For What It's Earth

This week I am joined by Lucy McGinty for a discussion about the unseen of the biosphere - microorganisms! Lucy, my Spring 2022 intern, is currently on her way to becoming an environmental microbiologist and she sheds a little light on what that entails, and about some of her favorite bacterium, along with how they can be incredibly useful for bioremediation work!

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For Groundwater Awareness week, let's take a look at what groundwater is, how it impacts wildlife such as amphibians like salamanders, toads, and especially frogs, as well as how we can improve groundwater quality at home.

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This week, on For What it's Earth, I am joined by soil scientist, Alexandra Schmidt, as we discuss soil health, what's so cool about it, and why gardeners should care about not just maintaining their plants, but their soil beds as well!

Learn more about local extension offices, how to get your soil tested so that you can treat your gardens the way they need to be, and explore how to plant the right plants in the right soil conditions!

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NOTE: This episode talks about death and injured animals. Listener's discretion advised.

As spring approaches, we may see more and more wildlife out and about. As we have more opportunities to observe them, we may notice animals that are injured, hurt, or alone. In this episode, I talk about when and why to rescue wildlife, as well as some tips for commonly found wildlife species.

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Mid- late February is a great time to start planning your spring garden. What is missing from your garden? Where do you have some extra space? What would you like to add? How can you incorporate more wildlife-friendly plants/features into the garden space?

This episode, discover the importance of wild & garden edibles in our diet, and the medicinal benefits we can gain from more than just the standard garden pepper or cucumber. We'll look at edible flower gardens and what they can do for us and wildlife!

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Do you love animals, nature, and all things science? Then get ready to participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count, a community science effort put on by Cornell Lab of Ornithology! During this episode, you'll learn how to participate in the count, how to upload your bird count data, and what scientists might do with the data.

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This week I'm joined by Horticultural Therapist in training and gardening enthusiast, Kaitlyn Whalen, as we talk about the winter blues, how to prevent it, and the importance of using horticulture and the natural world in a therapeutic way. We talk about Alzheimer's and dementia patients, elder care, seasonal affective disorder, and more.

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How do some early season wildflowers manage to grow, even when buried in snow? For plants such as crocus, snowdrops, and skunk cabbage, it all comes down to a unique plant adaptation called Thermogenesis. Learn all about it with this episode!

Winter is a great time to get outdoors and track animals! There are so many signs of evidence, from scat & droppings, to buck rub, to bones, to footprints and more. This winter, explore the natural world around you after learning some basic tracking tips with this episode.

Welcome back to For What It's Earth! 

For the first episode of season 2, learn more about winter birds, how they have adapted to survive and thrive in cold weather, and how their diets change seasonally. We'll discuss bird food, what to look for on the back of bird seed bags, and little ways to create bird feeders to support winter birds!