In Defense of Plants Podcast

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Ep. 50 - Restoration Ecology with Author Paddy Woodworth Apr 03, 2016

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Restoration ecology represents a juxtaposition between science, the public, and human values. It is often a hot button topic full of strong and sometimes contentious opinions. The practice itself offers humanity a chance to regain what has been lost, to right at least some of our environmental wrongs. Whereas the science of restoration is in its infancy, the effort has been ongoing, sometimes for decades. Author Paddy Woodworth has written a wonderful book on the subject called "Our Once and Future Planet." He joins us for a thoughtful discussion regarding what he has learned about the subject after a decade of investigating it. As you will hear, he demonstrates just how complex the very idea of restoration can be, especially in a century of rapidly changing climate. This episode was produced in part by Allan of Kenosha, WI. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 49 - MuddyBoots Peru Mar 27, 2016

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I am one of those people that has always thought of Peru as a giant stretch of Amazonian rainforest. As it turns out, this couldn't be farther from the truth. From dry deserts to high elevation forests, Peru is a wonderfully dynamic place. It is also rich in biodiversity. These are just some of the aspects that inspired Josh Richards to start his own ecotourism company. Josh is using what he has learned over the years to turn this company into something that gives back to the environment. Muddyboots Peru stands out in its mission to go beyond tourism in order to foster a better relationship with Peru's natural heritage. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 48 - Coffee Ecology Mar 19, 2016

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Worldwide, we humans drink roughly 2.25 billion cups of coffee per day. Our consumption of coffee comes at a great cost to the environment. Around 11 million hectares of land have been turned into coffee plantations, much of which consists of large scale, chemically laden, industrial monocultures. Because of its massive ecological impact, people like Dr. Ivette Perfecto from the University of Michigan have dedicated their research careers to helping make coffee farming more ecologically friendly. It all starts with small scale farmers in Latin America. By introducing ecological principals back into the farming practices of this region, Dr. Perfecto and her collaborators are helping to make coffee farming more sustainable, and at the same time, helping to educate local farmers about the importance of nature and all of its players. Join me for a fascinating conversation about coffee ecology. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 47 - Pollinators and Parentage Mar 12, 2016

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I have always thought of pollination as rather straight forward - a pollinator visits a plant, picks up pollen, and deposits that pollen on its next visit. As it turns out, it's not that simple. To find out more about the complexities of pollination, I called up Dr. Randy Mitchell from the University of Akron in Ohio. His research is going to blow your mind. What to us seems like the perfect mutualism turns out to be more like a dark alley transaction in which each party is trying to get as much from the other without giving too much in return. This episode was produced in part by Allan Pisula of Kinosha, Wisconsin. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 46 - Flora of the Ozarks Mar 06, 2016

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The Ozark Mountains have long been a mystery to me. This ancient mountain range is home to a bewildering diversity of plant life, some of which is found nowhere else in the world. From glades to woodlands and everything in between, the Ozarks have it all. Join me for a discussion with Justin Thomas, director of the Institute of Botanical Training. Justin and his wife have devoted their lives to studying and protecting the plants of this region. I learned a lot from talking with Justin and I know you will too. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 45 - Cycads Feb 28, 2016

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Who doesn't love cycads? I know I do and can you really blame me? The cycads are an incredible group of plants. They are also quite ancient. Arising long before flowering plants, this lineage has survived munching dinosaurs, continental drift, and mass extinctions and has undergone incredible adaptive radiations. Today cycads are in trouble. Habitat destruction and poaching now threaten many of the world's species. To get to know cycads a bit better I reached out to one of the world experts on this group of plants, Dr. Dennis Stevenson of the New York Botanical Garden. Dr. Stevenson has traveled the globe to study and describe new species of cycad. He has been on every major continent and has encountered nearly every species in the wild. His work has helped us better understand this enigmatic and ancient group. Join us for a fascinating discussion about the cycads. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 44 - Litter Trappers Feb 21, 2016

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These plants don't worry about soil, they make their own! Because so many species in the tropics grow either epiphytically or in nutrient poor soil, some of them have turned to alternative solutions. Their anatomy is such that they collect everything from dead leaves to bird droppings. A diverse community of soil microbes and invertebrates can then go to work to create nutrient rich humus. What's more, litter trapping abilities can be found in plants as distantly related as ferns and orchids! Join me for an interesting discussion with Dr. Scott Zona, the curator of Florida International University's Werthheim Conservatory to talk about his work finding and describing litter trapping plants. This is one discussion you don't want to miss. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 43 - Orchid Conservation Feb 14, 2016

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Many people are surprised to learn that North America is home to over 200 species of orchid. What's more, an embarrassing amount of North America's orchids are threatened with extinction. The plight of this intriguing plant family is an indication of how we are doing as a species. Orchids act as the proverbial canary in a coal mine. That is why Dr. Dennis Whigham, senior botanist for the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center created the North America Orchid Conservation Center. Join me for a discussion with Dr. Whigham in which we cover everything from the mutualisms that orchids need to survive to what it is going to take to ensure their survival on this continent. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 42 - Botanizing Illinois Feb 07, 2016

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When you think of the Midwest, it is often in the context of the agricultural hotspot that it is. This was my first impression when I considered moving to Illinois. Though much of its natural heritage has been plowed under, there still remains plenty of natural beauty. That is why I am very excited for this week's guest. Chris Benda is THE Illinois Botanizer and current president of the Illinois Native Plant Society. He has fallen in love with the flora of this state and through tours, talks, and even some books, he is trying to share his love with you. Join us for a fun and interesting conversation on just how awesome Illinois' natural heritage really is. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 41 - Orchid Sex Jan 31, 2016

Show notes

The orchid family is the most diverse plant family on the planet. Much of this diversity is driven by intricate and often highly specific relationships with their pollinators. My friend and fellow orchid fanatic Tierney Rosenstock joins us this week to talk to us about how a deep fascination with orchids turned into some pretty awesome research. Her work on the reproductive ecology of the pink lady slipper orchid reveals interesting evolutionary relationships and a need to understand the ecosystem beyond just your study organisms. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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