Wild For Change

Hosted by Nicole Rojas

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Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Welcome to the Wild For Change Podcast! This podcast celebrates people and organizations that are making a difference for animals and nature around the globe. We’ll discuss their inspiration, work, and why our connection with the natural world is important for all of us.

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60 recent

June 1, 2026Episode 6359 min

Episode 63: Spirit Elephant Podcast with CD Young and Jordan Pedone

What if I told you that eating plants could be delicious, satisfying, and joyful—and also help protect animals, preserve natural spaces, and reduce our impact on the climate?Just outside Chicago is a restaurant that brings all of this together. It’s called Spirit Elephant. A 100% plant-based restaurant where every dish is thoughtfully prepared without compromising flavor, creativity, or comfort.The moment you walk in, the atmosphere feels uplifting. The space is alive with plants, warm energy, and one of my favorite features—a giant photo of an elephant herd stretching across the wall. Whether I’m dining with someone who is plant-based or not, everyone always leaves impressed by the food, the service, and the experience.On today’s podcast, we’re sitting down with Founder and CEO of Spirit Elephant, CD Young, and Assistant General Manager, Jordan Pedone, to explore not only plant-based food, but the deeper connection between what we eat, our health, animals, community, and the planet.Website: http://www.wildforchange.comTwitter: @WildForChangeFacebook: /wildforchangeInstagram: wildforchange

May 18, 2026Episode 6255 min

Episode 62: Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature with Natalia Greene

Life on Earth unfolds through complex, living relationships. Forests, oceans, animals and microorganisms sustain the cycles that make life possible, circulating oxygen, regenerating soils, and shaping climates. Humans are part of these systems, not separate from them. Our lives depend on the integrity of these relationships, even as they exist far beyond us. Yet the natural world is often treated as a resource, something to extract from, convert, and monetize rather than as a community of living beings with their own inherent rights. We have yet to learn how to live in true reciprocity within the Earth’s systems. On this Wild For Change podcast, Natalia Greene, Director of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN) joins us. GARN is an organization helping to reawaken a deeper truth: that nature is not something we own, but a living world we belong to, with rights of its own.The Rights of Nature challenges us to rethink one of our most fundamental assumptions—that nature exists for us. Instead, it asks: what if we are part of a larger living system with its own rights? And what responsibility comes with that understanding? This is not just a legal shift—it’s a shift in perspective, in values, and in how we choose to live in reciprocity with nature.Website: http://www.wildforchange.comTwitter: @WildForChangeFacebook: /wildforchangeInstagram: wildforchange

April 27, 2026Episode 6142 min

Episode 61: Rewild My Street with Sian Moxon

Step outside your front door for a moment… what do you notice? Concrete, cars—maybe a few scattered trees.Now imagine that same street alive with birdsong, pollinators, and wild nature woven into everyday life. What if that transformation wasn’t just possible—but already within reach?Today, we’re exploring how we can begin to rewild our urban spaces—starting right outside our own front doors.Joining us is Sian Moxon, founder of Rewild My Street. She’s an Associate Professor of Sustainable Architecture and a researcher in urban biodiversity at London Metropolitan University’s School of Art, Architecture and Design. She’s also an architect, a climate change expert with the UK Universities Climate Network, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, and the author of Sustainability in Interior Design.Rewild My Street is a design-led toolkit helping Londoners transform their gardens and streets to support biodiversity and bring nature back into the places we live. By creating more green and blue spaces across the city, the initiative works to reverse the trend of urban environments becoming increasingly grey—fostering ecosystems that build climate resilience, restore nature, and support human well-being.Website: http://www.wildforchange.comTwitter: @WildForChangeFacebook: /wildforchangeInstagram: wildforchange

March 11, 2026Episode 6049 min

Episode 60: The Ocean Cleanup with Laurent Lebreton

On today’s Wild For Change podcast, we’re speaking with Laurent Lebreton, whose work focuses on ocean plastic research at The Ocean Cleanup. In 2013, at just 18 years old, Dutch inventor Boyan Slat founded The Ocean Cleanup with an ambitious idea to remove plastic from the world’s oceans.Today, The Ocean Cleanup is a nonprofit organization developing advanced technologies to rid our oceans and rivers of plastic — with a bold and refreshing mission: to put itself out of business.Because what begins as litter on a street corner doesn’t stay there. It can travel through storm drains, into rivers, and eventually thousands of miles into the open ocean — where it’s ingested by marine life, entangles marine life, and disrupts ocean ecosystems.Our oceans are downstream from all of us.In this episode, we explore the scale of the plastic crisis, the science behind its impact, and the innovative solutions working to turn the tide.Website: http://www.wildforchange.comTwitter: @WildForChangeFacebook: /wildforchangeInstagram: wildforchange

December 22, 2025Episode 5949 min

Episode 59: Jackie Kuang, Business Director at the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy

On today’s Wild For Change podcast, we explore forest bathing with our guest, Jackie Kuang, Business Director at the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. I was recently introduced to forest bathing by a friend, and I found it to be a deeply impactful and authentic way to connect with nature and myself. Given how fast-paced our society is, we have forgotten how to slow down and reconnect with ourselves and with nature. When we slow down and reconnect with nature, we begin to remember who we are: a vital piece of nature. Through this remembering, we also realize that we are connected to all of nature and develop not only a sense of care for ourselves but also for all the other beings we share this planet with. It’s like a recalibration that gives us a deeper understanding of life. I hope you enjoy this podcast as much as I did. Website: http://www.wildforchange.comTwitter: @WildForChangeFacebook: /wildforchangeInstagram: wildforchange

November 17, 2025Episode 5851 min

Episode 58: Save the Redwoods with Deborah Zierten

This past summer, I finally marked off a destination from my bucket list: the California Redwoods State and National Parks. Entering the parks was one of the most magical experiences I have ever had. I felt like I was going back to prehistoric times. Some of the Redwoods have been on Earth for thousands of years and knowing this while hiking among these giants felt inconceivable, yet at the same time, I felt so honored to be in their presence. While visiting Jedidiah Redwood State and National Park, I met a volunteer at the Grove of the Titans who stands outside rain or shine to greet visitors. Once a month, he will undertake a 4-5 hour commute to volunteer for an entire week in Redwoods State and National Park. There is something to be said about this level of commitment to a forest. The Redwoods have a rich ecological history and have stood witness to man’s evolution. This is a very special place, which is why my guest today is Deborah Zierten, Senior Manager of Education and Interpretation of Save the Redwoods League.In this podcast, we will learn how Save the Redwoods League supports the Redwood forest and explore the unique history of the Redwoods, their complex ecosystem, and how they help protect us from climate change. We will also discuss the current threats the Redwoods face and how we can help ensure their future. Website: http://www.wildforchange.comTwitter: @WildForChangeFacebook: /wildforchangeInstagram: wildforchange

October 20, 2025Episode 5756 min

Episode 57: Teresa Weed, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator from Illinois Early Childhood Outdoors

On a new Wild For Change podcast, we will learn about the importance of outdoor nature-based learning with our guest, Teresa Weed, who is the Policy and Advocacy Coordinator from Illinois Early Childhood Outdoors.We can learn so much from spending time in nature.Being in nature encourages exploration and inspiration, sparks a sense of wonder and connection, and provides a space for reflection and a broader perspective on life. As we grow into adults, however, it seems that sense of wonder and exploration slips away from our lives. But, imagine being a child. Exploration, wonder and curiosity are already part of a child’s makeup. Letting a child be themselves in nature and learning outdoors can provide endless lessons and tools they can use throughout their lifetime. Links to learn more:Join the movement!To access the national movement for outdoor preschool licensing, or to find collaborators in your region, check out Natural Start Alliance.To get connected in Illinois, reach out to Illinois Early Childhood Outdoors IECO, or the Northern Illinois Nature Play Association NINPA.Professional Development, etc. For consultation to support outdoor early learning programs in Illinois contact Teresa Weed directly at forestplayschool@gmail.com. Research Libraries:Green Schoolyards America is a free online resource library and virtual community of practice designed to help schools and districts move their classes and programs outside across the country and around the worldChildren and Nature Network curates the world’s largest collection of peer-reviewed literature about nature’s benefits for children. Website: http://www.wildforchange.comTwitter: @WildForChangeFacebook: /wildforchangeInstagram: wildforchange

August 4, 2025Episode 5636 min

Episode 56: WasteNot Composting

WasteNot Composting On this Wild For Change’s podcast, we’re speaking with Liam Donnelly, CEO of WasteNot, a zero-emissions composting collection service in the Chicagoland area. Composting is a crucial means of reducing food waste in our landfills, yet only 4.1% of food waste in the U.S. is composted annually. In this podcast, we will learn about WasteNot’s mission and how their service works. We will also investigate the fate of food in landfills versus compost bins, as well as the sustainability of composting for both our own needs and the planet.To learn more about WasteNot’s composting services, go to https://www.wastenotcompost.com.Website: http://www.wildforchange.comTwitter: @WildForChangeFacebook: /wildforchangeInstagram: wildforchange

June 16, 2025Episode 551 hr 11 min

Episode 55: Kay McKeen of SCARCE

On a new Wild For Change podcast, we spoke with Kay McKeen, the Executive Director of SCARCE, an acronym which stands for School & Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education. It is an award-winning environmental education non-profit that supports teachers, children, and the community in creating a brighter future for our planet and ourselves through engaging and accessible initiatives, workshops, events, in-person classes, e-learning, and volunteer opportunities. Though SCARCE is based in the Chicagoland area, its outreach programs go beyond state lines and extends into other countries. SCARCE’s work also includes collaborating with legislators to initiate laws that protect both people and the planet and helping businesses and organizations adopt green initiatives. SCARCE provides simple yet effective resources for the community to help one another and the planet. To learn more about becoming more green at home, work, or in a school system, inquire about SCARCE’s resources, or get involved, go to www.scarce.org. Website: http://www.wildforchange.comTwitter: @WildForChangeFacebook: /wildforchangeInstagram: wildforchange

May 19, 2025Episode 5438 min

Episode 54: Nature’s Best Hope with Dr. Douglas Tallamy

For those of you who are wondering what you can do right now to help nature, the answer lies in your own backyard, literally. Our guest today is Dr. Doug Tallamy. He is an entomologist, ecologist, conservationist, and co-founder of Homegrown National Park. We’ll be discussing his book, Nature’s Best Hope, A New Approach to Conservation That Starts In Your Yard. I consider Nature’s Best Hope to be the way shower of how we collectively have the power to bring about a healthier planet for all. We don’t have to wait for our leaders and conservationists to find solutions to get cleaner air and water, sequester carbon, and restore ecosystems and wildlife populations. We all have a part to play in reviving the planet, and we don’t have the luxury of time to wait for just a few people to take on the heavy load of fixing the problem we currently find ourselves in. After all, as Marshall McLuhan stated, “There are no passengers on spaceship Earth, we are all crew.” Dr. Tallamy explains that the key to a healthier future on Earth is restoring the long-lost ecosystems of the land we live on, and it all begins by planting native plants in our yards and gardens.In this podcast, we dive into why native plants are crucial in restoring our ecosystems and wildlife populations, the importance of insects, and what this means for us and all life forms on Earth. The future of our planet is our responsibility, and it begins with restoring our relationship with nature. Website: http://www.wildforchange.comTwitter: @WildForChangeFacebook: /wildforchangeInstagram: wildforchange