Nature Breaking

Latest Episodes:

Nature Needs Us Now: WWF's New Campaign, Explained Sep 16, 2025

Show notes

Nature provides countless benefits—from clean air and fresh water to raw materials for homes, medicines, and food. But nature is under threat from pollution, deforestation, poaching, and more. That's why WWF just launched a new campaign with a powerful message: Nature Needs Us Now.

In this episode of Nature Breaking, host Seth Larson sits down with Sara Thomas, WWF's Senior Director for Marketing and Outreach, to take you behind the scenes of how the campaign came together. Sara shares the creative thinking behind the campaign's 90-second ad, "Marble," and reveals insights from WWF's 2025 Connected by Nature Report, which explores how Americans view their relationship with nature.

You'll learn why nature is more than just beautiful landscapes—it's the foundation of our health, economy, and daily lives. And you'll hear what each of us can do to protect the natural systems that sustain us.

🎧 Like, subscribe, and drop a comment to share how nature shows up in your life—and what you're doing to protect it.

Links for More Info:

Nature Needs Us Now homepage

2025 Connected by Nature report

Chapters:

0:00 Wild Guess trivia question – free merch giveaway!

0:23 Intro

1:58 Sara's background

3:09 How kids inspire Sara's and Seth's interest in nature

5:22 Nature Needs Us Now campaign – what is it, and why now?

7:48 "Marble" ad

9:27 Key takeaways from the ad

11:27 Messaging choices & Connected by Nature report

17:00 What actions can people take?

21:30 Outro

Credits for "The Blue Marble":

Video: © Silverback Films/WWF-UK; © WWF-UK; © Staffan Widstrand/Wild Wonders of China/WWF; © Shutterstock/Nat Sumanatemeya/WWF-UK; © monkeybusinessimages/iStock; © thedronalist/pond5; © StratfordProductions/pond5; © BananaRepublic/pond5; © sekarb/pond5; © Erik Tatevosian/iStock; © molchanovdmitry/iStock; © risingforus/pond5; © chuchart/pond5; © Stockmagical; © Localradio/pond5; © Mycreative/pond5; © uralbear/pond5; © RickRay/pond5; © Shutterstock/WF/WWF; © theundertow.ocean & @diversforclimate/pond5; © Shutterstock/Cinematic Storm Footage/WWF; © Fer Ligabue/WWF-Brazil; © mvtstockshot/pond5; © olegbadak/pond5; © FrozenAntFilms/pond5; © Bellavista/pond5; © SteadyRux/pond5;© KsenyD/pond5; © WWF-US/Zac Shamah and Chris O'Leary

Music Composed by Wishlake

Back-to-School Tips for Eco-Smart Kids Sep 02, 2025

Show notes

Back-to-school season is here—and it's the perfect time to rethink how we pack lunches, buy supplies, and teach kids about sustainability. In this episode of Nature Breaking, hosts Seth Larson and Hayley Lawton share practical, eco-friendly tips for parents, teachers, and students to reduce waste and protect nature.

Then you'll hear an in-depth success story from Lovin Elementary School in Georgia, where educators and students have cut cafeteria food waste by over 70% with the help of WWF's Food Waste Warriors program. Gerin Hennebaul, a teacher at Lovin Elementary, joins Seth to talk through her school's journey.

From reusable lunch gear to share tables and composting, this episode is full of ideas you can bring to your own school or home. Plus, learn about WWF's Wild Classroom resources and a new grant opportunity for educators through the Green Prints for the Future initiative.

🎧 Tune in to discover how small changes can make a big impact—and how you can help raise the next generation of eco-smart kids.

Links for More Info:

Food Waste Warriors

Wild Classroom toolkits

Green Prints for the Future

Chapters:

0:00 Preview

0:21 Wild Guess trivia question

0:59 Intro

1:58 Seth and Hayley back to school memories

4:47 Back-to-school eco tips

9:53 WWF resources for educators

12:39 Interview with Gerin Hennebaul, a teacher involved in Food Waste Warriors

14:01 Background about Lovin Elementary School

17:00 How Lovin Elementary got started with Food Waste Warriors

22:11 Which solutions worked best to avoid food waste?

28:06 The "share table"

32:15 Composting program

33:53 Total impact of Food Waste Warriors

35:45 Closing summary

36:53 Wild Guess trivia answer

Bringing Buffalo Back: A Native-Led Story of Hope and Healing Jul 08, 2025

Show notes

Once nearly wiped out, the plains bison, or buffalo, as they are often called by Native Americans, are returning to the Great Plains — and with them, a powerful story of cultural renewal, ecological restoration, and Indigenous leadership. In this episode of Nature Breaking, WWF's Heather Dawn Thompson (a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) shares how Native Nations are leading efforts to restore buffalo populations, reclaim food sovereignty, and heal the land. From spiritual connections to practical conservation, this interview explores how buffalo are more than just wildlife — they are relatives, providers, and symbols of resilience.

Learn about the Tribal Buffalo Lifeways Collaboration, the role of buffalo in grassland ecosystems, and how communities are working together to bring these iconic animals home.

🎧 Listen in and be inspired by a story that's still unfolding — one rooted in tradition, science, and hope.

Links for More Info:

Heather Dawn Thompson bio

Tribal Buffalo Lifeways Collaboration

WWF's Plains Bison page

Chapters:

0:00 Preview

0:26 Intro

2:10 Heather Dawn's background and role at WWF

7:58 History of buffalo and connection with Native Nations

10:07 Role of Heather Dawn's family in conserving buffalo

13:00 What's it like to see a buffalo in real life?

14:30 Buffalo harvest story

16:00 Connection between buffalo and healthy grasslands

20:16 Buffalo and food sovereignty for Native Nations

23:19 Tribal Buffalo Lifeways Collaboration

28:30 Biggest challenges to buffalo restoration

Can Business Conserve Forests and Our Future? Jun 24, 2025

Show notes

In this episode of Nature Breaking, host Seth Larson sits down with Linda Walker, WWF's senior director of corporate engagement for forests, to explore the urgent threats to global forests and the role of business in helping reverse current trends.

Last month, alarming new data were released showing record-breaking tropical forest loss in 2024—an 80% increase over the previous year. Forests are critical to our planet and to us as humans, so we need to double down on efforts to stop the loss of forests where possible and more responsibly manage forests that are earmarked for production. Businesses have a big role to play because 54% of the world's forests are managed either wholly or partly for the production of things like timber, pulp and paper, and furniture. This interview dives into how some companies are already making a difference, including by participating in Forests Forward—WWF's flagship program for corporate leadership on forests launched in 2021. Linda and Seth also discuss what a new report, the Forests Forward Impact Report, reveals about the program's progress and the challenges ahead.

🎧 Tune in to hear inspiring stories from the field, insights into responsible forest management, and how everyday actions—by companies and consumers—can help keep forests thriving.

Links for More Info:

Linda Walker bio

Forests Forward Impact Report

WWF's Forests Forward program

BLOG: Global Forest Watch data shows alarming rate of forest loss

BLOG: To Secure our Forests, We Need Corporate Leadership Now More Than Ever

Chapters:

0:00 Preview

0:25 Intro

2:09 Linda's favorite forest memories

5:54 Global deforestation and the role of companies in managing forests

10:56 WWF's Forests Forward program

21:11 Impacts of the program

24:09 HP example

27:16 Interholco example

30:39 Reasons for hope

33:57 How all of us can help protect forests

36:57 Outro

How to Make Nature Part of Your Summer Plans Jun 10, 2025

Show notes

As the school year ends and the summer season begins, it's time to think about how to integrate nature into your summer plans. In this edition of Nature Breaking's "Headlines & Trendlines" series, hosts Seth Larson and Hayley Lawton share personal stories and practical tips for weaving nature into your everyday life. From backyard camping and local wildlife refuges to dream destinations like Yosemite and the Great Barrier Reef, this episode is full of ideas that are inspiring and doable—whether you're planning a big trip or just want to make the most of your weekends.

Plus, we'd love to hear from you! What are your favorite ways to connect with nature during the summer? Drop a comment or email us at news@wwfus.org.

Listen in and get inspired to make this your most nature-filled summer yet.

Chapters:

0:00 Preview

0:26 Intro

2:00 Seth & Hayley's childhood nature experiences

6:27 Simple ways to connect with nature close to home

10:20 Bucket-list nature destinations

12:39 Outro

How Coastal Communities Are Protecting Ocean Life May 27, 2025

Show notes

Ahead of World Oceans Day and the UN Ocean Conference, this episode of Nature Breaking explores how local communities are leading the charge in ocean conservation. Join host Seth Larson and WWF's Shauna Mahajan as they dive into the challenges and opportunities facing the Western Indian Ocean seascape—from climate change and overfishing to innovative community-led solutions.

Shauna shares inspiring stories of how coastal communities in places like Tanzania and Madagascar are using tools like microfinance and co-management to protect marine ecosystems, support sustainable development, and build climate resilience. Learn how the open-source tool Elinor is helping track and improve conservation governance, and why community-led conservation is key to achieving global goals like the 30x30 target.

📌 Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share to support ocean conservation!

Links for More Info:

Shauna Mahajan bio

Southwest Indian Ocean Seascape

Elinor monitoring tool

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Preview

0:24 Intro

1:56 Shauna's background

3:51 Western Indian Ocean seascape

6:46 Ingredients for successful community-led ocean initiatives

14:44 Elinor monitoring tool

20:47 The need for sustainable finance

26:30 UN Ocean Conference

28:09 Closing thoughts

29:47 Outro

The Clean Energy Dilemma: Mining's Impact on Nature May 13, 2025

Show notes

Accelerating the use of clean energy technologies like solar panels and electric vehicles is essential to meet global climate goals. But doing so will require dramatically increasing the global supply of copper, cobalt, lithium and graphite that play critical roles in the production of solar cells, magnets for turbines, and EV batteries. And a significant way to get those materials is through mining. That poses a potential risk to nature. In order to better understand that risk and develop strategies to balance the deployment of renewable energy infrastructure with the conservation of natural habitats, WWF commissioned a new study on the impact of mining for energy transition minerals on nature globally.

In this episode of Nature Breaking, host Seth Larson interviews Colin Meehan, WWF's senior director for renewable energy transitions. Colin led the development of this new study, and he shares key insights about the choices we need to make to meet global climate goals while also keeping nature intact and protecting communities.

Links for More Info:

WWF Report: Critical Minerals at a Critical Moment

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Preview

0:17 Intro

2:05 Colin's background

3:36 How much mining will be needed for a clean energy future?

6:03 Impact of mining for clean energy materials vs. mining for fossil fuels

7:03 Impact of critical minerals mining on nature

11:25 Strategies to mitigate impacts on nature

16:06 Surprising findings in the report

19:55 How to balance concerns around mining impacts with the urgency of climate change

25:41 Outro

Food Waste Solutions: Expert Tips to Keep Food Out of Landfills and Save Money Apr 29, 2025

Show notes

This episode explores the critical issue of food waste and its impact on our planet. Join host Seth Larson as he speaks with Pete Pearson, vice president for food loss and waste at the World Wildlife Fund, about the staggering amount of food wasted globally and its connection to environmental degradation. Discover innovative solutions and initiatives aimed at reducing food waste, including the Food Waste Warriors program in schools, the Hotel Kitchen project, and the US Food Waste Pact. Learn practical tips on how you can minimize food waste in your own home and contribute to a more sustainable future. Don't miss this insightful conversation that highlights the importance of every action we take to preserve our natural world.

Links for More Info:

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Preview

0:21 Intro

2:03 Food waste basics

4:27 Food Waste Warriors programs in schools

12:02 Hotel Kitchen program

19:13 US Food Waste Pact

25:25 Tips to stop food waste in your home

32:28 Federal and state policy support for food waste initiatives

37:24 Food waste reduction goals for the future

42:20 Outro

Give an Hour for Earth: Small Actions for Big Impact on Earth Day Apr 15, 2025

Show notes

Join hosts Seth Larson and Hayley Lawton in this special Earth Day episode of Nature Breaking. Discover how simple actions can make a big impact on our planet. Seth and Hayley share their personal experiences participating in WWF's "Give an Hour for Earth" campaign, offering practical ideas for how you can get involved. From jogging in nature to reducing food waste, learn how you can contribute to WWF's goal of banking 125,000 hours by April 30th. Tune in for inspiring stories, easy tips, and a deeper appreciation for Earth Day and Earth Month.

Links for More Info:

WWF's Give an Hour for Earth Campaign

Webby Awards - Vote for Nature Breaking!

Chapters:

0:00 Webby Awards update

0:40 Intro

2:50 Childhood memories of Earth Day

5:26 Give an Hour for Earth activities

11:05 How small actions can make a big difference

13:56 Outro

Transforming the Leather Industry to Combat Deforestation Apr 01, 2025

Show notes

Today's episode highlights a new initiative that aims to reduce the environmental footprint of leather production. Leather, as we all know, is sourced from cattle. And right now, cattle ranching for both beef and leather production is a major driver of deforestation, particularly in biomes such as the Amazon, Cerrado and Gran Chaco. In Brazil, for example, cattle ranching drives twice as much deforestation as the production of soy, palm oil, and wood products combined. It's a major problem that we need to overcome if we're going to save critical ecosystems, conserve species, and secure a stable future for our planet.

That's where the Deforestation-Free Leather Fund comes in. This new initiative, launched by WWF in March, gives companies that use leather in their products a chance to make a difference. This episode features an interview with the leader of that initiative, Fernando Bellese, about what exactly he hopes the fund will achieve. Companies or individuals interested in joining this effort can get more information in the links below.

Links for More Info:

Fernando Bellese bio

Deforestation-Free Leather Fund

BLOG: Leather Now Has a New Role: Helping to Prevent Deforestation

CHAPTERS:

0:00 Preview

0:31 Intro

2:04 Fernando's background

4:19 Difference between sustainable vs. unsustainable leather

8:10 Why is a fund needed?

13:50 How the fund works

28:21 Why should companies get involved?