Can looking closer at the natural world help erase our fear of death? In episode 14, naturalist Emily Stone shares how observing the small miracles of death and renewal in plants, mushrooms and animals has affected her feelings on the subject. We learn how a tree becomes more alive after it has died and get a welcome dose of poetry from Mary Oliver. Emily is the education director at The Cable Natural History Museum in northern Wisconsin and writes a weekly column called Natural Connections, in which she transports readers into a magical world where nature is wilder than fiction. You can find an archive of Emily’s weekly column at: cablemuseumnaturalconnections.blogspot.com/ or you can purchase one or both of her Natural Connections books from any major bookseller. You can also listen to her column in podcast form by searching Natural Connections in Apple Podcasts or wherever you’re listening now.