In Our Backyard Podcast

We're comparing Sweden and the United States. If you've ever traveled to Sweden, you've probably noticed how clean the cities are, how much public transportation is used, and how seriously recycling is taken. On the other hand, the United States is home to some of the world's most important environmental research, groundbreaking clean-energy companies, and national parks that have...

Today’s guest is Jesse Demonbreun-Chapman, Executive Director and Riverkeeper for the Coosa River Basin Initiative, an organization dedicated to protecting one of the most biologically diverse river systems in North America. Stretching across the southeastern United States, the Coosa River Basin is home to an extraordinary range of freshwater species and ecosystems, many of which exist nowhere els...

Today’s guest is Kristina Peterson, a facilitator with the Lowlander Center , an organization supporting lowland and coastal communities facing climate change, land loss, displacement, and environmental injustice.  A lowland is an area of land at a relatively low elevation, often located near coastlines, rivers, wetlands, or floodplains. Because these areas sit close to sea level, they are especia...

Welcome back to the show. Today we’re joined by Laura Iyer, founder of the Southern Sustainability Institute. Laura works with communities, businesses, and local leaders across the South to advance practical sustainability solutions through education, renewable energy, and community action. Today we’ll talk about what inspired her to launch the Institute, the future of sustainability in the South,...

Today we’re joined by Jackson Voss, Senior Government Affairs & Policy Advisor at the Alliance for Affordable Energy. He breaks down how energy systems are shaped, regulated, and experienced by everyday people. In this episode, we explore what the energy landscape looks like in New Orleans and across Louisiana, where climate vulnerability, aging infrastructure, and rising costs all intersect....

Today I’m joined by Sherrell Byrd who is the Founder and Executive Director at SOWEGA Rising. SOWEGA Rising, an organization doing powerful work to support Southwest Georgia and build a more resilient future.  Southwest Georgia faces interconnected challenges like limited economic opportunity, healthcare access gaps, aging infrastructure, and the pressures of a largely agriculture-based economy. O...

Today, we’re joined by Julie Bolthouse, Director of Land Use at the Piedmont Environmental Council. With Julie, we talk about the rapid expansion of data centers on the ground and how communities are responding. Virginia is often called the “data center capital of the world”. Data centers are reshaping landscapes, straining resources, and raising tough questions about growth and sustainability.  I...

Today we’re diving into the work happening on the ground in East Tennessee to support farmers, strengthen local food systems, and build healthier, more resilient communities. I’m joined by Andy Brown and Jillian Gorell from the Appalachian Resource Conservation & Development Council, an organization that’s been doing incredible work across the region, from farmland conservation and farmer trai...

I’m joined by Bill Powers from Living Well Collaborative with Earth Island Institute, an organization based in Bolivia. Bill is an author, ecologist, and storyteller whose work bridges the personal and the environment in a way that feels hopeful. We’re here to talk about his book Ripple: An Intimate Exchange of Urgency and Hope Between An Ecologist Dad and His Daughter . Through a series of heartf...

Today’s guest is Judy Braus, Executive Director of the North American Association for Environmental Education or NAAEE for short. NAAEE’s mission is to use the power of education to advance environmental literacy and civic engagement so that people and communities can make informed decisions and take action toward a healthier, more sustainable, and equitable future. They equip educators, leaders,...

As the world transitions toward a clean energy future, there is more demand for critical minerals like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and rare earth elements. These minerals are essential for clean energy technologies, electric vehicles, batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, and even our everyday electronics. But where do these minerals come from? Who controls their extraction? Who bears the environme...

I’m joined by Giulio Salerno from the Wild Oyster Project, an organization working to bring native oyster reefs back to San Francisco Bay and other West Coast estuaries. It’s about repairing ecosystems, building climate resilience, and bringing back something that once quietly held entire coastlines together. The Wild Oyster Project started with a simple but eye-opening realization: oysters used t...

Today we’re joined by Nadia Steinzor, Carnivore Conservation Director with Project Coyote, a national nonprofit working to promote coexistence between people and North America’s native carnivores. Nadia’s work sits at the intersection of science, policy, and community engagement, addressing a complex conservation challenge of how to live alongside predators in a rapidly changing landscape. When we...

In this episode, I speak with Yuka Nagashima, the Executive Director of Food Shift, she has spent her career working at the intersection of food, equity, and environmental impact. Food Shift is an organization dedicated to transforming our food system by addressing wasted food, redistributing surplus, and building more just, regenerative local food economies.  Food touches every part of our lives....

Today, we’re joined by David McGuire, Executive Director of Shark Stewards, an organization dedicated to protecting endangered marine species and the critical ocean habitats they depend on. For more than fifty years, foundational laws such as the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the National Marine Sanctuaries Act have served as our nation’s safety net for wildlife and...

My guest is Anupa Asokan, executive director of Fish On, an organization working to ensure that coastal communities and the ecosystems they rely on can thrive for generations to come. Fish On is all about empowering the people who know the water best: the anglers, families, and coastal residents whose lives are tied to healthy oceans. Through community-driven advocacy, science-based policy, and a...

Today on the podcast, we’re joined by Mary Olson, Executive Director of the Generational Radiation Impact Project, or GRIP,  an organization dedicated to understanding and addressing how radiation exposure affects people differently across age, sex, and generation. Mary has been a longtime advocate for more equitable and science-based radiation protection standards. Her work highlights something t...

Today, we’re joined by Mona Shomali, Director of the New Leaders Initiative at the Earth Island Institute,  the organization behind the annual Brower Youth Awards, which recognize some of the most inspiring young environmental leaders in North America. Earth Island Institute is a hub for grassroots environmental projects around the world, and the New Leaders Initiative focuses specifically on elev...

Today, we’re joined by Marquita Bradshaw who is an environmental justice organizer, community advocate, and Executive Director of Sowing Justice . Marquita made history as the first African American woman to win a major party nomination for the U.S. Senate in Tennessee, all while using a traditional grassroots organizing model. After that groundbreaking campaign, she founded Sowing Justice,  a non...

Today, we're joined by Michael Brown, Executive Director of Sustaining Way, a nonprofit based in Greenville, South Carolina, that’s redefining sustainability through equity, education, and faith.  Through powerful community programs like Annie’s House, youth leadership initiatives, and resilient home interventions, Sustaining Way brings together environmental justice, interfaith values, and hands-...

Today, we’re diving into a crisis that’s hitting close to home for many North Carolinians, one that sits at the intersection of climate change, corporate accountability, and financial survival: the insurance crisis unfolding in the wake of Hurricane Helene. I talk with Charles Slidders , Senior Attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law , or CIEL. Charles is a legal expert working...

Today we’re talking with Romain Chuffart is with the Arctic Institute.  We’re turning our attention to one of the most fragile and rapidly changing regions on Earth — the Arctic. This vast, icy expanse at the top of the world plays a crucial role in regulating our global climate and is home to unique ecosystems and Indigenous communities whose lives are intertwined with the land and sea. But the A...

Today, we’re talking with Diane Wilson, the Executive Director of the San Antonio Bay Waterkeeper, about a nuclear proposal that’s raising red flags across the Gulf Coast of Texas. A company called Dow/Union Carbide wants to build a Small Modular Reactor, the Xe-100 near Long Mott, Texas, just miles from the Guadalupe River and San Antonio Bay. It’s a region already grappling with historic floodin...

Today we’re diving deep into the fight for environmental justice right here in North Carolina. Our guest is Dr. Rania Masri , Co-Director of the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network , or NCEJN. It's a powerful grassroots organization committed to supporting communities on the frontlines of environmental harm. NCEJN has been a force in holding polluters and policymakers accountable, whi...

Today, we’re exploring one of the most vital waterways in the Southeast, the Chattahoochee River . Our guest is Henry Jacobs , Deputy Director at Chattahoochee Riverkeeper , an organization that has been on the front lines of river protection since 1994. From drinking water for millions to habitat for countless species, the Chattahoochee is a lifeline, but it also faces serious challenges, from po...