Howdy-hey, and... hello! Here, together again, we’re at a gooood time to have a good time!

And nowadays, it's more important than ever to continue creating... it’s about literally putting the good we have to offer out into the world.

Fortunately, my guest Mary has some great ideas about how to bring that positive vision to life. She finds peace best by literally going back to her roots... in mother nature.

Her high touches on how the communal sharing of literal seeds helped plant ones of community, while her cause, the Central Arizona Conservation Alliance (CAZCA), focuses on conserving, restoring, and raising awareness for Arizona’s great outdoors. _____________________________________________________________________________________________

This episode's HIGH-lights:

• Mary's workplace, the Desert Botanical Garden, is in Phoenix, AZ. The 140-acre garden features over 50,000 desert plants and is considered a premier center for the conservation, study, and display of arid plants from around the world, specializing in Sonoran Desert flora.
• For her thesis, Mary researched how Dioecious species (male and female) trees respond to stress caused by climate change. In this video on Climate Lessons from Plants, Past to Future, Duke University biologists explore the effects of climate change on plants and how to develop ones that can handle drier, hotter habitats.
• For the greater good, Mary helps remove invasive Apple Snails and their eggs along the Salt River. The Arizona Game & Fish Department explains why these snails are problematic, and how you can help clear up the rivers!
• I met Mary during her time as the Chief Science Officers Program Coordinator for SciTech Institute. Learn more about SciTech's mission to make Science, Tech, Engineering, & Math (STEM) accessible throughout AZ and beyond here.

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Mary's Because It's Your Cause:

Central Arizona Conservation Alliance (CAZCA) is a collaborative network of conservation groups, scientists, educators, land managers, and community organizations working to protect and restore open desert spaces across Central Arizona.

An ongoing initiative of the Desert Botanical Garden, CAZCA focuses on preserving Sonoran Desert habitats, expanding sustainable recreation access, and coordinating long-term regional conservation strategies for future generations.

*To learn more, volunteer, or donate, visit the CAZCA website here.

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To have your story featured on the podcast, email secondhandhigh.ohmy@gmail.com. To show your support and keep the podcast moving onward and upward, you can leave a glowing review wherever you stream your podcasts. Also, please like, follow, and rate on social media!

Want to share a time when you experienced a second-hand high? Then don't be shy! Sharing is caring.

To have your story featured on the podcast, email secondhandhigh.ohmy@gmail.com. To show your support and keep the podcast moving onward and upward, you can leave a glowing review wherever you stream your podcasts. Also, please like, follow, and rate on social media!

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Hey, howdy, and hello. It's been (checks watch) faaaaar too long since last we gathered together in the spirit of getting buzzed, baked, and blazed off the good will and good deeds of our fellow humans.

And are we ever in luck, because there are still plenty of good guys (and gals) still at large who deserve credit for their everyday heroics and community service. Perhaps no one exemplifies that better than my former colleague and ongoing friend, Kaci.

For her highs, she shares how human kindness can touch animals as well as people, as well as how the tender dedication of both her grandmothers' caregivers led to them becoming chosen family .

So, don't cry for me Argentina (especially if you don't get that reference), because this show is gonna have you saying, “Thank you... may I have another?”

This episode's HIGH-lights:

• YOU can be a biologist of sorts through the power of observation and the iNaturalist app. Every entry can contribute to biodiversity science, from the rarest butterfly to the most common backyard weed.
• Kaci and I met as work colleagues at SciTech Institute. Learn more about SciTech's mission to make Science, Tech, Engineering, & Math (STEM) accessible to everyone in AZ and beyond here.
• Have you ever thought, "I'd love to own a pet tortoise like Kaci's roommate?" Well, mate, temper your curiosity with caution, and visit this forum to learn about some of the Tortoise Basics for Prospective or Beginning Tortoise Owners before diving off the deep end into reptile ownership.

Kaci's Because It's Your Cause:

Prisma Community Care commits to providing affordable, affirming, and inclusive health and wellness services at their clinic and in the community, especially to those who have faced discrimination in healthcare. They administer quality primary care, mental health care, testing, treatment, and education through a compassionate and holistic approach. Their team is comprised of people from all walks of life who are specially trained to care for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, people of color, those affected by HIV, and the uninsured and underinsured.

To learn more about their services and how you can get involved, check them out here.

Want to share a time when you experienced a second-hand high? Then don't be shy! Sharing is caring.

To have your story featured on the podcast, email secondhandhigh.ohmy@gmail.com. To show your support and keep the podcast moving onward and upward, you can leave a glowing review wherever you stream your podcasts. Also, please like, follow, and rate on social media!

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Hey, howdy, and hello... y'all know the drill!

Please welcome to the podcast, the founder of Anchored Project Solutions... India Miles! This Texas-based project manager focuses her high on a split second side-of-the-road act of kindness that touched her profoundly and reminded her of the importance of seeing the humanity in everyone. The organization she champions as part of her 'Because It's Your Cause' is one that gives young black girls the tools they need to unleash their confidence, build community, and enhance their tech skills.

So, go grab a glass, because you're about to get good and high-drated!

This episode's HIGH-lights:

• Just Tacos and more... you owe me for this one! Check out the Mexican food joint in Phoenix with the nonsensical name here. Get a free taco! (I swear, I'm not getting a dime from this).
• India and I met working together on the Changemakers in STEM Virtual Youth Congress project at SciTech Institute. Learn more about SciTech's mission to make STEM accessible to everyone is AZ and beyond here.
• Need someone to help you with your next big project? India has you covered! Find her at her new online home - Anchored Project Solutions

India's Because It's Your Cause:

Black Girls Code supports girls of color in tech through coding education and more. They partner with schools and organizations to offer a range of programs, both in-person and virtual, for ages 7-25.

To learn more about their awesome initiatives and to support Black Girls Code, visit their website here.

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Want to share a time when you experienced a second-hand high? Then don't be shy! Sharing is caring.

To have your story featured on the podcast, email secondhandhigh.ohmy@gmail.com. To show your support and keep the podcast moving onward and upward, you can leave a glowing review wherever you stream your podcasts. Also, please like, follow, and rate on social media!

Want to share a time when you experienced a second-hand high? Then don't be shy! Sharing is caring.

To have your story featured on the podcast, email secondhandhigh.ohmy@gmail.com. To show your support and keep the podcast moving onward and upward, you can leave a glowing review wherever you stream your podcasts. Also, please like, follow, and rate on social media!

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Hey, howdy, and hello, and... welcome back! I hope it's true that distance makes the heart grow fonder, because I've been gone, gone for far too long! What can I say? It's been a whirlwind of a year with a new job, new dog, and the same old life curveballs. Trying to stay afloat in a fast-paced world is a lot, I'm not gonna lie.

I guess you could say I could use a high as much as the next guy. And who better to provide it than my brother, Braden Sweeney? While being my brother is a high all on its own, in our conversation, he discusses how a program through his work called the Sunshine Committee brings light to employees and their family members struggling through hard times.

It's high time we get back to the good stuff, so ready, steady, and... on with the show!

This episode's HIGH-lights:

• If you have a loved one who needs skilled nursing facility-level care, it's important for you to know your rights.
• Ombudsman. It's a funny word! But it's an important one if you have a loved one in a care facility and need advocacy and support. The National Long Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center explains more about Ombudsmans and how to locate one nearest you.
• Was your appetite whetted for more info about how the ancient Pyramids of Gaza came to be? It's still a debated topic that you can learn more about at Britannica Online.

Braden's Because It's Your Cause:

Fair Haven Homes, located in Indianapolis, IN, provide patients and their families traveling from across the country for critical medical care with a home away from home while they battle life-threatening illnesses .

To volunteer, donate, or support Fair Haven's mission, you can visit their website here.

Want to share a time when you experienced a second-hand high? Then don't be shy! Sharing is caring.

To have your story featured on the podcast, email secondhandhigh.ohmy@gmail.com. To show your support and keep the podcast moving onward and upward, you can leave a glowing review wherever you stream your podcasts. Also, please like, follow, and rate on social media!

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Warning: This episode contains mentions of suicide and eating disorders. Please be mindful of your wellbeing while listening, and turn off or skip over parts that may be triggering.

Second-Hand High. Episode six. You know the drill.

In this installment of the podcast, I had the delight of discussing life's highs and lows with Kennedy Sutton. She's, you guessed it, an esteemed author of high seas pirate romantacy. If you don’t know what that means, you will soon enough.

The setting for her high is a hospital, of all places, and involves the bona fide miracle their staff performed for her baby daughter. The thoughtful, personalized care Kennedy’s whole family received inspired her to use her own gifts to promote them as her cause.

So, text a loved one an inspirational meme, take a deep breath in and out, and settle in for a high that adds a point to the scoreboard for humanity.

This episode's HIGH-lights:

Can't get enough of Kennedy's quips? Visit her website, where you can also find her entire book series to date. You can even order signed copies of her books!

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide or experiencing crisis. contact the Suicide and Crisis hotline by calling or texting 988.

Kennedy's Because It's Your Cause:

To donate to the great work of the Nashville-based nonprofit, Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, and ensure children like Kennedy's daughter receive the compassionate, quality care they deserve, you can visit their website here.

To have your story featured on the podcast, email secondhandhigh.ohmy@gmail.com. To show your support and keep the podcast moving onward and upward, you can leave a glowing review wherever you stream your podcasts. Also, please like, follow, and rate on social media!

Want to share a time when you experienced a second-hand high? Then don't be shy! Sharing is caring.

To have your story featured on the podcast, email secondhandhigh.ohmy@gmail.com. To show your support and keep the podcast moving onward and upward, you can leave a glowing review wherever you stream your podcasts. Also, please like, follow, and rate on social media!

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High again! It's your highness and host Sweeney here, and today, I’m talking with Mr. Antoine Martin, a former high school drama classmate of mine. Nowadays, he’s a bona fide physicist, runner-in-training, and, thanks to his partner, an increasingly enthusiastic volunteer for a human services organization that is both his high and his cause.

So don’t change that channel (ok, actually, just don’t click out of this episode), and grab a snack, because it’s time to take a deep breath, kick back, and get all kinds of high!

This episode's HIGH-lights:

Want to know more about what Antoine makes for a living? Check out this page on the inner workings of satellite thrusters!

The next Paris Marathon, the second largest race in the world of its kind behind the N.Y.C. Marathon, will take place on April 7th, 2024. Mark your calendars! Registration info can be found here

Serve the City is a global movement of volunteers showing kindness and caring for people in need in cities around the world. You can learn more about their wonderful work here

Antoine's Because It's Your Cause:

To volunteer with Serve the City, you can check here to see if there's a branch near you! If you'd like to donate to the cause, you can do so from any of their webpages. Just look for the bright blue DONATE button!

Want to share a time when you experienced a second-hand high? Then don't be shy! Sharing is caring.

To have your story featured on the podcast, email secondhandhigh.ohmy@gmail.com. To show your support and keep the podcast moving onward and upward, you can leave a glowing review wherever you stream your podcasts. Also, please like, follow, and rate on social media!

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Well, high there! Welcome to episode four of, not the first, not the last, but… the SECOND-Hand High season!

Joining us is my longtime friend, Bob Millsap. A career chameleon, loving father and husband, and exceptionally talented writer, Bob’s high centers on the lessons in perseverance he learned from his wife Shelly after she sustained a traumatic brain injury from a homemade soda-turned-accidental-bomb. His ‘Because it’s your Cause’ is his personal resilience journey shared in his new book, Shake Yourself Free.

His high is his wife, his life story is his cause, and added up, it's all one big high!


This episode's HIGH-lights:

Bob's website

Bob's Blog

Bob's 9/11 story

Bob's Because It's Your Cause:

Read his inspirational story in his book, Shake Yourself Free, available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble's website, and bookshop.org

Want to share a time when you experienced a second-hand high? Then don't be shy! Sharing is caring.

To have your story featured on the podcast, email secondhandhigh.ohmy@gmail.com. To show your support and keep the podcast moving onward and upward, you can leave a glowing review wherever you stream your podcasts. Also, please like, follow, and rate on social media!

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Welcome to the third episode of the storied second season of the one, the only… Second-Hand High!

This episode is especially exciting, as it marks my first-ever interview with someone I’ve never met before! Terry Bartley is a West Virginia resident, high school teacher, and a newly minted author! His high takes a look at how watching families receive a little Christmas magic has stuck with him years later, while his "Because it’s your Cause" is a reminder that everyone deserves the right to feel safe and comfortable in the skin they live in.

So, get ready to get on your high horse and go for a ride, cuz it’s that time again!

This episode's HIGH-lights:

JCI USA- Terry's High: https://www.jciusa.org/

The Trans Lifeline- Terry's "Because It's Your Cause"
U.S. Hotline: (877) 565-8860
https://translifeline.org/

Most Writer's are Fans-Terry's podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2WU4J0unmA0K76LoJaVjLL

The Wall of Awful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uo08uS904Rg

How to (Explain) ADHD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhcn1_qsYmg

Want to share a time when you experienced a second-hand high? Then don't be shy! Sharing is caring.

To have your story featured on the podcast, email secondhandhigh.ohmy@gmail.com. To show your support and keep the podcast moving onward and upward, you can leave a glowing review wherever you stream your podcasts. Also, please like, follow, and rate on social media!

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