8 O'Clock Buzz

In the 1970s, Yokohama University botantist Akira Miyawaki discovered that if you piled up a lot of native plants in a small space and then let them compete against each other, you could very quickly restore a degraded piece of land. The technique, now called the Miyawaki method, has proven successful in many parts of the world. Plots as small as 40 feet by 40 feet can provide increased oxygen and support a diverse ecosystem. Among that diversity, though, you might also find critters, such as ticks, that most people consider pests. Nikki Blunier has experience in both these positive and negative aspects of habitat, working for the Sustainable Communities Group and the Tick Working Group for the Integrated Pest Management Institute. Nikki joined the Monday 8 O’Clock Buzz on September 22, 2025.

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A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirms what many pediatricians have long suspected: America’s youth are dying younger, and suffer from more chronic physical and mental ailments than their counterparts in other high-income countries.  And the trends in the U.S. are growing worse. Dr. Chris B. Forrest is a Professor of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Director of the Applied Clinical Research Center, Scientific Director of PEDSnet and is the primary author of the study.  Dr. Forrest joined Monday Buzz host Brian Standing on September 22, 2025.

Photo of children playing in stream:

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Celebrating 40 years of working to improve all aspects of literacy — reading, math, health, digital, and more — Wisconsin Literacy is holding a 40th Anniversary Celebration on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, 5:30 pm-7:30 pm at the WYSO Center for Music 1118 E. Washington Ave. This state-wide association of 85 literacy organizations works to correct the statistics: 1 in 7 residents struggle with reading literacy, 1 in 4 have issues with math, and over 350,000 people do not have high school diplomas. Associate Director Ashleigh Heinrichs talks about their program and anniversary celebration.

The post Celebrate Wisconsin Literacy’s 40th Anniversary appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Rebecca Wolf revisits her article on Food & Water Watch from February 13, 2025, entitled “Calling RFK Jr.’s Bluff on Food System Reform“, after 7 months to see how his policies have improved the food system. Spoiler alert: he gets bad grades.

The post Grading RFK Jr.’s Food System Reform appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Supporting Madison’s underserved community members with healthy families programming, housing services, agriculture programs, transformational education, equity, and social justice consulting, Urban Triage, with Brandi Grayson as Founder and CEO, has worked tirelessly for 10+ years. Grayson talks with Jan Miyasaki about all their programs and services.

The post Urban Triage’s Full-Service Community Support System appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Today on the too Turnt Up Tuesday 8:00 Buzz with Tara Wilhelmi and Antoine McNeail, Shar-Ron Buie, Data and Evaluation Analyst for Dane County Office of Justice Reform and tireless advocate joins us to talk about the work he does to help reform the legal system, and especially the plight of veterans entangled in the legal system.

Contact Shar-Ron through the Dane County Office of Justice Reform: https://justicereform.danecounty.gov/ 

Catch Antoine’s next Comedy and Poetry Jam on September 27th at Wil-Mar Center: https://www.facebook.com/ComedyAndPoetryJam/

… and earlier the same day, Black Women’s Wellness Day at Monona Terrace, more inforrmation and registration at https://www.blackwomenswellnessday.org/.

Celebrate Dr Ruben Anthony’s 10 years of leadership at the Urban League at the Urban Cabaret coming up October 10th at Monona Terrace: https://www.ulgm.org/UrbanCabaret 

Check in with Urban League at https://ulgm.org/ for their workshops and information on Expungement, childcare assistance, computer skills, the Black men’s resource luncheon series, home ownership clinics, job seekers toolkit, marketplace every Saturday at The Hub, and much more!  Banking-career specific job training coming up October 20th!

Listen in Madison at 89.9FM or online anywhere at wortfm.org.  Support your community radio with a donation online at wortfm.org!

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Artist Ellie Braun feels the world we’ve built for ourselves is too grey and too efficient. So, she uses materials easy to find to try to build a reality more suited to her taste, more grounded in nature and that embraces impermanence.  As the artist in residence at Pinney Library, Ellie is now working to share that practice with the public in Madison.  Ellie Braun joined the Monday Buzz on September 15, 2025.

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The post A World Beyond: Reconstructing Our Reality appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

Formaldehyde is nasty stuff. It causes skin irritation and is associated with leukemia in humans.  It doesn’t break down easily and can contaminate groundwater.  It’s also one of the primary ingredients used in embalming fluid.  That risk has many seeking greener alternatives to traditional burial for their departed loved ones.  Anita Lawrence is the Director of Community Relations for Sòlas Natural Burial Preserve in Middleton, Wisconsin. Anita joined the Monday Buzz on September 15, 2025.

Photo of natural burial casket by DEAD GOOD LEGACIES on Unsplash.

The post Green Burial Offers Alternative to Embalming appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

The internet, cloud storage and artificial intelligence seem like magic in part because the ugly part of how such things are produced is hidden from the end user.  Every e-mail, every social media post, every ChatGPT query requires a computer server and physical storage media somewhere.  That “somewhere,” increasingly means data centers, which, as many places in Wisconsin are finding out, means thousands of acres of farmland consumed and unprecedented electrical consumption.  Data center construction projects are underway or proposed in Port Washington, Kenosha, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin Rapids and the Town of Vienna.  Amy Barrilleaux is the Communications Director for Clean Wisconsin, and she joined the Monday Buzz on September 15, 2025.

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The post Data Centers Threaten Wisconsin and Global Climate appeared first on WORT-FM 89.9.

CSW Change-Maker Awards for 2025.

Mary Ellyn and Joe Sensenbrenner, nominated by Rooted, are winners of the Liesl Blockstein Community Leadership Award, have worked for decades to safeguard public lands to ensure that the public has access to viable, beautiful open spaces. Their works have included Troy Farm and Gardens and McPike Park in Madison; Clarence & Cleopatra Johnson Park, Brown Street Academy, and Alice’s Garden in Milwaukee; and the construction of the Badger Rock Center.

Joyce Hall was nominated by Freedom, Inc., and is the winner of the Sally Sunde Family Advocate Award. in her work includes she provides emergency crisis response, court support, rapid rehousing, and interpersonal violence mitigation for Black, Southeast Asian, queer, youth, and low- to no-income survivors.

Ximena Linares-Rodriguez, nominated by Tenant Resource Center, is the winner of the Linda Sundberg Civil Rights Defender Award. Her work ensures that Spanish-speaking families can navigate and access critical tenant resources. Recognizing the barriers faced by immigrant communities, Ximena and Tenant Resource Center’s Associate Director, Chrisbelly Antimo, partnered with “Joining Forces for Families” to launch Madison Area Partners and Allies (MAPA).

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