Womanica

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Latest Episodes:

Cultivators: Hattie Carthan Apr 17, 2025

Show notes

Hattie Carthan (1900-1984) was a community activist and environmentalist from Brooklyn, New York. She led efforts to preserve trees, revitalize public parks, and improve her Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, most notably saving a Southern magnolia tree. She received a distinguished service medal from the city and was elected to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's governing committee.

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This month, we’re talking about cultivators — women who nurtured, cross-pollinated, experimented, or went to great lengths to better understand and protect the natural world.

History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn’t help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more. Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.

Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Sara Schleede, Paloma Moreno Jimenez, Luci Jones, Abbey Delk, Adrien Behn, Alyia Yates, Vanessa Handy, Melia Agudelo, and Joia Putnoi. Special thanks to Shira Atkins.

Original theme music composed by Brittany Martinez.

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Cultivators: Sophie Lutterlough Apr 16, 2025

Show notes

Sophie Lutterlough (1910-2009) was an American entomologist who spent 40 years working at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. She started out as the museum’s first woman elevator operator, and eventually became an entomologist.

For Further Reading:

This month, we’re talking about cultivators — women who nurtured, cross-pollinated, experimented, or went to great lengths to better understand and protect the natural world.

Original theme music composed by Brittany Martinez.

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Cultivators: Susan Fenimore Cooper Apr 15, 2025

Show notes

Susan Fenimore Cooper (1813-1894) was a writer and amateur naturalist, best known for her “Rural Hours,” her nature diary of Cooperstown, New York. The book was reprinted nine times in her lifetime, and she is considered one of the first American nature writers. Through her writing, she sought to educate readers about the natural world and encourage them to value and protect it.

For Further Reading:

This month, we’re talking about cultivators — women who nurtured, cross-pollinated, experimented, or went to great lengths to better understand and protect the natural world.

Original theme music composed by Brittany Martinez.

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Cultivators: Theodosia Burr Shepherd Apr 14, 2025

Show notes

Theodosia Burr Shepherd (1845-1906) was an American botanist, horticulturist, and pioneer in plant breeding known as the “Flower Wizard of California”. She is known for developing new varieties of flowers including cosmos, poppies, and begonias. The most famous being the ‘Heavenly Blue’ morning glory, and the ‘Golden West’ California Poppy.

For Further Reading:

This month, we’re talking about cultivators — women who nurtured, cross-pollinated, experimented, or went to great lengths to better understand and protect the natural world.

Original theme music composed by Brittany Martinez.

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Cultivators: Mary Vaux Walcott Apr 11, 2025

Show notes

Mary Vaux Walcott (1860-1940) was an American artist, botanist, and naturalist known as the “Audubon of Botany” for her detailed watercolor illustrations of North American wildflowers. She was also a pioneer in photography, glacial studies, and mountaineering.

For Further Reading:

This month, we’re talking about cultivators — women who nurtured, cross-pollinated, experimented, or went to great lengths to better understand and protect the natural world.

Original theme music composed by Brittany Martinez.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cultivators: Helia Bravo Hollis Apr 10, 2025

Show notes

Helia Bravo Hollis (1901-2001) was a pioneering Mexican botanist and the country’s first formally titled biologist, specializing in the study and conservation of cacti. She classified over 700 cacti species, helped establish UNAM’s Botanical Garden, and co-founded the Mexican Cactus Society.

For Further Reading:

This month, we’re talking about cultivators — women who nurtured, cross-pollinated, experimented, or went to great lengths to better understand and protect the natural world.

Original theme music composed by Brittany Martinez.

Follow Wonder Media Network:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cultivators: Rachel Ruysch Apr 09, 2025

Show notes

Rachel Ruysch (1664-1750) was a Dutch still-life painter from the Netherlands, specializing in depicting flowers. Her career spanned over six decades and earned her international fame. She is now considered the best-documented female painter of the Dutch Golden Age.

For Further Reading:

This month, we’re talking about cultivators — women who nurtured, cross-pollinated, experimented, or went to great lengths to better understand and protect the natural world.

Original theme music composed by Brittany Martinez.

Follow Wonder Media Network:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cultivators: Tapputi Apr 08, 2025

Show notes

Tapputi is widely regarded as one of the first known chemists, and her name appears in a Mesopotamian cuneiform tablet dating to approximately 1200 BCE. She is believed to have worked in the Babylonian royal palace, where she held the title of “Belatekallim,” meaning a female overseer or supervisor. Tapputi is most famous for making perfumes, the descriptions of her work provide some of the earliest documented evidence of chemical distillation and solvent use—techniques that form the foundation of modern chemistry.

For Further Reading:

This month, we’re talking about cultivators — women who nurtured, cross-pollinated, experimented, or went to great lengths to better understand and protect the natural world.

Original theme music composed by Brittany Martinez.

Follow Wonder Media Network:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cultivators: Gloria Lim Apr 07, 2025

Show notes

Gloria Lim (1930-2022) was a mycologist known for her extensive work in the study of fungi, particularly in Southeast Asia. With a passion for exploring the diverse fungal ecosystems, she made significant contributions to the understanding of both native and rare species. Her research and advocacy helped raise awareness about the ecological importance of fungi and their role in maintaining biodiversity.

For Further Reading:

This month, we’re talking about cultivators — women who nurtured, cross-pollinated, experimented, or went to great lengths to better understand and protect the natural world.

Original theme music composed by Brittany Martinez.

Follow Wonder Media Network:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cultivators: Kono Yasui Apr 04, 2025

Show notes

Kono Yasui (1880-1971) was a Japanese biologist and cytologist who became the first Japanese woman to receive a doctoral degree in science. Her academic and scientific career defied gender norms of the time and made important advancements in genetics.

For Further Reading:

This month, we’re talking about cultivators — women who nurtured, cross-pollinated, experimented, or went to great lengths to better understand and protect the natural world.

Original theme music composed by Brittany Martinez.

Follow Wonder Media Network:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.