Category: Education

Teaching Kids to Garden with Karen Bazik Super Gardener and Educator

There was an animated TV show in 1991 called Captain Planet, which brought the need to protect planet Earth to the forefront. Gaia, the spirit of the planet, assembled a diverse team of “Planeteers” who were able to combine their powers to summon the appearance of superhero Captain Planet, who worked with the Planeteers to defend Earth from pollution caused by villains. It is a series that should be revived and perhaps tweaked a bit for 2023, to help children understand the need to protect the Earth. The program led to the formation of the Captain Planet Foundation, which gives grants to youth gardens and youth climate education. According to kidsgardening.org the youth garden movement has grown steadily in the past decade as more educators, caregivers, and families get excited about garden-based learning opportunities for kids. With that, the number of national and state grants available for youth gardens has increased. Teaching kids to be stewards of the earth is essential in creating new generations who are aware of the need to be proactive in protecting Mother Nature. Our guest on this episode is Karen Bazik who is working to educate kids about nature and gardening.  She does wonderful innovative and impactful work with kids and young people as a native plant nature educator and mentor in her role as the leader of the Chappaqua Garden Club’s “Junior Garden Club” program.  Karen is doing incredible native planting work with kids at the Chappaqua Library and will be hosting the “Great Pollinator Planting Event” taking place June 2nd 3-5 at the Chappaqua Public Library. https://www.chappaqualibrary.org/special-programs. Also visit New Castle Healthy Yards on Facebook.

For past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Please subscribe to TMSOG podcast on Spotify, Apple, iHeart, Spreaker.com and more. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Can we put Environmental, Social and Governance Issues (ESG) in place within the corporate structure? George Polisner gives us some answers…

“Adopting a central organizing principle means embarking on an all out effect to use every policy and program, every law and institution, to halt the destruction of the environment” Al Gore

Environmental, social and governance issues are affecting the way companies do business. The topic of ESG has become engulfed in a  political seesaw, and is a new battlefront in American politics. Are companies prepared for the climate transition that’s coming, and will they have to shift their investment strategies? Climate change is impacting many industries and operations, and companies must adjust to the changing planet. Droughts, floods, fires, tornadoes are now more extreme and can knock out facilities on short notice. Companies must adapt quickly and have plans in effect to deal with the weather extremes brought on by a changing climate. Both political parties in the US have differing views on ESG, as their approach to investors regarding the need to create policies that will reduce green house gases, create better working conditions and fair treatment of employees, as well as better governance policies has widened. There is once again a great divide on this issue, and one side is using the phrase “wokeness” to brush aside ESG practices. We will ever reach over the aisle again and work together for the greater good?? Our monthly civic and political analyst, George Polisner helps us understand what ESG’s are and how they are important in helping reduce carbon emissions and bring better conditions and pay to workers. George is the founder of Civ.works, who works to bring civic engagement, activism, citizen participation and political communication to the forefront.

For more info go to Civ.works. Find past shows on HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen. Subscribe to TMSOG on all major podcast apps. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

“Motherhood Never Ends” with founder of The Museum of Motherhood, Joy Rose

May is Mother’s Month and we need to give thanks to Mother Earth and all she provides to keep all Earthlings Alive. Mother Earth is not just another mother, she is the greatest mother of them all! She needs to be cared for and protected every day. The same holds true for all mothers who care for others, as many times they neglect their health and well being in that role. There is a history of motherhood and which goes untold. We must be in control of our health, both on a physical and mental level. It’s ok to speak up for our needs, voice our opinions and take the time we need for ourselves. Let’s face it, we are in challenging times, and it is easy to feel down with all of the conversations about guns, corrupt politicians, and the obliteration of women’s reproductive rights and more. Is the mantra that moms can do it all is a myth? Moms need help, which is not always forthcoming, as it truly takes a village to raise a family. In the words of Joy Rose “Motherhood never ends!” Joy is the Founder and Acting Director of the Museum of Motherhood and she joins us on this episode to talk about the many shades of motherhood. Joy is a mother of four now adult kiddos (I knew them when they were littles). She also has two grands, and is a writer, Educator, Adjunct teacher, media maven and is truly a mom who rocks! Joy is a Shero in so many ways! For more info go to mommuseum.org

For past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and malcolmpresents.com. Follow TMSOG on Facebook and on Instagram @tmshadesofgreen. Subscribe to The Many Shades of Green podcast on all major podcast apps #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

What is Pluralistic Ignorance and why we need recognize it as a problem? More Civic Engagement can help and Civics Activism Expert George Polisner tells us why.

The world is facing a climate crisis, and we still are not paying enough attention, especially here in America. It is hard to understand why a large share of the populace in the US doesn’t seem to believe that climate change is a serious problem. A study published by nature.com  dated August 23, 2022, entitled: Americans Experience a False Social Reality by Underestimating Popular Climate Policy Support by Nearly Half, states that a collective action problem like climate change requires individuals to recognize the problem as a threat, and should engage in coordinated actions that result in raising environmental consciousness and social change.  Pluralistic ignorance is a shared misperception of how others think or behave, and poses a challenge to collective action, especially with a problem like climate change, which requires individuals to engage in coordinated actions that result in the development of solutions, behavioral adaptation and resilience. Collective action problems pose a difficult challenge as individuals are less likely to act when others standby and do nothing—and this outcome is only more common when the problem at hand is not clearly perceived to be a threat. Pluralistic ignorance is described as a false social reality: a near universal perception of public opinion that is the opposite of true public sentiment. Supporters of climate policies outnumber opponents two to one, while Americans falsely perceive nearly the opposite to be true. Further, Americans in every state and every assessed demographic underestimate support across all polices tested.  We need to shed light on this conundrum and my monthly civics and political analyst, George Polisner helps me delve into this and other topics that affect how we act, how we vote, and what is needed to push the needle to create positive change. George is the founder of Civ.works, who works to bring civic engagement, activism, citizen participation and political communication to the forefront. For more information go to Civ.Works

You can subscribe to all TMSOG podcasts on your favorite podcast apps, and listen to this and past shows on HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Follow The Many Shades of Green on Facebook and Instagram @tmshdesofgreen. #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Sustainable Westchester: The Grid Rewards Program and more with Lauren Brois and Dan Welsh

Local environmental organizations play a key role in creating programs to build sustainable communities, and they truly make a difference in helping to create a cleaner, greener planet Earth. Sustainable Westchester is an organization which works to integrate policies, environmental campaigns and outreach to educate the citizens of Westchester County about issues of sustainability, and how they can take action to be adaptive and resilient, in order to reduce their carbon footprint. Some of Sustainable Westchester campaigns include: GRID Rewards, Solar and Geothermal incentives and deductions, Westchester Power and more. Lauren Brois and Dan Welsh work to help activate people to reduce their carbon footprint, and are dedicated to creating a more sustainable planet through local programs in Westchester County and beyond. For more information go to sustainablewestchester.org, check out the Grid Rewards Program via your smartphone app or on your computer at gridrewards.com.

Please subscribe to The Many Shades of Green podcast on all major podcast apps. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @tmshadesofgreen. For more shows go to hudsonriverradio.com and malcolmpresents.com

The Democracy Doomsday Clock is Ticking

We are now in very trying times and the need for putting together the collective will of the people who want clean air, healthcare, gun reform, affordable housing and democratic values is becoming more difficult due to the spreading of misinformation and outright lies. The citizenry must vote for leaders who have the ability to provide policies, and are educated and versed in making government work. Time in not on our side, and my guest on this episode, George Polisner, says that the democracy doomsday clock is quickly ticking away. George is a monthly commentator and friend of the podcast, who is working to educate citizens about civic responsibility to increase participation to promote the civic good. He is working to engage the populous to be more active and take action to protect our democratic values. George is a Behavioral Economist and Technologist with a passion for civic engagement and works to create a growing and fair economy, safe and well-funded schools and environmental protection. He is active in policy, addressing wealth and income inequality, participatory democracy and he has significant experience in corporate social responsibility. George is the Founder of Civ Works, a non-profit technology platform for civic engagement, constituent engagement, participatory democracy and participatory budgeting. For more info go to Civ.works. Please subscribe to TMSOG podcast on your favorite podcast app, and for past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

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

Civic Engagement with George Polisner Founder of Civ.Works

“Every so often, in the midst of chaos, you come across an amazing, inexplicable instance of civic responsibility. Maybe the last shred of faith people have is in their firemen.” ― Kurt Vonnegut, Hocus Pocus

According to the American Psychological Association, one useful definition of civic engagement is the following: individual and collective actions designed to identify and address issues of public concern. Civic engagement can take many forms, from individual voluntarism to organizational involvement to electoral participation. It can include efforts to directly address an issue, work with others in a community to solve a problem or interact with the institutions of representative democracy. An engaged citizen should have the ability, agency and opportunity to move comfortably among these various types of civic acts. In this episode of TMSOG we talk to George Polisner, who is the Founder of Civ.Works, which is a non-profit technology platform for civic engagement, constituent engagement, participatory democracy and participatory budgeting. George is working to educate the citizenry about civic responsibility, to increase participation to promote the civic good, and to engage the populous to be more active and take action to protect our democratic values. We touch on the State of the Union, Climate Change, why certain conservative think tanks deny that climate change exists, and more. Check out Civ.Works for more info. For past shows go to HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com. Please subscribe to our podcast which is on all major podcast apps (Spotify, Apple, iHeart, Amazon, Spreaker.com and more). Follow us on Instagram @tmshadesofgreen #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

Courtney on Health: NEAT

If you’re like me, I tend to fidget during the day, and I write, cook, play with the pup, play the guitar and if I hear a song with a cool latin beat, I get up and dance for a minute or 2 or 3. Do any of these activities count as calorie burning actions? I always wondered why my Apple iWatch has a higher percentage of calories burned, over and above the 2-3 miles I walk daily. This turns out to be NEAT, which is kinda groovy! NEAT is Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, and Courtney explains how NEAT benefits those of us who like to tool around in the garden, play catch with the doggie, play piano, do housework, water the plants and bang on the drums! It is good to be NEAT!! To get more info, follow Courtney on her Facebook page Courtney on Health, on Instagram and TikTok @clgwellness and visit her website: courtneygravenese.com.  For more shows go to malcolmpresents.com and themanyshadesofgreen.com.  Courtney on Health: Smart, Sound Nutrition. Strong, Safe Fitness. #BeWell!

Extreme Weather, Climate Change, Adaptation and Resilience

There is so much beauty on this earth, which is why it is so crucial at this time to be proactive in protecting Mother Earth. We see changes in the flora and fauna, as the planet is warming, and the weather is becoming more extreme. Climate scientist Illissa Ocko stated that “Scientists have no doubt that humans are causing global warming.” It is very evident that hotter heat waves, drier droughts, bigger storm surges and greater snowfall are occurring as the planet continues to warm. Extreme weather is on the rise. A dramatic decrease in greenhouse gas emissions and increases in carbon dioxide capture is needed to keep below a 2oC rise. We need more biodiversity, and often times solutions are right in our own backyard. Shrink your lawn and add native plants and perhaps a meadow. We need to be more resilient, more adaptable and work to reduce our carbon footprint. We discuss these issues with our resident nature expert and friend of the podcast Victoria Alzapiedi, who is the co-founder of New Castle Healthy Yards, and is a Member of the Town of New Castle Conservation Board, as well as the Climate Smart Communities Task Force. She is also a member of Friends of Buttonhook Forest, which is working to save a 20.3 acre forest with Native American complex ceremonial stones, hundreds of mature trees, and is a carbon sink and a wildlife habitat in the town of New Castle NY. Follow New Castle Healthy Yards on Facebook. Help Save a Forest: savebuttonhook.org. Subscribe to TMSOG podcast on your favorite podcast app and on Instagram @tmshadesofgreen. Check out past shows on HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness

Teach Your Children Well about Climate Change with Guest Harriet Shugarman-Founder of Climate Mama

We are all anxious about world events and particularly to the degradation of the environment. The term eco-anxiety, includes “worry, fear, anger, grief, despair, guilt, and shame, as well as hope. A recent BBC Newsround survey found that 70% of 8- to 16-year-olds report feeling worried about the state of the planet. So how do parents, caregivers and teachers talk to kids about climate change? What can we tell them that will ease their tension about the climate crisis? We discuss these issues with our guest and friend of the podcast Harriet Shugarman, an incredible woman who is working to put children’s minds at ease. Harriet wrote the book, How to Talk to Your Kids About Climate Change:Turning Angst into Action, which provides tools and strategies for parents to explain the climate emergency to their children and galvanize positive action. Check out these websites for more info:

Our Kids Climate https://ourkidsclimate.org/

Parents for Future Global  https://parentsforfuture.org/

How to Talk to Your Kids About Climate Change, Turning Angst into Action. https://www.amazon.com/Talk-Your-About-Climate-Change/dp/0865719365/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=anthropocene&qid=1570739365&s=books&sr=1-2

Global Warming Six Americas, Yale Climate Communications https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/about/projects/global-warmings-six-americas/

You can find The Many Shades of Green podcast on all major podcast apps (Spotify, Apple, iHeart, Amazon and more) Also check out HudsonRiverRadio.com and Malcolmpresents.com #RaiseYourEcoConsciousness