Plant Crimes

Latest Episodes:

Plants in the Court of Last Resort May 10, 2022

Show notes

The biggest threat to plants is climate change and habitat destruction. There's some people who are more responsible for those crises than others, and they might have to speak for their disastrous decisions. In court.

Plant Crimes is written and produced by me, Ellen Airhart. If you like this episode, please subscribe and tell people about it through a review. If you want to support the show, here’s a link to my Patreon. Plant Crimes art is by Nikki Duong. Intro music by Doxent Zsigmond and theme song and outro music is by APM. If you want me to investigate a plant crime or you would like to advertise on the show, please get in touch via email at plantcrimes [at] gmail [dot] com, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

Death by drowning Sep 03, 2021

Show notes

There's a form of virtually indestructible phytoplankton that can hold the secret to a murder investigation. In this episode, guest Kirstie Scott, lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University, shows us how diatoms have helped solve the case.

The Front Yard versus Toronto Jun 07, 2021

Show notes

Professor Nina-Marie Lister had a yard she loved. The City of Toronto wanted to put a stop to it. In this episode, we hear from Lister as well as Simon Chollet, assistant professor at the Université de Rennes.

I have really exciting news this week, which is that I made Plant Crimes hats! They’re available on the $10 tier on my Patreon or if you don’t want to deal with Patreon you buy them through the plant crimes website and they’re $35 that way. Plant Crimes is written and produced by me, Ellen Airhart. If you like this episode, please subscribe and tell people about it through a review. This month’s episode pictures were taken by Nina Marie Lister. Plant Crimes art is by Nikki Duong. Intro music by Doxent Zsigmond and theme song and outro music is by APM. If you want me to investigate a plant crime or you would like to advertise on the show, please get in touch via email at plantcrimes [at] gmail [dot] com, @plant_crimes on Twitter, Plant Crimes on Facebook or @ellenairhart on Instagram.

The Big Bend Cactus Thieves Apr 01, 2021

Show notes

People were stealing living rock cactuses from Big Bend National Park. In this episode, we learn about the institutions and people who stopped them. We hear from guests Al Barrus, public affairs specialist at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Eric Jumper, Special agent for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Louis Volpe, South Florida Area Director at the Miami Plant Inspection Station; and Leo Castaneda, botanist at the Miami Plant Inspection Station.

How Citizen Science Apps Protect Plants Mar 01, 2021

Show notes

Citizen science apps can be invaluable to researchers and give everyone a chance to document wildlife. However, they could also lead people with less-than-ideal intentions directly to rare plants. In this episode, we hear from guests Dr. Connie Hausman, executive director of the Ohio Biological Survey; Adam Welz, a South African environmental journalist, photographer, and filmmaker; and Ken-ichi Ueda, naturalist and co-founder and co-director of iNaturalist.

How to Buy an Endangered Plant Online Feb 01, 2021

Show notes

Obtaining endangered plants is not as difficult as you might think. In this episode, my friend and I have a competition to see who can find illegal plants online the fastest. We also hear from a researcher who's coming up with innovative ways to stop indiscriminate sellers in their tracks.

Animal Crossing Flower Thieves May 11, 2020

Show notes

Growing hybrid flowers in Animal Crossing takes a lot of game time. In this episode, we talk about people who have found a shortcut.

The Redwood Poachers Nov 25, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, we learn about people who rob our country’s most iconic tree. We also speak to a team of scientists who did something about the problem.

Plant Crimes is written and produced by me, Ellen Airhart. If you like this episode, please subscribe and tell people about it through a review. If you want to make sure there’s a season two, here’s a link to my Patreon. Plant Crimes art is by Nikki Duong. Intro music by Doxent Zsigmond and theme song and outro music is by APM. If you want me to investigate a plant crime or you would like to advertise on the show, please get in touch via email at plantcrimes [at] gmail [dot] com, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.