Where We Live

The story of the American Oystercatcher in Connecticut is "one of success and hope; however, because of the increasing threat from climate change and habitat loss, its future is uncertain," writes Audubon Connecticut Coastal Program Coordinator Beth Amendola. Whether the Oystercatcher, the Piping Plover or the Semipalmated Sandpiper, beach-nesting birds in Connecticut require "continual vigilance to maintain and increase their populations."This hour, we hear takeaways from the latest "State of the Birds" report from the Connecticut Audubon Society, touching on the similar threats facing wading birds like herons and egrets.Milan Bull, Senior Director of Science and Conservation for the Connecticut Audubon Society, says there are several holdouts of protected egret populations in Connecticut, but those populations are "teetering."Plus, raptor nests are back on the rise in Connecticut. DEEP wildlife biologist Brian Hess joins us to discuss.If you're interested in contributing to these conservation efforts or volunteering, you can find more information with the Connecticut Audubon Society and the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds.GUESTS:

• Patrick Comins: Executive Director, Connecticut Audubon Society
• Milan Bull: Senior Director of Science and Conservation, Connecticut Audubon Society
• Elizabeth Amendola: Coastal Program Coordinator, Audubon Connecticut
• Brian Hess: Wildlife Division Biologist, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection

Cat Pastor contributed to this episode which originally aired on December 19, 2022.

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On Monday, February 6, 2023, Where We Live officially welcomed Catherine Shen to the hosting seat of the show. Some of our listeners may be familiar with Catherine’s voice, having heard her guest host several episodes of Where We Live in the past two months or hearing her news reporting on Connecticut Public over the last two years.

Where We Live producer Tess Terrible sat down with Catherine to learn more about her background, how journalism became her professional calling and what she’s most excited about in this new role as host.

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Did you pledge to be more grateful or practice more self care in the New Year? Journaling can help! The benefits of putting your thoughts, goals, and worries on paper cannot be understated.

Today, we talk about the power of journaling and how to begin journaling even if you don’t know where to start.

Bullet journaling, gratitude journaling, guided journaling! There are so many options and getting started on your journaling journey can be a little overwhelming. Many people worry about their grammar, syntax and handwriting when they start journaling.

Our panel of journal lovers says journaling doesn't have to be perfect. Our experts will help you combat the need to journal perfectly, and just start writing.

Do you enjoy journaling? What does your journaling routine look like?

GUESTS:

• Amanda Stern: Journaling Coach based in Connecticut
• Carrie Bulger: Professor of Psychology at Quinnipiac University
• Johana Gutiérrez-Griffiths - Founder of JJ Paperie and Co, stationary and home goods brand and calligraphy and engraving studio based in Connecticut
• Shawanna Jefferson - owner of Cairo Stationery in Connecticut

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A new school for LGBTQ students and allies is set to open this fall in New Haven. This hour, we preview the plans for PROUD Academy with founder and executive director Patty Nicolari, and hear from Maddie and Tiffanie, a prospective student and their parent in Fairfield.

Nicolari says this would be the first school for LGBTQ youth in Connecticut, and at least the fifth in the U.S.

But first, the U.S Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is investigating a discrimination complaint filed by several Farmington parents, alleging the district didn’t step in to stop LGBTQ bullying. We hear from one of those parents, Melissa Combs.

Farmington Public Schools Superintendent Kathy Greider's office confirmed the district is working through the complaint with OCR in a statement, and cited district policies and efforts around equity and inclusion. The statement also notes that “the district has a different perspective on the factual allegations” in the complaint, but that “we respect the process and will be working with OCR to assist them in their review of these issues.”

The investigation is "believed to be the first of its kind in New England," per the Courant, focusing on seven of the ten allegations in the complaint.

• Melissa Combs: Farmington Parent
• Patty Nicolari: Founder and Executive Director, PROUD Academy
• Tiffanie Wong: Fairfield Parent
• Maddie Joyella: Fairfield Student

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Willie Mae Brown is the author of a new book My Selma: True Stories of a Southern Childhood at the Height of the Civil Rights Movement. The book, written for young adults, reflects on her time growing up in Alabama and how the civil rights era shaped her coming of age. Today, we’ll hear her message for the next generation of activists.

Brown lived in Selma, Alabama until she was 17, when she moved to New York City. Growing up in Selma, she experienced the civil rights movement first hand - including meeting Martin Luther King Jr. when she was 12.

In the intro, Brown explains, “I write these stories of a Selma that I knew and loved. My own Selma. A Selma that brought me joy, troubled me, and baptized me into racial injustice and into the race for justice.”

Where We Live Senior Producer Tess Terrible guest hosts this conversation.

GUEST:

Willie Mae Brown: author and visual artist. She recently published her first book, My Selma: True Stories of a Southern Childhood at the Height of the Civil Rights Movement.

Where We Live is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

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A U.S. debt default could be detrimental to federal employees, those in the military, and beneficiaries of Social Security and other government programs.

Connecticut currently has the largest budget surplus in the state’s history. How the surplus might be utilized is still unknown.

Today on Where We Live, we talk about what we might see prioritized in this year’s state budget, and how Congress could respond to the debt ceiling.

We’ll also discuss what hitting the debt ceiling could mean for Connecticut residents.

GUESTS:

• Dan Haar: Associate Editor and Columnist, Hearst Connecticut Media
• Ebong Udoma: Senior Reporter at WSHU
• Lisa Hagen: Federal Policy Reporter for Connecticut Public and Connecticut Mirror
• Keith Phaneuf: Budget Reporter, Connecticut Mirror

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At least three area theater companies in Connecticut are showcasing work by Latinx women playwrights this winter:

• "Water by the Spoonful" by Quiara Alegría Hudes at Capitol Classics from Jan. 25 to Jan. 29
• "Queen of Basel" by Hilary Bettis at TheaterWorks Feb. 3 to Feb. 26
• "Espejos: Clean" by Christine Quintana at Hartford Stage Jan. 12 to March 5

"Queen of Basel" boasts an all-Latinx cast and crew, while "Espejos: Clean" is a bilingual production with supertitles projected over the stage.

This hour, we go behind-the-scenes with playwrights, directors and actors, hearing about each powerful production, and the importance of spotlighting Latinx stories where we live.

GUESTS:

• Hilary Bettis: Playwright, "Queen of Basel"
• Cristina Angeles: Director, "Queen of Basel" at TheaterWorks
• Cin Martinez: Playwright; Actor, "Water by the Spoonful" at Capitol Classics
• Melissa Crespo: Director, "Espejos/Clean" at Hartford Stage; Associate Artistic Director, Syracuse Stage

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Neil Berro, a local amateur historian, is building a massive manuscript on the history of Connecticut oystering titled Oyster Haven Lost. This hour, he previews this trove of information, spotlighting the state's once-booming oyster industry.Plus, the Sound School in New Haven was founded with a mission of centering hands-on curriculum, incorporating the harbor, marine science and oceanography in an “exciting educational alternative to the large comprehensive high schools in the city.”UntitledWe'll hear from Sound School aquaculture coordinators about how students encounter oysters and other filter feeders in the wild, helping to bolster their growth in Long Island Sound by planting "reef balls."GUESTS:

• Neil Berro: Amateur Historian
• Tim Visel: Former Aquaculture Coordinator, The Sound School
• Peter Solomon: Aquaculture Coordinator, The Sound School

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While contestants with Connecticut ties have appeared on the reality competition series RuPaul's Drag Race in the past, the season 15 premiere on MTV marks the first time more than one Connecticut drag queen has been represented.Robin Fierce from Hartford, Loosey LaDuca from Ansonia, Amethyst from West Hartford and Jax from Brooklyn, raised in Connecticut, comprise this season's Connecticut contingent.This hour, Loosey and Robin join us to discuss how they discovered drag, developed their artistry, and why they’re determined to confront misunderstanding by showcasing drag as a force for good.GUESTS:

• Loosey LaDuca: Contestant, RuPaul's Drag Race
• Robin Fierce: Contestant, RuPaul's Drag Race

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The State Department of Education and five Connecticut tribal nations are working together to meet a legislative mandate calling for Native American curriculum for K-12 social studies classes. Resources with localized information from the tribal nations themselves – Eastern Pequot, Mashantucket Pequot, Mohegan, Schaghticoke and Golden Hill Paugussett – are expected to be available in January 2024.

This hour, we preview this collaboration with educators from the Mohegan Tribal Nation and the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, as well as State Department of Education social studies advisor Steve Armstrong.

Darlene Kascak, education coordinator for the Institute of American Indian Studies and a traditional Native American storyteller with the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, explains the importance of centering, and distinguishing, each tribe's story and voice.

Plus, Sam Cholewa Tondreau is the director of curriculum and instruction for the Mohegan Tribal Nation, helping develop the Educators Project, an online portal that provides a "combination of free Native American study resources and tools" to educators and homeschoolers.

For those with young learners outside of the classroom who want to learn more, Cholewa Tondreau recommends the American Indian Library Association (ailanet.org) and American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL).

Cholewa Tondreau points to one book she recommends for middle-schoolers and adults alike: An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States For Young People by Jean Mendoza, Debbie Reese, and Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz. "While United States history isn't 12,000 years old, it does add an additional layer of Indigenous perspective and events," she says.

GUESTS:

• Darlene Kascak: Education Coordinator, Institute of American Indian Studies; Traditional Native American Storyteller, Schaghticoke Tribal Nation
• Sam Cholewa Tondreau: Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Mohegan Tribal Nation
• Steve Armstrong: Social Studies Consultant, Connecticut State Department of Education

Where We Live is available as a podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe and never miss an episode!

Cat Pastor contributed to this show which originally aired December 6, 2022.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.