PODCAST · science
The Mike Nowak Show
by Mike Nowak
Mike and Peggy cover ever a little bit of everything green under the sun—the environment, gardening, local food, sustainable living and more—in a style that is casual, accessible, entertaining, informative and fun.
Episodes
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What a Long, Strange Garden Trip It’s Been
On our final show (for awhile), we talk about the Depave Movement across the world. Katya Reyna from Depave Portland and Mary Pat McGuire of Depave Chicago report on their respective programs. Judy Pollock and Bob Fisher from the Bird Conservation Network comment on the results of a 22-year study...
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Tomatomania V: Off to the Races
Tomato experts Craig LeHoullier ("Epic Tomatoes") and Keith Mueller ("KC Tomato") return yet again to impart their wisdom about America's favorite fruit in Tomatomania V. They talk growing strategies and favorite varieties...including some they have developed themselves.
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Monarch Butterflies: Yet Another Species on the Brink
The monarch numbers from Mexico were just released and they're...okay. Which means that the iconic species is still threatened. Horticulturist Dolly Foster returns to the show to talk about choosing plants--including milkweed--to attract monarchs and other pollinators to your yard. Bob Benenson…
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How to Discover a Wild Area in the 21st Century
What's it like to "discover" a high-quality natural area in the Midwest? We talk to naturalist Steve Sass, who helped identify Indiana's Lydick Bog in 2014. He is joined by fellow naturalist Amanda Smith. The two are responsible for the educational website Indiana Nature and for the very popular...
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The Sky’s the Limit for Women in Arboriculture
ISA certified arborist Megan Kacenski from Bartlett Tree Experts stops by to talk about how she became an arborist representative and what kind of opportunities exist for women in the tree care industry. She is joined by show regular Skeet from Bartlett. Diveheart, which helps disabled children,...
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The Hidden Dangers of Artificial Turf
Thousands of artificial turf fields have popped up across the country in the past few decades. The argument is that they're cheaper, easy to maintain and perfectly safe. Really? We talk to a group of concerned Lake Forest, IL citizens from Go Real Go Grass, who reveal the dark side of artificial...
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The Regeneration Miracle That Is Compost
The Mike Nowak Show with Peggy Malecki helps the Illinois Food Scrap Coalition kick off International Compost Awareness Week. Merleanne Rampale from SWALCO, James Kim from Vernon HIlls Park District, and Vytas Papedinskas of Save Our Soil LLC report on a pilot program that is helping communities...
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The Marvelous Melinda Myers Makes It Better
The Marvelous Melinda Myers returns to talk spring gardening. We learn about the changes in the latest version of her "Midwest Gardener's Handbook," As always, we'll answer as many gardening questions as time allows. Mike and Peggy dip into the latest environmental stories during their "Green...
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Doug Tallamy on Fighting to Save Trees and Natural Areas
Author and educator Doug Tallamy returns to the show to talk about the importance of protecting and creating spaces to promote biodiversity. Jeannette Hoyt from Save Jackson Park and David J. Nowak from the USDA Forest Service in Syracuse, New York, discuss the damage done to local…
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The Possibilities of Amazing Native Plants
The subject is native plants and the instructors are brothers Kelsay and Tristan Shaw, who, between them, have put in about 50 years' work at Possibility Place Nursery in Monee, Illinois. On this show we talk about why natives are important and get some cold, hard truth from a couple of guys who...
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How to Go Beyond Organic Growing
If it's spring, it's time to talk once again to Bob Benenson from Local Food Forum. He reports on as many issues as he can get to in about 20 minutes, They include the reasoning behind Chicago's Green City Market's decision to open a month earlier. Author Emily Murphy returns to the show to talk...
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Green School Farms on the Front Line of Sustainability
Farmer Gary Fehr returns to the show to give Mike and Peggy a tour of his small farm near Lincoln, Nebraska. He is a commuter farmer who believes in working to connect kids and adults with local, healthy food.
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Phenology Is a Key Component of Life on Earth
If you're not familiar with the concept of phenology, we hope to give you an introduction on today's show. Alyssa Rosemartin from the USA National Phenology Network and citizen scientist Jean Linsner, who has worked on The 606 in Chicago, talk about the importance of keeping track of nature's...
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Expect Great Growing in 2022
With the start of the 2022 gardening season upon us, we look at the business end and the personal side of great growing. Chris Beytes from Ball Hort's publication GrowerTalks reports on the state of the industry. LaManda Joy previews the Great Grow Along with presenter Nicole Burke of Gardenary…
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Start the Best Fruits and Vegetables
Lisa Hilgenberg is horticulturist for the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden at the Chicago Botanic Garden. There, she is responsible for some 50,000 plants, including 400 types of edibles. Today she has advice on when and how to get your seedlings started for the Midwest growing season. We also...
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Sacrificing Birds for a Marketing Gimmick
Mike and Peggy welcome back MWRD Commissioner Kim Neely du Buclet to talk about recent green infrastructure water projects and even ways to trace coronavirus in our water supply. Raj Patel, director of The Ants & the Grasshopper explains the food and social justice components of his film about...
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Protect Creatures Great and Small
We talk animal welfare on today's show. Ryan Anderson from Midwest Grows Green previews "Hounds & Grounds," an event that will feature agility training for dogs and advice about natural lawn care for their owners that will keep their pooches healthy. Jodie Wiederkehr of Chicago Alliance for…
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Can Backyard Composting Change the World?
We don't know if backyard composting can change the world, but it's a heck of a good start. Composting experts Amy Bartucci and Kate Caldwell walk you through how to set up your pile, bin or tumbler and explain why composting is such a good idea for everyone.
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Forest Preserves Unlock the Mysteries of Nature
Yes, it cold and there's snow. But if you live in the Chicago region, those are two excellent reasons to get out to a nearby forest preserve. Nina Baki from the Cook County and Rebekah Snyder from Lake County talk about the activities they have to offer and why a visit to nature--even in...
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Doug Tallamy on Saving Nature and Ourselves
Entomologist, ecologist and author Doug Tallamy returns to the show. He discusses his latest book, The Nature of Oaks and his work to create Homegrown National Park. But he will also talk with Kerry Leigh, executive director of the Natural Land Institute about the continuing threat to Bell Bowl...
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Puppets Pick Apart Plastic Myths
The 2020 Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival is coming to Chicago this week. We talk to its founder, Blair Thomas, and to artist Robin Frohardt, who has created an installation called The Plastic Bag Store. It is stocked with food-like items that are handcrafted from discarded…
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How to Create The Healthy Garden
We start a brand new year with a brand new book. The Healthy Garden: Simple Steps for a Greener World is written by a couple of gardening pros--Kathleen Norris Brenzel and Mary-Kate Mackey. We'll talk about how and especially why you should become a friend of the earth. Then Mike and Peggy talk...
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It’s a Wonderful Slice 2021!
Mike and Peggy wrap up 2021 with their annual presentation of It's a Wonderful Slice of It's a Wonderful Life, featuring an all-star cast of friends of the show. Cindy Crosby talks about her book Chasing Dragonflies and why getting out into the natural world is important in winter. She is joined…
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How to Provide Good Food Through Growing Solutions
This Sunday we explore how different groups work to provide healthy, local food to the Chicago region, while sometimes improving the lives of the people who grow that food. We talk to Bob Kopach from the Eco-Friendly Farm Stand Project and Tucker Kelly, lead grower at Growing Solutions Farm…
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Exploring Sustainability Myths and Solutions
On Sunday's show, we look at how to grow food sustainably. Is that permaculture? Or regenerative gardening? How about appropriate horticulture? We'll ask Robert Kourik, author of the just-released Sustainable Food Gardens: Myths and Solutions. Then Mike and Peggy dip into the grab bag of...
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And Now for Something Completely Different
As the weather gets cooler and we head into the holiday season, Mike and Peggy chill literally and figuratively. They discuss the latest environmental stories while playing music by friends of the show--singer Bruce A. Henry and guitarists Judy Handler and Mark Levesque.
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Prairie Uprising on the Horizon
Two months ago, not many folks had ever heard of Bell Bowl Prairie in Rockford, Illinois. Now, it is at the forefront of a prairie uprising. Amy Doll from Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves and Chris Benda, the Illinois Botanizer, bring us up to speed on the latest developments to save this...
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What Happened to Glass Recycling
Scott DeFife from the Glass Packaging Institute and the Glass Recycling Foundation reports on efforts to increase the glass recycling rate in Chicago and the U.S. Jill Bondi of Bartlett Tree Experts explains how more and more women are getting into the tree care industry.
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Solutions for a Planet on the Brink
Horticulturist Allan Armitage stops by to talk about his latest book, which isn't about gardening at all. The latest attempt to stem the tide of climate change is happening at the COP26 Conference in Glasgow, Scotland. Mike, Peggy and Rick DiMaio will attempt to make sense of the proceedings, not...
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Hog CAFOs Threaten Quality of Rural Life
Hog CAFOs in Illinois and other states continue to be a threat not only to the animals confined in them, but to the well-being of rural communities. In Illinois, one proposed factory farm could threaten Mahomet Aquifer, which provides water for at least 500,000 citizens in the center of the…
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Is a Parking Lot More Valuable Than a Prairie?
Time is running out for Bell Bowl Prairie at Chicago Rockford International Airport. Kerry Leigh from the Natural Land Institute, landscape designer Domenico D'Alessandro, and Jen Kuroda from Sinnissippi Audubon talk about how--and if--the prairie can be saved. Kim Hankins previews the McHenry...
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I Know What You Did in the Garden this Year
Mike and Peggy welcome gardeners representing three gardens that were recognized by the Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards' 2021 60-Second Garden Video Challenge. They also update the #SaveBellBowlPrairie situation. Meteorologist Rick DiMaio previews a La Nina-influence winter.
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Of Sound Mind, Learning and Feeling
Nina Kraus, PhD, is director of the Brainvolts Lab at Northwestern University. She joins us today to discuss her decades of work exploring hearing and the brain. That research has led to her new book, "Of Sound Mind: How Our Brain Constructs a Meaningful Sonic World."
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Can One Bee Rescue a Valuable Remnant Prairie?
An expansion at Chicago Rockford International Airport threatens a valued prairie remnant. Thanks to the sighting of an endangered rusty patched bumble bee, the construction is on hold...for the moment. We talk to Kerry Leigh from the Natural Land Institute and naturalist/artist Robb Telfer about...
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Creating New Lives for Rescued Farm Animals
Katie Parker from Tamerlaine Sanctuary and Preserve in New Jersey, and Erin Yanz of Erin's Farm in Hobart, Indiana give virtual tours of the lands on which they give abused and neglected farm animals a chance for a future.
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Are You Ready for Some Illinois Fun?
Mike and Peggy travel Illinois to talk about farming, pumpkins, chickens, music festivals and beer. Guests are Jeff Hake from FarmFED Co-op, Jennifer Murtoff of the 11th Annual Windy City Coop Tour, and Katie Troccoli, Christina Eltrevoog and Tom Gaffney from the WRWO 94.5 FM "Fresh from the...
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Melinda Myers Reveals Fall Gardening Secrets
Who could have known that autumn would follow summer? Gardening expert Melinda Myers, that's who! She brings a wealth of fall gardening tips to the show. Katherine Tellock is launching the Guerrilla Recycling Project and she needs volunteers. Rev. Brian Sauder from Faith in Place previews their...
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Last Chance for a Clean Energy Deal in Illinois?
The Illinois General Assembly is scheduled to return to Springfield this week for a special session. Will they finally pass a clean energy bill for the state? Or will there be more roadblocks? J.C. Kibbey from the NRDC, Lisa Albrecht from All Bright Solar, and Dave Kraft from the Nuclear Energy...
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A Bad Week for Chicago’s Public Parks
It was a bad week for the Chicago Park District and transparency in government. Juanita Irizarry, executive director of Friends of the Parks, reports on several pressing issues that affect the future of Chicago's Parks. Marianne Willburn talks about her new book, "Tropical Plants and How to Love...
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On the Road at The Growing Place
The Mike Nowak Show with Peggy Malecki is on the road (again) after two years. Today we're streaming live from The Growing Place in Aurora, Illinois. We'll talk hydrangeas with Michael Massat, and Skeet from Bartlett Tree Experts will look at the trees on site and offer tree care advice.
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Get Yer (Coal) Ash Out of the Vermillion River!
In a victory for clean water, Dynegy recently agreed to remove toxic coal ash from the floodplain of the Middle Fork of the Vermillion River in east central Illinois. Pam Richart from Eco-Justice Collaborative, Jenny Cassel of Earthjustice, and Andrew Rehn from Prairie Rivers Network explain how...
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Local Food Is Getting Better In Illinois
Where local food is concerned, it was a good spring session in the Illinois General Assembly in 2021. Molly Gleason from the Illinois Stewardship Alliance talks about the various local food and conservation programs that were passed by the Illinois General Assembly. Bob Benenson joins the...
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Climate Change and Chicago’s Water
Commissioner Debra Shore of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago explains the connections involving climate change, extreme weather events and clean water. She and science and policy advisor Justin Hart talk about the ongoing battle to keep the water supply in Chicago…
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Return of the Butterfly Whisperer
Doug Taron is a PhD, Chief Curator of the Chicago Academy of Sciences at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, director of the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network and much more. But we prefer to call him The Butterfly Whisperer. At least this week. He joins us on the show to talk monarchs, regal...
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How to Rescue Storm Damaged Trees
Following a June 2021 that featured drought, excessive rain and destructive storms, homeowners and municipalities are assessing the damage done to their trees. Skeet from Bartlett Tree Experts and Julie Janoski, Plant Clinic Manager at The Morton Arboretum, offer advice on how to cope with…
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Create Sanctuary for Wildlife in your Garden
Nancy Lawson has written an exceptional book called The Humane Gardener. On today's show, she talks about strategies for encouraging critters of all types, whether they are reviled or not, to become part of your local ecosystem. Her sister, Janet Crouch, then reports on how she took on her HOA to...
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Tomatomania III: The Looming Drought
Tomato experts Craig LeHoullier and Keith Mueller (KC Tomato) return to celebrate Tomatomania III: The Looming Drought. They talk about their work growing and breeding tomatoes and offer tips for backyard gardeners during dry conditions. Meteorologist Rick DiMaio then continues the conversation...
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Talking Chicago Environmental Smack with the Experts
In a special 90-minute deep green dive, Mike and Peggy welcome former City of Chicago department heads Suzanne Malec-McKenna and Sandra Henry. They will talk about the current "Chicago State of the Environment"--the good, the bad, and where we go from here.
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Survival Tips; Confronting Aldi; Saving Blue Ash
Bob Beneson from Local Food Forum stops by to talk about the explosion of farmers markets in Illinois, and offers some tips for shopping in hot weather. Jessica Chipkin from Crate Free USA attempts to explain why Aldi USA continues to resist attempts to forego sourcing of meat from factory farms...
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Start with Something Simple and Beautiful
Garden writer and author Beth Botts returns to the show after a long absence to offer basic gardening advice. Colleen Smith, Deputy Director at the Illinois Environmental Council, weighs in on the chances of passing clean energy legislation for the state in the waning days of the Illinois General...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Mike Nowak Show have?
The Mike Nowak Show currently has 300 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Mike Nowak Show about?
Mike and Peggy cover ever a little bit of everything green under the sun—the environment, gardening, local food, sustainable living and more—in a style that is casual, accessible, entertaining, informative and fun.
How often does The Mike Nowak Show release new episodes?
The Mike Nowak Show publishes regularly with 300 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Mike Nowak Show?
You can listen to The Mike Nowak Show 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 The Mike Nowak Show?
The Mike Nowak Show is created and hosted by Mike Nowak.
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