Matt Fidler

Dave talks to two NASA climate scientists on the topic of global sea level rise. First, longtime friend of Blue Dot Josh Willis joins us to talk about the difficulties of collecting data from Greenland's massive ice sheets in a time of pandemic and discusses the rigors of peer reviewed research.

Then NASA/JPL Postdoctoral Fellow Thomas Frederickse visits with us from the Netherlands. He led a breakthrough study on the water cycle budget that for decades has mysteriously underestimated the observed rising of global sea levels. Thomas also gives some insight in what its like to be on the faned Jet Propulsion Laboratory campus.

In today’s show, Butte County warns that a spike in COVID-19 infections will keep getting worse unless the community commits to social distancing and face coverings. That’s especially true for local college campuses. Also, we explore the relationship between the US Forest Service and CalFire, as both agencies look toward a holiday weekend of super high temperatures and low humidity.

In this very unusual back-to-school season here in the US, we’re joined this week by Julie Cerny a gardener, an outdoor enthusiast, and educator. Her new book, The Little Gardener: Helping Children Connect with the Natural World (out now from Princeton Architectural Press) provides some unusual and inspirational guidance for parents, grandparents, caregivers, and educators who want to help children explore the natural world through gardening. 

There are places—still—in California that are so remote, most people never get there, a fact I deeply appreciate. One of these places is the vast Modoc Plateau in northeastern California. Prominent here is Lava Beds National Monument, first famous as the site of Captain Jack’s last stand during the Modoc Indian War—a war that riveted the entire nation during the winter of 1872-1873.

 About Obi Kaufmann’s latest: From the author of The California Field Atlas, comes a major work that not only guides readers through the Golden State's forested lands but also presents a profoundly original vision of nature in the twenty-first century. 

The Forests of California features an abundance of Obi Kaufmann's signature watercolor maps and trail paintings, weaving them into an expansive and accessible exploration of the biodiversity that defines California in the global imagination. 

Dave has been thinking a lot lately, like many of us, about the role that market-driven economic policies have on the environment, social justice issues, and the lives of people around the world. So when a copy of Manifesto for A Moral Revolution by Jacqueline Novogratz showed up in the mail, he read it and immediately decided to interview its author. 

This week on Cultivating Place we’re focused on growing food and community when we’re joined by Patricia Spence, President and CEO of the Urban Farming Institute of Boston, working to grow more food, train more farmers, and build healthier communities everywhere. Listen in!

“Lonely as God and white as a winter moon.” That’s how 19th-century poet and Pony Express rider Joaquin Miller described Mount Shasta, California’s most majestic and mysterious mountain.

The state’s fifth-highest peak but more impressive than any other, Shasta is clearly visible from as far away as 150 miles. Camp or picnic—or just sit and stare—somewhere you can commune with the mountain. (It’s not safe to drive while looking.) Up close, though, Shasta is more obscure, harder to grasp.

It’s a triple guest day on Nancy’s Bookshelf.

Hiking guidebook author John Soares grew up near Redding. His latest book is Camp for Free: Dispersed Camping & Boondocking on America's Public Lands. He talks about why he loves dispersed camping, and how to do it safely and ethically.

About Brian Marshall: Raised by a band of feral authors hidden in the deep north woods, Brian Marshall was no ordinary child. Proper syntax flowed through his veins.

Dave talks to legendary NBC anchor and correspondent Jim Hartz. While perhaps best known for co-hosting the Today Show for two years from 1974-1976, our interest is in his incredible expertise as one of the leading journalists that covered the space program from the Gemini Program in 1966 through the first Space Shuttle Flight in 1980.