treehugger podcast

*Spoilers throughout. You've been warned. Michael went to see The Mandalorian and Grogu as a lifelong Star Wars nerd and Pedro Pascal fan. He left thinking about wetland tipping points, cryosphere feedbacks, and sacrifice zones - which, for this show, tracks. This episode tours four planets as ecological field sites: a remote ice world doing load-bearing planetary work, a deliberately degraded Hut...

A couple years after our first conversation on artificial intelligence and ecological restoration, I sat back down with Timothy Pape and Sam Woodrich to ask: what's actually happening now? Their new research looks at how mainstream AI chatbots generate restoration plans across North American ecosystems. The results are familiar; almost too familiar. Plant native species. Remove invasive plants. Re...

In this episode, Michael talks with environmental writer Clare Follmann about her new book Scapegoat: What the Invasive Species Story Gets Wrong (AK Press) - and yes, we are talking about invasive species again, but this time with sharper teeth. Together they question the fantasy of eradication, unpack "plastic words" like management and health, and examine how invasive species rhetoric can distra...

Let's explore foraging as a living, contested relationship between ecology, culture, law, and survival. Beginning with za'atar - a resilient wild thyme central to Palestinian foodways - we examine how conservation policy can criminalize cultural harvest. From there, we move briefly through international access models (UK personal-use law, Nordic everyman's rights, regulated European mushroom harve...

grove & grit launches with local restoration in Hilltop, Dublin Bay oyster recovery, UN World Restoration Flagships, and an ecological reckoning on war, climate, and accountability — plus two essential upcoming reads from Emma Marris and Clare Follmann. This episode is released during the week of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's birthday, grounding restoration work in a shared ethic of collective liber...

What happens when we trace the history of our forests? Not just through trees, but through people, policy, and place? In this episode, I talk with Jennifer Ott, Executive Director of HistoryLink.org , Washington's free online encyclopedia of history. Jennifer is an environmental historian, author of Olmsted in Seattle: Creating a Park System for a Modern City, and co-author of Waterway: The Story...

In this episode, Michael talks with evolutionary biologist and urban ecologist Dr. Elizabeth Carlen about how cities - shaped by war, politics, religion, and everything in between - are evolving alongside the wildlife that calls them home. Liz is an urban evolutionary biologist whose research explores how human social structures, from redlining to sacred groves, shape the genetics, behavior, and s...

In this special episode, we welcome author and storyteller Martin Goodman to explore the extraordinary living story of the Bishnoi people—a community in the Western Thar Desert of India who have made protecting life, in all its forms, their deepest devotion. Three centuries ago, 363 Bishnoi villagers led by Amrita Devi gave their lives to defend the sacred khejri trees from destruction, speaking t...

We are joined by  Philip Stielstra , founder of   PropagationNation ,  to explore the fascinating world of  coast redwoods ( Sequoia sempervirens )  and  giant sequoias ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ) . Philip shares his inspiring journey from Seattle Tree Ambassador to becoming a leader in assisted migration, helping these ancient giants find a new future in the Pacific Northwest. We dive into: The...

treehugger podcast is 5 years old this month! In this episode, we sit down with Christopher Brown, author of A Natural History of Empty Lots, to uncover the stories hidden in the overlooked spaces of our cities. Christopher shares his unique perspective on urban landscapes—vacant lots, overgrown alleys, and forgotten corners—revealing the vibrant ecosystems and cultural narratives thriving within...

In this podcast episode, the discussion dives into the complexities and nuances of ecosystem monitoring, led by the Dylan Mendenhall's deep experience and passion for the field. He emphasizes the importance of well-defined questions to drive high-quality monitoring efforts, contrasting effective monitoring with what they term "zombie monitoring"—data collection that continues without purpose due t...

We explore a fresh perspective on non-native and introduced species. Traditionally viewed as pests or threats to ecosystems, some of these species offer hidden benefits that are often overlooked in conventional pest management frameworks. We dive into the complexities of integrated pest management (IPM), discussing the importance of balancing ecological restoration with justice, health, and liveli...

Underground seed banks, passive restoration, and ecological memory - these elements are crucial in understanding and facilitating natural recovery processes in ecosystems. We'll explore how leveraging underground seed banks, which contain dormant seeds waiting for the right conditions to germinate, can support native plant regeneration. This approach is relational, often less expensive, and inform...

This episode delves into the integration of artificial intelligence within the field of ecological restoration. Covering a broad spectrum from the practical to the philosophical, the conversation explores the potential for AI to reshape restoration practices, the ethical considerations at play, and the importance of balancing technological advancement with traditional ecological knowledge. Through...

In this episode, we're joined by two extraordinary guests, Seth Zuckerman and Kirk Hansen, who bring decades of experience and insight to the practice of ecological forestry. Their recent book, " A Forest of Your Own ," serves as a comprehensive guide for forest stewards in Oregon and Washington, covering essential skills like evaluating land, sustainable management, wildfire risk reduction, and c...

In this episode, we delve into the world of plant medicines. Our guest, Natalie Hammerquist, a herbalist based in Washington state, shares her extensive knowledge and experience in herbalism and foraging local wild plants. Natalie's journey, rooted in a degree from The Evergreen State College, led her to explore herbalism, plant taxonomy, and food science. Under the guidance of renowned herbalists...

This treehugger episode meanders through Ivyland and investigates the extensive properties and uses of ivy, Hedera helix. Ivies (Araliaceae) are a diverse genus of evergreen plants native to regions spanning Europe, across central-southern Asia, and N Africa. Its botanical name is rooted in Latin; Hedera is related to its traditional medicinal uses. Known for its climbing or ground-creeping nature...

Kyle Flanagan asks us how we can truly address the roots of the climate crisis, and how we can keep each other safe in the years to come—while making sure that no one gets left behind. She wrote Climate Resilience, robust with short essays edited from interviews with 39 individuals who have been cultivating resilience for decades. There is a chapter dedicated to ecological restoration and issues r...

In the early 2020s, many conservation-related organizations seem to have accelerated their promotion of diversity, equity and inclusion as well as reckoning with their racist origins. The University of Puget Sound recently made the decision to remove the name "Slater'' and give back the original name of their natural history museum. Furthermore called Puget Sound Museum of Natural History, the ins...

Despite rapid environmental change, the foremost approach to ecological restoration is to find the elusive, historically-appropriate reference ecosystem as the target of ecosystem recovery. But, the emergence of novel ecosystems beckons new ecological science and political ecology as surprising species' relationships flourish out of dramatic anthropogenic change. There has been (maybe there still...

Renata Poulton Kamakura reminds us of the importance of nearby nature and the power in community that orbits around urban ecology. Renata is a PhD student at Duke University's Clark Lab, a NatureNet science fellow, and a NSF Graduate Research Fellow. Renata's current work is mostly within the realm of urban ecology. They have authored and collaborated on published research focused on the pace of t...

Some species walk into our spaces, uninvited – they don't belong. They can be trees we bring from the homeland to plant, insects that show up through international trade, or fish we stock for sustenance. However, when they liberate themselves from cultivation, they are portrayed as a potential threat to the economy or even challenge our conceptions of wild nature. This is a short presentation reco...

Dr. Elies Gornish is an early career leader in the fields of arid land restoration and weed management and has published over 60 papers. Recently, she just self-published "A Kids Guide to Ecological Restoration," what she believes is the first children's book on ecological restoration. Gornish is a Cooperative Extension Specialist in Ecological Restoration at the University of Arizona. The Gornish...

Laura J. Martin is a historian and ecologist who studies how people shape the habitats of other species. She is author of Wild by Design: The Rise of Ecological Restoration. One will also find articles of hers in journals such as Environmental History and Science as well as featured in the New York Times, The Atlantic, The Los Angeles Times. She is currently an environmental studies professor at W...

My guest on this show is mother and grandmother, Renate Rain. She is the convener and healer behind the Puget Sound Plungers and certified Deliberate Cold Exposure guide. Renate described herself as just a person looking for relief from chronic pain problem when she slipped into the cool waters of Puget Sound. Alleviating pain came along with an ever-growing community she didn't even know she need...