Today’s guest is Brenna Kays, an interdisciplinary environmental researcher, urban social ecologist, educator, abolitionist, and creative based in Miami, Florida. As a Brazilian-American with roots in the Ribeirinho communities of Amazonian Brazil and descendant of enslaved peoples from Brazil’s plantation culture, she brings a unique perspective to her work. Inspired by her kinship to the natural world and the mysteries it holds, she seeks to illuminate the intricate relationships between humans and nature within urban ecosystems. In this episode, we will discuss the critical indigenous methodology she brings to her research on heat, how her indigenous worldviews have shaped her love for the city, and the importance of staying rooted and radical in order to be resilient.

Producer: Mitzi Uehara Carter

Audio Engineer: Gabriel E. Marchisio Jr.

Audio and Post-Production Editing: Sebastian Rocha Alvarez

Associate Producer and Audio Editor: Diane Benitez