We Are Nature

Latest Episodes:

A Thin Dusting of Plutonium Nov 07, 2025

Show notes

What is the Anthropocene, and when might it have started? What is the great acceleration? Can we expect, or engineer, a great deceleration? What can we learn from nuclear history about nuclear futures? Featuring Travis Olds, Assistant Curator of Minerals at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, and Nicole Heller, Associate Curator of Anthropocene Studies at Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Encounter Trinitite glass, mentioned in this episode, in the exhibition The Stories We Keep: Bringing the World to Pittsburgh.

Thanks for listening! Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop on the latest news from the museum.

Preview: Season 2 Oct 23, 2025

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We Are Nature returns on November 7, 2025! Tune in to delve deep into Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s collection of over 22 million items. Fourteen Carnegie Museum of Natural History experts as well as special guests from Three Rivers Waterkeeper and the Royal Ontario Museum join the podcast to discuss collection items as windows into the science and ethics of the Anthropocene, the time period when human activities began significantly shaping their environment.

Thanks for listening! Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop on the latest news from the museum.

We Are The Future Feb 10, 2023

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On today’s show, the last episode of Season 1, we look ahead at possible futures. Join us in imagining a planet with space and dignity for all earthlings. Featuring Museum Director Gretchen Baker, Curator Nicole Heller, and Educator Taiji Nelson from Carnegie Museum of Natural History.

Watch the companion We Are Nature video series here.

Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson and Michael Pisano. Editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.

Thanks for listening! Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop on the latest news from the museum.

Bee Kind Jan 27, 2023

Show notes

Bugs make the world go around. Well, bugs and fungi. And bacteria. And algae. And…ok, it’s all important. We humans rely on many tiny neighbors, and now more than ever, their future relies on us. Come along on a visit to Pittsburgh’s Garfield Commnity Farm, and travel back to the Cretaceous to learn about the origins of flowers. Featuring the farm’s Community Engagement Coordinator AJ Monsma, youth farmer Israel, and Israel’s friend Tommy the Bee.

Visit garfieldfarm.com to learn more about Garfield Community Farms.

Watch the companion We Are Nature video series here.

Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson and Michael Pisano. Field Reporting by Di-ay Battad. Editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.

Thanks for listening! Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop on the latest news from the museum.

A Conservation Conversation Jan 20, 2023

Show notes

Biodiversity is key to our resilience as the climate changes. Our guest today is Conservation Biologist Charles Bier, Senior Director of Conservation Science the at Western Pennsylvania Conservancy. Charles has nurtured a deep relationship with Pennsylvanian nature since he was a six-year-old walking around with snakes in his pockets, and has spent his career trying to preserve our wonderful woods, wetlands and waterways.

Visit waterlandlife.org to learn more about Western PA Conservancy’s work to protect and restore exceptional places.

Watch the companion We Are Nature video series here, including a short video about freshwater mussels featuring Charles’ colleagues at WPC.

Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson and Michael Pisano. Editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.

Thanks for listening! Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop on the latest news from the museum.

Greenways Jan 13, 2023

Show notes

Tiffany Taulton is a climate policy expert, community organizer, professor of environmental justice, and one of the authors of Pittsburgh’s Climate Action Plan. She joins the show to talk about how our region is preparing for climate change, how that resilience benefits public health, and how climate action can embrace justice and equity.

Visit hazelwoodinitiative.org to learn more about the Hazelwood Initiative.
Watch the companion We Are Nature video series here.

Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson and Michael Pisano. Field Reporting by Jamen Thurmond and David Kelley. Editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.

Thanks for listening! Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop on the latest news from the museum.

Empowerment, Employment, Environment Jan 06, 2023

Show notes

How are labor and climate related? Today’s episode is all about supporting workers as the climate changes, and about work that supports climate action. Learn about labor history, a just transition, doughnuts and degrowth. Featuring Landforce’s Executive Director Ilyssa Manspeizer and Site Supervisor Shawn Taylor.

Visit landforcepgh.org to learn more about the great work Landforce is doing to care for people and greenspaces.

Watch the companion We Are Nature video series here.

Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson and Michael Pisano. Field Reporting by Jamen Thurmond and David Kelley. Editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.

Thanks for listening! Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop on the latest news from the museum.

Teens in the Wild Dec 16, 2022

Show notes

By taking care of greenspace, we care for ourselves. Hear about best practices for getting young people involved in land stewardship, and about how fostering a relationship with the outdoors is essential climate action. Featuring Naturalist Educator Nyjah Cephas and two of her students from the Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s Young Naturalists program.

Visit pittsburghparks.org to learn more about the Young Naturalists internship, and about Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy’s work to steward urban greenspace.

Watch the companion We Are Nature video series here.

Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson and Michael Pisano. Field Reporting by Di-ay Battad. Field Recording by Delaney Greenberg. Editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.

Thanks for listening! Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop on the latest news from the museum.

Food is Nature Dec 09, 2022

Show notes

Our globalized food system is already feeling the impacts of climate change. Today’s episode shows how decentralizing that food system can help us both be more resilient to extreme weather, and lessen industrial agriculture’s harmful effects. Featuring interviews with urban farmers at Braddock Farms.

Visit growpittsburgh.org to learn more about Braddock Farms and Grow Pittsburgh’s work to teach people how to grow food and promote the benefits gardens bring to our neighborhoods.

Watch the companion We Are Nature video series here.

Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson and Michael Pisano. Field Reporting by Di-ay Battad. Editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.

Thanks for listening! Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop on the latest news from the museum.

Bridges and Bivalves Dec 02, 2022

Show notes

Some freshwater mussels can live for over 100 years! During that time, they filter water and improve aquatic ecosystems. Today’s episode is about how aquatic life intersects with the human world. We’ll learn about everything from mussel charisma to climate-proofing infrastructure. Featuring an interview with Eric Chapman, Director of Aquatic Science at the Western PA Conservancy.

Visit waterlandlife.org to learn more about Western PA Conservancy’s work to protect and restore exceptional places.

Watch the companion We Are Nature video series–including a short video about freshwater mussels–here.

Episode Credits: Produced by Taiji Nelson and Michael Pisano. Field Recording by Mark Mangini. Research and editing by Michael Pisano. Music by Mark Mangini and Amos Levy.

Thanks for listening! Follow Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop on the latest news from the museum.

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