37. Twelve Days of Thriftmas w/ Jenli Kaylor
Planet People Podcast
In this festive discussion, hosts Coral and Natalie sit down with guest Jenli Kaylor to explore the art of sustainable holiday living through thrifting and upcycling. Together, they dive deep into creative ways to make the holiday season more environmentally conscious while still maintaining the magic and joy of the season. From transforming secondhand finds into meaningful gifts to reimagining holiday decorations with thrifted treasures, this conversation is packed with practical tips for anyone looking to reduce their environmental footprint during the most wonderful—and often most...
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36. College of the Desert: A Class on Desert Birds, Energy Solutions, and Living a Sustainable Life w/ Kurt Leuschner
Planet People Podcast
In this discussion, we interview Kurt Leuschner, a Professor of Natural Resources at the College of the Desert, a public community college serving the diverse Coachella Valley of Riverside County, California. College of the Desert enrolls approximately 12,500 students and is federally recognized as a Hispanic-serving institution, reflecting its commitment to educational accessibility in the region. Through his role at College of the Desert, Professor Leuschner is helping to educate the next generation of environmental stewards while contributing to our understanding of the remarkable...
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35. Desert Tortoise Council: Training the Next Generation of Desert Tortoise Biologists w/ Mary Lane Poe
Planet People Podcast
Join us for an in-depth conversation about Mojave desert tortoise conservation efforts, from the original endangered species designation to current threats and protection strategies. In this interview with Mary Lane Poe of the Desert Tortoise Council, we review the many threats facing the desert tortoise, as well as meaningful ways for people to take action and even start a career in desert tortoise conservation. RAY OF HOPE: Here's something incredible: Desert tortoises are ancient ecosystem engineers that have survived ice ages, volcanic eruptions, and dramatic climate shifts over 15...
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34. Art Queen of Joshua Tree: Fighting Fast Fashion & Turning Trash Into Art w/ Shari Elf
Planet People Podcast
Join us as we explore the vibrant creative scene of Joshua Tree with Shari Elf, founder of Art Queen, whose innovative approach to upcycled fashion reveals the profound relationship between clothing, self-expression, and environmental consciousness. Shari shares what it means to transform discarded garments into wearable art, as well as the powerful story of how upcycling can serve as both a personal statement and a sustainable alternative to fast fashion’s destructive cycle. In an era when the fashion industry is one of the world’s largest polluters, this essential conversation challenges...
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33. Thanksgiving Reflections and Gratitude From the Planet People Team
Planet People Podcast
Join us for a special shorter-format conversation as founder, Natalie, sits down with co-host and Creative Director, Coral Carson, to reflect on Planet People's remarkable 2.5-year journey. As we celebrate this milestone and enter our second season, we take a moment to express gratitude for our incredible community and discuss why Indigenous knowledge is foundational—not supplementary—to any meaningful conversation about conservation. This Thanksgiving episode sets the stage for our featured guest, Seth Bizardi Tsosie, a Native American monitor from the Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Tribe,...
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32. Land of Flowing Water: Indigenous Knowledge & The Theft of Owens Valley w/ Seth Bizardi Tsosie
Planet People Podcast
Join us as we explore the Eastern Sierra Nevada with Seth Bizardi Tsosie, a Native American monitor from the Lone Pine Paiute-Shoshone Tribe, whose ancestral knowledge reveals the profound relationship between Indigenous peoples and the land of flowing water. Seth shares what it means to grow up with generations of traditional ecological wisdom about this remarkable region, as well as the devastating story of how the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power systematically exploited and diverted the Owens Valley’s lifeblood. As we approach Thanksgiving, this essential conversation challenges...
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31. Antarctica’s Frozen Secrets: Adélie Penguins and the Driest Desert on Earth w/ Dr. Steve Emslie
Planet People Podcast
Join us as we journey to the frozen continent of Antarctica with Dr. Steve Emslie, a leading Antarctic ecologist whose groundbreaking research on Adélie penguins has revealed fascinating insights into one of Earth’s most extreme environments. From the remarkable adaptations of these charismatic seabirds to the surprising revelation that Antarctica is technically a desert, Dr. Emslie shares his discoveries from decades of fieldwork in the coldest, windiest, and driest place on our planet. This eye-opening conversation explores the delicate balance of polar ecosystems and why understanding...
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30. Meditation & Bird Walks: San Diego Climate Week Event Recap
Planet People Podcast
This episode takes you behind the scenes of our San Diego Climate Week event, where we combined mindfulness meditation with birdwatching to forge a deeper connection with the natural world and raise awareness about one of climate change’s most vulnerable victims—our birds. Hosts Natalie and Coral share why they chose to lead a meditative bird walk during Climate Week, highlighting the critical relationship between climate change and declining bird populations. As habitats shift, migration patterns are disrupted, and food sources vanish, birds are serving as early warning indicators of our...
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29. Halloween Folklore: The Spooky Spoken History of Ravens, Coyotes, Tarantulas, and Owls
Planet People Podcast
It’s Halloween on Planet People Podcast, and this episode dives into the eerie intersection of nature and folklore. Hosts Natalie and Coral are joined by their teammate Hugh Carr to explore the misunderstood realities of four creatures that have long haunted human imagination—the raven, coyote, tarantula, and owl. Hugh unpacks the mythological roots of ravens and coyotes as tricksters and spirit messengers. Additionally, he presents a fascinating theory regarding what may have contributed to ravens’ dark portrayal throughout history and today… Natalie sheds light on the tarantula’s...
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28. Zombie Wasps, Tarantulas Hawks, Army Ants, Oh My! An Eerie Look Into the World of Desert Insects w/ Scott Heacox
Planet People Podcast
Join us in continuing this Spooky Season as we sit down with Scott Heacox to explore the truly exciting world of parasitic insects in the Coachella Valley. From wasps that turn their hosts into living nurseries to fungi that create zombie ants, Scott reveals the fascinating and sometimes horrifying survival strategies of desert insects. This spine-tingling conversation uncovers the complex relationships between parasites and their hosts, demonstrating that the scariest stories aren’t found in horror movies—they’re happening right now in the desert ecosystem around us. RAY OF HOPE:...
info_outlineIn this bonus episode of Planet People, Natalie and Coral discuss the devastation around the LA Wildfires for both people, wildlife and the planet. As a scientist Natalie offers insight into the climate crisis while Coral sheds light on the LA community and the people that have been displaced and affected by this tragedy. They discuss how extreme weather patterns like intense rainfall, followed by a significant drought year, and hurricane like winds, created ripe conditions for wildfire to spread. With California experiencing two wet years in 2023-2024, it also allowed for invasive tree and grass species to grow unchecked and create a mat and corridor for fires to spread rapidly in 2025. The Santa Ana Winds also brought extremely dry conditions and with the lack of moisture in the air, the fires started with no warning.
Habitats impacted by these state parks including, coastal sage scrub, wetlands, chaparral, and oak woodlands. State parks were also destroyed by the fire, including Will Rogers State Park and Topanga Canyon State Park. Resources and organizations to donate to and support through volunteer efforts are listed below. Our hearts go out to LA during this unprecedented disaster.
Wildlife Impact Alert!
- Mountain Lions: P-22's family & local populations are necessary top predators for ecosystem services to thrive
- Mule Deer: Critical prey species for mountain lion & seed dispersal
- Rattlesnakes: Essential pest control
- Grey Foxes: Under threat from habitat loss
- Red-tailed Hawks: Nesting sites at risk
- Coyotes: Den sites at risk
- Habitat Impact Alert
- Oak Woodlands: Ancient trees threatened that are endemic to southern California, occur in Mandeville Canyon and Malibu State Park
- Coastal Sage Scrub: One of the rarest and most endangered habitats that songbirds, like endangered California gnatcatcher, dominate in Topanga State Park
- Native Grasslands: Fire recovery needed to prevent invasive species from outcompeting native flora
- Chaparral: Habitat that dominated Will Rogers State Park and Topanga canyon, shelter for bobcats, quail, snakes and more.
Learn more about the LA WildFires.
Follow @planet.people.pod for updates and resources to get involved.
WILDLIFE VOLUNTEER & DONATION OPPORTUNITIES:
*Please check each of these before showing up to know exactly what they need and what time they are in need of volunteers. Keep your volunteer and donation work sustainable because we have a long way to go.*
- Volunteer for restoration efforts on MLK day with Santa Monica Mountains @santamonicamountainsnps
- Community clean up with @echo_park_trash_club. Register here
- Stay up to date on replant efforts in Los Angeles with @weexploreearth. Sign up here
- Join volunteer restoration teams with @treepeople or wildlife support teams @laanimalservices
- Support wildlife corridor projects, like the Annenberg-Wallis Crossing in Augora Hills w/ @calwildlife
- Share resources with neighbors about wildlife-coexistence, like @cougarconservancy on best practices to living with wild animals
- TreePeople: Local restoration projects - @treepeople
- Donate and help support Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy - @santamonicamountainsnps
- LA Animal Services -@laanimalservices
- Cal State Parks - @calparks
- CA Wildlife - @cawildlife
- Pasadena Humane Society @pasadenahumane
HUMANITARIAN VOLUNTEER & DONATION OPPORTUNITIES:
*Please check each of these before showing up to know exactly what they need and what time they are in need of volunteers. Keep your volunteer and donation work sustainable because we have a long way to go.*
- Donate supplies to @9thirtyla 930 Mateo St. - in need of Spanish-speaking volunteers
- Donate women’s material to @altadenagirls
- Majority of LA’s YMCA’s are doing donation drop off and need drivers to drop off supplies to those who can’t leave their home
INFLUENCER RESOURCES:
Ben Goldfarb, Author of Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of the Planet. Read previews here
Lauren Bash, Influencer of environmental sustainability. Learn more about her through IG and TikTok as @relauren
Nina Raj, Master Gardner and California naturalist of @altadenaseedlibrary can help you reseed your urban landscape and garden for those affected by the Altadena fire.
Tiptoe the tortoise, Influencer pet with @caitlinandtiptoe who survived the wildfires