Constant Wonder

When options for recess became limited during the pandemic, a group of children in Oak Park, Illinois created Leaf Town, a thriving metropolis made of fallen leaves and lost trinkets. Beth and Kathleen Rooney recount the rise, fall, and rebuilding of the little community and remind us of the value of imagination and attention to little things.

Guests: Beth and Kathleen Rooney, authors of "Leaf Town Forever"

https://www.leaftownforever.com

When Ava Chin went looking for the father who had abandoned her family, she discovered the rich and complicated legacy of her Chinese immigrant relatives. Her great-great-grandfather helped build the railroad that united America, but his adopted country soon turned against him, legislating the Chinese Exclusion Act. This episode of the Constant Wonder podcast explores how Ava Chin's family continued to thrive in America, despite intense discrimination. As her family history unfolds, we witness Ava Chin lay claim to a past she never knew she had.

Guest: Ava Chin, author of "Mott Street: A Chinese American Family's Story of Exclusion and Homecoming"

Learn more about Ava Chin:

http://avachin.com/

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

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/563929/mott-street-by-ava-chin/

Excerpts from "Butterfly Lovers’ Violin Concerto" used by permission from the BYU Chamber Orchestra

Originally aired Sept 27, 2023

There’s a sea change happening . . . on land. People are rethinking what a garden is, what a yard is for, what urban green spaces can do to help life flourish. This visionary who promotes “more-wild-than-not” landscapes is a leader in redefining beauty. Rebecca McMackin grew up on a small farm in Connecticut, where her love for the natural world first took root. She spent a decade as Director of Horticulture at Brooklyn Bridge Park, managing 85 acres of organic parkland and championing biodiversity in the heart of the city. She's now one of today's preeminent voices in the cause of life-supporting, ecologically sound gardening practices.

Guest: Rebecca McMackin, Lead Horticulturist for the American Horticultural Society, publisher of the "Grow Like Wild" newsletter

Learn more about Rebecca McKackin: https://www.rebeccamcmackin.com/

Find her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oroeoboeococoao/?hl=en

Neurosurgeon Jay Wellons performs the most delicate surgeries on the traumatized brains of children, where every cut and stitch has life-changing consequences. He’s also an enthralling storyteller and a tireless advocate for his patients–a lesson he learned the hard way. Join us as he shares inspiring tales of his patients’ journeys.

Guest: Jay Wellons, MD, Cal Turner Chair and Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center; author of "All That Moves Us: A Pediatric Neurosurgeon, His Young Patients, and Their Stories of Grace and Resilience"

Read Jay Wellons' book: https://parnassusbooks.net/book/9780593243381

Find him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/allthatmovesus_official/?hl=en

Originally aired November 22, 2022

Octopuses, chickens, hummingbirds, turtles, emus... the list of animals that Sy Montgomery has befriended goes on. On Constant Wonder, we explore all sources of awe—human and wild—and in this episode we'll bring you exciting stories from both worlds.

Guest:

Sy Montgomery, naturalist and author of over thirty books, including "The True and Lucky Life of a Turtle"

Find her online:

Author page: https://symontgomery.com/

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SyTheAuthor/

What happens when you combine a professional cellist's technical skill and a physicist's experiment with vibration sensors? You get a play-able beehive—a living collaboration between humans and animals. In this episode, learn about the beautiful and musical lives of bees.

Guests:

Professor Martin Bencsik of Nottingham Trent University

Professional cellist Deirdre Bencsik

Learn more about Martin Bencsik's bee research here: https://www.ntu.ac.uk/staff-profiles/science-technology/martin-bencsik

Learn more about Diedre Bencsik's musical career here:

https://www.lindowensemble.co.uk/copy-of-vw

After taking on the care of a beehive, Jessica Lahey quickly discovered that no amount of research could prepare her for the real buzz—like what happens when a hungry bear raids the hive. In this episode, Jess shares what it’s like to balance heartbreak and humor, protecting her bees while still finding empathy for the wild creatures that see them as a snack.

Guest: Jessica Lahey, amateur beekeeper and author of "The Gift of Failure" and "The Addiction Inoculation."

Visit Jessica Laney online:

Main website: https://www.jessicalahey.com/

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicapottslahey/

Substack: https://substack.com/@jesslahey

Giraffes don't like to swim, so how do you get them off an island that's flooding? How do keepers feed a violent, orphaned baby elephant that's been traumatized by humans? The answer is to think like an animal. Meet some empathetic rescuers who had to get creative to save the animals in their care.

Guests:

David O'Connor, President of Save Giraffes Now

Ami Vitale, filmmaker and National Geographic Magazine photographer

Jake Owens, Director of Conservation at the L.A. Zoo

Learn more about Save Giraffes Now:

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

X/Twitter: https://x.com/savegiraffesnow?lang=en

Get involved: https://savegiraffesnow.org/

Originally aired March 30, 2022

Exploring deeper in the ocean than anyone before him—into the dark depths of the sea where no ray of sunlight reached—William Beebe saw shocking lights, colors, and critters that made him question life on land. In this episode of Constant Wonder, meet a scientist as interesting as the watery worlds he discovered.

Guest: Brad Fox, author of The Bathysphere Book: Effects of the Luminous Ocean Depths

William Beebe narrated by Brian Croxall, Professor of Digital Humanities at BYU

Visit Brad Fox online:

Author page: https://bradfox.org/about

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

Originally aired on August 16, 2023

For Jenedy Paige, journaling started as a childhood habit and became a lifeline in adulthood, especially after the tragic drowning of her son. Art and writing gave her voice; running and climbing gave her release. Her practice of seeking both God and growth eventually led her to the national stage of American Ninja Warrior. Through it all, she has come to see strength not only as personal resilience but as a calling—to bring light and encouragement to others walking through their own storms.

Guest: Jenedy Paige, oil painter and "American Ninja Warrior" participant

Find Jenedy Paige online:

Her website: https://jenedypaige.com/

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@jenedypaigeart

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenedypaige/