Conservation Connection

Latest Episodes:

Troy Keller: Columbus State University | A Lot of Dam Research | Episode 042 Aug 29, 2021

Show notes

The Chattahoochee River is a hotspot for all kinds of conservation work, and in this episode we sit down with Dr. Troy Keller to discuss his research into the subject! He focuses a lot of effort into understanding the effects that invasive crawfish are having on the ecology of local waterways, where they come from, and what we can do about it. Not only that, but he's an expert on how small dams fragment rivers and slice up populations into smaller and much more vulnerable chunks!

Click here to check out our nonprofit: https://www.lastchanceendeavors.com

Jake Kuenzli, Elle Pestorius, Olivia Suarez: College of Charleston’s REU | Algae Algae Everywhere! (And Sponges Too) | Episode 41 Aug 22, 2021

Show notes

In our first episode from the 2021 batch of REU students we talk with Jake, Elle, and Olivia! From investigating the interactions between native and invasive algae, to studying the bacterial colonies associated with algae, and even looking at the ways in which sea sponges may influence cloud formation this is a power packed episode!

Not only are these undergrads pushing the boundaries of scientific understanding in their topics, they're practicing valuable skills in science communication that they'll need for the rest of their careers as researchers! Communicating science to other researchers is one thing, but helping the public understand why their research matters is a different skill set entirely.

Want to read more about their work this summer? Check out the College of Charleston REU Blog: https://blogreu.wordpress.com

Dr. Bob Podolsky: College of Charleston | He’s BACK! | Episode 40 Aug 15, 2021

Show notes

We're kicking off season three by bringing Dr. Bob Podolsky back on the show for his third appearance! He's a professor at the Grice Marine Lab and the director of the Fort Johnson Research Experience for Undergraduates Program, and he's sitting down to describe the incredible opportunities they make available to undergraduate students every summer. These students get ten weeks to pursue original research, allowing them to experience the life of a professional researcher while honing skills they'll need in their future careers.

Over the next few weeks we'll be posting episodes that highlight these students' research and their experience in Charleston during this field season, so be sure to tune in next weekend!

If you'd like to learn more about the College of Charleston REU Program, click here: http://reu.cofc.edu

If you'd like to check out their Instagram, click here: https://www.instagram.com/cofcbiology/?hl=en

If you'd like to check out their Facebook, click here: https://www.facebook.com/cofcbiology/

Vasser Seydel: The Oxygen Project | Dangers of Deep Seabed Mining | Episode 039 Jun 11, 2020

Show notes

We're kicking off season 3 with our first ever remote interview! This episode is in collaboration with EarthXOcean, which is hosting a virtual conference on ocean issues [http://earthx.org/earthxtv/]. Vasser Seydel is an activist pushing for a moratorium on deep seabed mining in international waters, a destructive process that would disrupt the ocean's ability to perform vital ecosystem services. Tune in to learn about the process of deep seabed mining, and what you can do to make a difference!

Click here to learn more about our nonprofit: https://www.lastchanceendeavors.com

Click here to read Flora and Fauna's report on the impact of deep seabed mining: https://cms.fauna-flora.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/FFI_2020_The-risks-impacts-deep-seabed-mining_Report.pdf

Click here to visit the Oxygen Project: https://www.theoxygenproject.com

Click here to check out the Deep Sea Conservation Coalition: http://www.savethehighseas.org

Jerry Tinianow: Chief Sustainability Officer, City of Denver | Community Sustainability | Episode 038 Mar 22, 2020

Show notes

Tune in to another EarthX 2019 episode as we sit down across from Jerry Tinianow, the Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Denver! His job is to set the high-level sustainability goals for the city and then help the various departments and services in reach those goals. This is a fascinating discussion on the concept of sustainability and the best ways to implement it.

If you'd like to learn more about our nonprofit, click here: https://www.lastchanceendeavors.com

Vanessa Casado Perez: Texas A&M | Water Water Nowhere | Episode 037 Mar 15, 2020

Show notes

How do you divide up a public resource that private individuals have access to? How do we protect everyone's access to an increasingly scarce resource? Listen in to Vanessa Casado Perez, Associate Professor at Texas A&M School of Law and a Research Associate Professor at Texas A&M Department of Agricultural Economics, as she discusses the complicated situation that surrounds water rights in semi-arid ecosystems. This episode is a great discussion at the intersection between ecology, human behavior, and our current legal system! To learn more about our nonprofit, click here: https://www.lastchanceendeavors.com

Vance Martin: WILD Foundation | Nature Needs Half | Episode 036 Mar 08, 2020

Show notes

Tune in to another EarthX Episode as the Last Chance Endeavors team sits down with Vance Martin, president of the WILD Foundation! Vance chats with us about the importance of connecting with nature, the strategies that the WILD Foundation uses to tackle massive environmental crises, and the "Nature Needs Half" movement. When was the last time you spent time out in nature? We hope this episode will inspire you to go take a walk in the woods, even if it's only in your backyard!

Click here to learn more about the WILD Foundation: https://www.wild.org

Click here to learn more about Coalition WILD: https://coalitionwild.org

Click here to learn more about our nonprofit: https://www.lastchanceendeavors.com

Mike Janech: College of Charleston | Protein Detective! | Episode 035 Mar 02, 2020

Show notes

You've probably heard of genomics, the study of all of the genes found in an organism's DNA, but have you ever heard of proteomics? Listen in to this episode with College of Charleston associate professor Mike Janech to hear how he's using proteomics (the analysis of all the proteins present in an organic sample) to better understand the relationship between species!

Click here to check out the NIST CoMPARe program: https://www.nist.gov/programs-projects/comparative-mammalian-proteome-aggregator-resource-compare-program

Click here to check out the Grice Marine Lab at the College of Charleston: http://gricemarinelab.cofc.edu

Click here to check out our nonprofit: https://www.lastchanceendeavors.com

Doug Woodring: Ocean Recovery Alliance | Art From Plastic Pollution! | Episode 034 Feb 24, 2020

Show notes

Listen in to episode 34 as we chat with Doug Woodring, the founder of the Ocean Recovery Alliance! He approaches current environmental crises with an artistic and entrepreneurial spirit that's helping him tackle big problems in new ways. Who would have ever thought to use images of plastic pollution as the art for a jigsaw puzzle? Doug Woodring, that's who! What better way to bring the obvious effects of plastic to the forefront of a family's mind? And that's not the only way that he's cleaning up the planet; he's created public art projects in Asia, an app to crowdsource the location of plastic pollution, and a surf paddle made entirely from recovered plastics!

If you'd like to see a video with Doug and his products, click here: https://youtu.be/wORw8YJ66EU

If you'd like to learn more about the Ocean Recovery Alliance, click here: www.oceanrecov.org

If you'd like to check out the Bad Fish paddle, click here: www.wawhandplanes.com.au/thebadfish

If you'd like to learn more about our nonprofit, click here: www.LastChanceEndeavors.com

Erica Bjelland: Rural Renewable Energy Alliance | Accessible Solar Power | Episode 033 Feb 17, 2020

Show notes

In this episode we sit down with Erica Bjelland, a Program Development Specialist at the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance! RREAL is a nonprofit organization who's goal is to make solar energy accessible to communities of all income levels, providing support for anyone who is interested in bringing solar energy into their community. Listen in to hear a great conversation about the importance of renewable energy and the ways in which RREAL is making it easier to access!

Click here to learn more about our nonprofit: www.lastchanceendeavors.com

Click here to learn more about the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance: www.RREAL.org

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