**This episode first aired in April 2020. ** When Pablo Borboroglu released his first rehabilitated penguin back into the wild 30 years ago, he saw the ability that one person has to make a difference. Holding steadfast to this belief, he has since become one of the greatest voices for these animals. And, facing threats both on land and in water, they need it. Through the Global Penguin Society, Pablo uses scientific research to help guide conservation actions that have not only protected...

**This episode first aired in June 2021. You can find the updated clip from Timothy and Nicole at 30:35** Did you know that most of the food crops we eat are reliant on pollinators to reproduce? Fruits, vegetables, nuts, even the food fed to cattle, sheep, and pigs, need pollinators such as bees. Unfortunately, there have been staggering declines in bee population numbers over the past couple of decades that have the potential for disastrous consequences. Timothy Paule and Nicole Lindsey saw...

**This episode first aired in June 2020. You can find the updated clip from Ryan at 21:00** Did you know that only 10% of all plastic that's ever been produced has been recycled?!* And that just 60% of communities in the U.S. have access to curbside recycling pick-up?** Our waste is a huge problem but, today's guest, Ryan Hickman, is determined to be part of the solution. At just 12 years old (yes, you read that right!), he's CEO of his own company, Ryan's Recycling. He joins us today with...

Whoohoo! Sixty episodes in! This seems like a good time to take a step back and introduce to new listeners some of Forces for Nature's older episodes. So, the season break to follow won't be a break, per se, because you'll keep seeing episodes be published. But, they will be some favorites from Seasons 1 and 2, many with bonus updates from the guests!  If you have a favorite that you loved and would like to hear their "where are they now" update, let me know! I had two asks in this episode....

Have you had wild animal photo opportunities while on vacation? Have you "liked" cute exotic animal videos on social? Are you dying for an opportunity to hold a baby monkey? If so, you may unintentionally be fueling a dark industry and promoting animal abuse. Devan Schowe is the campaigns director for Born Free USA, an organization that works to ensure that all wild animals, whether living in captivity or in the wild, are treated with compassion and respect and are able to live their lives...

Driven to near extinction in the eastern United States, the Florida panther was able to escape complete persecution by disappearing into the untamed wilderness of the Everglades. However, for its long-term survival, they need more than just a small pocket of land at the bottom of the State. Carlton Ward Jr., a National Geographic Explorer, and photographer, has spent almost two decades advocating for the conservation of the vital acres of land and water that this, and so many other species,...

If you're tired of only hearing about environmental destruction and that we're around the corner from doomsday, you're going to want to listen to this episode! Grant Brown is the founder of the website and newsletter, Happy Eco News. He's not naïve to the pressures that the world is facing - we talk about what he has seen with his own two eyes - but he has also seen, and gotten to know, people who are doing something about them. He's created this platform to share their stories and inspire...

Nothing could be cuter than baby animals. But, their adorableness can easily distract you from the lifelong responsibility that their care requires. Unfortunately, this reality check can result in animals- especially those that we associate with their wild cousins like ducks and bunnies- being dumped out into the wild after they are grown and their care becomes too much. Except, these animals don't have the instincts to survive outdoors. This "wild" is often your local neighborhood park and...

Show Swap! The host of Forces for Nature, Crystal DiMiceli, joined Carly Puch on her podcast, Consciously Clueless, to talk about her own cluelessness on this lifelong journey toward sustainability. Highlights What does she do when she’s not feeling optimistic about the world?What made her almost throw in the towel on this journey?How did Forces for Nature come to be?What are her go-to's to lessen her carbon footprint?Resources Consciously Clueless on AppleOn Spotify---This episode is...

The organization, Save Pangolins, is raising awareness and supporting conservation efforts of the world's most trafficked mammal. One of their initiatives is the Pangolin Champions Program which aims to support emerging leaders in the pangolin conservation landscape.  Since its inception in 2020, they have accepted 12 passionate, committed, and inspiring pangolin conservationists into its program- I speak with four of them here. The Champions comprise of a global team of conservationists who...

Are you concerned about the state of our oceans and seas and all the life in them? Do you worry that not enough is being done to help? Come dive in and meet the people doing all they can for these ecosystems - from above and below the waves! The Healthy Seas Podcast is hosted by Forces for Nature creator, Crystal DiMiceli, and, in this episode, she takes you through snippets of the first six episodes of this show. Last year, it was ranked in the top 25% of podcasts most shared globally on...

According to the OECD, if fashion were a country, it would be the fourth largest emitter of CO2 in the world*! And a significant percentage of those emissions comes from just the creation of the textiles and leathers that are to be used for clothing and accessories. Unfortunately, too many of these raw materials are left unused and either end up in a landfill or in climate-controlled (aka energy-guzzling) warehouses.  Anna Bakst and Michele Rutigliano are two fashion industry veterans that...

Did you know that we send about 40-50% of our food scraps and organic material, like fallen leaves, to landfills? Landfills don't allow for proper decomposition so those materials end up releasing harmful methane into the atmosphere as they break down. To avoid this much waste, we can compost instead! Michele and Java Bradley, the founders of Java's Compost, help individuals make composting an easy addition to their recycling routine and they give us some insights as to how!  If it surprises...

Jen Gale is the founder of Sustainable(ish), a podcast and blog that have grown into a myriad of resources meant to help individuals find support and ideas in their efforts of becoming more eco-friendly. She's all about embracing the "-ish" in our actions. We all have different circumstances and, within those, she helps you to aim for progress and not the unattainable perfection. If you ever thought your contribution to saving the planet was insignificant, Jen will surely change your...

With everything going on during this time of the year, you may not want to be bothered with trying to change your holiday habits to be more eco-friendly. However, I have a few suggestions on what you can do WITHOUT adding to your to-do list!  With these tweaks, you can end the year on a sustainable note!  Highlights ThanksgivingBlack FridayChristmasWant a free guide to help you become a force for nature? Get it HERE! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review it!...

Today's episode is different than usual in that it's actually from another podcast that I guested on a few months back. The podcast is called Casa de Confidence and it's hosted by the incredible Julie Delucca-Collins. Her show highlights people who are confident dreamers. And, although I can't say I've always done it with confidence, I can say that I have always followed my North Star in order to reach for my dreams and live the life I imagined. We chat about imposter syndrome, my path to...

According to the World Health Organization, the pandemic triggered a 25% increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide. Today's guest, Beth Allgood, has a suggestion on what could help. She is an expert in well-being but in a very niche way. She looks at the connections that nature and wildlife play toward the well-being of communities. What's really interesting, but concerning though, is how our current systems are designed in a way that doesn't consider well-being nor value...

This summer, it's been hard to ignore the fact that climate change is no longer something we can think of as a future threat. It is here and it is impacting lives and livelihoods on unprecedented scales. But, it's also something that many people are still trying to fully understand. Today's guest is James Lawler, the founder of Climate Now, a Webby Award-nominated multimedia resource that distills the science and economics of climate change. He's here to answer questions sent in from...

Did you know that bats provide you with the services of pest control and plant pollination that directly benefit the food you eat, the clothes you wear, and even the liquor you drink? In fact, for example, the existence of tequila and mezcal is thanks to these mammals. Unfortunately, industrialized farming is endangering bats- and your favorite margarita. Renowned ecologist, Dr. Rodrigo Medellin, has a simple way to fix that. He has not only spent his life working to rectify the...

As humans increasingly dominate the landscape through building homes, farms, highways, etc, the territories of wildlife are getting smaller and smaller. Animals are finding themselves in what are now our backyards as they are trying to satisfy their own needs for food, shelter, water, and finding mates. Elephants in Malaysia are no exception. Dr. Nurzhafarina Othman is a Bornean Elephant researcher and founder of the organization Seratu Aatai whose mission is to create a society that is...

James Regulinski is the cofounder of Carbon Collective, the first financial investment advisory firm focused solely on solving climate change. We talk about how we may, unintentionally, be supporting industries that we don't want to see in our world's future (such as fossil fuels and nuclear weapons) and James provides tangible resources and ways for us to change that. *The opinions expressed in this episode are not meant to be taken as financial advice. Investing comes with risks that should...

By 1964, there were no successfully nesting peregrine falcons in North America east of the Rockies and south of the Arctic. They were functionally extinct. So, why do we have them now? How did they come back? And why are they loving cities? One of the heroes of their story is Art McMorris. He was the Peregrine Falcon Coordinator with the Pennsylvania Game Commission from 2004 to 2021. Under his leadership, the Peregrine came to be removed from the endangered species list. This is a story not...

It has been found that 70% of wild fish populations are either fully used, overused, or in crisis from overfishing. And with food demand projected to increase by 50% by 2050, there is simply not enough fish in the sea for fishing to be sustainable. Fish farming, otherwise known as aquaculture, is intended to supplement this demand. In fact, salmon aquaculture is the fastest-growing food production system in the world- although not without its own share of controversy. Parker Jefferson is a...

Have you seen the images of whales dragging buoys wrapped around their tails? Or turtles entangled in ropes? These are examples of what is called "ghost gear," which are lost or abandoned fishing nets or gear that then aimlessly drift through the ocean, catching whatever comes into their path. Jenny Ioannou is with Healthy Seas, an organization dedicated to fixing this problem. Their work focuses on the retrieval of this pollution from the sea, prevention activities, and awareness building....

More often than not, when you hear about the state of the natural world, you hear allllll the bad things. Yes, they are happening and, yes, they suck. But what you might not realize is that there are also soooo many good things happening. People are coming together to make the changes that we wish to see. Emma Illick Frank is a journalist and she joins us today to be the bearer of some great news. Although, our tangent about natural flavoring may make you cringe. ;) *Correction: Emma...