Digging In The Dirt with Kevin Gallagher

My guest this episode of "Digging in the Dirt" is theCt. Audubon Society's Interim Executive Director, Bill Cavers. Bill brought WPKN listeners an exclusive: Connecticut Audubon is officially opening voting forConnecticut’s 2027 Bird of the Year. This years honoree's are the American Kestrel, the Eastern Bluebird, and the Green Heron. Only one can be Bird of the Year. Learn more from Bill and cast your vote.

My first guest this episode of "Digging in the Dirt" is theCt. Audubon Society's Interim Executive Director, Bill Cavers. Bill brought WPKN listeners an exclusive: Connecticut Audubon is officially opening voting forConnecticut’s 2027 Bird of the Year. This years honoree's are the American Kestrel, the Eastern Bluebird, and the Green Heron. Only one can be Bird of the Year. Learn more from Bill and cast your vote.

Secondly, Digging in the Dirt is pleased to have Galassia Grassetto as my guest. Galassia produced, directed and filmed the documentary called “The Sludge Wars”. It's a compelling film about a subject most of us, I believe, know nothing about. Sludge, or the green washing name .. biosolids. When you flush your toilet or industry dumps its waste, where does it go?"The Sludge Wars" has some very disturbing answers.

Digging in the Dirt is pleased to have Galassia Grassetto as my guest. Galassia produced, directed and filmed the documentary called “The Sludge Wars”. It's a compelling film about a subject most of us, I believe, know nothing about. Sludge or the green washing name .. biosolids. When you flush your toilet or industry dumps its waste, where does it go?"The Sludge Wars" has some very disturbing answers.

Joining me from GVI, the Green village initiative is Kathleen Benson Community Garden Coordinator at Reservoir Community Farm in Bridgeport. Along with working at GVI, she teaches kids and adults cooking classes and culinary learning sessions at Wakeman Town Farm in Westport. Her goal is to teach kids that food doesn't come from the grocery store, but where and how it gets to our plate. She's here to talk to me today about GVI’s event.

CELEBRATING HARVEST, COMMUNITY, AND EVERYTHINGWE GROW TOGETHER!

I'm very pleased to welcome my next guestAdam McKayto Digging in the Dirt. Adam is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer and director known for creating hit comedy classics and later transitioning to sharp political satires and dramas. At one time he was a head writer for Saturday Night Live. He Directed and co-wrote, The Big Short, earning him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Adam also helmed "Don't Look Up" with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence and he wrote and Directed "Vice" with Christian Bale. I asked Adam here today to talk about his companyYellow Dot Studios and his article in Current Affairs recently… entitled The Gargantuan Lie That is Collapsing The World’s Climate

Then, I welcome back to DITD Jeff Masters of the Yale Climate Connections. Jeff worked as a hurricane scientist with the NOAA Hurricane Hunters from 86-90. He has a Ph.D. in air pollution meteorology from the University of Michigan. In 1995, he co-founded the Weather Underground weather channel. Jeff is my favorite meteorologist because he gives us a sober scientific analysis of the issues our planet faces. After my conversation with Adam McKay, I thought it would be instructive to talk about some recent current weather events that have occurred. Especially the storms out west in the pacific and closer to home our recent Nor'easter. The resource links on the Yale Climate Connections website that Jeff mentioned… "30 great tools to determine your flood risk in the U.S." and"What should you do to prepare for the climate change storm"can be found here and in my post of this episode of DITD on Apple Podcasts.

I'm very pleased to welcome my next guest Adam McKay to Digging in the Dirt. Adam is an American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer
and director known for creating hit comedy classics and later transitioning to sharp political satires and dramas. At one time he
was a head writer for Saturday Night Live. He Directed and co-wrote, "The Big Short", earning him an Academy Award for Best Adapted
Screenplay. Adam also helmed "Don't Look Up" with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence and he wrote and Directed
"Vice" with Christian Bale. I asked Adam here today to talk about his company Yellow Dot Studioshttps://yellowdotstudios.com/ and his article in Current Affairs recently… entitled "The Gargantuan Lie That is Collapsing The World’s Climate"

I welcome back to DITD Jeff Masters of theYale Climate Connections. Jeff worked as a hurricane scientist with the NOAA Hurricane Hunters from 86-90. He has a Ph.D. in air pollution meteorology from the University of Michigan. In 1995, he co-founded the Weather Underground weather channel. Jeff is my favorite meteorologist because he gives us a sober scientific analysis of the issues our planet faces. After my conversation with Adam McKay, I thought it would be instructive to talk about some recent current weather events that we have had occur. Especially the storms out west in the pacific and closer to home with our recent Nor'easter. The resource links on the Yale Climate Connections website that Jeff mentioned… "30 great tools to determine your flood risk in the U.S."and "What should you do to prepare for the climate" change storm"can be found here and in my post of this episode of DITD on Apple Podcasts.

My guest this evening isSave the SoundsSoundkeeper Bill Lucey. Bill is a fish and wildlife biologist with more than two decades of experience studying and conserving marine life. He is also an experienced commercial fisherman and environmental educator.

As your on-the-water watchdog, Bill upholds Save the Sound’s mission to protect and restore Long Island Sound. The Soundkeeper is your eyes and ears on Long Island Sound.

Bill is here today to talk to me about a significant milestone achieved by Save the Sound. Recovering abandoned Lobster traps. They have completed 100 trips. and recovered 2,362 abandoned lobster traps. By doing so Marine wildlife is given a second chance

My next guest is here to talk about his passion, which is electric vehicles. Barry Kresch is president of the EV Club of Connecticut, an EV owner himself since 2012, a longtime educator and advocate, and a member of the board of People’s Action for Clean Energy. He and a coalition of Connecticut organizations are organizing anOctober 16th Municipal EV-Readiness workshop in New Haven to help local governments make the shift to electric transportation through the national Charging Smart program.”

THE MUNICIPAL EV-READINESS WORKSHOP

OCTOBER 16, 2026

HOTEL MARCEL, NEW HAVEN CT,

Lastly, but certainly not least, is my friend and returning guest Craig Floyd an 80 year old tenth generation retired farmer who is passionate about improving the nutrient density of our food, growing food, using regenerative practices and teaching others how to do the same.He is the former Farm Manager of the now Craig Floyd Giving Garden at Coogan Farm. Craig is here to give us an early first alert about a very cool event,Regen Ag Weekend, coming up in January of 2027.

This "Digging in the Dirt" features locals doing the right thing by our pollinators by changing their lawns and gardens. Plus words of wisdom from renowned entomologist Doug Tallamy.

First up is Cori Kondas., After retiring, she joined Protect Our Pollinators, POP, a unique Newtown group that started 11 years ago with a mission to save endangered pollinators through education and action. She joins me to talk about having “More Garden Pollinators with a 3x3x3 Planting Method.”

Then I speak with Doug Tallamy, who inspires both of my other guests. Doug is an American entomologist, ecologist and conservationist. He is the T. A. Baker Professor of Agriculture and Natural Resources in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. Tallamy has written and co-authored several popular books. He is also one of the founders of Homegrown National Park, a nonprofit organization promoting habitat restoration and biodiversity on public and private lands through the planting of native plants and removal of invasive species
William Sweet, a New Canaan Ct resident and a 20 year old student at UConn is a man who has a passion for certain environmental issues that he is working to address through his activism. He is most active in his opposition to lawns. William is convinced that homeowners should convert their lawns into native meadows. With that in mind, he began to advocate for the creation of legislation to offer homeowners in Connecticut multi-purpose credits for doing so.

Harry Holding joins me on this episode of "Digging in the Dirt". Harry is a British garden designer and author known for championing edible landscapes that are both beautiful and practical. His debut book, Eat Your Garden, explores “Edimentals” which are plants that are both ornamental and edible. Harry says this is a low-effort way to grow food.

My guest is Rob Hopkins. Rob is a British writer and permaculture advocate best known as the co-founder of Transition Network and the author of The Transition Handbook. He has helped inspire community-led sustainability efforts around the world through his work on resilience, local economies, and practical climate solutions. His latest book is How to Fall in Love with the Future: A Time Traveler's Guide to Changing the World.

Harry Holding joins me on "Digging in the Dirt". Harry is a British garden designer and author known for championing edible landscapes that are both beautiful and practical. His debut book, Eat Your Garden, explores “edimentals” which are plants that are both ornamental and edible. Which Harry says is a low-effort way to grow food.

Secondly, I talk to the kids at my grandsons school garden club. Where Mrs. Page Chambers teaches her young students about growing vegetables.

Then a Digging in the Dirt regular contributor Gloria Frazee drops in to tell us what's going on at one of my favorite groups. Rewild Long Island

First up; A visit to my grandsons school garden club. Where Mrs. Page Chambers teaches her young students about growing vegetables.

Then I talk to my guest Rob Hopkins. Rob is a British writer and permaculture advocate best known as the co-founder of Transition Network and the author of The Transition Handbok. He has helped inspire community-led sustainability efforts around the world through his work on resilience, local economies, and practical climate solutions. His latest book is How to Fall in Love with the Future: A Time Traveler's Guide to Changing the World.

Lastly, but not least. I rebroadcast a speech given "down under" by Natalie Kyriacou of "My Green World". Natalie completely won me over with this extraordinary speech.

It's my pleasure to welcome my next guest Amory B. Lovins Cofounder and Chairman Emeritus, of the Rocky Mountain Institute,

Adjunct Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering and Senior Precourt Scholar of Integrative Design and Energy Efficiency, Precourt Institute for Energy, and the Doerr School of Sustainability, Stanford University, RMI has the goal of Transforming the global energy system, to secure a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future for all.

Then Craig Repasz Director and Co-founder of Lights Out CT joins me.

Lights Out Connecticut is a special project of Menunkatuck Audubon Society. He is past president of the New Haven Bird Club. Lights Out CT works across Connecticut to educate the public on light pollution and its impact on human health and wildlife.

Joining me now is Dave Chapman who started Long Wind Farm in Vermont and is a Co-Director of the Real Organic Project and "host of the award-winning Real Organic Podcast". He is a founding member of the Vermont Organic Farmers. He's here today because I received an email from the Real Organic project, which I found quite disturbing. I wanted to talk to Dave about why Iowa has the second highest cancer rate in the U.S.

My second guest is Jacqueline Maisonpierre who owns and runsTwo Meadow flower farm in North Haven, Connecticut. Jacqueline joins me to talk about her cut flowers business. Mostly about wonderful Dahlias.

My guest David Ansel, VP of Save the Sound Center for Water Protection and their policy lead in New York State. David has been active this legislative session in CT and NY. focusing primarily on three budget-related items, clean water infrastructure spending, opposing NY Governor’s Hochul's proposed rollbacks of both New York’s Climate Law and the state’s 50-year-old State Environmental Quality Review Act that serves as a Sunshine Law for proposed development projects, ensuring that the public is informed and allowed to participate in the process.

Peter Linderoth, Director of healthy waters and lands for Save the Sound.

First of all In my opinion, we're very lucky to have Save The Sound on the beat protecting our wonderful Long Island sound.

in case you're not aware of Save The Sound, they lead environmental action in our region. They fight climate change, save endangered lands, protect the Sound and its rivers, and work with nature to restore ecosystems…. part of that is monitoring water quality in our area.

So to that end Peter is here today to talk about Save The Sounds most recent Beach Grades for water quality at more than 200 public and private beaches based on data collected during the 2025 swimming season.

Next up is my guest David Ansel, VP of Save the Sound Center for Water Protection and their policy lead in New York State. David has been active this legislative session in CT and NY. focusing primarily on three budget-related items, clean water infrastructure spending, opposing NY Governor’s Hochul's proposed rollbacks of both New York’s Climate Law and the state’s 50-year-old State Environmental Quality Review Act that serves as a Sunshine Law for proposed development projects, ensuring that the public is informed and allowed to participate in the process.

Peter Linderoth, Director of healthy waters and lands for Save the Sound.

First of all In my opinion, we're very lucky to have Save The Sound on the beat protecting our wonderful Long Island sound.

In case you're not aware of Save The Sound, they lead environmental action in our region. They fight climate change, save endangered lands, protect the Sound and its rivers, and work with nature to restore ecosystems…. part of that is monitoring water quality in our area.

So to that end Peter is here today to talk about Save The Sounds most recent Beach Grades for water quality at more than 200 public and private beaches based on data collected during the 2025 swimming season.

On this episode of DITD my guest is Rob Hopkins. Rob Hopkins is a British writer and permaculture advocate best known as the co-founder of Transition Network and the author of The Transition Handbook. He has helped inspire community-led sustainability efforts around the world through his work on resilience, local economies, and practical climate solutions. His latest book is How to Fall in Love with the Future: A Time Traveler's Guide to Changing the World . It’s presented as the follow-up to his book From What Is… to What If and focuses on imagination as a tool for building better futures.

Then Real Food CT’s Founder, Sean Fitzpatrick joins me. Sean has 20 years of experience as a nutrition, health, and fitness coach. His career has been based on his passionate belief that access to nutrient-dense food is an absolute necessity for the health of this and future generations. Sean’s business experience, along with his observation that growing numbers of people are experiencing food insecurity, combined to make Real Food his life work.