Send us a text Journey through millions of years of plant evolution with paleobotanist Dr. Aaron Pan, who unearths fascinating stories locked within fossilized leaves, fruits, and seeds from Earth's distant past. As Executive Director of the Museum of Texas Tech University, Dr. Pan bridges the worlds of scientific research and public education, sharing how ancient plant remains challenge our understanding of modern ecosystems. Prepare to have your assumptions about plant origins completely upend...
Jul 10, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 6Ep. 121
Send us a text What happens when scientific curiosity meets ancestral connection? Phil DeAngelis, founder of Phil's Figs and coastal geologist, takes us on a journey that weaves together seemingly unrelated passions into a life of purpose and discovery. Phil's story begins in Pennsylvania, where gardening was simply part of life in his Italian-American and German-American household. Following the expected corporate path after college, he worked in marketing for Zipcar while an undercurrent of sc...
Jun 12, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Season 6Ep. 120
Send us a text Ever wondered how working with plants could transform your life? Destin Noak, known online as the Texas Garden Guy, discovered gardening's therapeutic power during a period of uncertainty after leaving the Air Force in 2011. What began with his father's simple suggestion to till the backyard evolved into a passionate pursuit that would eventually open doors to a fulfilling career. "It kind of gave me that relaxation, that therapy that I didn't know I needed," Destin explains, desc...
May 22, 2025•56 min•Season 6Ep. 119
Send us a text Dr. Cheryl Hosler, creator of Nature Check and The Roving Naturalist, shares her journey from feeling inadequate in science to becoming a postdoctoral researcher and innovative science communicator who uses storytelling and gaming to connect people with ecological concepts. • Cheryl's educational path from English major to scientist, overcoming early discouragement in high school science classes • The limitations of the "deficit model" in science communication and why simply provi...
May 09, 2025•1 hr 2 min•Season 6Ep. 118
Send us a text Sean Patchett, known online as Garden Guy Muskoka, shares his multifaceted experience in horticulture, from landscape work to science communication, emphasizing the critical importance of context in gardening advice. • Context is everything when sharing gardening information – advice must be tailored to location, climate, and specific situations • The internet contains overwhelming amounts of gardening information, requiring critical evaluation and testing • Working in landscapes ...
May 02, 2025•53 min•Season 6Ep. 117
Send us a text Cassie Yahnian and Danielle LaRock share the captivating journey of their podcast National Park After Dark, celebrating four years of exploring the mysteries, histories, and conservation stories of America's public lands. • Former veterinary technicians who bonded over their shared love of outdoor spaces and morbid curiosity • Transformed casual conversations about national park mysteries into a wildly successful podcast • Use compelling storytelling to convey conservation message...
Apr 10, 2025•1 hr 12 min•Season 6Ep. 116
Send us a text Roey, a music industry marketing professional and lo-fi producer, uses his "dad jazz" instrumental music to fund native plant installations across Nashville and beyond. • Growing up in a family of avid gardeners and nature enthusiasts instilled a deep appreciation for native plants and natural spaces • Names his songs after native plants and uses all proceeds to purchase seeds from Roundstone, a native plant seed farm in Kentucky • Transformed his yard into a 4,000 square foot wil...
Mar 28, 2025•59 min•Season 6Ep. 115
Send us a text Dr. Jessica Tullar Caroom returns to the podcast to discuss the evolution of her community food systems work and the importance of building meaningful connections through growing and sharing food. • Growing Together Texas supports gardeners, growers, and cooks as three interconnected parts of a healthy food ecosystem • Creating an online farmers market (LBK Grown) that helps local producers collaborate rather than compete • Offering subscription produce boxes with seasonal vegetab...
Mar 13, 2025•57 min•Season 6Ep. 114
Send us a text This episode is a delightful exploration of listener-submitted plant questions, offering insights into plant care, specific plant challenges, and the relationship between environmental conditions and plant health. - Overview of the seasonal Q&A format - Discussion on controlling bindweed and morning glory - Humidity’s nuanced effect on plant health - Benefits of indoor plants on air quality - Recommended houseplants for low-light conditions - Host reflections on wisdom and com...
Feb 28, 2025•45 min•Season 6Ep. 113
Send us a text This episode emphasizes the importance of community, realistic expectations, and small beginnings in gardening. We explore how to nurture connections with neighbors, set achievable goals, and adapt to various living conditions to create a rewarding gardening experience. • Understanding why content creators should be careful with gardening recommendations • Setting realistic expectations about food production at home • The vital role of community in successful gardening practices •...
Feb 13, 2025•42 min•Season 6Ep. 112
Send us a text What's up Plant People?? It's been a minute since our last Q&A episode, and I have some good ones for you today! Thanks to @ marahw1999, @honukaimi, and Shannon Perry ( oz9podcast ) for the outstanding questions! Be sure to check out the Lubbock Arts Alliance on Instagram and their other socials to learn more about Delightful Fantasy Flowers and enter for a chance to win some cool swag! Oh, and if you'd like to watch a cool time lapse of a dragon fruit blooming, you can find t...
Aug 05, 2024•43 min•Season 5Ep. 111
Send us a text Get ready to unravel the fascinating world of wildlife biology and plant science as we sit down with Ashley Bray, the insightful host of the Get Out Alive podcast. Have you ever wondered how the dynamics between plants and animals shape our ecosystems? Ashley shares her inspiring journey from childhood animal enthusiast to wildlife biologist, overcoming early academic hurdles and reshaping career expectations. We delve into the essential relationship between plant and animal ecosy...
Jul 12, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 5Ep. 110
Send us a text What's up, Plant People? Join us as we welcome Dr. Sarah Duignan, the host of the AnthroDish podcast and a medical anthropologist, on a remarkable journey navigating food anthropology and community health. From her roots in Ontario, where a deep connection with nature began shaping her career, Sarah takes us through her academic route via Trent University, the University of Manitoba, and McMaster University. Discover how her passion transitioned from the study of ancient skeletal ...
Jun 06, 2024•59 min•Season 5Ep. 109
Send us a text If you've ever wondered how to enrich your diet without falling prey to restrictive eating, Dr. Sarah Ballantyne, the brain behind the Nutrivore philosophy, joins us to illuminate the path towards optimal nutrition. Through our engaging dialogue, Sarah shares her transformative journey from research scientist to a passionate advocate for nutrition and health communication. We navigate her personal health challenges and how they led to the birth of Nutrivore, a way of life that pro...
May 16, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Season 5Ep. 108
Send us a text What's up, Plant People?? It's our first Deep Dive episode in quite a while. I was super excited to get to talk to my friend, Dr. Erica Irlbeck, again on the show. Erica is a Professor of Ag Communications, the Associate Dean of Outreach and Engagement for the Davis College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Texas Tech, and the author of the Crisis Communication Guide for Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources. We talked about everything from good communication, t...
May 09, 2024•59 min•Season 5Ep. 107
Send us a text Ever find yourself marveling at the uncanny connection you share with your furry best friend? Our latest podcast episode takes us on an expedition into the heart of human-canine relationships, with Melissa McCue-McGrath, a true trailblazer in dog training and conservation, leading the way. Celebrating Melissa's birthday, we tap into her wealth of knowledge, from the psychological bonds we forge with our dogs to their astonishing roles in ecological conservation. Navigate the bustl...
Apr 18, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 5Ep. 106
Send us a text What's up, Plant People?? I hope you're well! My guest today is a long-time mentor and friend, Dr. Robert Cox. Dr. Cox is a restoration ecologist whose wisdom in prairie ecosystems and passion for academia are as deep-rooted as the native species he studies. This episode is full of stories from Dr. Cox's academic adventures, which began in herpetology and evolved into the long-time study of plant ecology. We discussed a little bit of everything, from some of the roles fire and smo...
Apr 04, 2024•55 min•Season 5Ep. 105
Send us a text What's up, Plant People?? Living through all the *unprecedented times* we have been over the past few years has really gotten old. I think a lot fewer things should be getting precedented, but that's just me. We could all use a little more hope in our lives because, as Dr. Katharine Hayhoe discussed in Episode 102, it's the thing that drives us to change and positive action. Here at the beginning of Spring this year, I wanted to talk about a couple of stories I found recently whic...
Mar 21, 2024•29 min•Season 5Ep. 104
Send us a text What's up Plant People?! I have a great one for you today with one of my former professors and current colleagues, Dr. Peter Dotray. We had a great conversation about life as a professor and academic, what's changed over the years, how do we define a "weed," what role do they play in agriculture, and how we can go about controlling them. Dr. Dotray is a kind, empathetic educator who has a wealth of experience and knowledge about agriculture and how we can approach some of our futu...
Mar 07, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 5Ep. 103
Send us a text What's up, Plant People? Have you ever felt the weight of the world's climate crisis on your shoulders, yet struggled with the notion that one person's actions might be too insignificant to make a difference? Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, an atmospheric scientist, joins us to shatter that misconception with her infectious optimism and practical strategies for individual impact. Through tales from her life's journey and her book "Saving Us," Katharine tells a story about life and hope that...
Feb 22, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 5Ep. 102
Send us a text What's up, Plant People? Today's episode blooms with the extraordinary tale of Kay Luther, a Chelsea Flower Show gold medalist turned game developer whose story is as rich and vibrant as the gardens she designs. In an industry where creativity and adaptation are as crucial as soil to seed, Kay shares her journey from the flower-bedecked lanes of Chelsea to the pixel-perfect landscapes of her serene game, "Garden Life." As she weaves tales of her floristry days, the artistry behind...
Feb 08, 2024•57 min•Season 5Ep. 101
Send us a text What's up, Plant People! After a much longer-than-expected hiatus, I'm finally back with Episode 100! It's been a wonderful 4(ish) years, and I thought the perfect way to celebrate the past and look forward to the future was to talk about a project that's so close to my heart and that I haven't really had a chance to discuss much on the show. My first book, Plants to the Rescue, came out in July of 2023 and is something that means so much to me. Join me as I walk through the proce...
Jan 25, 2024•45 min•Season 5Ep. 100
Send us a text What's up Plant People! Today's guest is someone who I've unabashedly called, on multiple occasions, "The Funniest Person on the Internet." She was reluctant to wear the title, but I'm sticking with it! Sarah Southerland is the communication and social media specialist with the Oklahoma Dpeartment of Wildlife Conservation. Her social media presence is *wildly* popular across several platforms and consistently makes me laugh out loud. Whether talking about why we shouldn't snuggle ...
Jun 22, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 4Ep. 99
Send us a text What if you could explore the complexities of the human brain while also discovering the fascinating world of plants? Join me as I sit down with behavioral neuroscientist Morgan Johnston, aka Ask a Neuroscientist, for an engaging conversation about these two seemingly unrelated worlds. You'll learn how Morgan's journey from a small farming community to the world of neuroscience research has helped her uncover unique connections between plants and humans. We dive into the effects o...
Jun 09, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 4Ep. 98
Send us a text What's up Plant People?? I don't want to spoil too much of this fantastic conversation, but today's episode with Amanda McLoughlin was super special to me. When I first starting to get into podcasts, Amanda's show, Spirits, was a huge inspiration. I was so thrilled when she reached out wanting to chat about her passion for houseplants! What started off as a discussion on growing plants indoors turned into a lovel conversation about family, life, careers, passion projects, life as ...
May 05, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 97
Send us a text What's up Plant People?? I'm honored today to have Dr. Clint Krehbiel, Dean of the Texas Tech University Davis College of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources, as a guest! Dr. Krehbiel has a background in Animal Science and ruminant nutrition and was on faculty at New Mexico State University, Oklahoma State University, and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln before joining us at Texas Tech at the beginning of 2023. He's a wealth of knowledge and experience and is passionate a...
Apr 28, 2023•54 min•Ep. 96
Send us a text Support the show As always, thanks so much for listening! Subscribe, rate, and review Planthropology on your favorite podcast app. It helps the show keep growing and reaching more people! As a bonus, if you review Planthropology on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser and send me a screenshot of it, I'll send you an awesome sticker pack! Planthropology is written, hosted, and produced by Vikram Baliga. Our theme song is "If You Want to Love Me, Babe, by the talented and award-winning compo...
Apr 21, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 95
Send us a text What's up, Plant People?? In today's episode, my friend Brandi Addison and I talked about her life as a journalist, climate solutions advocate, and environmentalist. Brandi is the regional agriculture and natural resources reporter for the USA TODAY Network's West Texas region, regularly contributing to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Amarillo Globe News, Abilene Reporter-News and San Angelo Standard Times. She previously wrote for The Dallas Morning News and has additional bylines...
Apr 14, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 94
Send us a text Happy spring, Plant People! I thought to celebrate, I'd do a quick episode with some of my top tips for prepping and planting your garden in the spring! Like I mentioned in the episode, I wrote a non-fiction kids book about plants and how they're helping us fight climate change and make a healthier world! Plants to the Rescue! comes out on July 11, but you can pre-order it now from Macmillan Books, Neon Squid, or your favorite online bookseller! Click here to pre-order Plants to t...
Mar 31, 2023•31 min•Ep. 93
Send us a text What’s up Plant People?! I hope you’re ready for our first guest interview in quite some time, because its a GOOD ONE. Today’s guest, Elizabeth Kelly is a PhD student at Penn State University studying parasitic plants, a brilliant science communicator, an assistant greenhouse manager, an avid roller derby player, and one of my very favorite plant people. Elizabeth (known by her derby name, Swifty, to her friends) and I have been mutuals on TikTok for a couple of years and I’ve wan...
Mar 16, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 92
