The WildStory: A Podcast of Poetry and Plants by The Native Plant Society of New Jersey

By: Native Plant Society of New Jersey
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  • Summary

  • The Wildstory: A Podcast of Poetry and Plants by The Native Plant Society of New Jersey, is hosted by Ann E. Wallace, Poet Laureate of Jersey City. Art and nature intercept in each episode to bring listeners inside the world of poetry about the natural world and to introduce them to other well-known voices from the world of ecology. It is an independent project of The Native Plant Society of New Jersey, a state-wide nonprofit organization dedicated to the appreciation, protection, and study of the native flora of NJ. Learn more at npsnj.org.
    Native Plant Society of New Jersey
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Biological Sciences
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Episodes
  • Episode 19: Poet James Crews, Podcast Hosts Fran Chismar, Tom Knezick and Urban Naturalist Joanna Brichetto

    Episode 19: Poet James Crews, Podcast Hosts Fran Chismar, Tom Knezick and Urban Naturalist Joanna Brichetto
    Dec 12 2024
    Our featured poet is James Crews, (0:3:54) who speaks with Ann Wallace about his new book, Unlocking the Heart: Writing for Mindfulness, Courage, and Compassion from Mandala Publishing. James offers wisdom about all that we can learn from the natural world, when we allow ourselves to quiet the ever-present din, open our senses, and refocus our attention. Knowing this is easier said than done, James generously offers a prompt for mindfulness and writing after every poem in his collection, inviting each of us to develop our own observational and reflective practice. Trust us, this is a conversation you need to calm your anxieties and appreciate the awe and wonder that accompany us, always. In Ask Randi, Dr. Randi Eckel, (0:35:52) our native plant expert and owner of Toadshade Wildflower Farm, answers questions from listeners about the iconic American Holly, the Winterberry Holly, and the Inkberry Holly. She clears up some confusion about straight species vs. cultivars and talks about the crucial role these plants play in the ecosystem, as they provide vital food and shelter for wildlife, particularly during winter. Also in this episode, Ann and Kim talk with Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick (0:48:24) of Pinelands Nursery, one of the largest native plant nurseries in the country, about their popular podcast Native Plants Healthy Planet. They tell us how creating the podcast has offered the best ecological education they ever could have imagined. Coming up on their 250th episode, Fran and Tom remind us that being approachable, curious, and joyful is the best way to bring people together to create a healthier planet. In our final segment, Ann and Kim are joined by urban naturalist and author Joanna Brichetto (1:14:44) Joanna talks with us from her home in Nashville, Tennessee about her new book, This Is How A Robin Drinks: Urban Essays on Nature recently published by Trinity University Press. Joanna also writes the popular urban nature blog Sidewalk Nature: Everyday Wonders in Everyday Habitat Loss. She shares how observing the local wildlife just outside her door has impacted her in so many ways, even helping her cope with debilitating migraines. At the end of our conversation, she leaves us with a lovely observation about New Jersey’s state flower the Common Blue Violet. In celebration of the holidays, listeners of The WildStory will receive 20% off Unlocking the Heart by James Crews and This Is How A Robin Drinks by Joanna Brichetto. To access the discount codes go to www.npsnj.org/Thewildstory or follow the podcast on Instagram at @TheWildStory_Podcast.
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    1 hr and 45 mins
  • Episode 18: Poet Elizabeth Sylvia, Memoirist Elissa Altman and Podcast Host Margaret Roach

    Episode 18: Poet Elizabeth Sylvia, Memoirist Elissa Altman and Podcast Host Margaret Roach
    Nov 13 2024
    Today’s featured poet is Elizabeth Sylvia, (03:39) who speaks with Ann Wallace about her new manuscript Eating Cake in the Garden with Marie Antoinette, as well as her 2022 collection, None But Witches: Poems on Shakespeare’s Women (Three Mile Harbor Press). They spoke about Marie Antoinette’s model farm, a product of opulent privilege but also a site of refuge at a time of revolution, and the unexpected connections to our current moment of climate crisis. Elizabeth’s pastoral poems are tender and intimate, inviting us to walk around the garden, lay in the meadow, and feed the bees with her. Follow Elizabeth on Instagram here. In Ask Randi, Dr. Randi Eckel, (0:35:40) a native plant expert for NPSNJ and owner of Toadshade Wildflower Farm, offers important advice for fall and winter clean-up. She reminds us that our gardens are not dead but very much alive in winter, which is why it is so crucial to leave the stems and leaves in our gardens as a habitat for wildlife to overwinter. Kim Correro and Ann Wallace then speak with critically acclaimed food writer and memoirist Elissa Altman (0:44:40) about her writing, garden, and caring for her fiercely determined elderly mother, Rita. Elissa shares the complexities of her relationship with her mother, who is at the center of Motherland: A Memoir of Love, Loathing, and Longing (Ballantine Books, 2019). Throughout the conversation, Elissa discusses the perennial garden she shares with her wife, Susan Turner, as a space where she often finds inspiration and solace. We close by hearing about her new book, Permission: The New Memoirist and the Courage to Create (forthcoming in March 2025 from Godine Press and available for pre-order now), on the craft of memoir and transcending the fear that keeps vital stories from being written. Follow Elissa on Instagram here. In the final segment, Margaret Roach, (1:11:45) the New York Times garden columnist and host of the award-winning podcast A Way to Garden joins Ann and Kim. In 2007, Margaret left New York City and her job as Executive Vice President and Editorial Director of Martha Stewart because she craved completely different rewards: solitude, a return to the personal creativity of writing, a closer connection to nature, and her first passion, the 2.3-acre garden in the Hudson Valley where, as she says, the birds taught her how to garden. Follow Margaret on Instagram here. Thank you for joining us on The WildStory. Follow us on Instagram @Thewildstory_podcast
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    1 hr and 47 mins
  • Episode 17: Poet Nadia Colburn, Author Sarah F. Jayne & Doug Tallamy, Co-Founder of Homegrown National Park

    Episode 17: Poet Nadia Colburn, Author Sarah F. Jayne & Doug Tallamy, Co-Founder of Homegrown National Park
    Oct 12 2024

    Episode 17 features poet Nadia Colburn (03:47), who joins Ann Wallace from Massachusetts to speak about her new collection, I Say the Sky, published this year by University of Kentucky Press. Nadia’s collection is a work of meditative healing, moving from silence into power. She invites us to see ourselves reflected in nature, and that poetry, in the words of Audre Lorde, indeed is not a luxury.

    Next up, Kim Correro speaks with Sarah F. Jayne (0:37:29)about her new book Nature’s Action Guide: How to Support Biodiversity and Your Local Ecosystem. Sarah’s book, a companion to Doug Tallamy’s Nature’s Best Hope, outlines fifteen actions we can and must take for creating healthy, functioning ecosystems where we live, work, and play. Each action includes a checklist, step-by-step instructions, recommended resources, and informative tips.

    And in our final segment, Kim and Ann talk with Doug Tallamy, (057:39)bestselling author and co-founder of Homegrown National Park, about his new book, How Can I Help: Saving the World with Your Yard, forthcoming from Timber Press on April 8, 2025. In the new book, Doug shares compelling and actionable answers to questions he most often receives from gardeners and homeowners. Topics range from ecology and biodiversity, conservation and restoration, native plants and invasive species, to pest control and support of wildlife at home. Doug offers important advice on what we can do as individuals to support biodiversity. He also stresses the importance of voting and making our values known to public officials.


    Thank you for joining us on The WildStory. Follow us on Instagram @Thewildstory_podcast
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    1 hr and 40 mins

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