Houston and Nature
Latest Episodes
15: You’ve Got Your Own Private Zoo – It’s Called Your Microbiota
Each human being is host to a microbiota, an ecosystem made up of trillions of bacteria that inhabit the surfaces and crevices of our body and especially the insides of our large intestine. In this ep
13: Bill Gates Wrote “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster.” Is It Any Good? – Part 1
In his book How to Avoid a Climate Disaster, Microsoft founder Bill Gates proposes a global yes, world-wide - solution to climate change. Thats ambitious. Does he succeed? Find out from this conv
14: Bill Gates Wrote “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster.” Is It Any Good? – Part 2
In his book “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster,” Microsoft founder Bill Gates proposes a global – yes, world-wide – solution to climate change. That’s ambitious. Does he succeed? Find out from this conversation with environmental...
12: Beto O’Rourke Wants Us to Protect Our Natural Heritage – with Beto O’Rourke
Former Congress member Beto O’Rourke knows Texas like no other. That’s because he’s visited every single one of its 254 counties – listening, debating, and campaigning for the U.S. Senate. In this interview he shares what the geography and...
11: The Magical World of Houston Squirrels, With Kelsey Low
Even though squirrels are a very visible form of Houston wildlife, we know little about them. Were you aware, for instance, that their brain shrinks and increases in size with the seasons, and that far from being pests, they are crucial to forest...
10: Prepared for Life? The Boy Scouts of America, With James Sy
Boy Scouts of America promises young men, and now also women, exciting nature experiences and preparation for life as adults. Do they live up to the promise? What’s it like to grow up among the Scouts? Is being an Eagle Scout really as special as...
09: Enchanting Children With Nature: A Teacher’s Tale, With Mary Ann Beauchemin
When it comes to drawing children and teenagers into nature, Mary Ann Beauchemin of Russ Pitman Park is an expert. After earning a Master’s degree in outdoors education in Oregon, she taught generations of young Houstonians how to turn over logs,...
08: Exploration Green – It’s How You Build Beauty, Nature and Flood Control, With Jerry Hamby
Exploration Green is a beautiful park in flood-prone Clear Lake. The Green functions as a giant detention pond. But it is so much more: a space that welcomes wildlife, a refuge from the hustle of city life, an opportunity for volunteers to make...
07: Houston’s Permaculture Scene, with Shawn McFarland
The Houston permaculture community is lively. And chances are, you’ve heard of their innovative approach towards gardening. But, as you’ll learn from veteran expert Shawn McFarland, permaculture goes far beyond orchards and vegetable beds. It can...
06: So You Can Heal from Poison: Jackie Young, the San Jacinto Waste Pits, and Other Toxic Sites
The San Jacinto Waste Pits may be Houston’s best-known Superfund site. The chemicals they harbor are at constant risk of leeching out and . But the Pits are not the only toxic site. As my guest Jackie Young Medcalf will tell you, there is a...