What makes an invasive plant species invasive? A lot of effort goes in to trying to understand the ecological and evolutionary underpinnings of invasive species. Multiple hypotheses have been put forward such as the novel weapons hypothesis and allelopathy, but what do the data tell us about these concepts? The answer is as nuanced as it is interesting. Join me and Dr. Robert...

So many of us garden to attract wildlife. Adding native plants to support bees, butterflies, birds, and beyond is a fulfilling and noble cause but how can we be sure we aren't bringing unwanted pesticides home with us from plant nurseries? This can be a challenge considering the role pesticides play in so many nursery and agricultural settings. We don't have to despair though...

Successful forest regeneration projects require lots of different skill sets. This is especially true when trying to finance operations that work for local communities. Luckily people like Jonathan Kim of Terraformation are up for the challenge. Join us as we learn how skills outside of the biological sciences are helping make native forest regeneration successful. This episo...

What does it take to regenerate a native forest, especially in highly degraded landscapes? A lot, to put it mildly. Forest regeneration is an important endeavor but figuring out how to do it right is the job of Terraformation's Restoration Manager Michael Sthreshley. Join is for a deep dive on how Terraformation is making native forest regeneration possible in Hawai'i and bey...

Understanding forest health requires looking across scales and gradients. How individual trees respond to stresses can tell us a lot about how forests will respond to stresses over the long term. These are the kinds of ideas that motivate Dr. Sara Germain in her quest to understand the life and death of trees such as the whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) and its neighbors. Jo...