Planet People Podcast

Seed & Spark now LIVE: https://seedandspark.com/fund/in-janes-footsteps#story Happy Earth Day, Planet People 🌍 This is the biggest announcement we've ever made. For the first time, Planet People Podcast is stepping beyond audio and into filmmaking with our debut short film: "In Jane's Footsteps: The Path to Gombe." In 2024, our host and conservation biologist Natalie traveled to Gombe Stream Nati...

Join us as Coral and Natalie explore how Bad Bunny united the Americas through his historic halftime performance while shining a spotlight on an unlikely cultural icon: the Puerto Rican crested toad (known as coquí guajón or sapo concho). Bad Bunny features this endangered amphibian as a recurring symbol throughout his album DtMF (Debí Tirar Más Fotos), where animated versions of the toad appear i...

Join us for the second episode of our Planet People Book Club series as we explore Yuck: The Birth & Death of the Weird & Wondrous Joshua Tree, Yucca Brevifolia by author Barret Baumgart. This contemplative work uses the iconic Joshua tree as a lens to examine our relationship with the Mojave Desert and the American West. Barret shares the personal and creative journey behind this distinctive medi...

Join us as we journey along the Colorado River with Alex Harper, a naturalist, wildlife conservationist, bird photographer, and guide with Red Rocks Audubon, whose recent survey expedition documents one of the American West's most urgent environmental crises. Alex shares what it means to witness the dramatic transformation of a river system that sustains millions of people and countless species—fr...

Join us as we venture into the Mojave Desert with Kelly Herbinson, Executive Director of Mojave Desert Land Trust, and Patrick Emblidge, Plant Conservation Program Manager, whose groundbreaking conservation work reveals the urgent need to protect one of North America's most iconic and misunderstood ecosystems. Kelly and Patrick share what it means to safeguard the desert's irreplaceable biodiversi...

In this urgent discussion, we interview Jack Humphrey from The Rewilding Institute to explore what rewilding truly means—and why it's under unprecedented threat right now. As the Trump administration dynamites through Arizona's most critical jaguar habitat to construct border walls, we examine what happens when we sever the very corridors that wildlife has traveled for millennia. The Rewilding Ins...

In this discussion, we interview Josh Jackson, author of The Enduring Wild and creator of the Forgotten Lands project, which documents and advocates for Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public lands across the American West. Through his writing and photography, Josh has become a leading voice in drawing attention to these vast, often-overlooked landscapes, which represent our largest—and most vulne...

Happy New Year's from Planet People hosts, Natalie & Coral!   PLANET PEOPLE SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow Planet People on Instagram:  @planet.people.pod Subscribe to us on YouTube:  @PlanetPeoplePodcast

In this special holiday episode, hosts Natalie and Coral reflect on the season of giving and what it means to give sustainably. As we approach the end of the year, they discuss the importance of shopping small, supporting local businesses, and giving back to the incredible organizations and guests who have shared their knowledge and passion throughout the season. This Christmas episode is a joyous...

In this festive discussion, hosts Coral and Natalie sit down with guest Jenli Kaylor to explore the art of sustainable holiday living through thrifting and upcycling. Together, they dive deep into creative ways to make the holiday season more environmentally conscious while still maintaining the magic and joy of the season. From transforming secondhand finds into meaningful gifts to reimagining ho...

In this discussion, we interview Kurt Leuschner, a Professor of Natural Resources at the College of the Desert, a public community college serving the diverse Coachella Valley of Riverside County, California. College of the Desert enrolls approximately 12,500 students and is federally recognized as a Hispanic-serving institution, reflecting its commitment to educational accessibility in the region...

Join us for an in-depth conversation about Mojave desert tortoise conservation efforts, from the original endangered species designation to current threats and protection strategies. In this interview with Mary Lane Poe of the Desert Tortoise Council, we review the many threats facing the desert tortoise, as well as meaningful ways for people to take action and even start a career in desert tortoi...

Join us as we explore the vibrant creative scene of Joshua Tree with Shari Elf, founder of Art Queen, whose innovative approach to upcycled fashion reveals the profound relationship between clothing, self-expression, and environmental consciousness. Shari shares what it means to transform discarded garments into wearable art, as well as the powerful story of how upcycling can serve as both a perso...

Join us for a special shorter-format conversation as founder, Natalie, sits down with co-host and Creative Director, Coral Carson, to reflect on Planet People's remarkable 2.5-year journey. As we celebrate this milestone and enter our second season, we take a moment to express gratitude for our incredible community and discuss why Indigenous knowledge is foundational—not supplementary—to any meani...

Join us as we explore the Eastern Sierra Nevada with Seth Bizardi Tsosie, a Native American monitor from the Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Tribe, whose ancestral knowledge reveals the profound relationship between Indigenous peoples and the land of flowing water. Seth shares what it means to grow up with generations of traditional ecological wisdom about this remarkable region, as well as the devastat...

Join us as we journey to the frozen continent of Antarctica with Dr. Steve Emslie, a leading Antarctic ecologist whose groundbreaking research on Adélie penguins has revealed fascinating insights into one of Earth's most extreme environments. From the remarkable adaptations of these charismatic seabirds to the surprising revelation that Antarctica is technically a desert, Dr. Emslie shares his dis...

This episode takes you behind the scenes of our San Diego Climate Week event, where we combined mindfulness meditation with birdwatching to forge a deeper connection with the natural world and raise awareness about one of climate change's most vulnerable victims—our birds. Hosts Natalie and Coral share why they chose to lead a meditative bird walk during Climate Week, highlighting the critical rel...

It's Halloween on Planet People Podcast, and this episode dives into the eerie intersection of nature and folklore. Hosts Natalie and Coral are joined by their teammate Hugh Carr to explore the misunderstood realities of four creatures that have long haunted human imagination—the raven, coyote, tarantula, and owl. Hugh unpacks the mythological roots of ravens and coyotes as tricksters and spirit m...

Join us in continuing this Spooky Season as we sit down with Scott Heacox to explore the truly exciting world of parasitic insects in the Coachella Valley. From wasps that turn their hosts into living nurseries to fungi that create zombie ants, Scott reveals the fascinating and sometimes horrifying survival strategies of desert insects. This spine-tingling conversation uncovers the complex relatio...

Join us as we sit down with Katie Shaw, a social scientist with The Living Desert Zoo in Palm Desert, to explore the fascinating intersection of human behavior and wildlife conservation. Kate shares insights into their innovative "Time to Talk Trash" conservation program, which targets the root cause of rising raven populations that threaten endangered desert tortoises. This eye-opening conversati...

Get ready for our most innovative episode yet! In this episode, we explore the cutting-edge world of conservation technology (CTs) with Tim Shields from Ornilogic, who is revolutionizing desert tortoise protection through creative technological solutions. Tim shares mind-blowing conservation tools, including laser guns to deter raven presence and ingenious fake tortoise babies filled with grape ju...

Join us for an unforgettable conversation with Danielle Wall, recorded live at a studio in Joshua Tree, California! In this exclusive episode, Danielle shares wild stories from her years as a snake wrangler out West, fascinating fun facts about rattlesnake behavior, and essential rescue advice that could save both human and snake lives. The interview becomes even more exciting when Danielle brings...

In this important episode, hosts Coral and Natalie discuss the history of Joshua tree conservation in Southern California and examine the groundbreaking Joshua Tree Conservation Act. They explore what it takes to protect these iconic desert trees under their own dedicated legislation, analyzing the current threats Joshua trees face from rapid solar development and the escalating impacts of climate...

Carissa Cabrera, CEO of FutureSwell and marine biologist, joins us to discuss her multifaceted approach to ocean conservation through media, education, and community building. Based in Hawaiʻi, Carissa integrates Indigenous management with modern conservation practices while serving as a National Geographic educator and content creator. We explore the challenges facing marine ecosystems, including...

In this episode of Planet People, we are joined by Colin Barrows, a Coachella Valley naturalist, desert advocate, and Secretary of CactusToCloud Institute. Colin has extensive knowledge in desert ecology, particularly in reptiles and rare desert plants, and he shares many fascinating facts about lizard adaptations. We also uncover the secret life of lizards and what it takes for these creatures to...