This week, Sara and Casey chat with conservation biologist and data scientist, Dr. Vaughn Shirey, for a wide-ranging conversation about his work in butterfly conservation and climate change. Learn what got Vaughn interested in the field, how artificial intelligence is being used in his work, and what cold climate butterfly species (yeah, that's a thing) are telling us about climate change. Resources for this episode: Find more on Dr. Vaughn Shirey and his work HERE Find Vaughn Shirey on Twitter Find Vaugh Shirey on Instagram Vaughn Shirey - Google Scholar ..read more

Mosquitoes are common flying insect that inhabit all continents except Antarctica. There are over 3500 species of mosquitoes worldwide, but only somewhere between 6 and 9.3% bite humans and are disease vectors. That said, mosquitos are the deadliest animal on the planet, thanks to their role as a vector for disease. So, would we be better off getting rid of this pesky insect? Casey and Sara discuss the role of mosquitos in the environment, the pros and cons of eradication, and why mosquito gut bacteria is more important than you might expect! Resources for this episode: Mosquitopia - NCBI Book ..read more

Jeffrey Rissman is the Senior Director of Industry at Energy Innovation, a nonpartisan energy and environmental policy firm. He is also the author of a new book, Zero-Carbon Industry: Transformative Technologies and Policies to Achieve Sustainable Prosperity. Casey and Sara were thrilled to welcome Jeffrey to the show to discuss his ideas on cleaning up the industrial sector. Jeffrey shares policy ideas, new technologies, and simple changes that can be made to bring global industry to zero carbon within the next 50 years. To purchase the book and get a 20% off coupon code, visit https://z ..read more

Trees help give us clean air to breathe, keep us cool, and can even benefit our mental health. But not everyone has equal access to trees. In this week's episode, Casey and Sara discuss the benefits (and challenges) of urban trees and take a look at the factors involved in tree disparity across different neighborhoods.  Resources for this episode: The Inequitable Distribution of Urban Trees Tree Equity Score National Explorer Public Health Benefits of Urban Trees Urban Trees and Human Health: A Scoping Review Green gentrification in European and North American cities | Nature Communicatio ..read more

With the total solar eclipse visible over parts of North America in just a few days, Casey and Sara discuss what we know about animal behavior during eclipse events. Listen to find out: What are Baily's Beads and why does Sara like them so much? How would Casey's pets respond to a total solar eclipse? Why should we care about how animals act during an eclipse?  If you are in the path of the eclipse, whether total or partial, you can join North Carolina State University's Solar Eclipse Safari project or take a look at NASA's Eclipse Soundscapes project. And if you are viewing the eclipse ..read more

Pulling weeds around the yard isn't most people's idea of a good time. Busting out a spray bottle of herbicide might be the easy way out, but what's the price we pay for that? Casey and Sara discuss the use of herbicides in agriculture and urban areas, including the recent news surrounding the use of dicamba.    Resources for this episode: Protecting Pollinators from Herbicides: Rethinking Weed Management at Home Benefits and risks of the use of herbicide-resistant crops - Kathrine Hauge Madsen & Jens Carl Streibig How to use herbicides to safely control weeds on farms | OSU Exte ..read more

In this reunion episode, Casey returns to the podcast, joining Kristen and Sara in a discussion about the impact of various art forms on the environment, as well as the other ways that art and nature intersect. Nature often inspires art (and might be considered art in and of itself), art often depicts nature, and art can also be used to benefit nature and conservation!  Resources for this episode: Physiological Benefits of Viewing Nature: A Systematic Review of Indoor Experiments - PMC Understanding the Hazardous Environmental Impact of Paint Painting Safety In The Arts Sustainability of ..read more

Kristen and Sara discuss the threats facing coral reefs around the world, what conservationists are doing to help, and how we can all get involved! Resources for this episode: Visual Feature | Status of Coral Reefs of the World What Florida’s coral bleaching means as high ocean temperatures continue - The Washington Post Warming, acidic oceans may nearly eliminate coral reef habitats by 2100 - AGU Newsroom Extreme Ocean Temperatures Are Affecting Florida’s Coral Reef | NESDIS Coral on the Red List of Endangered Species | FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg Natural Threats to Coral Reefs Crown-of-thorns Star ..read more

When we think of coral most of us probably think of giant, colorful reef structures. But there's so much more to coral! We take a deeper look at the tiny animals that make up those reefs--and that can be found beyond those reefs, as well. Video for Weekly Challenge: Lens of Time: Corals in Motion   Resources for this episode:  What are corals? | ICRI NOAA CoRIS - What are Coral Reefs All About Soft Corals - Ocean Conservancy Coral tentacle elasticity promotes an out-of-phase motion that improves mass transfer | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences Coral Polyp Anato ..read more

Kristen and Sara discuss the pros and cons of using water to produce electricity. Listen in to learn the three main ways we currently produce hydropower, the environmental impacts, and how hydropower might fit in to the future of energy production.  Resources for this episode: Planning a Microhydropower System | Department of Energy Dam that threatens orangutan habitat faces three-year delay BATANG TORU HYDROPOWER PROJECT Factcheck and References on Key Issues Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre: Dam Displacement Why hydropower is the forgotten giant of clean energy UN warns most will ..read more