Locally Sourced Science

• Beth Ellen Clark Joseph
• Zoe Learner Ponterio
• Lisa Kaltenegger

This week we go to the moon and beyond, in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. 

Meaghan McElroy talks with Beth Ellen Clark Joseph , a physics professor at Ithaca College and a mission asteroid scientist for NASA. They discuss the OSIRIS-Rex mission to land on the asteroid Bennu and what that mission might tell us about the universe.

Also, Esther Racoosin talks with Zoe Learner Ponterio, manager of the Spacecraft Planetary Imaging Facility at Cornell. She curated a collection entitled “Postcards from Beyond: A Timeline of Exploration,” a selection of scientifically valuable and incredibly beautiful images captured in space. 

Finally, Faez Bakalian talked with Lisa Kaltenegger, an Exoplanet Expert and director of the Carl Sagan Institute at Cornell University, about the ingredients necessary for life on Earth and other planets.

The show was produced by Patricia Waldron.

Mark Sarvary interviewed Buz Barstow about his research on genetically  enhancing photosynthesis to mitigate  climate change.

Mark also shares a short interview with Anne Armstrong, from Cornell’s Dept. of Natural Resources, co-author of, Communicating Climate Change: A guide for educators (available for download).

News items prepared by Luisa Torres, science events by Patricia Waldron, and the show was produced by Esther Racoosin.

In our first segment, you’ll hear Locally-Sourced Science contributor Mark Sarvary.  He went to view the documentary “Dirt Rich”.  In his feature, Mark plays a little of the film and speaks with the organizers and invited panelists (New York Soil Health Co-PI David Wolfe, Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming executive director Elizabeth Gabriel, and Remembrance Farm co-owner Nathaniel Thompson) who are teaching that the soil ecosystem is the largest carbon sink that we can increase quickly.

Later on in the show, you’ll hear Meaghan McElroy’s

Producer:  Esther Racoosin

Producer “Dirt Rich” Segment:  Mark Sarvary

Producer of Chris Sinton

Science News:  Patricia Waldron

Science Events Calendar:  Luisa Torres

Photo of hand holding soil:  Kitty Gifford

Photo of Chris Sinton: 

In this episode of Locally-Sourced Science, we feature a guest podcast from four college undergraduates who took part in a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates at Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research.  Marty Alani, Erica Sawyer, Stefanos Stravoravdis, and Chris Morales Farfan, guest producers for Locally-Sourced Science, talk about their summer research, their thoughts about plant science and what kinds of science experiences they will seek out in the future.

Later on in the episode, we interview Dr. Luisa Torres, about her summer experience participating in the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, Mass Media Science and Engineering Fellowship.  During her fellowship, Luisa was an intern at National Public Radio, or NPR, and wrote for the NPR blogs NPR’s blogs ‘Shots’, ‘goats and soda’ and ‘The Salt’.

Finally, Patricia Waldron reports on local science events.

In this episode of Locally Sourced Science we talk with Dr. Avery August and Dr. Melanie Ragin about the Howard Hughes Medical Institute-Cornell University Research Transfer program (CURT), which helps transfer students at Cornell University to gain vital experience in undergraduate research.

We’ll also discuss different ways to access solar energy in the Finger Lakes Area with Erica Herman, an energy educator from Get Your GreenBack Tompkins

In this episode of Locally Sourced Science, contributor Candice Limper speaks with Dr. Daniela Hedwig.  She is the Edward W. Rose Postdoctoral Fellow at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. 

Dr. Hedwig works in the Bioacoustics Research Program in the

For more information about the Elephant Listening Project, go to: http://elephantlisteningproject.org/forest-elephants/

Also in this episode, Esther Racoosin visits the Annual Trials Garden at the Cornell Botanic Gardens.  She speaks with Kendra Hutchins, program coordinator for the Cornell Annual Flower Trials, and Dr. William Miller, research director of the trials. 

For more information about the annual trials garden, go to: https://blogs.cornell.edu/trialgardens/.

In this second episode of the Shoals Marine Laboratory series, Mark Sarvary visited White and Seavey islands to talk to the Tern conservation team about their research. Mark and co-instructor Kitty Gifford took Applied Science Communication students to the islands where they had a chance to handle the seabirds and these students briefly reflected on their experiences.

In the late 19th century Appledore Island was an artist colony, and Celia Thaxter’s garden was the center of this colony. What happened to this garden since then? Mark Sarvary investigates it in this episode.

The hosts, Laura Mortelliti and Jasmin Mack received a quick visit from Lindsey Baxter of the Harrington Lab, and she spoke about a new Citizen Science project, identifying Asian Tiger Mosquitos. Those who are interested in being involved should visit the Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases​​.

Your hosts, Laura Mortelliti, Jasmine Mack, and Mark Sarvary discuss science and art, and visit the Shoals Marine Laboratory on Appledore Island in Maine to talk to Executive Director Dr. Jennifer Seavey about research, education, art, science and much more.

Hannah Weinstein interviewed the artist in residence, Barrett McDevitt (www.barrettmcdevitt.com) who painted on the island for two weeks and visited science classes to connect science and art.

This is the first episode of the Shoals Marine Laboratory series.#ShoalsStories #SciArt

Contributors: Laura Mortelliti, Jasmine Mack, Mark Sarvary

Producer: Mark Sarvary

Music: Show Theme by Joe Lewis, Cêcê Giannotti.

Locally-Sourced Science contributor Esther Racoosin speaks to Dr. Robert Raguso, Professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at Cornell University.  

Dr. Raguso studies floral scent, which is an important component of plant-pollinator interactions.  During this interview, he discusses the behavior of hawkmoths, which gather nectar from night-flowering plants.  Investigators in Dr. Raguso’s lab have found that hawkmoths are attracted to not only different types of scents, but also other molecules secreted by flowers.

Did you know that honeybees are considered to be livestock? Honeybees are the most commonly raised insect and the only insect in the U.S. that provides food for humans at a large scale. In many parts of the world, beekeepers already work with veterinarians to keep their hives healthy, and now the U.S. is catching up. Keeping managed bee hives healthy also can stop the spread of diseases to wild pollinators. 

In honor of pollinators week, Patricia Waldron talked with Dr. Robin Radcliffe, a Senior Lecturer in Wildlife and Conservation Medicine at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. He teaches a honeybee health course to veterinary students.

Hey, we’re all volunteer ya know? Come join us! Email: [email protected]

And listen to the show, it’s good, all locally sourced. Trust us.

Photo:  Manduca hawkmoth visiting Datura flower, courtesy of Dr. Robert Raguso.  

One doesn’t have to go far to find the strong scientific roots and influences that run through Ithaca, with many different groups bringing science-outreach to as many people as possible in various unique ways.

In this show Esther Racoosin visits the 2019 National Science Olympiad Competition, that took place at Cornell University on Saturday, June 1st.  She speaks with Cornell alumnus and longtime Science Olympiad volunteer Bill Wellnitz about why the event is so unique.  She also speaks with team coaches, parents and students who participated in the event.

This year’s Ithaca Festival had the theme Full STEAM Ahead — a play on words with the acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. The festival included a “Discovery Tent” with STEAM-themed activities for children, sponsored by local groups. Patricia Waldron stopped by the tent to talk with exhibitors and kids.  

Additionally, Master Beekeeper David Hopkins joins LSS to provide us with important information about bees as the swarm season gets underway.

Finally, Candice Limper sheds light on the Ithaca Generator with an interview with Béline Bergamote, who describes what all they have to offer and some fun things that can be done in their facilities.

Contributors: David Hopkins | Esther Racoosin | Patricia Waldron | Candice Limper

Producers: Cecil Barnett-Neefs

Music: Show Theme by Joe Lewis, Cêcê Giannotti. Pianoman Play Sofa Again by Lobo Loco licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.