthX Conference series!Brooke Carter is not your average teenager. At the young age of 13, she's already making waves in the world of wildlife education and conservation. Growing up in the Bahamas and traveling to exotic locations across the globe with her family, Brooke has had the incredible opportunity to experience a wide range of animals and ecosystems firsthand. Now, ...

Send Crystal a text letting her know what you thought about the show!In this special episode recorded live at the EarthX Conference, Crystal sits down with Chance and Sarah Katheryn Ruder from the Conservation Connection Podcast. They discuss the power of collaboration in conservation, the importance of bringing diverse perspectives together to address sustainability challenges, and share insights from their on-the-ground experiences in nature education and science communication. You get to h...

Send Crystal a text letting her know what you thought about the show!This new season of the Forces for Nature podcast is a special one! All interviews were done on location at the EarthX Congress of Conferences, an event dedicated to fostering sustainability and environmental action. Initially, though, I was hesitant about attending due to its surprising mix of sponsors and speakers, many of whom you would never expect to see at a conference about protecting the Earth. However, I chose to go ...

Send Crystal a text letting her know what you thought about the show!Did you ever travel somewhere that left a deep impression on you? Join Crystal DiMiceli as she reflects on her recent adventure to Rwanda, where she fulfilled her dream of seeing gorillas. Turns out, they weren't the only things that left her speechless.HighlightsThe incredible influence of Dian Fossey.Recovering wildlife populations in the country's national parks.The country's resilient community spirit after a turbulent p...

Send Crystal a text letting her know what you thought about the show!Get to know the host of Forces for Nature, Crystal DiMiceli, better! In this show swap, she joins Stephanie Manka on The Fancy Scientist podcast. Stephanie has a great show that helps wildlife conservationists navigate their careers and she also provides coaching and mentoring for those struggling and feeling stuck as to what to do next. HighlightsHow did Forces for Nature come to be?What was Crystal's conservation care...

Send Crystal a text letting her know what you thought about the show!It often feels like there's only bad news being reported these days. It's easy to feel that way but, if you dig a little deeper, you can find reports of hopeful things that are happening. Laura Sitterly is a climate reporter that you can trust to find the silver lining in her stories. We talk about three recent articles she's written- one about a youth climate summit in Upstate New York, another about the downfalls (yet easy...

Conserving land doesn't have to be all or nothing. We don't have to choose between setting aside whole tracks of forests to protect them or cutting them all down for economic development. Laurie Wayburn, the co-founder and president of Pacific Forest Trust, has found a middle ground. Since 1993, Pacific Forest Trust has transformed over 350,000 acres of privately owned forests in California and Oregon into carbon-sequestering and climate-fighting assets. Through the use of conservation easeme...

Bonnie Monteleone is the Founder & Director of Science, Research, and Academic Partnerships of the Plastic Ocean Project (POP) whose mission is finding science-based solutions to the global plastic pollution crisis. In 2019, she was working on a documentary about the North Atlantic Ocean. However, its plot quickly went from one about a complex, impacted ecosystem into a "who done it," following the death of a newborn critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale that washed...

In a time where our planet's health is at the forefront of global discussions, understanding the intricacies of climate change is not just beneficial; it's imperative. Bryce Coon is the Director of Education Initiatives at Earthday.org and a passionate advocate for embedding climate literacy within our educational systems. He plays a central role in crafting the organization's overarching goals and roadmap to increasing climate literacy worldwide. Moreover, Bryce is instrumental in driving...

Our disconnection from nature has never been greater and this is resulting in not only a crisis for our planet but for our own well-being too. Ciara Byrne, the founder of Green Our Planet, has been using school gardens to help bridge this disconnect. Through her organization, these green spaces are more than just a cool project—they're a way to teach kids about taking care of our planet and each other. And it's working! She's helping to plant seeds of change and watching hope, connection, and...

There's magic in nature and all of us. T. A. Barron integrates this belief into his life as a bestselling author, conservationist, and host of the Magic & Mountains podcast. But, it's his work honoring young changemakers with the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, that really proves this notion to be true. These individuals are making significant contributions to environmental conservation and community improvement, despite the odds that may be stacked against them. And T. A. shines a...

We all know that plastics have become a problem, but there's even more to it than the litter you see thrown on the ground. Dr. Roopa Krithivasan is the Director of Research for Defend Our Health, an environmental health and justice organization. They recently released a report titled Hidden Hazards: The Chemical Footprint of a Plastic Bottle which tracks the impact of plastic bottles on human health and climate change. Turns out, we can experience the hazards of our plastic use well before...

First, the tadpoles and frogs disappeared; then the bats and the songbirds left. Dr. Elizabeth Hilborn, a honey bee veterinarian and environmental health scientist, soon realized the bees—the vital pollinators of fruits, plants, and vegetables—were dying. Everything went still and silent. In 2017, after a large flood, most of the teeming life on her beloved family farm in North Carolina had vanished in a matter of weeks. As a scientist and a naturalist, Hilborn set about to get answers and...

The recent COP28 climate change conference concluded with mixed feelings from many stakeholders. Despite this, a noteworthy optimistic takeaway was the emphasis by top scientists on the urgent need to prioritize the protection and restoration of wild ecosystems within global climate strategies, highlighting the necessity of biodiversity conservation.  Alison Zak from the Human-Beaver Coexistence Fund champions the crucial role of beavers in mitigating the effects of climate change. Her...

What happens when you have a constitutional right that's being violated but you're too young to vote for the constituents who might fix it? These kids asked the courts to step in. Today's guest, author Elizabeth Rusch, has captured this gripping story in her latest book, The Twenty-One. We dive into how, in 2015, twenty-one young Americans, ages 8-19, filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. government. In this ongoing landmark case, Juliana VS. United States, the plaintiffs claim that the...

As the world makes strides toward a green economy, the U.S. State of New Jersey is determined to be a leader in the movement. And, the First Lady of New Jersey, Tammy Murphy, is ensuring that citizens are prepared. She has spearheaded the initiative of integrating climate change into school curriculum. New Jersey is now the first State to require the topic be taught across all disciplines in the K-12 grade levels. With the consequences of global warming affecting us all, there's no better...

**This episode first aired in October 2021. Listen to an update from Nina at 26: 27 about the next round of EWCL open to applicants now. The field of wildlife conservation has some of the most passionate and determined people in the world. Building a career protecting animals requires professionals in this field to have a diverse and complex toolbox of skills and knowledge. However, as happens in many other professions, academic training is only the beginning of the learning journey and...

**This episode originally aired in May 2021. You can find an update from Julio at 24:19. Today's guest is Julio Prieto. He's an Ecuadorian lawyer working with the Union of People Affected by Texaco, the organization otherwise known as UDAPT. He has been a key player in one of the most well-known battles for environmental justice- the case of Ecuador vs. Chevron-Texaco. After 20 years of litigation, Julio's team won the case that found Chevron to be guilty of egregious pollution and...

*This episode first aired in April 2021 and Chris's title mentioned in the show has changed since. Climate change and environmental protection haven't always been as politicized as they are today. And, unfortunately, in being so, progress on these fronts gets hindered. Chris Barnard is helping to change that. He's the VP of External Affairs of The American Conservation Coalition, a group founded by political conservatives working to transform the narrative of denialism in order to get more...