Planet People Podcast

Several conservation, veteran, and recreation organizations have filed motions to intervene in a lawsuit defending the Chuckwalla National Monument designation. The monument, established in January 2025 on desert lands in California's Riverside and Imperial Counties, is being challenged by an Idaho-based motorized recreation group and a Michigan miner. The intervening organizations, including Cact...

In this episode of Planet People, co-hosts Natalie Jane Cibel and Coral Beth Carson sat down with Sendy Barrows, co-founder of the CactusToCloud Institute, to discuss the successful campaign that led to the designation of the Chuckwalla National Monument in January 2025. Barrows shares the behind-the-scenes story of how this conservation victory required years of dedicated advocacy work, bringing...

Join us as Planet People co-hosts Natalie Jane Cibel and Coral Beth Carson jump into an engaging roundtable discussion with Chris and Angie from All Creatures Podcast. In this dynamic conversation, we dive deep into what conservation truly means to each of us, explore our thoughts on the future of our climate, and discuss the powerful impact of David Attenborough's latest documentary on oceans. Th...

Join us for a casual and fun discussion with Natalie Jane Cibel, a conservation biologist and founder of Planet People, who has dedicated her career to studying and protecting one of the Mojave Desert's most iconic species: the desert tortoise. In this episode, Natalie takes us behind the scenes to see what it's really like to be a wildlife biologist working in the harsh but beautiful California d...

The desert is alive, and Season 2 of Planet People is here to prove it. Join founder and conservation biologist Natalie Jane Cibel, alongside newly joined co-host Coral Beth Carson, as we venture deeper into the Mojave Desert of Southern California and beyond, uncovering the hidden stories of life that thrive in one of Earth's most challenging environments. Our mission remains clear: to protect an...

Episode Summary Hey Planet People, Natalie and Coral popping in with a mid-season 2 update! We are excited to be halfway through filming season 2 of our desert conservation series with a release date in mind for the near future. Right now, we are on a pause for the month of June as we dive deep into post-production processes. What does that look like? In the meantime, please listen to our Season 1...

Listen to Brooke Mitchell's podcast Rewildology here: "Where the Wild Calls: A Journey Through Patagonia's Route of Parks" "Where the Wild Calls" is produced in partnership with Conservación Patagónica and the Route of Parks initiative. A portion of proceeds supports on-the-ground conservation efforts throughout Chilean Patagonia. Episode Summary Join host Brooke Mitchell on an epic 1,700-mile jou...

Listen to this episode on your favorite podcast platform or watch the video version on our YouTube channel to see the birds we identify during our walk! Episode Overview This episode continues our conversation with park ranger Alex Wild, featuring a guided nature walk around San Elijo Lagoon . Alex identifies various birds and plants while discussing his role as a park ranger and sharing stories a...

Happy Earth Day! 🌎💚 In this special bonus episode, we sit down with Alex Wild, a park ranger and naturalist who recently made headlines after being caught in the crossfire of controversial executive orders affecting National Parks. We filmed this episode live from the San Elijo Lagoon with Alex's pet tortoise and now education ambassador, Franklin. Alex shares his journey as a steward of public...

In this bonus episode of Planet People, Natalie and Coral discuss the devastation around the LA Wildfires for both people, wildlife and the planet. As a scientist Natalie offers insight into the climate crisis while Coral sheds light on the LA community and the people that have been displaced and affected by this tragedy. They discuss how extreme weather patterns like intense rainfall, followed by...

Welcome to the first bonus episode on Planet People! I'm your host, Natalie Jane, a conservation biologist and eco-communicator. I am joined by my creative director and now co-host, Coral Carson. We have a really fun episode as we recap Season 1 of Planet People for the Coastal Conservation series and share all the amazing stories and happenings that made this year so special.    We record this ep...

We are excited to have Serge Dedina on the show to share his stories as a southern Californian ocean conservation hero and founder of the organization WILDCOAST / COASTASALVAJE. In this episode, we cover many exciting stories about coastal conservation and the journey that inspired Serge to co-found WILDCOAST. Along the way, we share ocean knowledge and the benefit of blue carbon in acting as the...

In this episode, we interview Dr. Chris Lowe, a Professor of Marine Biology at California State University Long Beach. Dr. Lowe's goal is to help expand our knowledge of marine organisms so that we can better manage and protect their ecosystems. He enjoys developing and using new technology and techniques to answer questions about shark and game fish behavior. He applies his knowledge to help trai...

Hey everyone, and welcome back! In this episode of Planet People, we dive into the world of whales with conservation photographer and videographer Daina Buchner. Join us on this exciting and ocean-filled episode as Daina shares her inspiring journey from childhood memories by the ocean, to becoming a leading figure in the field of marine conservation photography and videography. In our effort to b...

Welcome to Episode #8 of Planet People! In this episode, we interview killer whale expert Nicole Schriber, who studies these amazing whales as a marine biology student at UC San Diego. She also works as a naturalist specializing in orca research and educating wildlife enthusiasts who join the "Gone Whale Watching" boat tours in San Diego. The recent sightings of orcas off of Southern California pr...

Welcome to Episode #7 of Planet People! In this episode, we continue our conversation from Ep. 6 with Amber Becerra, founder of Sol Sanctuary, Wildlife Protection Alliance, and former CEO of Marine Mammal Care Center. In this episode, we learn more about Amber's eco-lodge and what it means to operate one through a sustainable approach to living among nature.  By defining an eco-lodge and coexistin...

Welcome to Episode #6 of Planet People! In this episode, we introduce Amber Becerra, founder of Wildlife Protection Alliance and former CEO of Marine Mammal Care Center. We take you behind the scenes with Amber to learn more about her advocacy work and the challenges she faces as a conservationist. From rebuilding the Marine Mammal Care Center and raising millions of dollars to aid marine mammals'...

Welcome to Episode #5 of Planet People! In this episode, we take you behind the scenes with the Sierra Club Seal Society to learn more about their advocacy work and the challenges they faced in safeguarding marine life in beautiful La Jolla, California. Robyn Davidoff and Carol Toye, the dedicated leaders of the Seal Society, share their experience raising awareness for marine mammals in La Jolla....

Welcome to Episode #4 of Planet People! In this episode, we dive into the fascinating world of rays, shedding light on their importance in marine ecosystems and their challenges in today's changing environment. Additionally, we explore the concept of queer ecology and its significance in the broader context of environmentalism and conservation. We touch on how queer ecology can inspire humans not...

Join us on this exciting episode as we dive into the incredible world of shark expert Randy Thomas. Randy, the founder of the non-profit organization "The Adventures of 5k," is a passionate advocate for wildlife conservation and an exceptional wildlife photographer. Through his captivating imagery and educational outreach efforts, Randy uses his platform to shed light on the importance of protecti...

Join us as we dive into the world of coastal conservation with Cristina Santa Maria! Cristina is the conservation manager with the San Diego Audubon Chapter and she works to protect the endangered California least tern. Tune in to learn more about this conservation problem and how Cristina is working to create a solution.

Join us in this episode as we learn about the holistic approach of community-based conservation in La Jolla Cove to protect natural resources. We address the social ecology that makes this such a complicated human wildlife co-existence issue. The marine mammals, seabirds, and living shoreline are all impacted by human disturbance and we want to learn how to address is to create a harmonious soluti...