Green City

This morning we continue to discuss the built environment by focusing on a Living Building and what that means exactly.

This week, we welcome Kevin Nordmeyer to the show to talk about sustainable and accessible architecture and design.

Kevin Nordmeyer is a Principal Architect at BNIM in Des Moines

This morning we are finishing up our series on Food and Farms with today’s guest, Carmen Black.

Carmen owns and operates Sun Dog Farm and Local Harvest CSA with her sister, Maja, and a farm team. They raise vegetables for 200 families and have livestock in Solan, Iowa.

We are continuing our food and farm series with a very special guest. We’re thrilled to welcome the owner of Fairfield’s Radiance Dairy, Francis Thicke.

Francis also holds a Ph.D. in soil science and is a former National Organics Standards Board member.

This week, we sat down with Sharon and Gina from In Harmony Farm, a newly formed public not-for-profit designed to assist small-scale farmers. 

This morning we continue our food and farm series with a focus back on food.

Our guest this morning is Michelle Book, President & CEO of the Food Bank of Iowa since February of 2016.

Michelle brought to this position, extensive experience in business management and community relations through lead positions at various boards and councils around our metro as well as nationally. With a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Iowa State University, she is a certified public accountant and certified internal auditor and has a deep commitment to the community at large.

We are joined by Monika Owczarski, urban farmer and founder of Sweet Tooth Farm, this week. 

Tune into Green City's newest episode featuring an interview with the co-founder and executive director of Eat Greater Des Moines and our guest host, Katrin Klassen. 

Tune in to our latest episode with Josh Mandelbaum, senior attorney at the Environmental Law & Policy Center.

Today we are switching away from weather to talk with a musician who is in town soon for a concert hosted by the Des Moines Heritage Trust.

This morning we are once again focusing on the impacts of climate change on our weather with our guest, Dr. Stella Kafka.

Dr. Kafka obtained her B.S. degree in physics at the University of Athens, Greece, and a master’s and Ph.D. in astronomy, with a double minor in physics and geophysical sciences from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.

She has held a series of prestigious postdoctoral positions and fellowships, has a wealth of managerial experience, and brings an international perspective to her work.

This week we welcome Justin Glisan, the state climatologist of Iowa. He joins our host, Lynnae, to discuss the future of Iowa’s climate.

We continue our weather series with Chris Gloninger, chief meteorologist at KCCI here in Des Moines.

This morning we are going to start a series on weather and who better to kick things off than our favorite weather guru, Dr. William Gutowski.

Dr. Gutowski is a professor of Meteorology in the Department of Geological & Atmospheric Science at Iowa State University. He received his BS from Yale in Astronomy & Physics and his Ph.D. from MIT in Meteorology. He is a regional climate modeler and an IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) lead author.

This morning we continue our Earth Month conversations with a focus on a spiritual connection and responsibility to our environment and our planet.

Our guest this morning is Irene DeMaris, executive director of Iowa Interfaith Power & Light.

Irene has spent her career working in faith-based non-profits. She has a passion for working with people as they take their faith and act on social justice issues. Irene holds a B.S. in mathematics from Washington State University and a Master of Divinity from Seattle University. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking with her spouse, walking her dogs, spin classes, reading mystery novels, and dreaming of a more just world.

Today we continue our conversation with David Thoreson in part 2 of our interview.

For those who may have missed last week’s show, David Thoreson is an explorer, storyteller, photographer, and ocean and climate advocate. He is the first American explorer in history to sail the NW Passage in both directions. David has sailed more than 70,000 nautical miles, including below the Antarctic Circle, 3 times across the Atlantic, 8 times over the Arctic Circle, twice around Cape Horn and in 2009-2010, was the photographer on board OceanWatch that sailed the 28,000-mile circumnavigation of North and South America. His documentary of that voyage was nominated for an Emmy and published in the beautiful photo book: One Island, One Ocean.

Exploring the Arctic led Thoreson to see the issues of climate change and water quality, and he hopes now to inspire others to explore their connections to nature and address climate issues locally and globally.

We continue our Earth Month shows with a guest from Lake Okoboji, Iowa who has most certainly lived a life of adventure.

David Thoreson is an explorer, storyteller, photographer, and ocean and climate advocate. He is an Explorers Club fellow and the first American explorer in history to sail the NW Passage in both directions. David has sailed more than 70,000 nautical miles, including below the Antarctic Circle, three times across the Atlantic, eight times over the Arctic Circle, twice around Cape Horn and in 2009-2010, a 28,000-mile circumnavigation of North and South America. His documentary of that voyage was nominated for an Emmy and published in the beautiful photo book, One Island, One Ocean.

We are kicking off Earth Month by bringing back an inspirational eco warrior. Ellie Hammond, who we had on at the beginning of the year, is back to once again share her story and inspire us to action.

Ellie serves as an environmental steward under Green Iowa AmeriCorps and writes Ellie’s Room, where she shares positive perspectives about climate change and the opportunities it presents to better our planet.

This morning we are going to move our focus outside and talk about Parks & Rec! Today’s guest is Eric Tabor, President of the Friends of West Des Moines Parks and Recreation Board and retired Chief Deputy Attorney General at the Office of the Attorney General of Iowa. As a 3 year old organization, Eric has done a great job leading the Friends group and establishing a foundation and framework for it to continue on.

This morning we are talking with our third Valley High School student in our segment to learn their perspectives on the current state of our environment and our planet.

Alyssa Makena is a senior at Valley and will be attending Yale next fall with a focus on public health. 

Ben Ahlrichs is joining us this morning to share another young adult’s perspective on the environment and the challenges we currently face along with possible solutions to give us hope.

Ben is a Senior at Valley High School, as was last week’s guest, Emma, and next week’s guest.

Ben will be attending the University of Iowa in the fall with a focus on Journalism and English and Creative Writing.

We are joined by Emma Fetters joining us to share her perspective on the environment, climate change, and whatever else we might get into in our discussion. Emma is a senior at Valley High School and will be attending Iowa State University in the fall with a focus on chemistry and environmental science.

We are joined by Bre Miller to discuss food and food systems. Bre is the program coordinator on the Food Systems Team for Iowa State Extension and Outreach's Farm, Food, and Enterprise Development Area. 

We have another returning guest joining us this morning, and she happens to be a former student of Brant Reif, who was our guest last week!

Fatima Husain is a graduate of Valley High School in West Des Moines and went on to attend Brown University for her undergrad in geochemistry. Now at MIT, Fatima is working on her PhD studying ancient earth and how it has changed over time using chemistry, biology, and history.

We welcome a returning guest this week, Brant Reif, an AP Environmental Science and Biology teacher at Valley High School in West Des Moines, IA. 

Olivia Hicks is a current environmental journalism student at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. With her graduation on the horizon, Olivia joins us to discuss what she’s learned so far and the environmental lessons she’ll take with her.

Ellie Hammond is a recent grad from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science in geography with a double minor in environmental science and urban/regional development. As an environmental steward in the Energy and Community branch of Green Iowa AmeriCorps, she works on energy efficiency, conservation, and housing for low-income, veteran, and elderly residents.

Ellie also publishes her own environmental blog, Ellie’s Room, in hopes it is a safe space for conversations about climate change. She joins us to discuss the importance of self-care in order to sustain fighting on the frontlines of the climate movement.

Mike Delaney has been actively working in the environmental and conservation realm for decades and we are grateful for all the work he has done and continues to do. As one of eight founders of the Raccoon River Watershed Association, Mike originally came to Iowa to teach sociology at DMACC after serving in the Peace Corps and completing his graduate work. He has been a tireless advocate of preserving and enhancing the Raccoon River and its watershed through education, research, community engagement, and meaningful partnerships.

We will continue our conversation with Merlin Yockstick in discussing his work in reimagining our future here in Iowa and beyond. After spending the bulk of last week’s show hearing his inspiring story, we look forward to learning more about the why and the how of what he is currently doing.

Lynnae Marty Henzten will be joined by Merlin Yockstick, founder of Blue Planet Science Group and co-author of The Water Solution.

For most of this year, we’ve been focusing on various topics via multiple shows within a series. For the rest of this year, we’ve decided to bring back the original format and invite guests who are local eco-heroes within our midst. Some may be familiar to you and some may not be, but all of their stories are worth sharing.

There is a heightened sense of urgency to retaining our life on this planet as of late, so these conversations will be focused on climate change, our human impact on the diminishing natural resources we depend on, and various ideas and sources of inspiration for a path forward to a more sustainable world.

Lynnae Marty Henzten is joined by Christine Curry, currently serving on the board of the Raccoon River Watershed Association, as well as serving on the board of two Izaak Walton League chapters. Christine is a passionate advocate for animals, nature, people, art, and the environment. As a committed project and product developer and a creative problem solver, her contributions include establishing internationally recognized marine and sustainable agriculture programs and organizations. She is currently working with others to build viable networks and coordinate strong partnerships in Iowa and beyond to achieve clean water and healthy soil and food.

As we wrap up this series, we focus on the entrepreneurial and sustainability aspects that vibrant and healthy main street districts provide to their local communities.

Lynnae Marty Hentzen is joined by Dr. Matt Wagner, chief program officer for Main Street America. With an extensive resume of experience in the global corporate realm as well as 30 years in the non-profit management and teaching arena, it is a treat to have Dr. Wagner join our discussion.

This week we continue our discussion by taking a look at a more urban setting and the many experiences that are offered in addition to shopping. Serving as the heart and soul of a community, these locally owned businesses provide unique, personal connections that help to strengthen not only the economic vitality of a city but also the social network that helps it thrive.

Lynnae Marty Hentzen is joined by Meredith Wells, president of the Historic Valley Junction Foundation Board of Directors and co-owner of MoMere, and Steve Frevert, executive director of the Historic Valley Junction Foundation.

Lynnae Marty Hentzen is thrilled to welcome two main street directors who represent smaller communities and can share their experience and insight from a more rural perspective. Joining us are Joe Jennison, director of the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Community Development Group, and Katie Mason, Main Street Coon Rapids Executive Director & Coon Rapids community coordinator

This week, Lynnae Marty Hentzen is pleased to welcome Lisa Shimkat, state director, and Brianna Hall, marketing manager, of the statewide and national “Shop Small, Shop Sooner” campaigns.

This month, we are focused on Main Street communities and the unique position they hold in driving local economic development. With the holidays right around the corner, we want to explore the seen and unseen community benefits of buying local.

This week, Lynnae Marty Hentzen will kick off the series with Michael Wagler, state coordinator at Main Street Iowa. Michael is an experienced community development and historic preservation professional with a demonstrated history of nonprofit and government sector work. He has a passion for empowering people and places through community engagement, strategic discussions, and a lead-by-example style of leadership.

This week, Lynnae Marty Hentzen is joined by Mike Kellner, public relations and marketing coordinator for Prairie Rivers of Iowa.

Lynnae Marty Hentzen will be joined by co-host Alicia Vasto, the Iowa Environmental Council’s water program associate director. This week, we are pleased to welcome Brian Campbell, executive director of the Iowa Environmental Council.

Both Alicia and Brian will share their expertise on how water plays a key role in several climate-related challenges we face today and how we can overcome those obstacles.

Lynnae Marty Hentzen will be joined by co-host Alicia Vasto, the Iowa Environmental Council’s water program associate director. This week, we are excited to welcome Brian Hanft, director of the Department of Public Health for Cerro Gordo County (the Mason City area).

Lynnae Marty Hentzen is joined by co-host Alicia Vasto, the Iowa Environmental Council’s water program associate director, for this four-part series. This week, we are excited to hear from Silvia Secchi, a professor in the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences and a senior research fellow with the Public Policy Center at the University of Iowa. Dr. Secchi discusses the intersection of water and the economy.

Today we are launching a new series focused on Water, with a look at both quality and quantity.

In this four-part series, we will begin with an overview of the many essential aspects of this limited resource that we critically depend on for our everyday living.

We are excited to have the Iowa Environmental Council’s two water experts joining us this morning as we discuss where we are currently with regard to water quality in Iowa and the programs they have in place that are moving us forward.

Ingrid Gronstal who is the Water Program Director at IEC and Alicia Vasto is the Water Program Associate Director at IEC and will also be the co-host for this series.

This week’s guest is Mary Skopec, Executive Director of Iowa Lakeside Laboratory up at Miller’s Bay in Okoboji.

This week we return to a 2018 episode focused on cricket farming with special guest Shelby Smith.

This week we return to a 2018 episode focused on historic preservation with Steve King, an architect and the deputy state historic preservation officer.

Today we will wrap up our series on transportation by having a discussion with Tammy Nicholson, Director of the Modal Transportation Bureau for the Iowa Department of Transportation.