On this episode of Biophilic Solutions, Monica Olsen is joined by wildlife conservationist and author Beth Pratt alongside special guest co-host Tim Beatley for a conversation about urban wildlife, national parks, and the future of conservation in our cities.

As California Regional Executive Director for the National Wildlife Federation, Beth shares the story behind the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Los Angeles, the cultural impact of mountain lion P-22, and how storytelling can inspire people to reconnect with the natural world. The conversation also explores Beth’s work as the author of Yosemite Wildlife and When Mountain Lions Are Neighbors, as well as Tim’s vision for creating biophilic cities that make room for both people and biodiversity.

Together, they discuss wildlife crossings, urban ecology, public lands, and why fostering connection with nature may be one of the most important challenges (and opportunities) of our time.

Show Notes

• Yosemite Wildlife
• When Mountain Lions Are Neighbors
• The Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing
• Biophilic Cities
• Beth Pratt Website

Key Words: biophilic design, biophilic cities, urban wildlife, wildlife conservation, Beth Pratt, Tim Beatley, P-22, mountain lions, wildlife crossings, Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing, urban ecology, biodiversity, conservation, Yosemite National Park, national parks, nature connection, ecological design, habitat connectivity, coexistence, rewilding cities, biodiversity corridors, conservation storytelling, environmentalism, public lands, sustainable cities, climate resilience, nature and cities, human-nature connection, wildlife advocacy, environmental podcast

Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review.

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

Cancer Alley, an 85-mile stretch along the Mississippi River in Louisiana, has become shorthand for one of the most urgent environmental justice crises in the United States. Lined with more than a hundred petrochemical plants, it’s often talked about in terms of statistics and headlines. But in the new podcast The Corridor, those abstractions start to fall away, revealing something much more human: the lived experiences, histories, and deep-rooted connections of the communities who call this region home.

In this episode of Biophilic Solutions, we’re joined by Jaha Nailah Avery, a journalist and storyteller from Asheville, North Carolina. Trained in constitutional and civil rights law at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she moved from the tech world to journalism, with work featured in The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and Architectural Digest. Her work centers on documenting and preserving Black history, from interviewing Jim Crow survivors in her book Those Who Saw the Sun to her latest project producing and hosting The Corridor.

In our conversation, she shares how a single article about Cancer Alley sparked a bigger question – how did we get here? – and set her on a path to trace the connections between slavery, land use, and modern-day environmental harm. We talk about the legacy of plantation country and the role that oral storytelling plays in preserving history and preventing its erasure.

What emerges is a far more nuanced picture that holds both injustice and resilience, hardship and community. It’s a conversation about why listening matters, and what becomes possible when we truly hear the stories that shape a place.

Show Notes

• The Corridor
• I Heard by Jaha Nailah Avery
• Those Who Saw The Sun by Jaha Nailah Avery and Steffi Walthall
• Jaha Nailah Avery on Instagram
• Louisiana’s Cancer Alley (Human Rights Watch)

Cancer Alley, environmental justice, biophilic design, place-based storytelling, landscape and memory, oral history, Black history preservation, petrochemical industry, Mississippi River corridor, Louisiana communities, land use and legacy, industrial pollution, community resilience, environmental health, storytelling and justice, historical memory, plantation history, civil rights, environmental storytelling, human-centered narratives, cultural preservation, climate and community, listening and empathy, social impact, public health and environment

Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review.

Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website.

#NatureHasTheAnswers

Climate change can feel overwhelming, especially for those already deeply attuned to the natural world. Alongside that awareness often comes anxiety, grief, and a lingering question: how do we move from overwhelm to action?

In this episode, we’re joined by climate leader and author Dr. Katharine Wilkinson to explore her fantastic new book Climate Wayfinding. In it, Katharine offers a hopeful framework for navigating climate emotions and finding a sense of purpose. Co-host Steve Nygren brings his perspective as the founder of Serenbe and longtime advocate for biophilic living.

Together, we discuss turning concern into agency, the importance of art and beauty, and how we can begin charting a more hopeful path forward one step at a time.

Show Notes

• Climate Wayfinding: Healing Ourselves and the Planet We Call Home
• Climate Wayfinding Website
• All We Can Save: Truth, Courage and Solutions for the Climate Crisis
• Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming
• Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense
• Steve Nygren on Substack
• Serenbe

climate change, climate crisis, climate anxiety, eco-anxiety, hope, resilience, agency, action, climate action, sustainability, biophilia, nature connection, community, regenerative living, emotional resilience, environmental stewardship, storytelling, climate leadership, intergenerational collaboration, purpose, optimism, healing, mindfulness, environmental awareness, adaptation

Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review.

Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website.

#NatureHasTheAnswers