The Healthy Planet Radio Show.
The Healthy Planet Radio Show has been airing on WUSB, 90.1 FM since January of 2007. It immediately follows Democracy Now! during “drive time,” from 6 to 7 PM. Now airing on the first and third Fridays of each month, HealthyPlanet’s Bob DiBenedetto brings you twice as much empowering, life-and-world-changing information as before.
We’re proud to announce that The Healthy Planet Radio Show has won 2nd Place at the 2023 Press Club of Long Island (PCLI) Media Awards for Environment Radio. PCLI is one of the largest pro chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists. They’re devoted to protecting and advocating for First Amendment rights, furthering ethical standards and providing ongoing training for their members. Thank you PCLI for that recognition!
WUSB is LI’s largest non-commercial, free-form radio station. The signal can be heard at 90.1 FM on most of Long Island, and in Southern Connecticut, parts of NYC (Brooklyn and Queens), and Westchester County. It also simulcasts on 107.3 FM to reach Stony Brook University campus. It can be heard over the Internet 24/7, on www.WUSB.FM.
The Power of Native Plants: Bringing Life To Your Yard…
and Our Planet!
With Nicole Tamaro, Matt Gorman, and Sara Abbass of the Northport Native Garden Initiative
LISTEN HERE: The Northport Native Garden Initiative: Bringing Life To Your Yard, and Our Planet!
Show Description:
A recent UN Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Report paints a stark picture: one million plant and animal species face extinction, the most in human history. This decline in biodiversity threatens not just wildlife but also our own well-being, impacting food security, health, and quality of life.
So, how can individuals address this major assault on our planet’s ecosystem? Listeners of The Healthy Planet know the power of food choices and that animal agriculture is a major driver of biodiversity loss, both on land and in our oceans.
However, there’s another less discussed, simple, and yet powerful action you can take where you live that will benefit the biodiversity of lands much closer to home: planting native plants in your own backyard!
Join HealthyPlanet’s Bob DiBenedetto for an important and enlightening discussion with the founders of The Northport Native Garden Initiative (NNGI), a local nonprofit organization that educates the public on the essential role that native plants play in supporting thriving ecosystems on Long Island and across the US.
Nicole Tamaro, Matt Gorman, and Sara Abbass formed NNGI to educate people about how fun and easy it is to achieve the goals of a beautifully maintained landscape while implementing helpful ecological practices that benefit wildlife.
This episode will discuss: • The efficacy of replacing non-native landscaping with native plants that have thrived here for millennia. • How native plants support a complex web of life, from bees and butterflies to birds and beyond. • How an ecologically-supportive garden can cut your maintenance time and costs. • The beauty and ease of creating a living landscape with native plants at your own pace. • Practical tips on finding resources to identify native plants, purchasing them, and starting your own transformation.
From a single flower pot to a complete yard makeover, you have the power to be part of the solution! This episode will provide you with enough knowledge and inspiration to begin the transformation your yard into a thriving haven for biodiversity.
Thank you for sharing this show with your friends and family!
If you’ve learned from, enjoyed, or grown from listening to this and other HealthyPlanet radio shows over the past 17 years, please show your support for our 501c3 nonprofit health and environmental work by making a tax-deductible contribution and becoming a HealthyPlanet member. This is a team effort, and you are part of our team!
Related Links and Resources: Organizations
- Northport Native Garden InitiativeOpens in a new tab
- Long Island Native Plant InitiativeOpens in a new tab
- ReWild Long IslandOpens in a new tab
- Doug Tallamy: Homegrown National ParkOpens in a new tab
- The Biota of North America ProgramOpens in a new tab
- Cornell Cooperative Extension Suffolk CountyOpens in a new tab
- Mt. Cuba Center Botanic Garden & Learning CenterOpens in a new tab
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower CenterOpens in a new tab
Design/Plant Nurseries/Installation
- Sara Mairead Landscape DesignOpens in a new tab
- KMS Native Plants in Lake Grove, NYOpens in a new tab
- Dropseed Native Landscapes in Malverne, NYOpens in a new tab
- Spadefoot Design & Construction: Build, Restore, Enhance Native HabitatsOpens in a new tab
- Tyska Native Plants & Consulting: EMAIL ONLY dttyska@outlook.comOpens in a new tab
About Our Guests:
– Matt Gorman: Matt has been an educator for almost 20 years right here in Northport. His interest in native gardening started many years ago when by adding just a few native plants into his yard, he noticed a significant increase in pollinator and wildlife activity surrounding his property. Matt notes Doug Tallamy as an inspiration in his shift in how he views not only his own landscape, but how we approach residential landscapes as a whole. Matt is able to merge another passion of his, photography, with the incorporation of native plant species into his landscape. Matt has enjoyed photographing native blooms, pollinators and other wildlife for many years.
– Sara Abass: Sara has been a resident of Northport since 2014, having lived in several areas of NY and Wisconsin prior. The experience from living in the Midwest contributed significantly to Sara’s interests in biodiversity and specifically what she learned about the restorative efforts throughout the Great Lakes system. You might say her love of plants started a lot earlier than her time in the Midwest, as the only thing she asked for as a 10th birthday gift was a Weeping Willow tree! Sara now designs native landscapes for both residential and commercial properties.
– Nicole Tamaro: Nicole has been a Northport resident since 2010. Nicole’s early experience with working in the farm industry helped to establish her interest in finding that balance between productive farming practices in a necessary industry, while maintaining environmental responsibility. This led to a greater discovery of the impact of native plants within our living landscape. She started incorporating natives into her garden landscape with milkweeds to support Monarch butterflies. After seeing the quick benefit of those few natives, she soon became more passionate about biodiversity.
Thank you for sharing this show with your friends and family!
If you’ve learned from, enjoyed, or grown from listening to this and other HealthyPlanet radio shows over the past 17 years, please show your support for our 501c3 nonprofit health and environmental work by making a tax-deductible contribution and becoming a HealthyPlanet member. This is a team effort, and you are part of the team!
SOME PAST GUESTS ON THE HEALTHY PLANET RADIO SHOW
- Eric Adams, Brooklyn Borough President, Four-Term State Senator, Retired Police Captain
- Dr Michael Klaper, author, diet & health expert of Moving Medicine Forward
- Neal D. Barnard, MD, FACC of the Physician’s Committee For Responsible Medicine (PCRM)
- Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of Disease-Proof Your Child and many more.
- Thomas Falcone, Chief Executive Officer of the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA)
- Gavin A. Schmidt, climatologist, Director NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Climate Scientist
- T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., author of The China Study
- Terry Tamminen, Cabinet Secretary and Chief Policy Advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger, Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency, accomplished author, including Lives Per Gallon
- Randall S. Abate, author of Climate Change And The Voiceless, inaugural Rechnitz Family Endowed Chair in Marine and Environmental Law and Policy and a Professor in the Department of Political Science and Sociology
- Todd Winant, author of Earth Voice, Food Choice
- David Doniger, Senior Strategic Director Climate & Clean Energy Program Natural Resources Defense Council
- Caldwell B. Esselstyn, MD, author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease
- Adrienne Esposito, Co-Founder Citizens Campaign For The Environment
- Collin Rees, US Program Manager, Oil Change International
- Michael Voltz, Director of Energy Efficiency and Renewables, PSEG, LI
- Sarah Anker, Suffolk County Legislator
- Karen Ranzi, author of Creating Healthy Children Through Attachment Parenting and Raw Foods
- Zoltan Rona, MD, MSc, author of Vitamin D: The Sunshine Vitamin
- Gordian Raacke of Renewable Energy Long Island,
- Brian Clement of The Hippocrates Institute
- Paul Getsos, National Director of the People’s Climate Movement
- Karen Perry Stillerman, senior analyst, in the Food and Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists
- Jonathan Balcombe, Biologist, Author & Director of Animal Sentience, the Humane Society Institute for Science and Policy
- Chuck Kutscher, Center Director, Buildings and Thermal Systems at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
- David Goldston, The Director of Government Affairs for the Natural Resources Defense Council
- Karen Davis, PhD Founder and President of United Poultry Concerns
- Janice Nolen, Assistant Vice President, National Policy for the American Lung Association
- Alex Beauchamp, Food & Water Watch’s Northeast Region Director
- Brigitte Mars, author of The Home Reference to Holistic Health and Healing, and many more
- Will Tuttle, educator and author of The World Peace Diet
- Gerald Iversen, founder of Simple Living Works
- Hope Bohanec, author, Executive Director Compassionate Living, Host of For the Animals Podcast
- Brenda Davis, RD, author, past chair Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- David Robinson Simon, author Meatonomics: The Bizarre Economics of Meat and Dairy
- Robin Helfritch, Founding Director of Open the Cages Alliance and the Vegan Living Program
- Julie M. Simon, author The Emotional Eater’s Repair Manual
- Vesanto Melina, RD, nutrition expert, co-author of Becoming Raw and the Raw Food Revolution Diet and many more
- Michael Greger, MD, author, internationally recognized speaker of NutritionFacts.org
- Dawn Moncrief, Founder and Executive Director of the non-profit organization, A Well-Fed World
- Jeff Gohringer, National Press Secretary of the League of Conservation Voters
- Carol Murphy, Executive Director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York (ACE NY)
- Dr. Steve Blake, author of Understanding Dietary Fats and Oils: A Scientific Guide to their Health Effects, and 28 other books
- Justin Van Kleek, freelance writer, educator, community organizer.
- Demosthenes Maratos, Sustainability Institute Communications Director
- Paul Gallay, Riverkeeper’s Executive Director and Hudson Riverkeeper
- Bill Freese, Center for Food Policy’s Science Policy Analyst
- Michael Parrish DuDell, Managing Editor of ecomagination.com
- Dr Alan Goldhamer, founder of the TrueNorth Health Center, author of The Health Promoting Cookbook and many more
- Mike Hudak, Enviro Advocate, author Western Turf Wars: The Politics of Public Lands Ranching
- Tim VanOrden, elite athlete and creator of the Running Raw Project
- Brett Cotter, Founder, CEO Stress is gone, LLC
- Jennifer K. Reilly, R.D., senior nutritionist The Cancer Project, co-author The Cancer Survivor’s Guide
- Michael Weber, Farm Animal Reform Movement Campaign Coordinator
- Steve Meyrowitz, The Sproutman, author of many books
- Nneka Leiba, Environmental Health Researcher for the Environmental working group
- Paul McRandal, National Resources Defense Council
- Barbara Loe Fisher, Co-Founder and President of the National Vaccine Information Center
- Ryan Zinn, the National Campaign Coordinator for the Organic Consumer Association
-
Ashok Gupta, senior energy economist and director of NRDC’s Air and Energy Program
-
Justin Van Kleeck, community organizer. Founder the Triangle Chicken Advocates microsanctuary
- Connie Spence, founder of The Vegan Justice League
- Eric Weltman, senior organizer Food and Water Watch
- Cate Rodgers, The Climate Reality Project
- William McKeever, Author Emperors Of The Deep: Sharks–The Ocean’s Most Mysterious, Most Misunderstood, & Most Important Guardians
- Jay Best, environmental scientist and engineer, founder and president of Green Team Long Island
- Dhar Jamail, award-winning journalist & author The End of Ice: Bearing Witness and Finding Meaning in the Path of Climate Disruption.
- Dr. Sailesh Rao, Founder/Exec. Director Climate Healers, Author two books, Producer of Cowspiracy, What the Health & Others.
- Brendan DeMelle, Executive Director DeSmog
- Lauren Ornelas, Founder/President, Food Empowerment Project
- Rob Herring, Producer/Director of The Need To Grow film
- Robyn Engman, R.D. Registered Dietician and Trained Chef with Nutrition In Motion
-
Marisa Miller Wolfson, Film creator, long time activist and co-author of the book, Vegucated Family Table
- Ali Tabrizi, Film Director Seaspiracy
- Joel Levin, Executive Director, Plug In America
- Karl Grossman, Award-winning investigative journalist, author of six books, longtime environmental and anti-nuclear activist/educator.
- Mary Grant, Public Water For All Campaign Director, Food & Water Watch
- Ron Weiss, MD, Ethos Primary Care and Ethos Farm Project
- Andrew Knight, Veterinary Professor of Animal Welfare and Ethics, Founding Director University of Winchester Centre for Animal Welfare,
- Gene Baur, Author, President and Co-Founder, Farm Sanctuary
- Julie Tighe, President of the New York League of Conservation Voters and the NYLCV Education Fund
- Rosemary Mascali, Co-Founder Drive Electric Long Island EV Coalition, Chair Outreach Committee.
- Dylan Licopoli, Master Organic Gardener, Home Organic Garden Service
- Celeste Meiffen-Swango, Director of Environment Oregon, and the Zero Waste Program Director with Environment America and PIRG.
- Crystal Heath, DMV, Executive Director of Our Honor, Shelter Veterinarian, Founding Committee of Veterinarians Against Ventilation Shutdown.
Winner of 2nd Place at the 2023 Press Club of Long Island Media Awards for Environment Radio
Hear The Healthy Planet Radio Show twice monthly at 6PM, with Bob DiBenedetto on the first and third Fridays of each month, on WUSB, 90.1FM, or Live Stream at: http://wusb.fm/
Free of charge, and rich with information and inspiration!
The Healthy Planet Radio show focuses on topics that will help to educate you about the deep connection among all life on Earth, and the powerful effects your everyday choices can have on creating a clean, healthy and compassionate world.
Listen, learn, grow, join us in making a difference!
