Nature’s Wild Ideas
Kristy Hamilton is a science journalist and author of "Nature’s Wild Ideas: How the Natural World is Inspiring Scientific Innovation," recently published this October. Hamilton’s passionate pursuits and insatiable curiosity has led her all over the globe to investigate natural settings to uncover how living things are interconnected and how even the smallest species among us can offer major breakthroughs for conservation and the environmental issues of our time.
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The Music of Climate Change, Part 2
We’re back with Dr. Kirsten Paige, Assistant Professor of Musicology at NC State University for a deep dive into opera. High notes, dramatic costuming and illustrious sets may come to mind when thinking of opera, but what can it teach us about the history of our planet and climate change? Tune in to find out. Plus, discover which natural space is Dr. Paige’s favorite. (Spoiler: it includes picnicking with cows!)
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The Music of Climate Change, Part 1
Welcome back to the fourth season of the "Love Nature" podcast. Join us for part one of our conversation with Dr. Kirsten Paige, an Assistant Professor of Musicology at NC State University. Dr. Paige’s work explores how scientific and environmental knowledge reshaped musical practices and cultures of the 19th and 20th centuries. She also has a strong interest in how music can offer collaborative responses to the climate crisis and address the inequalities brought on by it. Plus, learn what "soundwalking" is and how you can experience it!
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Sounds of the Natural World, Part 2
Musician, author and naturalist, Dr. Bernie Krause, returns for the season three finale of the Love Nature podcast. Krause discusses how relaying natural themes through art can increase impact and raise human awareness about the environmental issues of our time. Krause also plays illuminating soundscapes of social communication among a herd of forest elephants and the first “silent spring” in Northern California following an extended period of drought. Don’t miss this season's compelling conclusion
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Sounds of the Natural World, Part 1
Join us for the first part of our dynamic conversation with musician, author and naturalist, Dr. Bernie Krause, one the world’s leading experts in natural sound and soundscapes — the sounds that reach human ears. Krause discusses his origins as a violinist-turned-guitarist, which led to him helping introduce the synthesizer in pop music and film, including collaborations with Motown Records and the legendary Hollywood director, Francis Ford Coppola. Later, Krause left the entertainment industry to obtain a PhD in bioacoustics, traveling the world to record, archive and share the voices of the natural world.
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Art Works for Change
Chris Jordan’s goal is to create art that contrasts the beauty and the horror of our world. From old cell phones to single-use plastics, Jordan uses everyday objects to create bold exhibitions that confront the environmental issues of our time in a personal and persuasive way. Join us for this enlightening and emotional conservation to find out why “loving nature” is at the heart of what Jordan is all about. Plus, hear new details about his documentary, “Albatross,” which focuses on how ocean plastic pollution is affecting bird populations in the North Pacific Ocean.
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Hand in Hand: Science and the Arts
Todd Siler is an artist, author and inventor with a passion to understand how human systems work. Throughout his expansive and illustrious career, Siler has explored the interconnection of art and science and advocated for integration between the two fields in academia. A recipient of the Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts, Siler’s visually striking, multimedia exhibitions are featured in collections around the world. Find out why Siler encourages humans to “step into the heart of your brain” and get an update on his upcoming art projects.
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Around the World With 50,000 Bees
In 2008, a honeybee flew through the window of artist Matt Willey’s New York City apartment and a lasting connection was made. “The Good of the Hive” is a global art project based on Willey’s personal commitment to hand paint 50,000 individual honeybees (the average number for a healthy, thriving honeybee hive). In North Carolina, Willey’s murals can be found in Asheville, Durham and here in Raleigh at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. Find out why Willey believes “what we love, we save,” and get an update on his worldwide mural project.
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Making the Ordinary Extraordinary
Artist Benjamin Von Wong’s work lies at the intersection of fantasy and photography, combining everyday objects with shocking statistics. His YouTube videos have generated over 100 million views for causes like ocean plastics, electronic waste and fashion pollution. Von Wong’s art focuses on amplifying a positive impact by visualizing how humans interact with and impact nature through our actions. Discover why he believes “it’s fun to be a person who doesn’t love nature but is an environmentalist” with the latest episode of the Love Nature podcast.
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Bringing Dinosaurs to Life
Julius Csotonyi, PhD, is an award-winning natural history artist with a background in ecology and microbiology. Csotonyi illustrates the results of scientific research, providing compelling and accurate visual depictions of dinosaurs and other prehistoric life as well as a variety of living creatures. Csotonyi has collaborated with NC Museum of Natural Sciences researchers on the upcoming Dueling Dinosaurs project, providing beautiful renditions of the Triceratops and Tyrannosaurus specimen. See Csotonyi’s vivid murals featured prominently in the Museum’s new limited-time special exhibition, “Life Before Dinosaurs: The Permian Monsters,” now open through September 4, 2022.
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Poetic Connections to the Natural World
As an author, poet and activist, Alexis Pauline Gumbs, PhD, makes lyrical connections to the environmental observations of our time. Hear about Gumbs’ enthusiasm for marine mammals and how they not only inspire her creative writing, but her relationship with history and connection to the natural world. Gumbs also reads a poem from her recent publication, "Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals." Listen now to this fascinating exploration of poetry, culture and the environment.
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The Art of Science Communication
Welcome to the third season of the Love Nature Podcast. The NC Museum of Natural Sciences is a proud participant of the North Carolina Science Festival, a month-long celebration of science every April. We are kicking off our season with award-winning science communicator, host and producer, Emily Graslie. Emily is a regular host for PBS programs, including the 6-part digital series, “In Our Nature.” As a classically trained violinist and former museum curator, Emily knows science and art are about communication and connection. Hear Emily’s perspective and discover how she uses her talents and experiences to advocate for Museums and natural spaces.
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The Classroom Around Us
Tom Earnhardt grew up surrounded by nature in the Piedmont region of North Carolina. This experience forever shaped his perspective and passions, leading him into a career in environmental law, teaching and advocacy for the natural world. As Tom says, “The more you know, the more responsibility you have to those resources.” Listeners may also know Tom as the longtime host of PBS North Carolina’s “Exploring North Carolina,” which has produced 100 episodes to date. Join us for the Season 2 finale of “Love Nature,” and learn why Tom is enthusiastic to share the stories of North Carolina’s natural history.
Starstruck
Rachel Smith is an astrophysicist and the Head of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences’ Astronomy & Astrophysics Research Lab and Curator for Meteorites. Rachel is in interested in the origins of life, how it began on Earth and investigating perhaps the greatest mystery of all: are humans alone in the Universe? Discover why astronomers and astrophysicists are looking to galaxies far, far away to unlock mysteries right here on Earth, deepening our connection and understanding of the natural world around us.
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Changing Climate; Adaptive Architecture
Find out how growing up near 600 acres of woods in the DC area and a pivotal trip to Jacques-Cartier National Park inspired George Elvin, a professor of architecture at NC State University, to join his love of architecture with his respect for nature. George believes there is an urgent need to mitigate the negative effects of human design on the environment and discusses a current project to create affordable, resilient housing projects for coastal communities affected by climate change.
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Breaking Down Barriers with Citizen Science
Chris Goforth is an entomologist and science educator who leads citizen science efforts at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. Citizen science is the partnership between the public and professional researchers, an important, collaborative relationship where people from all walks of life can contribute to scientific research regardless of experience level. From studying monkey molecules to observing spiral galaxies, learn how citizen science projects provide the opportunity for everyone to contribute to science in a meaningful, tangible way.
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The Comedy of Science
Brian Malow is a comedian who loves science. Yes, you read that correctly. He is enthusiastic about creating connections between science and humor to deepen his audience’s appreciation for nature. Longtime fans of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences will also recall Brian was the first curator of the SECU Daily Planet Theater. Don’t miss this lively and dynamic conversation on this week’s episode of the Love Nature podcast.
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Building a More Science-Minded Society
A Miami native with Jamaican heritage, Danni Washington is deeply passionate about science communication and protecting and preserving our oceans. Using social and traditional media platforms, Danni takes her audiences on adventures to connect them with nature, aiming to inspire a more science-minded society along the way. Danni also illuminates how water has historically been used as a tool against people of color and shares her vision for natural spaces that are accessible for all.
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Exquisite Creatures
For over 22 years artist and naturalist Christopher Marley has traveled the world to reclaim collected rare (and real) organisms to create unique and beautiful works of art. Marley's love of nature and its beauty are evident as he discusses his career and his creations. Through March 20, 2022, Marley’s work is on special exhibit at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences' downtown Raleigh location. Be inspired by the “magical space” at the intersection of art, nature and science, while experiencing the natural world in a way you never have before. (Get tickets and special exhibition details at naturalsciences.org.)
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Facing the New Horsemen of the Apocalypse
New York Times best-selling author, Richard Louv, returns to provide further insight in this week’s episode, discussing how humans can commit to re-wilding natural areas and how cities can play a role by becoming engines for biodiversity and environmental revitalization. Louv also addresses the four horsemen of the apocalypse: climate change, the collapse of biodiversity, pandemic and human loneliness and shares his wisdom on how humans can combat these issues.
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Our Wild Calling
Join New York Times best-selling author, journalist and environmental advocate, Richard Louv, for the second season premiere of the Love Nature podcast. Richard discusses his latest book, Our Wild Calling, and a childhood dog named Banner who taught him a set of ethics for engaging with both humans and animals. Plus, find out why Louv thinks humans are hungrier than ever for connection with the natural world.
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Rue Mapp and Outdoor Afro: Building a Bridge to Nature
In less than a decade, Rue Mapp grew her passion for nature from a blog to a national network of over 45,000 trained volunteers that comprise the organization Outdoor Afro. Rue and her organization seek to connect historically underserved communities with nature while advocating for inclusivity and accessibility within these spaces. Whether through hiking or birdwatching, art or history, cookouts or tailgates, find out how Outdoor Afro is meeting people where they are to inspire greater appreciation for the natural world. Don’t miss this engaging, illuminating discussion and the Season One finale of Biophilia: The Love Nature Podcast.
Dueling Dinosaurs: Dr. Lindsay Zanno connects the past to the present
Dinosaurs are alive in our imaginations and outside our windows. These magnificent animals give us a glimpse into the Cretaceous period and the biodiversity that existed. Join us as Dr. Lindsay Zanno, Head Paleontology, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, shares her passion for this area of study and how the Dueling Dinosaurs project will take science engagement to a new level bringing the world on a journey of discovery not experienced ever before. This is a do not miss episode as Lindsay and our hosts discuss the connections between dinosaurs, birds, the world today and what it may tell us about what’s next.
Urban Nature
Deja Perkins is an urban ecologist, an advocate for nature exploration and one of the co-organizers of Black Birders Week. As a Chicago native, Deja understands it is important for city residents to have access to nature and green spaces, but far too often communities of color encounter unique challenges when trying to interact with the natural world. Tune in to find out how Deja is breaking down these barriers as a champion for environmental justice.
Cold Nose, Warm Heart
What do you do with a sick pet goldfish or iguana? What about a turtle or snake who has encountered trouble on the road? Dr. Greg Lewbart has seen it all caring for a range of creatures as a professor of aquatic animal medicine and veterinarian at NC State College of Veterinary Medicine. Join us for this delightful, insightful conversation that illuminates how humans can share a bond with even the most unconventional creatures.
Lights, Camera…Ants!
Did you know the Museum has our own “Ant-Man”? Meet Dr. Adrian Smith, Head of the Museum’s Evolutionary Biology & Behavior Research Lab. On social media, his exciting videos inspire curiosity and fascination as he provides unique, observable views of insects and their behavior. Join us for this illuminating conversation.
Studying the Species in Peoples’ Lives
Join us as we chat with Dr. Rob Dunn, Professor of Applied Ecology at NC State University and author of five popular science books, including “Every Living Thing” and “The Wild Life of our Bodies.” From bellybutton microbes to fabulous face mites, listen and learn all about the species that are on us, in us and around us.
Part II: E.O. Wilson and the Half-Earth Project
Part II of our conversation with Dr. E.O. Wilson explores his concept of Half-Earth, a call to protect half the Earth’s land and sea in order to manage sufficient habitat to reverse the species extinction crisis and ensure species have the space they need to thrive. Hear how the Half-Earth Project is bringing this vision to life.
Meet legendary biologist E.O. Wilson
The inaugural episode of the Love Nature podcast explores humans’ innate desire to connect with nature, a desire legendary biologist and author Dr. E.O. Wilson termed “biophilia.” Join us to meet the hosts and to hear from E.O. Wilson as they all share their personal attraction to, and journeys through, nature.
Behind the mic
Dr. Eric Dorfman
Former Director and CEO, NCMNS
Dr. Eric Dorfman is the former Director and CEO of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. Eric is also the author of several popular books and scholarly publications. His most recent book is The Future of Natural History Museums (Routledge 2018).
Dr. Dan Dombrowski
Chief Veterinarian, NCMNS
Dan is Chief Veterinarian at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences and Adjunct Faculty at the NCSU College of Veterinary Medicine.
Wendy Lovelady
Executive Producer
Wendy is the Senior Exhibit Developer at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences with 20+ years of experience working in the museum industry.
Eban Crawford
Engineer
Eban is the composer and soundscape designer on the NC Museum of Natural Sciences digital media team.
Micah Beasley
Producer
Micah is the P.R. & Marketing Coordinator for the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences.
Ben Norton
Producer
Ben is Head of Technology at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences.