Episodes

  • Episode 5 - Down and dirty with dung beetles
    Oct 29 2025

    This Week on The Sapling, join host Dr. Jelagat Cheruiyot, Senior Professor of Practice at Tulane University, as she gets down and dirty with dung beetles. Dr. Cheruiyot will discuss her interactions with the dung beetles and lessons beyond entomology. Beetles, a member of the insect order Coleoptera a will teach you the lessons you want to learn and those that you do not. Beetles come in all sorts of colors, shapes and sizes, are among the best decomposers, and the reason why herbivores are not buried in their own dung!

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    8 mins
  • Episode 4 - Busaa: something's brewing
    Oct 15 2025

    This Week on The Sapling join host Dr. Jelagat Cheruiyot, Senior Professor of Practice at Tulane University, as she introduces listeners to one of Kenya's integral tribal brews, Busaa. This episode explores the beverage's production, cultural significance, and controversies, as well as some of Jelagat's earliest days as a budding scientist.

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    9 mins
  • Episode 3 - Termites: Chew or be chewed
    Oct 1 2025

    This Week on The Sapling join host Dr. Jelagat Cheruiyot, Senior Professor of Practice at Tulane University, as she explores the fascinating world of termites—an insect with profound ecological and economic significance. This episode takes a closer look at the cultural role of termites as food among the Kalenjin people of Kenya, Dr. Cheruiyot’s own tribe, and draws connections to her current home in Louisiana, USA. Plus, enjoy a brief interview with a family friend who shares a bit about his personal adventures with termites.

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    9 mins
  • Episode 2 - Amazing Ugali and maize
    Sep 17 2025

    This week on The Sapling we will discuss Ugali and Maize, a dish and a plant that are integral to the Kenyan community. In fact, Maize is so important in Kenya that the promise to increase Maize supplies and Maize prices are one of the core topics in the presidential elections. The presentation of Ugali, a dish made from the crop can even make or break a romantic relationship.

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    8 mins
  • Episode 1 - What's all the buzz with honey?
    Sep 3 2025

    This week on The Sapling, meet host Dr. Jelagat Cheruiyot, a Senior Professor of Practice at Tulane University, and dive into the world of honey and honey harvesting with a focus on the Kalenjin people of Kenya, Jelagat’s own tribe. Additionally, the episode includes a brief interview with a honey hunter/family friend.

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    9 mins