State of Water

Noah Kaplan of Leon Speakers and Mothfire Brewing Company recently joined us as one of our guests for a special live State of Water podcast recording at Leon Loft in Ann Arbor.

Noah shares about his lifelong love for water and nature, from his early days growing up in New York by the ocean and seeing the impacts of pollution to now living in Michigan and appreciating the essential need for clean...

We are honored to welcome Danielle Boyer to State of Water. Danielle Boyer is an Indigenous robotics inventor from the Ojibwe tribe. She started the nonprofit, The Steam Connection, with a mission to use robotics in order to make tech education accessible and safe for Indigenous youth. Danielle poignantly shares about her own journey in tech and robotics and how her lack of access as a child to ST...

We kick off 2026 with a power packed episode featuring a conversation with Sean McBrearty. Sean shares some poignant reflections on his work and friendship with Holly T. Bird as we continue our series of tributes to Holly (ba). Sean also gives updates on his efforts with Clean Water Action-MI, Oil & Water Don’t Mix, and the Mop Up Michigan (Money out of Politics) ballot initiative. Plenty of calls...

Washtenaw County Commissioner, Yousef Rabhi, recently joined us as one of our guests for a special live State of Water podcast recording at Leon Loft in Ann Arbor. Yousef tells the origin story of discovering his passion for the environment and public service in preschool that set the stage for a life of advocating for working class people, the water, and the environment through his roles as Count...

Bryan Smigielski, Michigan Campaign Organizer for the Sierra Club, joins us for a special episode to discuss the proposed data center in Saline Township and the ongoing effort for full transparency and no secret deals! Learn more about the filing from Sierra Club: https://www.sierraclub.org/michigan/blog/2025/11/environmental-groups-file-contested-case-hearing-saline-data-center Join us for a publ...

We are honored to welcome Manape LaMere to State of Water as we continue our series honoring our beloved friend and colleague, Holly (ba) T. Bird. Manape is Isanti Dakota, Ihanktowan Dakota, and Winnebago Hochunk. His name, Manape Hocinci Ga means “Soldier Boy.” Manape is a government representative for the Sioux Nation at the U.N. Economic and Social Council and also carries the responsibility of...

We are grateful to welcome back Monica Lewis-Patrick to State of Water for the first of a series of tribute episodes honoring our beloved friend and colleague, Holly (ba) T. Bird, who died after a very short battle with cancer this April. Holly’s work as a lawyer, activist, and community leader touched so many people’s lives through her efforts to ensure safety and wellbeing for women and children...

We’re thrilled to welcome the one and only Randy Buchler of Shady Grove Farm to State of Water. Randy shares about the journey and foundational principles behind his and his wife Libby’s work as they embrace permaculture and organic practices to treat the land and water in a healthy, regenerative way while providing nutrient dense, healthy food for themselves and their community. We hear about Ran...

We are honored to welcome Stephanie Feldstein to State of Water. In this power-packed conversation with State of Water host, Seth Bernard, Stephanie shares of her own personal connection to and passion for animals, the environment, and to water and how she sees her work serving as a catalyst for empowering people to make positive change in the world in the midst of so many existential challenges....

In our first episode of 2025 we are happy to present a special conversation between Seth Bernard and his good friend and outgoing Executive Director of the Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities, Hans Voss. Hans shares insights and reflections from his 30 years of Groundwork experience on a variety of topics - from what makes a good meeting to the importance of human connection in fundraising...

BREAKING NEWS episode with Tom Grotewohl of Protect the Porkies. "Good news!! Thanks to good old fashioned people powered organizing, the $50M grant to Copperwood Mine has been blocked. I spoke with Tom, the wizard of Protect the Porkies, immediately after the news broke, at the end of an epic and unprecedented year of environmental organizing. We salute you. Lake Superior, we thank you for inspir...

We’re thrilled to welcome Becca Meuninck, Regional Executive Director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Great Lakes Regional Center. In this wonderful conversation with State of Water host Seth Bernard, we hear about (3:30) NWF’s current efforts across the region advocating for clean water for people and wildlife collaborating with a broad coalition of organizations and communities across the...

We’re honored to welcome Sean McBrearty to State of Water. Sean is the Political Director for Clean Water Action and the Campaign Manager for Oil & Water Don't Mix. (3:20) Sean shares an update on the Nessel vs Enbridge case as well as current calls to action in the ongoing fight to Shut Down Line 5 including an invitation for folks to join upcoming events on July 25 or August 31 and a new effort...

We are thrilled to welcome Chris Treter, owner and co-founder of Higher Grounds Trading Company to State of Water. State of Water host Seth Bernard invites Chris to go on a journey through time, (4:40) back to the 1990s and the formative events of the Zapatista uprising in Chiapas, Mexico and the WTO protests in Seattle - both moments of people standing courageously against neoliberal economic pol...

We’re thrilled to welcome Stella Young to State of Water. Stella is the Director of Development for On the Ground Global who partners with coffee farmer communities to improve standards of living through a variety of projects in support of clean water, gender equity, and cooperative economics. (4:00) Stella shares some of the On the Ground origin story and (6:50) how their commitment to fair trade...

Jane Fitkin is the Director of Citizens for a Safe & Clean Lake Superior (CSCLS), (3:00) an organization created by local residents passionate about protecting the Lake Superior watershed. (3:30) Jane shares about the recent success story of their Stop the Rocket campaign which effectively mobilized grassroots opposition to the deeply flawed space port project that was proposed to be built on the...

We’re thrilled to welcome author, activist, playwright, and teacher, Maryann Lesert, to State of Water. (3:30) Maryann shares about the inspiration behind her new novel, Land Marks, which will be published on April 16. All pre-order sales go to support Title Track and our Water Protector’s Training Camp program! (7:27) Land Marks is the culmination of more than 2 years of research where Maryann vi...

We’re happy to welcome Tom Grotewohl of Protect the Porkies, who are organizing against the development of the Copperwood Mine in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Tom shares about the (4:40) launch of Protect the Porkies and describes what’s at stake with this boom and bust project if allowed to move forward including environmental damage to Lake Superior, ground water, local wildlife, old growth fores...

We’re excited to share this wonderful conversation with Araya Montero of Two Hearted Midwifery. (2:40) Araya shares stories about growing up on the shores of Lake Michigan and (8:47) how her deep love and connection with that body of water informs her presence navigating the intensity and uncertainty of birth (10:43) as she supports those in labor to trust themselves, their bodies, and their babie...

Hans Voss is Executive Director of the Groundwork Center for Resilient Communities who works tirelessly to protect the environment, strengthen our economy and build thriving communities. In this special conversation with State of Water host, Seth Bernard, (3:25) Hans goes back to 1995 telling some of the early stories from the Michigan Land Use Institute before it was renamed to Groundwork and sha...

In part 2 of our powerful conversation with Palestinian artist, Ayed Arafah, (4:45) Ayed shares about the reality of growing up in a refugee camp under Israeli occupation and how in spite of such brutality, (20:10) the strength and resilience of the Palestinian people never wanes through the warmth of friendship, generosity of spirit, and rich cultural traditions. (23:00) Ayed reflects on this dee...

We are honored to welcome Palestinian artist Ayed Arafah as our first State of Water guest in 2024. Ayed’s art has been featured around the world from Cairo to Oslo to exhibits across the United States. (2:30) He became beloved by many folks within our Michigan community during his artist residency at Earthwork Farm several years ago. (4:40) Ayed reflects on his sense of home and how being born an...

For our final episode of the 2023 we are once again turning the microphone around on State of Water host and Title Track founder Seth Bernard. (3:51) We begin the episode with Seth sharing a few more reflections coming off of his recent experience at the One Water Summit, which was featured in Episode 38. (9:05) Seth gives some end of year reflections on where we’ve been as the State of Water Podc...

In this special episode, State of Water host Seth Bernard checks in from this November’s One Water Summit in Tuscon, AZ, hosted by the US Water Alliance. Seth gives an intimate travel log style report sharing of inspiring connections, insightful conversations, and meaningful moments that will inform his work as he returns to Michigan. Seth attended the summit as part of the delegation of the Water...

Monica Lewis-Patrick is CEO and co-founder of We the People of Detroit, and has worked tirelessly on water justice issues for years in Detroit as well as being an effective advocate at the state and federal levels for water affordability and human rights. She was our guest in Episode 14 and now returns in Episode 37 with more insight and info to share reflecting on her organizing experience opposi...