Constant Wonder

Emmett Hoops was seven when he decided to save the nearly-extinct American chestnut tree. He's 66 now, but little else has changed since then. Together with a chorus of other chestnut-lovers, the people who grew up under those leaves and relied on those nutritious nuts tell the story of how a tree shaped generations.

Guests:
Emmett Hoops, Director for District 5 and Vice President for Outreach, New York Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation (at time of recording)
Andy Newhouse, Director of American Chestnut Project at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (at time of recording)

Want to get involved with Chestnut restoration? Visit the American Chestnut Foundation online to learn more about their mission! https://www.americanchestnut.org/

Special thanks to Bethany N. Baxter for archival interviews from Appalachia conducted in 2008.

Originally aired: March 20, 2024

Businesswoman Françoise Malby-Anthony traveled the world for work, until a chance encounter in the metro changed her life. Within a year, she'd quit Paris for South Africa, where she and her partner, Lawrence, established a wildlife preserve for troubled and orphaned elephants and rhinos. When Lawrence passed away suddenly, the responsibility for these animals fell to Françoise. Join us in this tale of love, loss, and connection beyond the grave.

Guest: Françoise Malby-Anthony, owner of Thula Thula Private Game Reserve and author of "The Elephants of Thula Thula"

Learn more about Françoise and the Thula Thula reserve on their website: https://thulathula.com/our-story/

Thula Baba traditional lullaby accessed on the Soweto Gospel Choir YouTube channel.

Originally aired on March 27, 2024

The "Bear Man of India" is best known for his work rescuing sloth bears from inhumane conditions, but Kartick Satyanarayan knew he wanted to help animals from a young age. It all began with full-moon nights spent high in a jungle tree, watching a procession of wild animals visit a nearby watering hole. In the intervening 30 years, he's braved the "timber mafia" and even gunshots in a tireless crusade to protect wildlife.

Guest: Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS

Originally aired May 29, 2024

A small-town mortician savors life. Find out why "the internet's favorite mortician" encourages people not to skip out on funerals. And why he also advises listeners not to worry about "being an inconvenience" in either life or death.

Guest: Victor M. Sweeney, author of "Now Departing: A Small-Town Mortician on Death, Life, and the Moments in Between"
https://www.instagram.com/victor.m.sweeney/?hl=en
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ktLen9cVM

Tara Roberts comes to find joy in learning about her ancestors—even though history once seemed too traumatic to face.

Guest: Tara Roberts, author of "Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging"