A visit to The Field Museum in Chicago is always an adventure. You never know who you might run into. On a recent visit I had the honor of sitting down for a chat with one of the herbarium collections managers, Christine Niezgoda. She has dedicated her career to herbarium work and it was a wonderful experience to be able to pick her brain a bit. This episode was produced in part by Gregory.
Click here to learn more about Christine's Work
Science denial is a real and present danger in our society. From climate change to evolution, it would seem that an embarrassingly large sector of the human population likes what science gives them but hates the questions it asks. Science needs a narrative and it also needs people to tell its stories. Today I sit down for a conversation with one of my favorite science communicators, Emily Graslie of The Brain Scoop. I wanted to get to know the person behind this awesome science channel. What follows is a fun conversation about pursuing your curiosities and celebrating the wonders of the natural world.
You may remember Robbie from Episode 11 of the In Defense of Plants Podcast. He is the poet who is pushing to change the Illinois state flower from a nondescript violet to the Illinois endemic Kankakee mallow. I caught up with Robbie at his day job at The Field Museum in Chicago. He gives us a tour and updates us on his work with the Kankakee mallow as well as another endangered species. It is wonderful to see a museum taking such an active role in research and conservation.
Visit The Field Museum
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Music by Moneycat