Love Nature

Join New York Times best-selling author, journalist and environmental advocate, Richard Louv, for the second season premiere of the Love Nature podcast. Richard discusses his latest book, Our Wild Calling, and a childhood dog named Banner who taught him a set of ethics for engaging with both humans and animals. Plus, find out why Louv thinks humans are hungrier than ever for connection with the natural world.

In less than a decade, Rue Mapp grew her passion for nature from a blog to a national network of over 45,000 trained volunteers that comprise the organization Outdoor Afro. Rue and her organization seek to connect historically underserved communities with nature while advocating for inclusivity and accessibility within these spaces. Whether through hiking or birdwatching, art or history, cookouts or tailgates, find out how Outdoor Afro is meeting people where they are to inspire greater appreciation for the natural world. Don’t miss this engaging, illuminating discussion and the Season One finale of Biophilia: The Love Nature Podcast.

Dinosaurs! Is it the mystery, the problem solving, or the discovery that interests us most? For Lindsay Zanno, Head of the Museum’s Paleontology Unit and Associate Research Professor at North Carolina State University, it is all three and more. Join us as Lindsay shares her journey into Paleontology and how the past (dinosaurs) and present (birds) help us to understand our future. You’ll also hear about the Museum’s recent acquisition of the most spectacular fossils – the Dueling Dinosaurs as Lindsay shares her inspiration and the driving force behind this new research endeavor for the Museum.

Have you been wondering about the gentlemen behind this podcast? Well, wonder no more. Today you get to meet the hosts in a special interview hosted by the Museum's Science Correspondent, Chris Smith.

Deja Perkins is an urban ecologist, an advocate for nature exploration and one of the co-organizers of Black Birders Week. As a Chicago native, Deja understands it is important for city residents to have access to nature and green spaces, but far too often communities of color encounter unique challenges when trying to interact with the natural world. Tune in to find out how Deja is breaking down these barriers as a champion for environmental justice.

What do you do with a sick pet goldfish or iguana? What about a turtle or snake who has encountered trouble on the road? Dr. Greg Lewbart has seen it all caring for a range of creatures as a professor of aquatic animal medicine and veterinarian at NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. Join us for this delightful, insightful conversation that illuminates how humans can share a bond with even the most unconventional creatures.

Did you know the Museum has our own “Ant-Man”? Meet Dr. Adrian Smith, Head of the Museum’s Evolutionary Biology & Behavior Research Lab. On social media, his exciting videos inspire curiosity and fascination as he provides unique, observable views of insects and their behavior. Join us for this illuminating conversation.

Meet Pat Simmons, Director & CEO of the North Carolina Zoological Park. “One of the things zoos do best,” she notes, “is reach out to large masses of people and give them that up-close personal experience with nature. A safe place where you can rely on experts to dispel fears and bring in joy. It’s incredibly important to the human soul.”

Patricia Simmons is the current Director & CEO of the North Carolina Zoo and past-President and Chief Executive Officer of the Akron Zoological Park, Akron Ohio. She was Chairwoman of the Board of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) in 2012. Pat has over 30 years of experience in zoological management.

Pat is nationally and internationally recognized, receiving many awards and appointments including the Women’s History Project Woman of the Year for Imagination and the first non-profit executive to receive the Chairman’s Award from the Visitor and Convention Bureau. Most recently, Pat became one of 100 hand-selected CEO’s worldwide to be a Founding Fellow of the National Arts Strategies Chief Executive Program, a program designed to tackle global challenges for non-profit organizations.

Join us as we chat with Dr. Rob Dunn, Professor of Applied Ecology at NC State University and author of five popular science books, including “Every Living Thing” and “The Wild Life of our Bodies.” From bellybutton microbes to fabulous face mites, listen and learn all about the species that are on us, in us and around us.

Rob Dunn’s bio

Rob Dunn is an ecologist and evolutionary biologist who works in the Department of

Applied Ecology at North Carolina State University and in the Center for Evolutionary

Hologenomics at the University of Copenhagen, where he a the professor of human

biodiversity. His work considers the biology of daily life, whether that is the species

bubbling in sourdough starters, the insects beneath your bed or the mites mating

on your head. He has written six books, most recently Never Home Alone, the story

of the species that live in our houses and their surprising histories and consequences.

His newest book, Delicious (Princeton University Press, spring 2021), written with Monica Sanchez, considers the role of flavor

in human evolution and history.

Part II of our conversation with Dr. E.O. Wilson explores his concept of Half-Earth, a call to protect half the Earth’s land and sea in order to manage sufficient habitat to reverse the species extinction crisis and ensure species have the space they need to thrive. Hear how the Half-Earth Project is bringing this vision to life.