Nature With You

Journey around the U.S. National Parks with my parents and me! 🌄 🦦 🌾 🦬 🏞️ 🌳

In this episode, we talk about the passion of National Park Rangers, the diverse ecosystems of the United States, the unique way that nature connections are forged in National Parks, and more. Enjoy!

Episode 60, Nature in the Movies: Don't Look Up 💚 🎬

Don't Look Up, directed by Adam McKay, is based on truly possible events: two astronomers go on a media tour to warn humankind of a planet-killing comet hurtling toward Earth. The response from a distracted world, "Meh" ☄️

Co-host Jackson & I go beyond the "on-the-nose" themes of this film to explore how human connection & political influence shape our nature!

Episode Highlights: planet Earth & space, science in politics & politics in science, communicating science with the public, mobilizing in the face of misinformation & frustration, using humor to process humanity's biggest issues, bringing the focus back to the nature that we are trying to protect

Eugenia inspires every day conservation actions as an environmental educator and science communicator 📲💡🌿

Episode Highlights: reflecting on the moments that empowered our passion for environmental advocacy, food systems in Hong Kong, appreciating regenerative agricultural practices & how they connects us to our food, public transportation systems & car-centric societies, and more!

💬⭐️ "Because when you see how long it takes and how much care it requires to go from seed to fruit, you never wanna waste food ever again."

Episode 58, Nature With Faith 📸 🏔️ 🌿 🏂

Faith graduated from Towson University last fall, and just completed an internship over the summer with a stream and coastal restoration company. Her passion for environmental conservation and restoration is clear as she recalls some of her favorite nature places and memories in this episode. Enjoy!

Episode Highlights: growing up & becoming more aware of personal & systemic impacts on nature, east vs west coast of the U.S. (& some midwest love too!), nature photography, experience as an intern at a stream restoration company & more.

💬⭐️ "And so as important as it is to do things in your own time to fight back against climate change and try to mitigate it, it is so important to recognize the systems in the world that are affecting it."

The Ocean is calling 🌊🌀⛵️

Join Jackson & I as we journey with Moana through nature themes in Disney's wonderful film 🎬

We talk about different cultural, mythological, and religious depictions of nature and creation (and connect Moana characters with real Polynesian legends); the value of different generational perspectives (and compare the ways Moana and her dad approach adventure and duty); what animals we wish we had the power to shape-shift into; and more! 🩵

Nature With Charlie🌶️ 🐺 🏔️ 🦬 👨‍🌾 🛣️

Charlie certainly has some unique experiences with nature across the United States! It is always so fun to listen to a passionate storyteller 🌻🌿

Episode Highlights: making homemade hot sauce, wildlife interactions, hiking the Appalachian Trail, gardening, road trips to national parks

💬⭐️ "Nature's played a vital role in my overall mental health and just the person I am."

It was truly wonderful to talk to Brenda Sieglitz this week! I left our conversation feeling uplifted by her personal stories about how her relationship with nature has evolved & helped create the "amazing mosaic" that is her life. Enjoy!

Episode Highlights: natural diversity of Pennsylvania, changing how nature is part of our lives: recreation to protection, how nature heals & helps us process grief, Master Naturalist course, knowing your audience in scientific communication

💬⭐️ "And suddenly, I shifted that perspective to this [nature] is something I should be protecting and caring for and stewarding because this is helping me get through this really difficult time."

An adventure 65 million years in the making! Join Jackson & I this week as we explore the environmental themes in Jurassic Park 🦖🌄

Episode Highlights: commercialism disguised as conservation, archaeology/paleontology/paleobotany, genetic engineering, humans' constant underestimation of nature, & more! 🦕

💬⭐️ " they forced this dinosaur into the world and made it become alive and it's gonna tear down the very thing that they were trying to create, which I think is beautifully messed up in a way"

Episode 53: Nature With Guy 🎣🚣🐾As you will soon learn, Guy was a fantastic guest this week. I was grateful to have some real conversations about relevant environmental issues while simultaneously reflecting on a man's life through the decades.Episode Highlights: generational fishing; environmental efforts in Pennsylvania; remembering when...there were no lawn-care or trash services, plastic wasn't prevalent, and activities were more outdoor-focused

Episode 52, Nature With Bella 🌿 🐠 🍅 🎨 🪸 ⭐ 🧑‍🌾

Listening to Bella speak about the natural world will surely inspire you to engage in more nature-focused conversations. Whether she talks about how marine life inspires her creativity or how her experience working on a farm changed the way she looks at food systems, her knowledge & calming presence will leave you feeling hopeful & informed 💚

Episode Highlights: state & national park experiences, how nature inspires art, food systems & sustainable agriculture, experience working on a farm

💬⭐️ "There are groups of people, there are places on this Earth that are being disproportionately affected by climate change"

Episode 51, Nature With Lauren 🐍 🐢 🌾 🛶 🥾

Lauren's mission is to spark wonder, foster empathy, & inspire the next generation of environmental stewards to defend, protect, & conserve natural spaces & their inhabitants - a mission she works towards every day as Manager/Educator of the Phillip Merrill Environmental Education Center program at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation

Episode Highlights: nature's unpredictability, strengthening a passion for nature in adulthood, mindfulness, climate anxiety, creating your 'nature community'

💬⭐️ "We are not apart from nature, we are a part of it."

Episode 50, Nature in the Movies: Hoppers is out now 🦫🐛🐸🪿🐟🐍

Co-host Jackson & I enjoyed exploring the plethora of environmental themes in Pixar's newest film🦎

Episode Highlights: protecting places we love, activism with local government, keystone species, environmental messaging in children's movies, connecting with people about nature

💬⭐️ " There is so much that we can do just in our sphere of influence. We forget about that because we try to fix the entire world. And sometimes to fix the entire world, you need to start with fixing your little glade."

Hoppers was written by Jesse Andrews and directed by Daniel Chong. Watch it now on Disney+! 💚🎬

Episode 49: Nature With Maretta is out now 🌻🌿

Maretta is a 7th grade teacher who loves spending time outside. She considers herself an environmentalist and is always willing to educate herself and learn more about different environmental impacts 📚

Episode Highlights: reflective thinking in nature; artificial intelligence - use in education, water consumption, impact on creative thinking; enjoying the rain

" The things that you do will affect not only the environment, but how other people are able to live as well."

Episode 48, Nature With Heather 🌻🌿Heather hopes to one day be tackling our environmental pollution issue at a larger scale & her current thesis work is definitely pushing her to do just that! She is looking at quantifying PFAS, or you could say forever chemicals, from non-point sources across land use areas in central Maryland. Episode Highlights: Running in nature, PFAS & why it’s research is important, Reflecting on a changing relationship with nature, Connecting climate change with health, food, migration, & more💬⭐️ "You should be conscious of what you’re taking in [and] with your decisions of what you buy."

Diyor has spent a lot of her time exploring the outdoors in her own way. She's gotten into hiking and traveling more recently, and now it's a part of her routine and something that grounds her. She's not the typical outdoorsy person, but she's learned that you don't have to fit a certain mold to belong outside. And now she spends her days preaching that online as @planetdiyor 💚

Co-host Jackson & I had so much fun talking to Cody Sheehy about The Last Dive film ⛵️🌊

Cody is an award-winning filmmaker whose films intimately tell the stories of characters challenged by our changing world. He has lived on a sailboat for decades and is the founder of Rhumbline Media.

Episode Highlights: how the story came to be, manta characteristics & conservation efforts, creating the film (filming underwater, editing & cinematography, finding the core of the film), 'unlikely' conservationists

💬⭐️ "Why is it that a manta ray would have these kinds of deep emotional connections with people?"

Explore more about The Last Dive film: https://www.thelastdivefilm.com/

DISCLAIMER! At 10:28, Cody goes into detail about traditional Mongolian methods for processing a sheep. Skip to 13:26 if you would like to avoid hearing about that.

Co-host Jackson & I had so much fun talking to filmmaker Cody Sheehy about his relationship with nature.

Cody joined us live from his sailboat somewhere in the Sea of Cortez. His life has traveled many roads. He grew up in China, explored the wilds of Mongolia, has spent years immersed in nature across the globe, and right now is raising his 4-year-old son aboard a boat with his wife while sailing and diving.

Episode Highlights: getting lost outside at age 6, living in Mongolia & cultural practices, living on a sailboat, Make People Better film about genetic engineering

💬⭐️ "...when it comes to natural spaces on Earth, I wonder what the implications [of technology] will be."

Excited to share this piece of myself with all of you 🌻🌿🪼🌳☀️🛶🦆

Happy Earth Day/Week! 🌎🌍🌏 One way I'm celebrating Earth Day 2026 is by reflecting on my favorite nature experiences and some environmental issues that matter to me. In this episode, I answer questions provided by you! I talk about some of my favorite places on this planet (Western Pennsylvania, Maui, Costa Rica, Chesapeake Bay) & my favorite things to do outside, and also discuss important topics like the fossil fuel industry, plastic recycling, and more.

Enjoy!

Episode 43, Nature With Drea 🌼🦋👩‍🌾🪴🐛

Drea is a nature-lover who started a business that helps the environment one garden at a time by growing native plants and creating sustainable native plant gardens that are great for the environment and beautiful to us as well ☀️

Episode Highlights: native plants, finding nature in your backyard, nature's intricate relationships, getting involved with your local government, sharing passions with others

💬⭐️ "It doesn’t matter how small or how big your yard is, any amount of native plants that you plant makes a difference.”

Episode 42, Nature With Diana is out now 🌳🥾🏡👩‍🌾

Being outside, playing in the woods, nature, and working among plants have been major parts of Diana’s life. Can’t wait for you to hear about it! 🌺

Episode Highlights: human impacts on state/national parks, solo vs group hikes, life as a landscaper, effects of climate change on plants

“I would hope that everybody at some point in life can get out there and work a day or two and find the beauty of getting dirty.”