Nature Nuggets

Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center w/George Sexton

We take a journey to the extraordinary Klamath-Siskiyou Bioregion of Southwest Oregon and Northwest California. This special bioregion includes many millions of acres of public land full of old growth forests and wild rivers. A natural legacy of the United States. And! KS Wild's appreciation for this gorgeous landscape and the stories of their fight to defend this home has many lessons for us here in the Hudson Valley. George Sexton is the Conservation Director of Klamath Siskiyou Wildlands Center. George has a JD, with a certificate in natural resources and environmental law, from Lewis and Clark Law School. He holds a BA in political science from Reed College. George has worked to protect forests and watersheds in the Pacific Northwest for the last thirty years. His efforts have ended the old-growth logging program on several National Forests, established 9th Circuit case law protecting Late-Successional Reserves from salvage logging, and facilitated small-diameter fuels projects and prescribed burning on hundreds of thousands of acres.

Stockbridge-Munsee Tribal Member Matt Putnam

Today's episode features a conversation with Matt Putnam of the Stockbridge-Munsee and Chris Bowser with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and highlights an amazing event called the New Netherland Marketplace: Living History Event 2025, happening in New Paltz this weekend. Matt is a member of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican American Indians and a leader in a series of programs showcasing cultural and traditional practices of the original inhabitants of the Hudson Valley. Matthew was born, raised, and has lived on the Stockbridge Munsee Reservation in WI. Matt is known for teaching boxing to youth, as well as tribal history, genealogy, building canoes, and visiting elders. Matthew is dedicated to working in his community in any way he can that benefits the people. Looking forward, Matt hopes that genuine education of who his people are can be better understood in mainstream society and that young ones in his community take an interest in learning about their culture and traditions so no more traditional knowledge is lost over time.

Julie Noble w/City of Kingston

We are joined by Julie Noble, sustainability coordinator for the City of Kingston, for a wide-ranging discussion about the impressive array of municipal initiatives she helps shape and direct for Kingston. From projects related to energy, land use, transportation, education and citizen outreach, Julie is a powerhouse advocate for our community who brings both a long term vision and a pragmatic get-things-done approach to her work. Take a listen to learn about how the City of Kingston is taking a leadership role in projects from climate resilience and environmental education to infrastructure planning and curbside compost collection!

Open Space Institute!

Today we explore the impressive and inspiring work of the 50-year old Open Space Institute, which has protected more than 2.5 million acres, with a special focus on New York State and the Hudson Valley! We are joined by Peter Karis, OSI's VP of Parks & Stewardship and Matt Decker, OSI Land Project Manager. We had a heartening, wide-ranging conversation about many of OSI's remarkable conservation efforts, including the Growing Greenways [https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/7be740c8c5c848db833bb8948fae237e] project in Ulster/Sullivan/Orange counties and the Catskills-Shawangunk Connector project (more on this story [https://www.openspaceinstitute.org/news/osi-acquires-a-thousand-acres-in-wawarsing] here). From recreational rail trails to remote expanses of wilderness, OSI engages in multi-stakeholder collaboration  and uses science, data, advocacy and land acquisition to permanently protect high priority landscapes for generations to come!

NYC's Visionary Billion Oyster Project

Today we talk about the amazingly central role oyster reefs have played in the human and more-than-human worlds, from pre-colonial times, through the development of NYC and the promise they hold for the future - ecologically, culturally and even infrastructurally! Today's guest Tanasia Swift is an urban environmental leader, SCUBA diver, and proud Brooklyn native working at the intersection of climate justice, education, and marine restoration. As the Assistant Director of Community Engagement at Billion Oyster Project, she leads programs that connect New Yorkers to the waterfront and cultivates partnerships across the city’s diverse communities. With over a decade of experience in environmental education and project management, she’s developed citywide programs, trained field educators, and contributed to oyster reef restoration both above and below the waterline. Tanasia is a certified PADI Rescue Diver, a Women Divers Hall of Fame associate, and a passionate advocate for community science. When she’s not building reef programs or mentoring new environmentalists, she’s exploring NYC’s local waters.