Plant People

In this episode we’re joined by Todd Forrest, NYBG’s Vice President for Horticulture and Living Collections, who turns our attention to the Bronx River—NYC’s only freshwater river and one of the highlights of the Garden’s landscape. He’ll talk us through the River’s redemption arc: from its former state as an “open sewer,” to its renewal as a hotspot for plants, animals, and the local community. We’ll discover how the Bronx River Watershed is ecologically important not only to the Garden, but to The Bronx itself—and the City at large.

Acclaimed author and poet Camille Dungy joins us this week to explore the intersection of nature, identity, and systemic change. With insight from her latest book, SOIL: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden, Dungy shares her view of gardening as another form of storytelling. Listen in as we talk about environmental advocacy and stewardship—and the ways nature and narrative are more intertwined than you might think.

Join Dr. Alex McAlvay, Assistant Curator at NYBG’s Center for Plants, People, and Culture, and Dr. John de la Parra, Director of the Global Food Portfolio at the Rockefeller Foundation, as they chat about the problems in modern agriculture (like monocrops!) that are threatening our food security worldwide. Together, they'll share some of the ways that historical farming methods might help solve these problems, diversifying our daily menu and making our food system more resilient against climate change.

In the first episode of Season 2, we explore the resilience and creativity of the Bronx through the eyes of acclaimed author Ian Frazier, whose new book—Paradise Bronx: The Life & Times of New York’s Greatest Borough—is an ode to the City’s greenest and most diverse borough. Frazier’s love for the neighborhoods of the Bronx introduces us to a rich history of rebuilding and revitalization driven by the people who call it home, even as the borough grew and evolved around institutions like the New York Botanical Garden, which was first established in the 1890s. Through Ian’s perspective, we’ll navigate the Bronx’s complex past, from its historical landscapes and development, to environmental and municipal neglect—and its incredible bounce-back efforts over the decades.

Are you a plant person? If you’re not quite sure, we can help get you there—with Season 2 of Plant People, dropping March 10!     After an award-winning first season for NYBG’s podcast about the ways plants and people help each other thrive, we’re BACK with an all-new season of in-depth talks featuring gardeners, authors, scientists, and activists. Jump back in with NYBG President Jennifer Bernstein as she dives deep into topics like global food security, gardening as resistance, extreme botany in the world’s most challenging environments—and of course, NYC’s greenest borough, The Bronx.