If you’re seeking a show with a more casual and conversational tone, look no further! On this episode of It’s Hot In Here, guests Aman Agrawal and Lo Vesprani join hosts Ben Sonnega and Bella Isaacs for a conversation on the way that information is disseminated in the current age, and what the implications of that are for environmentalists and advocates across the board. The conversation flows from one topics to another, ultimately drawing the attention of a listener who called in with a tough question for our radio panel. Listen now to find out what they said!
You can also find a recap of host Ben Sonnega’s favorite tunes from 2017 shows in this episode!
Deviating only slightly from the usual environment news and grooves, regular host Ben Sonnega attended a panel discussion at the U of M Alumni Center. The topic of the panel was titled, “Navigating the Workplace: Underrepresented and Invisible Identities”. The panel confronts issues of social justice and identity directly, but issues of environment and social justice are often intertwined, making this a pertinent discussion for our listeners. This episode pieces together major portions of the discussion, but is not the extent of it. The need to advocate for oneself has never been more relevant, especially in professional spaces as students graduate and move into the workforce, or accept an internship for the first time. Listen and learn from experiences shared by professionals and recent grads about navigating conversations on identity and some of the power dynamics that comes with it as a young professional or college intern. This episode also features music from artist Amadou & Mariam off of the album Wati.
Returning refreshed from the holiday break, guests Brooke McWherter and Alice Elliot joined host Ben Sonnega in the WCBN studios to call attention to an issue often overlooked. Amidst challenges presented by changing habitats and habitat destruction, bird kills from collisions with windows can sometimes be forgotten. This is not the case for our guests.
Brooke got her Bachelors degree in Wildlife Biology before serving in the Peace Corps in Southern Paraguay as a conservation and education volunteer. While there she had the opportunity to explore the many ways we can work with and engage communities in various science topics from wildlife conservation, to geography, and even to talk about climate change. As a graduate student at the School for Environment and Sustainability, her research is on climate resilience in rural communities in Bolivia and the connections to local wildlife as part of that resilience. When she is not working on that she acts as co-coordinator for Art and Environment (or ArtEco) which works to promote intersections between art and science and the various ways they occur.
A Lilac Breasted Roller (Brooke’s Favorite Bird)
Alice grew up in Ann Arbor and has a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies. She’s currently a graduate student at the School for Environment and Sustainability studying conservation ecology and environmental justice. She co-founded Washtenaw Safe Passage with a friend of hers to help raise awareness about how many birds hit windows and the degree to which windows are harming avian populations. Along with this program, and her graduate research, she also participates in other groups like Science for the People and Washtenaw Solidarity with Farmworkers who are working for social and ecological change.
Inspired by Alice’s work with Washtenaw Safe Passage, Brooke took up her own art project through ArtEco, with Research Faculty Advisor Sarah Adlerstein Gonzalez. Painting on paperweight sized rocks, Brooke rendered intricate and accurate depictions of Michigan birds that were found dead from window collisions and then arranged them in a winged outline at the Shapiro Library. This installation; part arts and crafts, part performance art, part memorial, reminded passersby to enjoy art but also to interact with their environment and nonhuman creatures at risk within it. Sometimes, what we do not manage well, we mourn, and make into something that can be a force for greater awareness and change, magnifying the efforts of others.
Painted Rocks by BrookeBird Painted Rocks Display
The conversation included not only discussion of bird art but all forms of science and art connection such as this water percussion performance. If you are interested in natural science, the arts, and even the possible intersection of the two then this episode is for you!
Originating in 2015, undergraduates at the University of Michigan interested in environment found a new home at the Epsilon Eta Fraternity. While there is no physical fraternity house designated on campus, It’s Hot In Here guests and current Epsilon Eta members Sam, Lizzie, Samuel, and Brett showed us that the fellowship and familial closeness of a fraternity was far from lost on them. They joined regular host Ben Sonnega to share their experiences with the fraternity, reasons for joining, and thoughts on a number of environmental topics.
All four members shared a variety of experiences, but one central point that brought them together seemed to be the camping trips that the fraternity offers during the academic breaks. As social chair for the fraternity, Brett spoke on the organizing of these events, but all four guests alluded to the trips as shaping experiences in the career as an environmentalist.
If you are interested in checking out the fraternity more, click HERE to go to their website and HERE to get to their facebook page!
Don’t miss this fun episode filled with laughter, great environmentally geared tunes from artists like John Prine and Ziggy Marley, and powerful messages from young environmentalists!
