Planet People Podcast

Earth Day 2026: Help Us Bring Our Short Film to Life!

Seed & Spark now LIVE: https://seedandspark.com/fund/in-janes-footsteps#story [https://seedandspark.com/fund/in-janes-footsteps#story] Happy Earth Day, Planet People 🌍 This is the biggest announcement we've ever made. For the first time, Planet People Podcast is stepping beyond audio and into filmmaking with our debut short film: "In Jane's Footsteps: The Path to Gombe." In 2024, our host and conservation biologist Natalie traveled to Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania—walking the same paths as Jane Goodall, filming chimpanzees, scientists, and the communities continuing her legacy. The footage is real. The story is powerful. Now we need your help to finish it. We've launched a Seed&Spark crowdfunding campaign to fund: * Editing & post-production * Color, sound design, and original score * Film festival submissions to bring this story to global audiences Whether it's $1 or $1000, every contribution helps bring this film to life. And if you can't donate, sharing the campaign makes a huge difference. This film is about more than Jane's legacy. It's about all of us—our connection to nature, and the role we each play in protecting it. 👉 Support the campaign here: https://seedandspark.com/fund/in-janes-footsteps#story [https://seedandspark.com/fund/in-janes-footsteps#story] Because as Jane once said: "Gather people into your network and see what kind of difference they can make." Let's make a difference—together.

Toad-ly Awesome: Bad Bunny's Halftime Show & the Puerto Rican Crested Toad

Join us as Coral and Natalie explore how Bad Bunny united the Americas through his historic halftime performance while shining a spotlight on an unlikely cultural icon: the Puerto Rican crested toad (known as coquí guajón or sapo concho). Bad Bunny features this endangered amphibian as a recurring symbol throughout his album DtMF (Debí Tirar Más Fotos), where animated versions of the toad appear in every song, transforming a threatened species into a powerful emblem of Puerto Rican identity and resistance. In an era when both Puerto Rican culture and ecosystems face mounting threats—from climate change to colonialism—this essential conversation celebrates how art, joy, and cultural pride become acts of resistance, and how one of the world's most prominent artists is using his platform to draw attention to a species on the brink of extinction. A note from Coral and Natalie: After this episode, we'll be taking a break from our regular interview format as we focus our energy and efforts on producing an exciting short film project! Season two interviews will resume in the spring. You can find out more in the coming weeks leading up to Jane Goodall's birthday—stay tuned for the launch of our Seed and Spark crowdsourcing effort for our short film coming soon to you! RAY OF HOPE: In a time when Puerto Rico faces ongoing struggles with colonial status, economic exploitation, climate disasters, and threats to its biodiversity, Bad Bunny's celebration of the Puerto Rican crested toad in his music and halftime performance stands as a powerful ray of hope—demonstrating that global platforms can elevate local ecosystems, that joy and resistance are intertwined, and that cultural pride is inseparable from environmental stewardship. This commitment to centering Puerto Rican identity and ecology represents hope because it shows us a pathway forward: artists using their massive platforms to spotlight endangered species, music creating emotional connections to ecosystems that desperately need protection, the recognition that resistance can be joyful and unifying rather than divisive, and a growing understanding that decolonization and ecological justice are interconnected struggles—ensuring that future generations inherit not just protected species but the cultural narratives that inspire us to fight for them. FUN FACTS ABOUT THE PUERTO RICAN CRESTED TOAD: * The Rarest Toad in Puerto Rico: The Puerto Rican crested toad (Peltophryne lemur) is one of only two toad species native to Puerto Rico and is critically endangered, found nowhere else on Earth. It was actually thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1966! * The "Concho" Connection: Locally known as sapo concho, this toad gets its name from the bony crests on its head that form a distinctive crown-like pattern—a fitting symbol for Bad Bunny's artistic vision of Puerto Rican royalty and resilience. * Underground Survivors: Unlike their famous relatives, the coquí frogs, Puerto Rican crested toads spend most of their lives underground in burrows, emerging primarily during the rainy season to breed in temporary pools. * Explosive Breeders: When conditions are right, these toads engage in "explosive breeding"—thousands emerge simultaneously to breed in temporary rain pools, creating a spectacular natural event that lasts only a few nights per year. * Conservation Success Story in Progress: Thanks to captive breeding programs in collaboration with zoos across the United States and Puerto Rico, over 300,000 tadpoles have been released back into the wild since the 1980s, though the species remains critically endangered. ANXIETY TO ACTION: In an era when Puerto Rico confronts ICE raids, colonial exploitation, climate catastrophes, and the loss of its unique biodiversity, Bad Bunny's joyful resistance reminds us that protecting Puerto Rican culture and ecosystems requires more than policy alone—it demands art, music, and cultural celebration that help us recognize why these communities and species matter and inspire us to fight for their liberation and survival. Take Action: * Listen to Bad Bunny's music and pay attention to the sapo concho animations throughout the DtMF album—let art deepen your connection to endangered species and inspire you to learn more. * Learn about the species in your own backyard—research the native amphibians, plants, and animals in your local ecosystem and understand what threats they face. * Support Puerto Rican environmental organizations working to protect the island's unique biodiversity and combat climate change impacts. * Advocate against ICE raids and for immigration justice—recognize that human rights and environmental justice are interconnected struggles, and that displacement and ecological destruction share common roots in colonialism and exploitation. * Unite through joy—create spaces for celebration, music, and art that bring people together around shared values of dignity, resistance, and hope. * Support captive breeding and reintroduction programs for endangered species, such as the Puerto Rican crested toad. EPISODE INFORMATION: * Listen as Coral and Natalie break down Bad Bunny's historic halftime performance and the cultural significance of centering the Puerto Rican crested toad in his artistic vision. * Donate to Puerto Rican Crested Toad Conservancy here [https://crestedtoad.org/prctc/]. * Listen to Bad Bunny's DtMF album here [https://open.spotify.com/album/5K79FLRUCSysQnVESLcTdb?si=fetEkPGVS0qW4TInjYkFCQ]. PLANET PEOPLE SOCIAL MEDIA: * Follow Planet People on Instagram: @planet.people.pod [https://www.instagram.com/planet.people.pod/] * Subscribe to us on YouTube: @PlanetPeoplePodcast [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX8iA7u1un1W0jj10LZ_m-g]

Yuck: A Meditation on Joshua Trees & the Mojave Desert w/ Barret Baumgart

Join us for the second episode of our Planet People Book Club series as we explore Yuck: The Birth & Death of the Weird & Wondrous Joshua Tree, Yucca Brevifolia by author Barret Baumgart. This contemplative work uses the iconic Joshua tree as a lens to examine our relationship with the Mojave Desert and the American West. Barret shares the personal and creative journey behind this distinctive meditation on desert landscapes, pilgrimage, and the search for meaning in places often dismissed as barren. In an era when the Mojave faces unprecedented threats from climate change and when Joshua trees themselves teeter on the edge of extinction, this essential conversation challenges us to reconsider what we seek when we venture into the desert and to recognize how literature can awaken us to the profound beauty and fragility of landscapes we thought we understood. RAY OF HOPE: In a time when the Mojave Desert and its iconic Joshua trees face mounting pressures from climate change and human encroachment, Barret's meditation on these landscapes stands as a powerful ray of hope—demonstrating that art and literature can transform how we see and value the desert, turning what many dismiss as wasteland into a place worthy of reverence, protection, and deep contemplation. This commitment to desert storytelling represents hope because it shows us a pathway forward: writers and artists helping us see familiar landscapes with fresh eyes, literature creating emotional connections to ecosystems that desperately need our protection, the recognition that pilgrimage and seeking are woven into our relationship with wild places, and a growing understanding that the desert is not empty but full of meaning—ensuring that future generations inherit not just protected landscapes but the cultural narratives that inspire us to care for them. ANXIETY TO ACTION: In an era when Joshua trees face potential extinction and desert ecosystems are rapidly transforming under climate pressure, understanding our cultural and spiritual connections to these landscapes reminds us that protecting the Mojave requires more than science alone—it demands the stories, art, and literature that help us recognize why these places matter and inspire us to fight for their survival. Take Action: * Read books like Yuck that deepen your connection to threatened landscapes and help you see them with new eyes. * Visit the Mojave Desert mindfully and experience firsthand the ecosystems described in Barret's work. * Support organizations working to protect Joshua trees and desert habitats. * Share desert literature and art to counter narratives that dismiss these landscapes as wastelands. * Reflect on your own pilgrimages and what you seek when you venture into wild places. * Engage with local book clubs or reading groups focused on environmental literature. * Advocate for climate action that protects the ecosystems you've come to love through literature. * Recognize that cultural connection to place is a powerful force for conservation. GUEST & BOOK INFORMATION: Yuck by Barret Baumgart: Purchase on website here [https://www.barretbaumgart.com/] Follow Barret: You can follow him on Instagram here [https://www.instagram.com/barretbaumgart?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] PLANET PEOPLE SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow Planet People on Instagram: @planet.people.pod [https://www.instagram.com/planet.people.pod/] Subscribe to us on YouTube: @PlanetPeoplePodcast [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX8iA7u1un1W0jj10LZ_m-g]

The Journey of Water: 112 Mile Hike Through the Desert Basin of Las Vegas Valley w/ Alex Harper

Join us as we journey along the Colorado River with Alex Harper, a naturalist, wildlife conservationist, bird photographer, and guide with Red Rocks Audubon, whose recent survey expedition documents one of the American West's most urgent environmental crises. Alex shares what it means to witness the dramatic transformation of a river system that sustains millions of people and countless species—from disappearing wetlands and struggling bird populations to the stark reality of a watershed pushed to its limits by climate change, overuse, and outdated water policy. In an era when the Colorado River's reservoirs have reached historic lows and entire ecosystems hang in the balance, this essential conversation challenges us to confront the water crisis unfolding across the Southwest and to recognize how conservation education and documentary storytelling can inspire the collective action needed to secure water for both people and wildlife in an uncertain future. RAY OF HOPE: In a time when the Colorado River faces unprecedented challenges from climate change and overallocation, threatening the birds, wildlife, and communities that depend on it, Alex's dedication to documenting the river's condition and educating the next generation of naturalists stands as a powerful ray of hope—demonstrating that bearing witness to environmental change and sharing those stories can awaken the awareness and action needed to restore balance to our most critical watersheds. This commitment to river advocacy and naturalist education represents hope because it shows us a pathway forward: naturalists using photography and documentary filmmaking to make invisible crises visible, educational programs and no cultivating deep ecological understanding in communities throughout the Southwest, birders and wildlife advocates connecting water conservation to the species they love, and a growing recognition that the health of our rivers reflects the health of our relationship with the natural world—ensuring that future generations inherit both the knowledge and the will to protect these lifeline ecosystems. ANXIETY TO ACTION: In an era when the Colorado River's flow has diminished dramatically and climate projections suggest even drier years ahead, understanding the connection between water scarcity and ecosystem collapse reminds us that every conservation choice we make—from reducing personal water use to supporting river restoration—represents a commitment to the millions of people, birds, and wildlife that depend on this irreplaceable river system for survival. Take Action: * Support organizations like Red Rocks Audubon, working to protect bird habitat and river ecosystems throughout the Southwest. * Reduce your water consumption through conscious daily choices, especially if you live in water-scarce regions. * Learn about where your water comes from and advocate for sustainable water policy in your community. * Participate in naturalist education programs to deepen your connection to local watersheds and wildlife. * Share Alex's documentary and other river advocacy work to raise awareness about the water crisis. * Connect with local birding and conservation groups to support habitat restoration along waterways. * Speak up for policies that prioritize ecological flows and balance human needs with healthy river ecosystems. * Recognize that water conservation isn't just about scarcity—it's about ensuring thriving ecosystems for generations to come. GUEST SOCIAL MEDIA & RESOURCES: Follow Alex Harper: @alexharper [https://www.instagram.com/alexkharper?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] Red Rocks Audubon: @redrockaudubon [https://www.instagram.com/redrockaudubon?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==] PLANET PEOPLE SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow Planet People on Instagram: @planet.people.pod [https://www.instagram.com/planet.people.pod/] Subscribe to us on YouTube: @PlanetPeoplePodcast [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX8iA7u1un1W0jj10LZ_m-g]

42. Mojave Desert Land Trust: Protecting Rare Plants, Lands & Animals in the Mojave Desert w/ Kelly Herbinson & Patrick Emblidge

Join us as we venture into the Mojave Desert with Kelly Herbinson, Executive Director of Mojave Desert Land Trust, and Patrick Emblidge, Plant Conservation Program Manager, whose groundbreaking conservation work reveals the urgent need to protect one of North America's most iconic and misunderstood ecosystems. Kelly and Patrick share what it means to safeguard the desert's irreplaceable biodiversity from the iconic Joshua tree facing climate-driven extinction to the thousands of acres permanently protected through conservation easements that preserve rare plants and vulnerable desert species. In an era when deserts are dismissed as barren wastelands even as they face unprecedented threats from climate change and development, this essential conversation challenges us to recognize the Mojave as a vibrant, interconnected ecosystem worthy of fierce protection and to understand how strategic land conservation can become a powerful tool for ensuring these landscapes endure for generations to come. RAY OF HOPE: In a time when climate change threatens the Joshua tree with extinction and development pressures fragment critical desert habitat, Kelly and Patrick's dedication to protecting Mojave ecosystems through conservation easements, land acquisition, and seed banking stands as a powerful ray of hope by demonstrating that science-driven action and community engagement can permanently safeguard thousands of acres and the rare species that depend on them. This commitment to desert conservation represents hope because it shows us a way forward: land trusts working to permanently protect critical habitat through conservation easements before it's lost, thousands of acres preserved that provide refuge for rare plants and desert wildlife, seed banks preserving genetic diversity for future restoration, native plant sales connecting communities to desert biodiversity, and a growing recognition that desert ecosystems are not wastelands but thriving communities of life, truly ensuring that the Mojave's iconic species have a fighting chance against the escalating threats of our changing climate. ANXIETY TO ACTION: In an era when climate change is rapidly reshaping desert ecosystems and development pressures threaten to destroy irreplaceable habitat, understanding the urgency of Mojave Desert conservation reminds us that every acre protected through conservation easements, every seed preserved, and every native plant cultivated represents a lifeline for species that have survived in these harsh landscapes for millennia—and that our choices today will determine whether future generations inherit a living desert or a memory of one. Take Action: * Support organizations like Mojave Desert Land Trust that permanently protect critical habitat through conservation easements and land acquisition. * Attend MDLT's annual native plant sale to support desert biodiversity in your own yard. * Practice responsible recreation by staying on designated trails and roads to protect fragile desert plants. * Plant native desert species if you live in arid regions to support local biodiversity and rare species. * Reduce your carbon footprint to slow the climate change threatening Joshua trees and other desert species. * Contact your representatives to support public land protection and conservation easement programs. * Share the importance of desert conservation to counter the "wasteland" narrative. * Learn about conservation easements and how they protect landscapes in perpetuity. GUEST SOCIAL MEDIA & RESOURCES: Mojave Desert Land Trust: @mojavedesertlandtrust [https://www.instagram.com/mojavedesertlandtrust/] Learn more: www.mdlt.org [http://www.mdlt.org] PLANET PEOPLE SOCIAL MEDIA: Follow Planet People on Instagram: @planet.people.pod [https://www.instagram.com/planet.people.pod/] Subscribe to us on YouTube: @PlanetPeoplePodcast [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX8iA7u1un1W0jj10LZ_m-g]