The Overstory

By Sierra Club

Society & Culture

What's The Overstory about?

The Overstory, a podcast from Sierra Club, brings listeners some of the most surprising, heartfelt, and provocative stories from across the American landscape. With each episode our reporters go beyond the latest news headlines as they profile the people and places on the front lines of environmental activism.

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The Overstory episodes:

12.14.2020
The Future is Bright: S2, Ep. 6
The terrible, horrible, mostly bad year of 2020 marks a decisive break with the past. But what will come next? What will the future look like? In this episode of The Overstory we imagine a brighter, better future with an...
10.05.2020
The End of Oil Is Near: S2, Ep. 5
After a late-summer break, The Overstory is back with a new episode. We talk with energy reporter Antonia Juhasz, who explains why the COVID pandemic may be the nail in the coffin for the global oil and gas industry. Juliet...
07.20.2020
The Movement for Black Lives Saves the Planet: S2, Ep. 4
On this episode of The Overstory, we explore the connections between systemic racism and environmental destruction. Hop Hopkins, director of the Sierra Club's strategic partnerships, discusses how the ideology of white supremacy fuels environmental degradation and social injustice. Corina Newsome...
06.12.2020
Resistance is Fertile: S2, Ep. 3
On the latest installment of "The Overstory," we talk with some of the people who are coping with the pandemic by getting closer -- much closer -- to the earth. The co-CEO of Johnny's Selected Seeds discusses the skyrocketing demand...
05.07.2020
Getting Out into Nature (Safely) Amid the Pandemic: S2, Ep. 2
In this episode of The Overstory, we're getting out into nature--slowly, safely--and exploring what that looks like in the age of pandemic. We talk with journalist and urban farmer Novella Carpenter about how to grow your own vegetables, while our...
04.03.2020
Earth Day in the Time of Pandemic: S2, Ep. 1
The first episode of The Overstory's second season was originally intended as a celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. As the pandemic unfolded, we pivoted to consider what social activism will look like in this season of social...
12.17.2019
Ep. 9: Birding For Change
On Episode 9 of The Overstory we go birding with Jason Ward, an impassioned birder in Atlanta, Georgia whose enthusiasm and social media savvy is helping to attract younger and more ethnically diverse groups of people into the world of...
11.06.2019
Ep. 8: Rewilding Patagonia
We take listeners to the far reaches of Chilean Patagonia, where U.S. philanthropist Kris Tompkins has overseen the largest act of wildlands philanthropy in history. On a new segment of the show, we hear directly from frontline activists who...
10.04.2019
Ep. 7: The Climate Strike
Episode 7 opens with a dispatch from the historic climate strike, as we follow youth climate organizer Daphne Frias while she navigates the New York City march from her wheelchair. We also take listeners to the White Mountains of New...
04.18.2019
Ep. 6: Underwater
We begin this episode with a trip to Miami's "Little Haiti" neighborhood, whichis grappling with "climate gentrification" as rising sea levels and sunny day flooding make the city's high elevation districts attractive to developers. Mr. Green, our advice columnist,...
03.06.2019
Ep. 5: Drawdown
We talk with author-activist Paul Hawken about his new book, "Drawdown," and why he thinks that global warming may be a blessing instead of a curse. Also, we travel to Acadia National Park in Maine, where National Park Service biologists...
01.29.2019
Ep. 4: The Mighty Mississippi
Writer Boyce Upholt finds adventure—and a new sense of self—during a harrowing paddling trip on the Mississippi River. We also talk with Bernie Krause about his decades-long work to audio record the natural world, and we hear from a Virginia...
12.10.2018
Ep. 3: Hiking for Healing
We join a group of single mom veterans from New York City as they take a weekend camping trip with their families — and in the course of their adventure find a respite from the stresses of military-to-civilian transition. We...
11.27.2018
Ep. 2: The Last Great Wilderness
This episode of The Overstory includes an in-depth feature story from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which is now threatened by oil-drilling. Plus: A radio diary from Olympic snowboarder Justin Reiter, a conversation about equity in the outdoors with Teresa...
10.29.2018
Ep. 1: Can Cider Save The World?
This is the premiere episode of the Sierra Club's new podcast, The Overstory. We take listeners to some of the most contested ground in the United States, Bears Ears National Monument, talk with Sierra magazine's advice columnist, Mr. Green, and...
10.25.2018
The Overstory: Coming Soon!
Coming soon: a new podcast from Sierra Club. The Overstory brings listeners some of the most surprising, heartfelt, and provocative stories from across the American landscape.