The Woolly Bear Caterpillar and other Winter Wildlife with Victoria Alzapiedi, Co-Founder of New Castle Healthy Yards (S12 E1)

Bears have tucked themselves away as winter is upon us. When the weather outside is frightful, most of us choose to spend most of our time indoors. Animals, however, don’t exactly have a choice. So what do our furry and non-furry friends do when it is frigid and snowy? Some animals migrate to warmer climates, particularly birds, while others have to adapt and get through the bad weather. Some animals, like Da bears, hibernate, and go into a very  deep sleep.  Other animals like Chipmunks (ALVIN!) eat a lot in the fall to store fat in their bodies and intermittently slow down their breathing. Survival is not easy, but many animals adapt and manage to get through the frigid winter months (chipmunks, bears and skunks). Then there is the Woolly Bear Caterpillar, which has even been known to survive an entire winter completely frozen in an ice cube. As far as the woolly bear caterpillar’s travel goes, they are simply moving about in search for that perfect spot to curl up and spend the winter. With climate change and warmer temperatures, animals will have to readjust, adapt and create new habits and habitats. We need to be proactive in creating habitats in our own backyards to support the needs of wildlife.  Victoria Alzapiedi our resident garden, wildlife and healthy yards guru gives us great info about winter wildlife and what we can do to preserve ecosystems in the winter. Victoria is a co-founder of New Castle Healthy Yards, and is a member of Friends of Buttonhook, which is working to save a 20.3 acre forrest in the Town of New Castle. She is also the founder of My Native Garden Oasis which provides ecosystem garden coaching and consulting to create habitat for pollinators, birds and wildlife. Follow New Castle Healthy Yards and My Native Garden Oasis on Facebook. For more TMSOG podcasts go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Subscribe to TMSOG on all major podcast apps, and check us out on Facebook, Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Regenerative Farming, American Climate Corps plus Astrology and more with Eco-activist, Artist and Sexy Astrologist Charlotte Ghiorse

The farmer in the dell, The farmer in the dell, Hi-ho, the derry-o, The farmer in the dell. The farmer takes a wife, the wife takes the child, the child takes the nurse, the nurse takes the cow, the cow takes the dog, the dog takes the cat, the cat takes the mouse, the mouse takes the cheese, and the cheese stands alone.

It would take some time to analyze this song by the Mother Goose Club that we sang as kids in school back in the day. I never quite understood why the nurse took the cow, and don’t get me started on the cheese! In Kindergarten and First grade, we would gather in a circle and do this performance piece as if we were on a farm. Kids were picked to be the farmer, the wife, the dog and so on, but you NEVER wanted to be the CHEESE who stood alone, because your classmates would make fun of you. So who is standing alone now in the farm world? Small farmers have to compete with BigAg, which has turned modern farming into big business.  Industrialization after WWII popularized the use of machinery, pesticides and herbicides in agriculture and suppliers of tanks and chemical weapons looked to pivot to a different business model. While it is important to feed the populous, it is also important to keep the populous safe from chemicals which can cause cancer and other illnesses. The AgriChemical industry has a large lobby and has overwhelming pull on politicians and researchers who get their way in keeping chemicals that should be banned in the agribusiness (Monsanto/RoundUp). Small farmers generally cannot compete on many levels, and they want to reduce the use of chemicals and fertilizers. They are also feeling the effects of climate change. So enter a new, yet old method of farming called Regenerative Agriculture, which is on the rise. It is actually based on both Indigenous and modern farming practices which abides by four principles: no tillage, no chemicals, herd grazing and use of cover crops. There have been recent documentaries like Kiss the Ground, Biggest Little Farm and most recently Common Ground, which focus on regenerative farming and the need to implore that these practices be used to keep the earth fertile for farming instead of scorching the ground. We have spoken on past shows about this farming technique with Farmer and Founder of DIG Farm, Allison Turcan, and on this episode we continue that discussion with our resident Eco-activist and Sexy Astrologist Charlotte Ghiorse, who gives us some more insight into the importance of regenerative farming. We also touch on President Biden’s Conservation Corps, a/k/a American Climate Corps, and Charlotte delves a bit into October Astrology with Mars going into Scorpio. Please check out House of ChoCLet and Sexy Astrology on Facebook and YouTube. For information on the American Climate Corp go to https://www.whitehouse.gov/climatecorps/ Also check out farmaid.org

For past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com, MalcolmPresents.com and follow us @tmshadesofgreen on FaceBook, Instagram and Threads! Subscribe to TMSOG podcast on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Farm Aid 2023, Support Local Farms, Help Our Farmers with Allison Turcan Founder of DIG Farm and host of the podcast Getting Dirty

“Family farmers have the solutions to some of our toughest challenges. As we face a changing climate, farmers in Indiana, across the Midwest and all over the country are farming in ways that create more resilient farms to build healthy soils and protect our water.” — Willie Nelson Farm Aid

The development of agricultural took place about 12,000 years ago and changed the way humans lived. The nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle switched to permanent settlements and farming. The earliest farmers lived in the Fertile Crescent in the Middle East (near what is now Turkey) and grew crops like peas, lentils and barley. As humans learned to control their sources of food, they no longer had to be nomads, as they could settle in one place.  Forward to 2023, and there are 2 million farms in America, 98% of which are operated by families, family partnerships or family corporations. Farmers are the backbone of America, as they provide food for the citizens of the US and the globe. But more than 9,000 farms were lost between 2021 and 2022.  Data from USDA’s Economic Research Service indicates that Michigan led the list with 1,700 fewer farms, Texas lost a thousand, and Kansas fell 900. California, Kentucky, and New Mexico each lost 600 farms, and there were 500 fewer farms in Nebraska. Farmers play an integral role in feeding the populous, and many need economic assistance to keep afloat. Small farms are an important part of the agricultural system, as they promote locally grown food which brings communities together. Our guest on this episode is Allison Turcan, a Farmer and the Founder of DIG Farm, a local farm in North Salem, NY. Allison recently attended the Farm Aid event in Noblesville, Indiana and met with farmers, organizers and some legendary music artists. She is the host and producer of the podcast Getting Dirty on HRR, and she works with Westchester Land Trust as the farmer for their food bank garden. I am proud to call her my friend:) For more info go to farmaid.org, Digfarm.org, Homegrown.org. For more shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. TMSOG is available on all major podcast apps (Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, Spreaker.com and more). Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

“The Birds” We have to do more than watch the birds, we need to Protect them! Victoria Alzapiedi co-founder of New Castle Healthy Yards gives us some important information how we can help safeguard the dwindling bird population.

We are seeing a meltdown of bird populations” says Ariel Brunner, director of BirdLife Europe and Central Asia, a conservation NGO. Loss of habitats, the rising use of pesticides on farms, and, yes, climate change—these are among the factors to blame. Even if you are not a birdwatcher, the loss of birds impacts you. Birds regulate ecosystems by preying on insects, pollinating plants, and spreading seeds. We rely on healthy ecosystems for breathable air, the food we eat, and a regulated climate.” That quote by Ariel Brunner is from an on-line article by Chris Baraniuk (June 28, 2023) in Wired Magazine, which further goes on to say that fewer birds are around today than half a century ago. The numbers are startling. There are  73 million fewer birds in Great Britain alone than there were in 1970. Europe has been losing around 20 million every year, says Vasilis Dakos, an ecologist at the University of Montpellier in France—a loss of 800 million birds since 1980. And in the US, just shy of 3 billion individual birds have disappeared in only 50 years with 389 species of birds on the brink of extinction. This is a crisis, and not enough is being done to get this information out. People need to get out of their bubble and start paying attention to what is happening to Earth’s species which are vanishing. The disappearance of birds is staggering! Our resident wildlife, garden and habitat guru, Victoria Alzapiedi, co-founder of New Castle Healthy Yards, gives us some great info about our need to protect birds. For more info go to audubon.org and follow New Castle Healthy Yards on Facebook. Check out past shows on HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Subscribe to TMSOG podcast on all major podcast apps and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

A Big Green Office Plant, plus Rotational Grazing, Regenerative Farming and some Sexy Astrology with Charlotte Ghiorse

From office plants to meadows to farming, we must work to be resilient and sustainable and help things grow in a more environmentally friendly manner. There is a newer method of farming called Regenerative farming, which is an approach to agriculture that focuses on restoring and improving the health of the soil, enhancing biodiversity, and promoting long-term sustainability. It is often considered a holistic and ecological approach to farming. The movie Biggest Little Farm and GrassRoots Farmers Co-op give insight into the practice of regenerative farming as a more sustainable way to grow produce, raise animals and be better stewards of the land. Regenerative farming involves agricultural methods that are more sustainable and work to heal the land and soil. Farmers and ranchers grow a diversity of plants and trees, establish cover crops and use no-till methods for planting, and incorporate grazing animals that naturally produce compost. We talk with our resident artist, eco-activist, Sexy astrologist Charlotte Ghiorse about the rotational and regenerative farming and agriculture practices that are used on some farms and ranches to bring more sustainability to the land. We also chat about a famous office green plant and play Mitch Margo’s tune ‘Green Plant’ (#TheTokens) plus July’s astrology chart and Charlotte’s upcoming art projects/shows. For more info go to https://www.houseofchoclet.com/ and check out Charlotte’s Facebook and Youtube pages Sexy Astrology. For past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Follow TMSOG on Instagram and Threads @tmshadesofgreen. Subscribe to The Many Shades of Green podcast on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

The Dangers of Lawn Pesticides

“A Who’s Who of pesticides is therefore of concern to us all. If we are going to live so intimately with these chemicals eating and drinking them, taking them into the very marrow of our bones — we had better know something about their nature and their power.” Rachel Carson

Rachel Carson is known as the woman who challenged the notion that humans could obtain mastery over nature by using chemicals. Her sensational book Silent Spring (1962) warned of the dangers to all natural systems from the misuse of chemical pesticides such as DDT, and questioned the scope and direction of modern science, which would lead to the initiation of the contemporary environmental movement. I don’t think that Rachel would be happy with today’s overuse of pesticide chemicals in lawn treatment, which threaten native flowers and grasses by harming beneficial pollinating insects as well as wildlife, our dogs and cats and yes, us humans. Of 40 most commonly used lawn pesticides, 26 are linked with cancer or carcinogenicity, 12 are linked with birth defects, 21 with reproductive effects, 32 with liver or kidney damage, 24 with neurotoxicity, and 24 with disruption of the endocrine (hormonal) system. Of those same 40 lawn pesticides, 21 are detected in groundwater, 24 have the ability to leach into drinking water sources, 39 are toxic to fish and other aquatic organisms vital to our ecosystem, 33 are toxic to bees, 18 are toxic to mammals, and 28 are toxic to birds. With numbers like this, the only logical question becomes: is this really necessary and what can we do to stop or prevent this kind of contamination, and what are the alternatives? Our resident wildlife, garden and habitat guru, Victoria Alzapiedi, co-founder of New Castle Healthy Yards, gives us some great info about pesticides and why we need to talk more about the risks of chemical use on our property. For more info go to beyondpesticides.org and follow New Castle Healthy Yards on Facebook. For past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Please subscribe to TMSOG on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Slime Molds, the Spotted Lanternfly, Fungi, Trees and preserving Nature with Taro Ietaka: Recreation Supervisor and Conservationist Westchester County, NY

Mother Nature is in need of help. It is imperative that we all work to keep the air, land and water clean, as well as do whatever we can to be active participants to achieve reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. We rely on experts to help us in this process, especially those who are conservationists. Nature conservationists are responsible for the practical management of the countryside. They help develop policies to preserve and protect areas such as woodlands, fields, rivers, mountains, forests or coastal areas, to develop awareness and understanding and to encourage people to be proactive in taking care of the environment. In Westchester County New York, there are terrific people who work to preserve the natural environment through a host of initiatives designed to protect thousands of acres of open space and the hundreds of species of plants and wildlife that thrive in the county. The conservation division plays a vital role in working on a variety of programs and services. We talk to Taro Ietaka who is a Recreation and Conservation Supervisor with Westchester County PRC (Parks, Recreation & Conservation). Taro coordinates the County’s biodiversity program to assess and protect the flora and fauna, and he oversees the six County-operated nature centers. We discuss the importance of science and nature programs for kids. We touch on, but don’t want to touch, the infamous slime mold, and we discuss what might help eradicate the invasive Spotted Lantern Fly (aside from squashing them, vacuuming might be a solution). We also talk about the importance of fungi being an integral part of forests and landscape. Taro is a certified arborist, and past president of the Connecticut-Westchester Mycological Association. He plays a vital role in maintaining and improving Westchester’s unique and beautiful natural environment for current and future generations to come. For more info go to parks.westchestergov.com.

Check out past shows on HudsonRiverRadio.com and MalcolmPresents.com. Please subscribe to TMSOG podcast on all major podcast apps. Follow us on FB and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen. #RaiseYour EcoConsciousness

A Blue print for Spring to protect Mother Nature.

Spring is upon us and we need to form a blue print to protect Mother Nature. It’s time to plant native, reduce your lawn by growing a meadow, and take steps to get away from the mow, blow and spraying harmful chemicals mindset. We need to live in balance with our wildlife, and like the Lorax, we must protect the trees, as each tree is an ecosystem unto itself.

 All flora and fauna need space to thrive and grow. Humans must work in a symbiotic relationship with all living organisms. Let’s start to change our ways a bit, and let nature take its course. Our resident wildlife and habitat guru, Victoria Alzapiedi guides us and gives some great info about how to work within your landscape to become more adaptive to the needs of the wildlife, insects, trees and shrubs, so that we can all be more resilient. Victoria is the co-founder of New Castle Healthy Yards, the New Castle Pollinator Pathways Coalition, and she started the Facebook group “The Nature of Westchester” an active community of nature lovers which now has more than 4000 members. Follow NCHY on Facebook and please subscribe to TMSOG on your favorite podcast app. For past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and malcolmpresents.com #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness and help save a Forest: go to preservebuttonhook.org

The Rewilding School with Founder Eric Stone

We are living in stressful times, and connecting with nature is a way to become calmer and more centered. Being in a forest, on a beach or any open space adds to ones sense of well being, and provides a needed respite from the day to day grind of life. While being locked up during covid was horrific on so many levels, it brought more people outdoors, as walks in the woods or any open space provided exercise and benefits to your psyche. Children especially needed to connect to the outdoors and play in a park, make a snowman, build a sand castle, climb a tree, spot fireflies or listen to the songs of the birds. In our busy work-a-day lives, it’s good to know that there are people who help us connect with nature, and with each other. In this episode we talk to Eric Stone, who is a true nature connector. Eric is the founder of The Rewilding School, an outdoor education organization he runs with his partner Megan, which is dedicated to building connections between people and the traditional lands of the Wappinger and Lenape that we now call The Lower Hudson Valley. The Rewilding School runs preschool programs, hands-on summer programs, parent child classes, and workshops for school-age kids. For more info go to rewildingschool.com and @rewildingschool

To listen to current and past shows go to hudsonriverradio.com and malcolmpresents.com. Follow TMSOG on Facebook and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen. Subscribe to our podcast on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Biodiversity, Birds, Tree Layers, Big Night for Amphibians, Wile E Coyote/The Roadrunner… BEEP! BEEP!

Listen to the birds, listen to their sounds. Watch birds in flight and take heed of their gliding in the breeze or building a nest in a tree. We can spot  the majestic eagle or a Northern Cardinal and delight in their beauty. The Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), which recently took place, brought birders together from around the world to count birds. GBBC was the first online citizen-science project to collect data on wild birds and to display results in near real time. In 2013, it became a global project when the data was entered into eBird.org, the world’s largest biodiversity-related citizen science (community science) project. Biodiversity is a key element in creating a healthy environment for all earthlings. We can observe and even talk to the animals, but who talks for them? We all laugh at the old Looney Tunes cartoon about a bird and a coyote, in particular, Wile E. Coyote and the Roadrunner. Why does Wile E chase such a very fast bird, and is that even a thing? As it turns it is a thing, because the creator of the cartoon, Chuck Jones, based it on a book by Mark Twain called Roughing It, in which Twain noted that coyotes are starving and hungry and would chase a roadrunner for food. Wile E has to survive in the wilderness and a Roadrunner dinner will fill his hungry heart. So how do birds, coyotes, frogs and insects coexist with other species and interact with different ecosystems? What roles do trees play in habitats, and what can humans do to help wildlife have an easier time in their quest to live and survive? Our resident wildlife and habitat guru Victoria Alzapiedi, who is the co-founder of New Castle Healthy Yards, guides us and gives us some great info about biodiverse habitats, the importance of birds, tree layers, Big Night for amphibians and why coyotes are not the bad guys they are always depicted to be.  For more information go to New Castle Healthy Yards on Facebook and ebirds.org For past shows, go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Follow TMSOG on Instagram @tmshadesofgreen and on Facebook. Please subscribe to The Many Shades of Green podcast on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, Spreaker.com and more. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Guest Greg Vizzi, naturalist and co-author of THE ORIGINAL PEOPLE: THE ANCIENT CULTURE AND WISDOM OF THE LENNI-LENAPE PEOPLE talks about the Indigenous world view and the philosophy of co-author Chief Quiet Thunder

How is the world view of Chief Quiet Thunder relevant to todays modern world? Guest Greg Vizzi talks about how the Indigenous world view has been lost to modern man, and why it is important to collect the oral histories and tell the stories of Native Americans. The traditions of the Lenni-Lenape, teaches “the sacred obligation to protect the Earth.” We should all be protectors of the earth and do our part to prevent further damage to the planet caused by fossil fuel pollution, which is having a damaging effect on the land, the air and the water. Greg is an American naturalist and writer, and he gives us some answers and background on the need to understand and appreciate the culture of the Original People. For more information go to https://www.natures-wisdom.com/ Please subscribe to TMSOG podcast on all major podcast apps (Spotify, Apple, iHeart, Amazon, Spreaker.com and more). Follow us on Instagram @tmshadesofgreen and on the web at themanyshadesofgreen.com, HudsonRiverRadio.com and malcolmpresents.com #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness #BEEGREEN

New Castle Healthy Yards Native Plants with Rene Artale and Karen Bazik

 Our guests this week  Rene Artale, Karen Bazik  Leadership Team Members at NC Healthy Yards on Native Plants are forging the movement for more gardens, meadows, native plants and trees, and less lawn.  We talk about the importance of native plants, one of which is poison ivy, which is beneficial to the ecosystem, but not to humans… think rash. There are other wonderful native plants that can make your land both beautiful and eco friendly (Summersweet; highbush blueberry, packera auera, coral honeysuckle   Leucothoe – provides 4 season appeal, Fringe Tree, and Oak trees to name a few. Other tips, don’t use leaf blowers or pesticides and plant original species that keep your land sustainable. Gardens and Meadows are beautiful and are more beneficial to Earth’s creatures and they create pollinator pathways. For more info follow New Castle Healthy Yards on FaceBook and email them at [email protected]. For past shows go to hudsonriverradio.com, malcolmpresents.com. Subscribe to The Many Shades of Green Podcast and tune in on Spotify, Apple, Google Play Spreaker, and ask Siri or Alexa to play our podcast. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Listen to “Rene Artale and Karen Bazik, Leadership Team Members at New Castle Healthy Yards” on Spreaker.