Where The Climate Things Are

My guest today is Dani Burton, Sponsorship Manager at 11th Hour Racing – a Newport, Rhode Island-based organization working at the intersection of ocean health, behavior change, and community action through sport, storytelling, and grantmaking. The organization supports ambassador networks, funds coastal restoration grantees, and develops free tools like MarineShift360 to help the maritime industry measure and reduce its impact. This weekend, 11th Hour is sponsoring Newport Rhode Races as a live model for what genuinely sustainable event design looks like – and a demonstration that those practices can scale to any size event.Newport Rhode Races — this Saturday, April 18 in Newport, RI 11th Hour Racing Protect Our Winters

This week, we head back to the WTCTA Substack. Addie reads (and comments on) her recent article "The Diary of a Weatherwoman's Daughter" on Substack. Buckle up, we're going to Maine! (and Micronesia, and New York City, and back to Maine again...)Full article: wtcta.substack.com

A rundown of a few recent events: Big Alta heatwave, UTMB's Tenerife cancellation, the LA Marathon's 18-mile medal, and the recent Paralympic temperatures/conditions. Check out the full roundup on substack with links: wtcta.substack.com

This week Olympic marathon bronze medalist and ultrarunner Molly Seidel joins Where The Climate Things Are for a conversation about the environmental side of her story - one that rarely gets airtime in traditional running-focused interviews.Growing up in rural Wisconsin surrounded by land conservation work, Molly developed an early relationship with environmental stewardship long before becoming a professional athlete. In this episode, we talk about climate anxiety in the outdoor community, how travel and training shape our understanding of environmental change, and why athletes don’t need to be perfect advocates to participate in climate conversations.This discussion moves beyond performance and podiums to explore identity, place, and what it means to protect the landscapes that shape who we are.show notes & links at: wtcta.substack.com

Addie talks about the major climate themes throughout the 2026 Winter Olympics, in addition to the endangerment finding reversal that arrived today. It's all connected. Full article and links on substack: wtcta.substack.com

Climate Strides is back!We are partnering with Running Up For Air and Patagonia on our next four events. Our Climate Strides series returns to play a special role in supporting RUFA’s mission. By bringing participants along on our mobile panel design, we want to get people moving while giving people a taste of climate advocacy on the go, encouraging more people to sign up for the (much longer) RUFA race a few weeks later. Hopefully, we help to build community and connect folks in the local climate space as well. Sign up here:Salt Lake City: https://rufaclimatestridessaltlakecity.splashthat.com/Boulder: https://rufaclimatestridesboulder.splashthat.com/Seattle: https://rufaclimatestridesseattle.splashthat.com/Bellingham: https://rufaclimatestridesbellingham.splashthat.com/

In this episode, Addie sits down with Bianca Clarke — parks advocate, community-builder, and Director of the 10-Minute Walk Program at Trust for Public Land — to talk about equitable access to nature, climate resilience and why neighborhood parks are critical climate infrastructure in addition to providing opportunities for local outdoor recreation. From childhood moments that sparked her environmental path to the national effort to ensure every person lives a 10-minute walk from a green space, Bianca shares what it means to design for connection, invest in community and build a future where nature is truly for everyone.We talk about:How early experiences outdoors shaped Bianca’s path into conservationWhy millions of people in the US lack access to a nearby park — and what that meansHow Trust for Public Land designs parks with communities, not for themClimate resilience: heat mitigation, flood protection, and “sponge parks”The social power of parks - belonging, safety, and everyday connection…and much more! LinksTrust for Public Land (TPL)TPL’s 10-Minute Walk ProgramTPL’s ParkServe ProgramTPL’s Schoolyard InitiativeMoore Aloha — Ama OluKai FoundationGoing Green: A Kid’s Handbook to Saving the PlanetKeywordsparks, public lands, equitable access, climate resilience, urban heat, flood mitigation, sponge cities, green space, community design, environmental justice, nature-based solutions, neighborhood parks, social connection, mental health, outdoor equity, conservation, climate adaptation

Addie reads the latest post on the Where The Climate Things Are Substack about a recent trip to Vietnam for a wedding, and the very real climate impacts the country is facing from weeks of typhoons and flooding. WTCTA Substack Article

Ryan Thrower reads Addie's guest post on the TRR substack about Guster's environmental leadership in the music industry via the nonprofit REVERB (and also talks about how good their music is).Links:REVERBGuster Track 1 PlaylistTrail Running Radio SubstackWhere The Climate Things Are Substack

In this episode, I sit down with Tim Weed — writer, teacher, and international trip leader turned novelist. Tim’s latest book, The Afterlife Project, is a cli-fi novel that travels 10,000 years into the future to wrestle with the fate of humanity, biodiversity, and our relationship to nature.We talk about:Growing up between Vermont and Denver and discovering a love of winter and skiingHow fly fishing — in various locations throughout the US, including my favorite, Kennebago Lake — became a lifelong practiceTrip leading, group dynamics, and what time in the wilderness reveals about human connectionWhy geological time, mass extinctions, and perspective helped him write through climate anxietyThe role of fiction in shifting climate paradigms and building new climate mythologiesLinksTim Weed’s WebsiteThe Afterlife ProjectA Field Guide to Murder and Fly FishingThe World Without Us – Alan WeismanBraiding Sweetgrass – Robin Wall KimmererProject DrawdownKeywords: cli-fi, climate fiction, The Afterlife Project, Tim Weed, fly fishing, Vermont, Colorado, geological time, mass extinctions, stewardship, storytelling, literature, outdoor community, Protect Our Winters, climate narratives, nature, resilience

In this episode, Addie sits down with Matt Scott — storyteller, podcaster, and Director of Storytelling & Engagement at Project Drawdown. From imposter syndrome and courage to representation and belonging, Matt shares what it means to “pass the mic” and create climate stories that are both human and transformative.We talk about:Growing up with family legacies that shaped his pathThe Climate Reality training that turned curiosity into commitmentPassing the mic and making space for others at the tableRepresentation, outdoor safety, and belongingBringing storytelling into Project Drawdown and launching Drawdown’s NeighborhoodLinksMatt’s LinkedInMatt’s Bio PageProject DrawdownDrawdown’s NeighborhoodMatt’s PodcastClimate Reality ProjectThe Black Female ProjectMustafa Santiago AliNalleli CoboKeywords: storytelling, Project Drawdown, Drawdown’s Neighborhood, passing the mic, representation, climate justice, outdoor safety, courage, imposter syndrome, climate storytelling, environmental justice, Climate Reality Project, trail running, belonging, community, advocacy

In this episode, Addie sits down with Peyton Thomas - a biologist and competitive trail runner whose work explores the connections between aquatic ecosystems, climate change, and community. From growing up in Atlanta and confronting inequities in access to green space, to building a career that bridges research and running, Peyton shares what it means to navigate multiple identities while staying rooted in purpose.We talk about:Peyton’s “aha” moment on climate: canvassing neighborhoods in Atlanta and recognizing environmental inequities.Running as a way to process life, find home in new landscapes, and stay connected to the natural world.How language learning became a bridge to community in Quebec and her work with the broader Black diaspora.The Anticosti Island fastpacking project: sampling rivers, studying brook trout, and blending science with outdoor adventure.The balance of pursuing both a science career and competitive running, and the ongoing process of defining fulfillment.Links & MentionsPeyton’s InstagramPeyton’s WebsiteAnticosti Island UNESCO nominationTrail Runner Mag Profile of Peyton (written by Dakota Jones)CU Boulder Profile Keywordstrail running, road running, competitive running, community, Indigenous sovereignty, climate change, aquatic ecosystems, brook trout, biodiversity, environmental DNA, fish otoliths, conservation, Anticosti Island, UNESCO World Heritage, Quebec, Atlanta, Chattahoochee River, environmental justice, access to green space, PhD journey, Alaska, Yukon, Patagonia, NNormal, Western States 100, Dakota Jones, science and sport, language learning, French, resilience, climate storytelling