Conservation Connection

Latest Episodes:

REU Mini-Series: Episode 02 | Jackson Eberwein, Jules Duran, & Katherine Mateos | A Whole Bag of Issues Aug 18, 2019

Show notes

Extremophile bacteria affecting clouds, disappearing crocodiles, and an epidemic affecting wild sea lions; quite a broad range for undergraduate research! Jackson, Jules, and Katherine are three undergraduates from across the country participating in the Fort Johnson REU program this summer, and they sit down with the Conservation Connection team to share their experiences and discoveries.

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 Fort Johnson REU Blog: https://blogreu.wordpress.com

Aislinn & Charley: Heirs to Our Oceans | A Rising Tide Around the Globe | Episode 014 Aug 15, 2019

Show notes

Charley and Aislinn are two of the founding members of Heirs to Our Oceans, a global youth organization that is working to inspire kids to learn about and protect oceans and waterways for future generations. Did we mention they are only 15 and 13? Yep, these teens aren't just sitting back and waiting, they're taking action today to protect their own futures! With chapters from Kentucky to Palau, this nonprofit is building up steam to be a major player in the fight to protect our planet! Listen in to hear how they got started, how you can help, and how YOU can join the movement.

To visit their website, click here: www.heirstoouroceans.com

To see the latest news from Heirs to Our Oceans, visit their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/heirstoouroceans

To see even more Heirs news, check out their instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heirstoouroceans/

Here are some of our favorite quotes from this episode!

“I’m focusing more on ocean legislation and policy which is a bit different from other kids' focus areas.” -Aislinn

“We’re really all about connecting youth globally, really around the world, and getting all youth connected around the problem of ocean conservation.” -Aislinn

“My sister and I got together a bunch of our friends and people that our friends knew and we came together as the first Heirs to our Oceans chapter.” -Charley

“We realized that it was more important to get kids inspired now and have that be the journey.” -Charley

“Support your local youth. Support them in their passions and where they want to go with the environment and their careers.” -Charley

“Really everyone needs to get involved. It’s the next generation stepping forward, its previous generations helping us out, it’s people from around the world coming together to solve these problems.” -Aislinn

REU Mini-Series: Episode 01 | Dr. Bob Podolsky & Dr. Heather Fullerton | Building Scientists Aug 12, 2019

Show notes

We're kicking off our first mini-series by bringing Dr. Bob Podolsky back on the show! He's the director of both the Grice Marine Lab and the Fort Johnson REU Program, and he's sitting down with his colleague Dr. Heather Fullerton 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.

Every Sunday for the next three weeks we'll be posting an episode that highlights 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/

Heidi Whitehead: Executive Director of the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network | Dolphins in a Helicopter | Episode 013 Aug 08, 2019

Show notes

Heidi Whitehead is the Executive Director of the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and has helped countless marine mammals in need over the course of her career. Listen in to hear about TMMSN's partnership with SeaWorld and how their "time capsule" of resources is advancing the field of marine mammal medicine and rehabilitation all over the world! She also shares wild stories of rescuing animals in the wake of devastating hurricanes.

To learn more about the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, click here: http://www.dolphinrescue.org

To see the latest news from the TMMSN, visit their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/tmmsn.dolphin.rescue

Here are some of our favorite quotes from this episode!

“We look at every animal that comes in as an opportunity to help future animals that strand.”

“It’s not all just playing with dolphins in a pool; when you’re dealing with rescue and rehabilitation specifically you’re not dealing with healthy animals.”

“Several years ago we formalized the partnership [with SeaWorld] so that we could really move forward and advance the stranding network’s ability to provide care for more animals.”

“I got in touch with the Coast Guard helicopter crew and said ‘There’s no way we can get this dolphin back unless we put it in your helicopter!’ ”

Dr. Mike Slattery: Environmental Scientist at TCU | Costa Rican Cloud Forests and South African Rhinos | Episode 012 Jun 30, 2019

Show notes

Dr. Slattery is the Director of the Institute for Environmental Studies at Texas Christian University, and he and his students are making waves all over the field of ecology! Listen in to hear more about TCU's research station in the Cloud Forests of Costa Rica, where it's not precipitation but the clouds themselves that feed the hydrologic cycle. We also discuss the plight of the South African Rhino, possible solutions to the problem, and the incredibly complex issue of wildlife poaching.

To learn more about TCU's Environmental Studies program, click here: https://environment.tcu.edu/

To learn more about rhinos in South Africa, click here: https://planetrhino.tcu.edu/

Here are some of our favorite quotes from this episode!

"If you’re dealing with difficult environmental issues, you need a broad range of perspectives."

"I think it’s not overstating the case to say that within a decade or two we’re looking at [rhinos] being gone unless we solve this problem."

"When someone in the bush gets approached by a poacher or a poaching syndicate, not even necessarily to poach an animal but just tell them where these animals are, and they can get the equivalent of one to four years salary just by telling them that and they can put food on the table to feed their family for one year or more, that’s an easy decision. I probably would make the same decision."

"Most people have that visceral reaction 'let’s just arm everybody and go shoot poachers.' We’re not going to be able to shoot our way out of this crisis."

"It all simply comes down to finding a way for these local communities to protect [the rhinos] themselves in the long run."

"I know we’ve turned every one of those young men and women into advocates for wildlife conservation, so that’s been really powerful."

Kirk Johnson: Director of the National Museum of Natural History | Dinosaurs and Squirrels and Bears, Oh My! | Episode 011 Jun 06, 2019

Show notes

Museums are illuminating places, and no one knows that better than Kirk Johnson, the Sant Director of the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institute. He believes that museums are the last bastions of the real thing: one of the only places left where you can come face-to-face with an authentic artifact and experience it first hand. Listen in as Chance and Sarah Kathryn talk with Kirk about his experience as the Director over the last few years; everything from innovative technology to the magical surprises that come with working at a world class museum of natural history.

Do you know what animal is the closest living relative to a bear? Or how many squirrel specimens can be found in the National Squirrel Collection? Kirk shares these tidbits and more!

If you're in the DC area, check out the new exhibit "Deep Time" opening this Saturday, June 8th 2019! It's more than a fossil room, it tells the story of life on our planet from the earliest organisms to modern day, and continues on into the future of what our planet may look like!

Here are some of our favorite quotes from this episode:

"I prefer to think of museums as the last bastion of the real thing." - Kirk Johnson

"If you ask the question: what’s the nearest living animal to a bear, most people can’t answer that question. Can you?" - Kirk Johnson

"Down the hall from my office is the national squirrel collection, where we have 32 thousand squirrels." - Kirk Johnson

"The whole story of conservation is based on what do we stand to lose on planet Earth, and the first thing you have to know is what do we have on planet Earth." - Kirk Johnson

"It’s about 15 million years old. It’s on display in the new exhibit. You’ve probably never heard of it. David Attenborough had never heard of it! I was so psyched to stump David Attenborough." -Kirk Johnson

Reef Life Foundation at EarthX | Using Underwater Architecture to Re-Grow Reefs | Episode 010 May 30, 2019

Show notes

The world's coral reefs are in crisis and dying off at an alarming rate, but conservationists are working day and night to protect them! Meet Guyon Brenna and Zoë Ward, two members of Reef Life Foundation ( https://www.reeflifefoundation.org/post/last-chance-endeavors) who are doing just that. Reef Life Foundation and its partners have developed a brand new material (Oceanite) that they're using to build artificial reefs, and are applying the cutting edge science of coral micro-fragmentation to grow corals up to 50 times faster than they would out in the wild!

Click here to purchase a bracelet and plant a coral: https://www.reeflifefoundation.org/shop

Click here to see Oceanite and a micro-fragmentation disk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YITW3s63b1c

Click here to watch a video about their test sites in St. Maarten: https://vimeo.com/325568580

Here are some of our favorite quotes from this episode:

"The rate at which we can get coral to grow... is unlike anything we've ever seen before" -Zoë Ward, Reef Life Foundation

"On SeaLegacy's website, we are their only solutions partner. So we are the person that they expect to have results, do the thing, figure it out." -Guyon Brenna, Reef Life Foundation

"If you are a fan of breathing, then you should be a fan of reefs." -Zoë Ward, Reef Life Foundation

" We want to be the first line out there, planting the coral and making sure that we’re having an impact in the areas that we’re supporting." -Zoë Ward, Reef Life Foundation

Energy Impact Partners at EarthX | Conservation Through Venture Capital | Episode 009 May 23, 2019

Show notes

If you thought that all conservationists are scientists and forest rangers, think again. Cassie Bowe and Bethany Gorham, two key members of Energy Impact Partners, sit down with us at EarthX 2019 to discuss how the world of venture capital and conservation go hand in hand. EIP is the link connecting energy utility investors to innovative green energy start-ups that are propelling the energy field to new heights! Listen in to learn how EIP makes a difference for the planet through intentional investments!

Here are some of our favorite quotes from this episode:

"This day and age, you don't have to choose between caring about climate and making a profit... that IS the way you make profit these days." -Cassie Bowe, Energy Impact Partners

"Where are we investing? In any technology relevant to the convergence of the energy system towards a de-carbonized, electrified, and de-centralized future." -Bethany Gorham, Energy Impact Partners

"In terms of the types of checks we write, it's usually 10-30 million dollars. So these are pretty big checks, especially for the energy industry." -Cassie Bowe, Energy Impact Partners

"Conservation is not just about the people knee deep in mud everyday. It's also about the people in business suits, working in venture capital, growing and investing in the green innovations of tomorrow." -Chance Ruder, Last Chance Endeavors

If you'd like to visit Energy Impact Partners' website, click HERE

And If you want to learn more about the companies they've invested in, click HERE

David Yarnold: President and CEO of National Audubon Society | Campus Chapters and Shifting Ranges | Episode 008 May 16, 2019

Show notes

National Audubon Society is known worldwide as a leader in bird conservation, and for good reason. Listen in to hear David Yarnold describe the steps that Audubon is taking to reach the next generation of conservation leaders through their brand new Campus Chapters program!

With as much diversity as birds bring to our planet it's no surprise that they're facing an equally diverse set of threats, but the biggest of them all is climate change. As the environment changes, species of birds that we hold dear to our hearts are being pushed out of their historic ranges. Check out THIS LINK to see what scientists predict will happen to your favorite species (try looking at the Common Loon!).

Here are some of our favorite quotes from this episode:

"The biggest threat to birds is the biggest threat to the planet, which is climate change." -David Yarnold

"By 2080 nearly half of America's [bird] species could lose more than 50% of their range. Is extinction likey for some of those species? Yeah probably. That's the bad news. The good news is there's a lot we can do about that." -David Yarnold

After we ask about his favorite bird: "That’s a bit like asking me to pick a favorite kid!" -David Yarnold

CLICK HERE to check out the beautiful purple gallinule!

CLICK HERE to learn what native plants you can grow to help your local bird population!

CLICK HERE to learn how you can become an advocate for birds!

CLICK HERE to start your own Audubon Campus Chapter!

Dr. Bob Podolsky: Developmental Scientist | Echinoderm Larvae and Environmental Insults | Episode 007 May 14, 2019

Show notes

Dr. Bob Podolsky is the director of the Grice Marine Laboratory at the College of Charleston, and has spent his career working to unlock the secrets of the early life stages of marine invertebrates. He's on the front lines of ocean acidification, fighting every day to understand the ways in which changing oceans are putting the foundation of important marine food webs in peril. The gametes and larvae of your favorite marine organisms (sea stars anyone?) live in an alien world where minor changes in water temperature and chemistry can have massive effects on their survival, and no one knows more about this than Dr. Podolsky himself!

Here are some of our favorite quotes from this episode:

"When you have a situation of low genetic variability, you have a situation where it’s going to be hard for those populations to respond to future changes in pH." - Dr. Bob Podolsky

"Even though echinoderms seem inconsequential to human populations, their larval forms are parts of food webs that support the kinds of fisheries that humans depend on for their food." - Dr. Bob Podolsky

"People have to recognize this: that it’s not just stuff out in the ocean that you shouldn’t care about, but rather human populations that are going to be impacted by changes in the way that these ecological communities work." - Dr. Bob Podolsky

For more info on the Grice Marine Laboratory click HERE

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