First celebrated in 1970, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the beginning of the modern environmental movement in 1970, when on April 22 an estimated 20-million Americans demonstrated for a healthy, sustainable environment in rallies across the country. We’re marking its 49th anniversary with a show on location in a building that’s been retrofitted to be as ‘green’ as possible. We’re in downtown Fort Myers at the Southwest Florida Community Foundation’s Collaboratory . We’re going to spend the

Musicians with the FGCU Jazz Nonet take over WGCU’s performance studio with a live performance! Members of the group include students studying music performance and music education at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Bower School of Music . Under the direction of Jazz Studies professor and bassist Brandon Robertson , members of the ensemble have spent the last semester studying the music of Miles Davis and Gil Evans from the iconic 1957 compilation album “Birth of the Cool.”

A recent study by scientists with the University of Florida and the U.S. Geological Survey finds that Burmese pythons may be foraging on wading bird nesting rookeries in the Everglades. The research is published in PLOS One . The study’s lead author, Sophie Orzechowski, performed this research as part of her recently completed master’s degree in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida. Plus, cane toads are invasive species brought to the U.S. in an effort

According to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention , more than 500 confirmed individual cases of measles have been recorded in 20 different states across the nation since the beginning of this year. Since the viral infection was eliminated in the U.S. nearly 19 years ago, the first few months of 2019 saw the second-greatest number of measles cases reported.

Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder marked by systems such as tremors, stiffness and slow muscle movement. According to parkinsons.org , 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with the neurological disorder each year. In honor of it being National Parkinson’s Awareness Month, we've invited many people whose lives orbit around Parkinson’s disease to the studio. Dr. Ramon A. Gil, a neurologist at the Parkinson’s Treatment Center of Southwest Florida , phones the studio to contribute a rundown

Emmy nominated bassist, composer and music educator and advocate Brandon Robertson performs live in studio ahead of the anticipated release of his first album, “ Bass’d on a True Story ,” this summer. The original jazz compositions on the new album serve as an audio-biography of Robertson’s life journey through music with songs influenced by his real-life experiences. In addition to recording and performing in Southwest Florida with the Dan Miller-Lew Del Gatto Quartet , Robertson is a music

We're getting an update on the state of the foster care system in southwest Florida with Nadereh Salim , she's the chief executive officer of the Children’s Network of Southwest Florida , and a local foster parent, who both join us in the studio to educate us on the current state of the foster care system of this region. The Children’s Network of Southwest Florida, in partnership with Embrace Families , is promoting what's called “ The Manicure Movement ” which aims to polish off child abuse.

A plastic bag or a six pack ring floating by in the ocean would cause someone to cringe. Large pieces of plastics are easy to spot, campaign around and clean up. But who cleans up the nearly invisible pieces of plastic floating around bodies of water? Those tiny pieces are called microplastics .

Last year, when then-Gov. Rick Scott called two state of emergencies, one for red tide in the gulf and another for blue-green algae contamination in the Caloosahatchee watershed, many looked to the Florida Department of Health for guidance. The department disappointed some however, when it couldn’t provide specific answers to their many questions. Amy Bennett Williams is an environmental reporter from The News-Press. Her recent article “ Emails show Florida DOH struggled to manage toxic algae

Florida wildlife and nature is a bountiful subject for photographers, filmmakers, environmentalists and artists, alike. Elam Stoltzfus is an environmental filmmaker with a focus on the nature of Florida. He’s filmed more than 10 documentaries, and he has been recognized by environmentalist groups like the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition . Elam, and his co-producer and son Nic, join us in the studio to discuss his latest film, "Southwest