Love Nature

Kristy Hamilton is a science journalist and author of "Nature’s Wild Ideas: How the Natural World is Inspiring Scientific Innovation," recently published this October. Hamilton’s passionate pursuits and insatiable curiosity have led her all over the globe to investigate natural settings to uncover how living things are interconnected and how even the smallest species among us can offer major breakthroughs for conservation and the environmental issues of our time.

Welcome back to the fourth season of the "Love Nature" podcast. Join us for part one of our conversation with Dr. Kirsten Paige, an Assistant Professor of Musicology at NC State University. Dr. Paige’s work explores how scientific and environmental knowledge reshaped musical practices and cultures of the 19th and 20th centuries. She also has a strong interest in how music can offer collaborative responses to the climate crisis and address the inequalities brought on by it. Plus, learn what "soundwalking" is and how you can experience it!

Join us for the first part of our dynamic conversation with musician, author and naturalist, Dr. Bernie Krause, one the world’s leading experts in natural sound and soundscapes — the sounds that reach human ears. Krause discusses his origins as a violinist-turned-guitarist, which led to him helping introduce the synthesizer in pop music and film, including collaborations with Motown Records and the legendary Hollywood director, Francis Ford Coppola. Later, Krause left the entertainment industry to obtain a PhD in bioacoustics, traveling the world to record, archive and share the voices of the natural world.

Todd Siler is an artist, author, and inventor with a passion to understand how human systems work. Throughout his expansive and illustrious career, Siler has explored the interconnection of art and science and advocated for integration between the two fields in academia. A recipient of the Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts, Siler’s visually striking, multimedia exhibitions are featured in collections around the world. Find out why Siler encourages humans to “step into the heart of your brain” and get an update on his upcoming art projects.

Artist Benjamin Von Wong’s work lies at the intersection of fantasy and photography, combining everyday objects with shocking statistics. His YouTube videos have generated over 100 million views for causes like ocean plastics, electronic waste and fashion pollution. Von Wong’s art focuses on amplifying a positive impact by visualizing how humans interact with and impact nature through our actions. Discover why he believes “it’s fun to be a person who doesn’t love nature but is an environmentalist” with the latest episode of the Love Nature podcast.

Welcome to the third season of the Love Nature Podcast. The NC Museum of Natural Sciences is a proud participant of the North Carolina Science Festival, a month-long celebration of science every April. We are kicking off our season with award-winning science communicator, host and producer, Emily Graslie. Emily is a regular host for PBS programs, including the 6-part digital series, “In Our Nature.” As a classically trained violinist and former museum curator, Emily knows science and art are about communication and connection. Hear Emily’s perspective and discover how she uses her talents and experiences to advocate for Museums and natural spaces.

Rachel Smith is an astrophysicist and the Head of the NC Museum of Natural Sciences’ Astronomy & Astrophysics Research Lab and Curator for Meteorites. Rachel is in interested in the origins of life, how it began on Earth and investigating perhaps the greatest mystery of all: are humans alone in the Universe? Discover why astronomers and astrophysicists are looking to galaxies far, far away to unlock mysteries right here on Earth, deepening our connection and understanding of the natural world around us.

Chris Goforth is an entomologist and science educator who leads citizen science efforts at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. Citizen science is the partnership between the public and professional researchers, an important, collaborative relationship where people from all walks of life can contribute to scientific research regardless of experience level. From studying monkey molecules to observing spiral galaxies, learn how citizen science projects provide the opportunity for everyone to contribute to science in a meaningful, tangible way.

A Miami native with Jamaican heritage, Danni Washington is deeply passionate about science communication and protecting and preserving our oceans. Using social and traditional media platforms, Danni takes her audiences on adventures to connect them with nature, aiming to inspire a more science-minded society along the way. Danni also illuminates how water has historically been used as a tool against people of color and shares her vision for natural spaces that are accessible for all.

New York Times best-selling author, Richard Louv, returns to provide further insight in this week’s episode, discussing how humans can commit to re-wilding natural areas and how cities can play a role by becoming engines for biodiversity and environmental revitalization. Louv also addresses the four horsemen of the apocalypse: climate change, the collapse of biodiversity, pandemic and human loneliness and shares his wisdom on how humans can combat these issues.