58 - Christine Copeland Hosts Dr. Ralph Baker and Dr. Bill Copeland on Soil, Conservation, and the Joy of Nature

On this episode of the Backyard OASIS podcast, Christine Copeland sits down with Dr. Ralph Baker and her husband Dr. Bill Copeland, to talk about our stunning natural world here in Massachusetts, and some of the things we can do to protect it.Dr. Ralph S. Baker has served on the Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA)'s Board of Directors for nearly 20 years, and currently is its Board President. Among his roles is supporting the NRWA's extensive climate resilience work. He also co-leads the Fitchburg Trail Stewards, a group of volunteers who recently completed the state-funded Fitchburg Trails Wayfinding Signage Project and actively maintains many of the trails in Fitchburg. He served on the city of Fitchburg's Conservation Commission for five years. An environmental scientist, Dr. Baker earned a Ph.D. in soil physics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in 1989. In 2000 he co-founded TerraTherm, Inc. in Fitchburg, and was its CEO, Chairman and Chief Scientist, designing and carrying out hazardous waste cleanup projects throughout the world. He retired in 2015, after a career focused on the cleanup of toxic organic chemicals in soil and groundwater. He now devotes his energies to the above-mentioned non-profit environmental organizations. He is a resident of Fitchburg, MA, and is an avid naturalist, cyclist, hiker, and back-country skier. Judith Baker, his wife of 50 years, is an artist, gardener, and musician. They have two children and two grandchildren.Learn more about Dr. Baker, the Baker Family Forest, and what you can do to conserve your land here:https://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/2017/06/19/fitchburg-man-makes-city-unique-offer-to-fight-climate-change/https://northcountylandtrust.org/conservation-in-fitchburg-a-forever-wild-approach/https://www.fitchburgma.gov/DocumentCenter/View/3159/Baker-Family-Public-Forest-Reserve---Fact-Sheet?bidId=https://www.oldgrowthforest.net/ma-baker-family-public-foresthttps://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/2018/05/02/baker-family-forest-dedicated-in-fitchburg/https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5c087e9e4cde7a66033e482d/t/5f68c8142e2767205e014c09/1600702493817/OGFN+HowToSaveAForestToolkit+2019.pdfPlease like, subscribe, and give the show a five-star review wherever possible – it's the easiest and best way for you to support our work and help us reach the most people worldwide!Hosted and Produced by Christine CopelandProduced and Engineered by Alexander Audette in the Teaching and Learning Innovation Center's Multimedia Studios at Greenfield Community College