Rosebuds and Resilience

Did you know that OR maple syrup can be made from BigLeaf Maple trees? In this episode, creator/host Rebecca Bowe and guest co-host Jessica Knoblauch take you to a sugar boil in the woods hosted by The Oregon Maple Project. We hear from Eliza Nelson, who founded this organization to help people connect with nature through experiential learning around syrup production. Anyone can get involved to le...

While Portland media outlets often report on issues relating to the city's homeless population, it's rare to hear stories of people who have overcome homelessness and helped others do the same. In this episode we meet Kris Brown, a formerly homeless Portland resident who has done just that. Kris changed his situation after landing a part-time job at Ground Score Association, a nonprofit...

On Jan. 31, federal agents deployed so much tear gas on a peaceful crowd of anti-ICE protesters that the scent was detectable nearly a mile away. In this episode we hear from Missy Rohs, an herbalist and volunteer street medic with Portland Action Medics. They explain what people can do to protect themselves from tear gas before heading out to a protest, offer advice on what to do if caught in a t...

In this episode we hear insights and stories from Jennifer Rose Marie Serna, the matriarch of Wapato Island Farm. Better known as Jenny to family and friends, she is a mother, farmer, land activist, skill educator, and speaker who has tended  land on Sauvie Island for more than two decades. Jenny speaks about the journey that led her to this place, lessons learned from her elders, and maintaining...

When Maximo Castro first moved to Portland from Tennessee, he didn't even have a bike - but now he's a Bike Summer ride leader who heads out for group bike rides all year long. In this episode we talk about Bike Summer and how this three-month long festival on wheels has helped one ride leader find community, healing, and joy as an act of resistance.  Notes and Resources: Shift 2 Bikes C...

What if you could grow your own food in someone else's yard? In Portland, you can. In this episode we talk with Dan Sloan, executive director of the Portland Food Forest initiative, about why he started an organization that aims to replace lawns with food-bearing ecosystems. We also meet Brian Allen, whose life changed after he moved into a home with a food forest in the backyard. And we hear...

Isabel Gibson, a hard-working artist with a deep appreciation for pollinators, sets up at the Portland Winter Light Festival to display her unique art piece about pollinators and distribute free seed packets to festival goers. Features an original song by singer/songwriter Annie Vergnetti. Notes and Resources: Pollination Station Website: https://www.pollinationstation.net/ Portland Winter Light F...