Forces for Nature
91 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago -Get informed, get inspired, and get empowered to make more animal and eco friendly choices. The Forces for Nature podcast celebrates people who are doing great things in sustainability, conservation, and animal-related issues. We bring you uplifting stories of these everyday heroes; their trials and triumphs; and how they find the motivation to keep going. You’ll leave feeling hopeful, prepped with actionable tips that answer your question, “But what can I possibly do,” so that you, too, can be a Force for Nature.
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Episodes
Ep35: Leading a Global Movement Against Trash with Sharona Shnayder
July 09, 2021 08:00 - 26 minutes - 18.4 MBIf you live in a country with a highly developed garbage collection system, such as the US, you might not be fully aware of the impact that trash and litter have. However, even the US is in the top 20 of all countries generating the greatest amount of ocean-bound trash. These items end up choking the waters we swim in, ingested by the fish we eat, and degrading ecosystems across the world. Sharona Shnayder is the co-founder of Tuesdays for Trash. What started as her way to get outside during...
Ep34: Bee-ing the Change for Detroit with Timothy Paule and Nicole Lindsey
June 24, 2021 09:00 - 32 minutes - 22.5 MBDid you know that most of the food crops we eat are reliant on pollinators to reproduce? Fruits, vegetables, nuts, even the food fed to cattle, sheep, and pigs, need pollinators such as bees. Unfortunately, there have been staggering declines in bee population numbers over the past couple of decades that have the potential for disastrous consequences. Timothy Paule and Nicole Lindsey saw an opportunity in this crisis to make a two-fold impact. They created Detroit Hives which not only works ...
Ep33: Changing the Perception of Sharks with Tadzio Bervoets
June 10, 2021 09:00 - 39 minutes - 27.3 MBSharks have a bad rep. But Tadzio Bervoets is here to tell us why our fear should be replaced with respect and intrigue instead. These animals are keystone species that, if removed, can cause a cascading negative effect on the entire ocean ecosystem and human livelihoods- and it's already been witnessed in some places. We talk about how an obsession, not a fear, has been their main demise (an obsession for their fins), the unexpected way scientists get their hands on sharks, and how a trip t...
Ep32: Curating Sustainable Lifestyles with Jaclyn Tracy
May 26, 2021 13:00 - 30 minutes - 20.9 MBThe connection of how consumerism impacts the environment may not always be so clear. However, when you take a moment to think about how and what products are made of, and what their life cycle may be, a very discouraging picture can start to emerge. And, to find what is and isn't "good" can be quite overwhelming when we're juggling all the other things. Jaclyn Tracy is here to help. She created the lifestyle brand, Sistain, to connect conscious consumers with sustainable solutions. She does...
Ep31: Advocating for Environmental Justice in the Ecuadorian Rainforest with Julio Prieto
May 14, 2021 06:00 - 26 minutes - 18 MBToday's guest is Julio Prieto. He's an Ecuadorian lawyer working with the Union of People Affected by Texaco, the organization otherwise known as UDAPT. He has been a key player in one of the most well-known battles for environmental justice- the case of Ecuador vs. Chevron-Texaco. After 20 years of litigation, Julio's team won the case that found Chevron to be guilty of egregious pollution and irresponsibility in the Ecuadorian rainforest. However, 10 years later, he is still fighting for t...
Ep31. Advocating for Environmental Justice in the Ecuadorian Rainforest with Julio Prieto UPDATED
May 14, 2021 06:00 - 28 minutes - 19.4 MB*This episode originally aired in May 2021. You can find an update from Julio at 24:44. Today's guest is Julio Prieto. He's an Ecuadorian lawyer working with the Union of People Affected by Texaco, the organization otherwise known as UDAPT. He has been a key player in one of the most well-known battles for environmental justice- the case of Ecuador vs. Chevron-Texaco. After 20 years of litigation, Julio's team won the case that found Chevron to be guilty of egregious pollution and irrespo...
Ep30: Watch, Connect, and Take Action on the Waterbear App with Andrea Walji
April 28, 2021 14:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MBHave you ever watched a documentary that made you want to do something about what you were seeing? But then, after the credits, life takes back over and that inspiration quickly fades. It happens to all of us. But today's guest, Andrea Walji, is going to introduce us to a new streaming platform that lets you take action as you're watching the action. Waterbear is a free, interactive streaming platform dedicated to the future of the planet. We talk about the edu-tainment they offer, the impa...
Ep29: Making All Cosmetics Cruelty-Free with Aviva Vetter
April 14, 2021 19:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBDid you know that over 100k animals still suffer and die each year due to the testing of chemicals used to make mascara, shampoo, and other cosmetics despite there being more effective non-animal testing methods available? This antiquated practice is still legal in 4 out of 5 countries but today's guest, Aviva Vetter, is part of a global team working to change that. She is the campaign manager for Humane Society International's latest project to end animal testing in the cosmetics industry, ...
Ep28: Bridging the Partisan Divide with Christopher Barnard
April 01, 2021 12:00 - 45 minutes - 31 MBClimate change and environmental protection haven't always been as politicized as they are today. And, unfortunately, in being so, progress on these fronts gets hindered. Chris Barnard is helping to change that. He's the Policy Director at The Conservation Coalition, a group founded by political conservatives working to transform the narrative of denialism in order to get more voices to the table. We talk about how these issues shouldn't be political, how you can find allies across the polit...
Ep27: Bringing Regenerative Farming to Your Door with Jennifer Maynard
March 19, 2021 00:00 - 38 minutes - 26.7 MBMore and more scientific studies are showing that protecting healthy soils, or regenerating degraded ones, is key to not only slowing down climate change but can actually help reverse it. This is in addition to greater water retention capabilities (aka flood and drought resistance), protection from erosion, and the ability to produce healthier foods for us to eat. Jennifer Maynard talks to us about how her regenerative farm is bringing life back to its soil and how her meal-kit company is de...
Ep26: Gardening for Wildlife with David Mizejewski
March 03, 2021 04:00 - 42 minutes - 29.2 MBDavid Mizejewski, a naturalist, author, and television presenter with the National Wildlife Federation, shares how our gardens can be key to helping reverse the dramatic wildlife declines the world is experiencing. We talk about current misconceptions around yards and gardens, how they may be unintentionally barren of the beneficial wildlife you would like to have (for example, birds and butterflies), and what you can do and not do in order to change that. This episode is relevant to anyone ...
Ep25: Protecting Gorillas Through Human Health with Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
February 17, 2021 03:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBWhen a scabies outbreak in a gorilla population in Uganda was attributed to the hygiene habits of nearby local communities, Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka knew that she would have to find creative ways to ensure that these magnificent animals and surrounding communities can co-exist. As a response, she created the NGO, Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH), which employs a multidisciplinary approach to prevent and control disease transmission between closely genetically related species such ...
Ep24: Season 1 Closing: Where We've Been, Where We're Going with Crystal DiMiceli
December 23, 2020 13:00 - 6 minutes - 4.17 MBAs this crazy year comes to an end, we celebrate the forces for nature that were featured this past season and offered rays of hope in otherwise dark times. Season 2 coming in February 2021! Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for updates on more wins our guests from this past season achieved as well as more ideas on how you, too, can be a force for nature! Background music by Fearless Motivation Instrumentals: Meaning of Life Use discount code EXGREEN20 and receive a 20% discount f...
Ep23: The Top 7 Actions to Take to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint with Brandon Schauer
December 08, 2020 15:00 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MBThis is our most action-packed episode to date! Today's guest is Brandon Schauer. He's the Senior VP of Rare's Make it Personal program, an initiative aimed at encouraging climate-friendly behaviors. Through their research, they have found the top seven behaviors that, if only 10% of Americans adopted, would put the U.S. 75% closer to its Paris Climate Agreement emissions targets! Without dramatic lifestyle changes! You can't afford to miss this episode. You will walk away with practical, do...
Ep22: Creating Forest Highways for Cotton-top Tamarins with Rosamira Guillen
November 24, 2020 03:00 - 35 minutes - 24.4 MBDid you know that there is a little one-pound monkey in the forests of Colombia that looks like Albert Einstein? Many people didn't know that either. But, today's guest, Rosamira Guillen, is changing that. She's the Executive Director of Proyecto Titi, working for the past decade to protect Cotton Top Tamarins. And her efforts have not gone unnoticed. She's a winner of the National Geographic/ Buffet Award, the Whitley Fund for Nature Award, and the Premio Latino America Verde, just to name ...
Ep21: Getting a Green Amendment on U.S. State Constitutions with Maya van Rossum
November 10, 2020 03:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MBThe U.S. Amendments to the Constitution protect, for example, your freedom of religion, your freedom of speech, your right to vote. But it doesn't state that you have a right to clean air, water, and a healthy environment. U.S. citizens actually have more of a right to own a gun than to have the water coming out of their faucet be clean. Today's guest, Maya Van Rossum, is working to change that. She has been the leader of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network since 1994 and is the founder of the ...
Ep20: Saving Animals One Signature at a Time with Nina Jackel
October 27, 2020 03:00 - 23 minutes - 16.4 MBHave you ever felt that you, alone, don't have the power to make a difference? Now, what if you had thousands, or millions, of people join you? Would you feel more impactful then? Nina Jackel uses the culmination of everyone's one voice to make a tangible difference for animals all over the world. Her organization, Lady Freethinker, mobilizes people via petitions and, as a result, has helped countless animal abuse victims over the years. We talk about some of her favorite success stories and...
Ep19: Creating the Largest Wildlife Reserve in the Continental U.S. with Sean Gerrity and Daniel Kinka
October 06, 2020 02:00 - 46 minutes - 32.2 MBThere are only four large-scale temperate grasslands left in the world whose protection would conserve a fully functioning ecosystem. However, undertaking a conservation effort of that size could be immensely daunting and difficult. Today’s guests welcome that challenge. Sean Gerrity is the founder of the American Prairie Reserve (APR) and Daniel Kinka is the APR's wildlife restoration manager. Using a myriad of talents, this long-term project is well underway to become the largest wildlife ...
Ep18: Bringing Rhinos Back From the Brink with Nina Fascione
September 22, 2020 02:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBDid you know that there is a small, hairy rhino species in Sumatra? Or a rhino species in Java that lives in the shadow of an active volcano? I sit down with Nina Fascione, the Executive Director of the International Rhino Foundation, and we talk about these special animals, their plight, and how, despite their dire population numbers, we have the chance to bring them back from the brink of extinction. For ideas on how you can help, check out this episode's show notes at www.forcesfornatu...
Ep17: Protecting the Pristine Seas with Dr. Enric Sala
August 25, 2020 02:00 - 30 minutes - 21 MBWorld-renowned ecologist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence, Dr. Enric Sala, founded and leads Nat Geo’s Pristine Seas, a project that combines exploration, research, and media to inspire country leaders to protect the last wild places in the ocean. Today, we talk about how some ocean species can act as our N95 masks, how our oceans are like a global savings account, and why even those nowhere near oceans can be affected by what happens in them. We also discuss his "love letter to...
Ep16: Standing Up For Environmental Justice with Peggy Shepard
August 11, 2020 04:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MBThe guiding principle of environmental justice is that everyone, regardless of race, color, national origin, or income is entitled to equal protection from environmental harms and risks. However, statistics clearly show that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) disproportionately bear the impacts of climate change, from storms to extreme heat, and are more often made to live alongside polluting industries such as refineries and landfills. Today's guest, Peggy Shepard, has spent dec...
Ep15: Working to Avert Another Covid19 with Onkuri Majumdar
July 28, 2020 22:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBIt is suspected that a wildlife market in China was ground zero for the Covid19 outbreak, but why? How did that happen? How has it happened in the past and why will it inevitably happen again unless we make some important changes? I talk about all of this with today's guest, Onkuri Majumdar of the organization Freeland. She has been working to strengthen the capacity of governments, law officials, and companies to recognize illegal wildlife trafficking and to bring culprits to justice in suc...
Ep14: Preventing a Poaching Pandemic with Anna Rathmann
July 14, 2020 03:00 - 21 minutes - 14.5 MBThe effects of Covid19 have been far-reaching and unexpected. With the sudden stop of international tourism to Africa, vast wilderness areas that would normally have a reliable presence of tourists and workers, have been left vacant. This vacancy, and its negative economic consequences, have left these areas vulnerable to wildlife crime. There are fears that poaching will become a pandemic of its own. Today's guest, Anna Rathmann, is the Director of the Great Plains Foundation and talks to u...
Ep13: Making Lion Conservation About People with Resson Kantai Duff
July 01, 2020 16:00 - 43 minutes - 29.7 MBDid you know that at their current rate of decline, lions can become extinct in our lifetime?! With many of them living outside of protected areas, conservation solutions have to involve the people they live among. Today's guest is Resson Kantai Duff, the Deputy Director of Ewaso Lions based in Northern Kenya. The mission of Ewaso Lions is to conserve lions and other large carnivores by promoting coexistence between people and wildlife. They do this by involving individuals who, traditionall...
Ep12: Aligning Nonprofits' Events With Their Missions with Deva Holub
June 16, 2020 04:00 - 24 minutes - 16.9 MBHave you ever stopped to wonder why an organization who, let's say, works to protect animals may still serve (other) animals at their events? There's a disconnect there that today's guest, Deva Holub, is working to adjust. She helps to run Animal Place's Food for Thought program whose aim is to help nonprofits adopt mission-driven menu policies for fundraising and sponsored events. The benefits of doing so are plenty, including (for a 150 person event) saving up to 50 farmed animal lives, 55...
11: Recycling to Keep Our Seas Trash Free with Ryan Hickman
June 02, 2020 04:00 - 23 minutes - 16 MBDid you know that only 10% of all plastic that's ever been produced has been recycled?!* And that just 60% of communities in the U.S. have access to curbside recycling pick-up?** Our waste is a huge problem but, today's guest, Ryan Hickman, is determined to be part of the solution. At just 10 years old (yes, you read that right!), he's CEO of his own company, Ryan's Recycling. He joins us today with his dad, Damion, and helps to demystify the confusion that recycling can sometimes cause. If...
Ep11: Recycling to Keep Our Seas Trash Free with Ryan Hickman
June 02, 2020 04:00 - 22 minutes - 15.6 MBDid you know that only 10% of all plastic that's ever been produced has been recycled?!* And that just 60% of communities in the U.S. have access to curbside recycling pick-up?** Our waste is a huge problem but, today's guest, Ryan Hickman, is determined to be part of the solution. At just 10 years old (yes, you read that right!), he's CEO of his own company, Ryan's Recycling. He joins us today with his dad, Damion, and helps to demystify the confusion that recycling can sometimes cause. If...
Ep10: Using Regenerative Agriculture to Revive the Land with Irene Montes
May 19, 2020 04:00 - 35 minutes - 24.7 MBIs there a way to feed millions and support economies without the severe environmental footprint left behind by conventional agricultural practices? There is! Regenerative agriculture is a growing movement and it includes practices such as agroforestry and silvopastoral systems- basically, food that's grown and animals raised in a more forest-like setting. These methods help to regenerate topsoil, increase biodiversity, sequester carbon, and protect water supplies while actually increasing y...
Ep9: An Influencer for Positive Change with Anne Therese Gennari
May 05, 2020 04:00 - 25 minutes - 17.6 MBAnne Therese Gennari is a model, entrepreneur, activist and a great example of how you don't have to be in the environmental field to make a difference in it. She uses social media and the business she co-created, Role Models Management, as platforms to inspire others to make more conscious choices for a better future. And, her podcast, Hey Change, motivates people to embrace change and find happiness in new realities. Hear from this influencer on how she's challenging the modeling industry,...
Ep8: Protecting the World's Penguins with Dr. Pablo Borboroglu
April 26, 2020 02:00 - 34 minutes - 23.9 MBWhen Pablo Borboroglu released his first rehabilitated penguin back into the wild 30 years ago, he saw the ability that one person has to make a difference. Holding steadfast to this belief, he has since become one of the greatest voices for these animals. And, facing threats both on land and in water, they need it. Through the Global Penguin Society, Pablo uses scientific research to help guide conservation actions that have not only protected penguins but have also benefitted many other sp...
Ep7: Changing the Narrative to Hope with Dr. Nancy Knowlton
April 21, 2020 04:00 - 31 minutes - 21.4 MBSo often it can feel like all you hear are the negative things that are going on with the environment. The danger in that, though, is that you can overwhelm the listener, make them want to tune out and, worse, feel like there is nothing that they can do. I mean, why try to make eco-friendly choices when you feel like it won't make a difference, right? Dr. Nancy Knowlton, a world-renowned marine biologist, saw how she, herself, was guilty of only talking about the bad and saw how it affected ...
Ep6 BONUS: Muttville COVID19 Update
April 07, 2020 02:00 - 5 minutes - 3.7 MBSince the taping of Sherri Franklin’s episode, Giving Senior Dogs a Second Chance, COVID19 has brought the world to a standstill. There are reports of shelters experiencing increased foster adoptions but also reports of increased animal drop-offs as people lose their jobs. I caught up with Sherri to see how Muttville has been faring the storm so far. Refer to this show's episode page for resources on how to help keep your pet if you fall on hard times. Use discount code EXGREEN20 and...
Ep6: Giving Senior Dogs a Second Chance with Sherri Frankllin
April 07, 2020 02:00 - 27 minutes - 18.9 MBWhile volunteering at animal shelters, Sherri Franklin noticed that senior dogs had little to no chance of being adopted- they're not always the prettiest of the bunch, they may have unknown health issues, and the attraction of a new puppy can sometimes be far greater. This broke Sherri's heart and she decided to start Muttville, a shelter-based in San Francisco that rescues senior dogs and adopts them out to forever homes, oftentimes giving these grateful pups a loving final chapter to thei...
Ep5: Innovating Marine Mammal Rescue with Katie Moore
March 24, 2020 02:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBKatie Moore is the Deputy Vice President of Animal Rescue with the International Fund for Animal Welfare. For the past two decades, Katie has been rescuing stranded marine mammals all over the world, leading these initiatives and pioneering methods that have saved thousands that wouldn't have had a chance before. Through better treatment practices employed by her and her team, successful releases on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, have jumped from under 14% to over 70%. This success is also due to ...
Ep5: Innovating Marine Mammal Rescue
March 24, 2020 02:00 - 32 minutes - 22.5 MBKatie Moore is the Deputy Vice President of Animal Rescue with the International Fund for Animal Welfare. For the past two decades, Katie has been rescuing stranded marine mammals all over the world, leading these initiatives and pioneering methods that have saved thousands that wouldn't have had a chance before. Through better treatment practices employed by her and her team, successful releases on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, have jumped from under 14% to over 70%. This success is also due to ...
Ep4: Reducing Street Animal Overpopulation in Panama with Patricia Chan
March 10, 2020 02:00 - 29 minutes - 20.5 MBDid you know that an unspayed female dog, and her mate, and all their offspring and their offspring's puppies can add up to 67,000 dogs in just six years!? And cats also have the same staggering statistics! Unfortunately, there aren't enough homes to take care of the potential numbers of animals that can be born. And, what's worse, is that most of these unwanted animals end up with a terrible quality of life. This was a problem that Patricia Chan was observing on the streets of Panama. Pat d...
Ep3: Rescuing Wildlife after the Australia Fires with Kelly Donithan
February 25, 2020 12:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MBKelly Donithan is a Senior Specialist in Disaster Operations with Humane Society International. She recently returned from Australia where she was stationed on Kangaroo Island after their unprecedented wildfires, rescuing any wildlife survivors that could be found and helping to give them a second chance. We talk about what it was like on the ground there and how, despite all the devastation she regularly sees, she finds ways to keeps ongoing. Look for this episode's full show notes at Forc...
Ep1 Crystal DiMiceli: The Who, What, and Why Behind Forces for Nature
February 14, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 4.32 MBMeet the host of Forces for Nature, Crystal DiMiceli Background music by Fearleses Motivation Instrumentals: Meaning of Life
Ep2: Saving Pangolins, the World's Most Trafficked Mammal with Paul Thomson
February 14, 2020 03:00 - 37 minutes - 25.5 MBWhat do you get when you cross an artichoke with an armadillo? A pangolin, the world's most trafficked mammal you've probably never heard of. Paul Thomson is the cofounder of Save Pangolins, an organization that has been bringing attention to these elusive scaled mammals with the hopes that to know them is to love them and, therefore, protect them. **Update: To read an article put out by Save Pangolins regarding COVID19 and its relation to pangolins, check out this episode's show notes. B...
Ep 2 Paul Thomson: Saving Pangolins, the World's Most Trafficked Animal
February 14, 2020 03:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MBWhat do you get when you cross an artichoke with an armadillo? A pangolin, the world's most trafficked animal you've probably never heard of. Paul Thomson is the cofounder of Save Pangolins, an organization that has been bringing attention to these elusive scaled mammals with the hopes that to know them is to love them and, therefore, protect them. Background music by Fearless Motivation Instrumentals: Meaning of Life
Ep1: The Who, What, and Why Behind Forces for Nature
February 12, 2020 12:00 - 6 minutes - 4.79 MBMeet the host of Forces for Nature, Crystal DiMiceli Background music by Fearleses Motivation Instrumentals: Meaning of Life Use discount code EXGREEN20 and receive a 20% discount for a full week or single-day registration to the EarthX Congress of Conferences this April! Hope to see you there! Want a free guide to help you become a force for nature? Get it HERE! If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review it! This helps to boost its visibility. Hit me up on In...