PODCAST · society
Houston and Nature
by Nivien Saleh, Ph.D.
Houston is famous for supplying the United States with energy, for engaging in cutting-edge medical research and for sending humans to the Moon. But for natural beauty our minds wander elsewhere.Here's the truth: Houston's nature is exquisit and awe-inspiring. It is also fragile and in need of protection.So it's high time we discover our love for it. That's what this podcast is all about.Please sign up for the Houston and Nature Memo at https://houstonnature.com to be notified whenever a new episode comes out!
Episodes
-
25: A Natural History of the Pineywoods (Part 2): Settlers, Steamboats and Market Hunting, with Jim Neal
In the previous episode we traveled back to a time when the Pineywoods featured mammoths and saber toothed tigers. Then we worked our way forward through the arrival of the first humans and their indigenous successors. Today we'll pick up the story at the arrival of first Europeans.…
more -
24: A Natural History of the Pineywoods and the West Gulf Coastal Plain (Part 1): Leaving the Ice Age
The Pineywoods is a forested area in Eastern Texas and in the West Gulf Coastal Plain (a very wide stretch of Gulf coast that extends from the Mississippi all the way to the Lower Rio Grande Valley). To Houstonians the Pineywoods is just a day trip away. Today conservationist Jim Neal introduces…
more -
23: Protecting Houston's 22 Bayous and Waterways - The Big Picture
Have you wondered if anyone sees the big picture on caring for Houston's bayous and waterways? I have, and that's why I sat down with Brittani Flowers, the president and CEO of the Bayou Preservation Association. She tells us why our streams are such great assets and how we can leverage them to...
-
22: It's Breeding Season at the Smith Oaks Rookery
The Smith Oaks Rookery on High Island, in springtime, teems with life. Several species of colonial nesting birds come here to raise their young. And they do so right in front of human onlookers, without signs of fear. To give you a sense of the experience that the Rookery offers, I packed up my...
-
21: Kristi Rangel Reclaims Space and Place in Nature
Kristi Rangel has many facets: By career she is an educator, public health official, and artist. By passion she explores African American connections to the land in Houston. When she talks, you quickly learn that her rootedness in nature runs deep. It starts with a three-times great grandfather...
-
20: Go birding with Sarah Flournoy and Houston Audubon
Does observing birds – as they jump from twig to twig, stalk prey, feed their young – bring you joy? Then, according to Sarah Flournoy of the Houston Audubon Society, you are a birder, whether you own a pair of binoculars or not. Follow Sarah on her journey from beginner to expert birder. Find…
more -
19: Texas Parks And Wildlife Meets A Changing State Population
The population of Texas is changing, but the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is ready. In this third episode of a three part interview, Ted Hollingsworth tells us how his agency addresses the increasing diversity of Texans, and how the demographic trends affect both its ranks and its bottom...
-
18: How Texas Parks And Wildlife Protects At-Risk Species Across The State
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) describes its approach to protecting the state's ecosystems as science-based and forward-looking. How does being science-based work in a political culture that disputes science? And how does one pursue a forward-looking approach when the future looks...
-
17: My Time at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in Houston
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is a state government agency, and it maintains a number of tourist attractions in the Houston area. An example is the San Jacinto Monument, where Texans won their independence from Mexico. What's it like to maintain these assets, especially when the public…
more -
16: Let's Return Native Plants to Houston!
In this episode we'll look at Houston through the lens of a native plant enthusiast. Katy Emde, an expert member of the Native Plant Society of Texas, explains why native plants are great but sometimes hard to find, what she does to source the best seeds and what books and digital resources will...
-
15: You've Got Your Own Private Zoo – It's Called Your Microbiota
Each human being is host to a microbiota, an ecosystem made up of trillions of bacteria that inhabit the surfaces and crevices of our body and especially the insides of our large intestine. In this episode we'll look at the ecology inside our gut, where bacteria are on a constant quest to feed…
more -
14: Bill Gates Wrote "How to Avoid a Climate Disaster." Is It Any Good? – Part 2
In his book "How to Avoid a Climate Disaster," Microsoft founder Bill Gates proposes a global – yes, world-wide – solution to climate change. That's ambitious. Does he succeed? Find out from this conversation with environmental attorney Tom Campbell, who played a key role in resolving the…
more -
13: Bill Gates Wrote "How to Avoid a Climate Disaster." Is It Any Good? – Part 1
In his book "How to Avoid a Climate Disaster," Microsoft founder Bill Gates proposes a global – yes, world-wide - solution to climate change. That's ambitious. Does he succeed? Find out from this conversation with environmental attorney Tom Campbell, who played a key role in resolving the…
more -
12: Beto O'Rourke Wants Us to Protect Our Natural Heritage – with Beto O'Rourke
Former Congress member Beto O'Rourke knows Texas like no other. That's because he's visited every single one of its 254 counties – listening, debating, and campaigning for the U.S. Senate. In this interview he shares what the geography and landscape of Texas means to him, what its needs are, and...
-
11: The Magical World of Houston Squirrels, With Kelsey Low
Even though squirrels are a very visible form of Houston wildlife, we know little about them. Were you aware, for instance, that their brain shrinks and increases in size with the seasons, and that far from being pests, they are crucial to forest ecosystems? Kelsey Low of the Houston Arboretum…
more -
10: Prepared for Life? The Boy Scouts of America, With James Sy
Boy Scouts of America promises young men, and now also women, exciting nature experiences and preparation for life as adults. Do they live up to the promise? What's it like to grow up among the Scouts? Is being an Eagle Scout really as special as some people say? For answers to those questions I...
-
09: Enchanting Children With Nature: A Teacher's Tale, With Mary Ann Beauchemin
When it comes to drawing children and teenagers into nature, Mary Ann Beauchemin of Russ Pitman Park is an expert. After earning a Master's degree in outdoors education in Oregon, she taught generations of young Houstonians how to turn over logs, use bug boxes and marvel at critters. And in the...
-
08: Exploration Green – It's How You Build Beauty, Nature and Flood Control, With Jerry Hamby
Exploration Green is a beautiful park in flood-prone Clear Lake. The Green functions as a giant detention pond. But it is so much more: a space that welcomes wildlife, a refuge from the hustle of city life, an opportunity for volunteers to make friends and learn about nature. My guest is Jerry...
-
07: Houston's Permaculture Scene, with Shawn McFarland
The Houston permaculture community is lively. And chances are, you've heard of their innovative approach towards gardening. But, as you'll learn from veteran expert Shawn McFarland, permaculture goes far beyond orchards and vegetable beds. It can be applied, she says, to business, architecture…
more -
06: So You Can Heal from Poison: Jackie Young, the San Jacinto Waste Pits, and Other Toxic Sites
The San Jacinto Waste Pits may be Houston's best-known Superfund site. The chemicals they harbor are at constant risk of leeching out and poisoning both nearby residents and Houston's seafood supply. But the Pits are not the only toxic site. As my guest Jackie Young Medcalf will tell you, there…
more -
05: The Next Houston Hurricane May Be Worse Than Harvey – Let's Get Ready!
We face serious danger from Houston hurricane. I'm not talking about just any old storm, but one that originates in the Gulf of Mexico, rides up the Houston Ship Channel and destroys our petrochemical complex. Several thousand tanks filled with toxic substances might buckle and spill their…
more -
04: This Prairie Chicken Will Make Your Heart Quicken: Fighting Species Extinction
A hundred years ago, you could see the Attwater's Prairie Chicken all across the Texas Gulf Coast. And on mornings during spring mating season, you'd hear thousands of males call out for females. The soundscape they wove was quintessentially Texan – you just couldn't find it anywhere else. Today...
-
03: What's It Like to Be a Honeybee?
The honeybee is an amazing little creature. It provides us with essential goods and services - honey, wax, and pollination - and is even more social than we humans are. Curious to find out how a honeybee society runs itself, I reached out to Carlisle Vandervoort, a movie producer and beekeeper…
more -
02: The Green Wealth That's in the Texas Prairie
Glance at the Texas prairie, and all you see is grass and weeds. Look again, and you begin to appreciate the opportunity it holds for all of us: New income streams from carbon storage for ranchers and a slow-down in global warming for the rest of us. It's win-win all around, courtesy of the...
-
01: The Houston Environmental Community
Greater Houston is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States and growing. To give us a sense of the challenges this poses to the Houston environmental movement, I invited Jaime Gonzállez, the Houston Healthy Cities Program Director at the Nature Conservancy in Texas. We'll…
more
We're indexing this podcast's transcripts for the first time — this can take a minute or two. We'll show results as soon as they're ready.
No matches for "" in this podcast's transcripts.
No topics indexed yet for this podcast.
Loading reviews...
ABOUT THIS SHOW
Houston is famous for supplying the United States with energy, for engaging in cutting-edge medical research and for sending humans to the Moon. But for natural beauty our minds wander elsewhere.Here's the truth: Houston's nature is exquisit and awe-inspiring. It is also fragile and in need of protection.So it's high time we discover our love for it. That's what this podcast is all about.Please sign up for the Houston and Nature Memo at https://houstonnature.com to be notified whenever a new episode comes out!
HOSTED BY
Nivien Saleh, Ph.D.
Loading similar podcasts...
Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Houston and Nature have?
Houston and Nature currently has 25 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Houston and Nature about?
Houston is famous for supplying the United States with energy, for engaging in cutting-edge medical research and for sending humans to the Moon. But for natural beauty our minds wander elsewhere.Here's the truth: Houston's nature is exquisit and awe-inspiring. It is also fragile and in need of...
How often does Houston and Nature release new episodes?
Houston and Nature has 25 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Houston and Nature?
You can listen to Houston and Nature on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Houston and Nature?
Houston and Nature is created and hosted by Nivien Saleh, Ph.D..
URL copied to clipboard!