Join this episode of Connecting Communities to hear about how wild adventure can be more accessible that you might think. K College has become a resource for students and community members to learn and experience rock climbing, backpacking, and more. They want to create a community, connect people, and design programs that are of interest to the community. It is a perfect time to get involved with this group - so connect with Hannah and Jory in this episode!

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kzoooutdoor/?hl=en

Website: https://outdoor.kzoo.edu

EB Precopia shares about her passion for food and how it led to her building her blog and food tours in Kalamazoo.

Mia Breznau is a young climate activist in Kalamazoo. She has been participating and planning service projects, advocating for legislation, and organizing other young people for public demonstrations. In this episode, Mia shares her story and some of the influential mentors and organizations that have guided her journey. 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Urban Bird Treaty (https://www.fws.gov/program/urban-bird-treaty)

Ardea Youth Climate Coalition (https://www.instagram.com/ardeayouthcc)

Ardea Youth Climate Coalition applications will be open spring 2026 (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe9bx5qs2YSxjVU5buYAomcnoasY6rKen9o7qB5t9Z7P98Xqw/viewform)

Kalamazoo Climate Crisis Coalition (https://www.kalamazoocrisis.org)

Michigan Climate Summit, September 9 (https://www.miclimateaction.org/2025_michigan_climate_summit)

Michigan Student Power Alliance (https://www.mistudentpower.org)

Michigan for the Many Campaign

Starlite Collective is an artist community led by Erica and Val to support and promote artists in Southwest Michigan. The way they have designed the collective to remove all barriers for their artists, from physical to financial ones. They have applied the same thought and inclusive attitude toward their inaugural Starlite Arts and Music Festival, in Kalamazoo on August 15-17, 2025.

Find out more about the festival and purchase tickets at www.starlitecollective.org

Follow them on Instagram to find out what food trucks will be attending the festival!

The city of Kalamazoo has a calendar full of programs for residents that will help them get out and enjoy nature safely. Destiny Stetina joins us to talk about the programs and the impact such programs have had on her own life.

Contact info for Destiny: [email protected]

After October 1, contact: [email protected]

Relevant links:

City Sustainability Webpage -

City Recycling -

Social media:

https://www.facebook.com/KalamazooCity/

https://www.instagram.com/kalamazoocity/?hl=en

Other orgs:

Kalamazoo Area Wild Ones - https://kalamazoo.wildones.org

Homegrown National Park - https://homegrownnationalpark.org

iNaturalist + Kalamazoo Invasive Species Project - https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/invasive-species-monitoring-in-kalamazoo

Only a few hundred years ago, our ancestors were just as familiar with the night sky as they were with the daytime sky. Now we are quite separated from it. Steven Crawford, the Planetarium Technician at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, visits the podcast to discuss the night sky, and how to planetarium can help people access the wonder and majesty of it.

For information about the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, and to purchase tickets to the planetarium, visit https://kalamazoomuseum.org/planetarium

Patrick Hershberger visited the June TrashLoveKzoo clean up to document their progress. The volunteers journeyed into the woods near where the Sprinkle Road road crosses over the Kalamazoo River. The images of the garbage have to be seen to be believed! Even faced with that amount of trash, the group completed their goal and then some!

Battle Creek Unlimited is an economic development non-profit that has aquired 10 acres along the Kalamazoo River that runs through downtown. For decades, this area has been a highly industrial one, with the banks of the river reflecting that. A cement channel was created in 1962 to prevent flooding. The buildings along the channel have been removed, and now the property sits behind a chain link fence. What is the plan for this area? Kris Martin, Urban Planner with Battle Creek Unlimited, sits down with us to explain the plans for the property - including how the river can be naturalized and contribute to habitat and recreational opportunities along the Kalamazoo River.

Complete the survey to provide feedback on the future design of the downtown Battle Creek naturalization project: www.battlecreekmichigan.gov 

(Will be open through Fall 2025)

Monoform Cinema is a group that is bringing a curated, non-commercial film experience to Kalamazoo. The team (Gabe Ybarra, Jaycie McGruder, Steve Remenapp, and Carman Goodrich) remember the days when the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema was operating and people could go to see movies for more than just the day’s big blockbusters. From the serious to the humorous, Monoform brings people together and shows films that spark movement, a juxtaposition to the imagery of a couch potato who turns their mind off to consume movies. It is entirely accessible - tickets are a mere $5 - and it is building community in a fantastically surprising way.

Attend a Monoform Cinema showing on the second Thursday of each month. For more information visit 

www.monoformcinema.com

Unfortunately there is some static from a faulty microphone cord featured in this episode. Static is present at 11-15 min and 30-34 min.

Residents who follow the page Yes, There Really Is A Kalamazoo Meme Page on Facebook and Instagram frequently comment on the page's original memes saying "This is so true." The page nods to neighborhood inside jokes, winks about local heroes, and waves a big red flag toward nefarious characters. So who are these meme makers? Their names are Joel Crookston and Tyler Dancer - but what is their motivation and inspiration? Joel and Tyler get vulnerable while using humor to keep things light, and explain why it is so important to use that mindset while creating content for the meme page.

From the episode:

Toxic Action Lab

Try Googling: "Otsego Story Project"

TDancerMusic

Joel Oliver Crookston

Joel Oliver Crookston Facebook

Pure Memeigan