grove & grit launches with local restoration in Hilltop, Dublin Bay oyster recovery, UN World Restoration Flagships, and an ecological reckoning on war, climate, and accountability — plus two essential upcoming reads from Emma Marris and Clare Follmann.

This episode is released during the week of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's birthday, grounding restoration work in a shared ethic of collective liberation.

Tacoma Tree Foundation - Green Blocks: Hilltop
A neighborhood-based urban forestry program supporting residents with tree selection, permits, delivery, and planting assistance.
🔗 https://tacomatreefoundation.org/green-blocks

January 28 Webinar - "Plants as Teachers, Messengers & Climate Partners"
A Tacoma Tree Foundation webinar with Michael Yadrick on habitat care as climate adaptation and what plants reveal about heat, water, and future conditions.
🗓 January 28, 2026 | 12–1 PM (PT)
🔗 https://tacomatreefoundation.org/calendar/plants-as-teachers

Dublin Bay Oyster Reef Restoration (Ireland)
The Green Ocean Foundation is restoring European flat oyster reefs in Dún Laoghaire Harbour using broodstock baskets, volunteer maintenance, and scientific monitoring with Dublin City University.
🔗 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/18/dublin-bay-oyster-reefs-restoration

UN World Restoration Flagships
UNEP and FAO recognition of large-scale restoration initiatives anchored in Indigenous and local leadership, including shellfish reef recovery in Australia under the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
🔗 https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/indigenous-and-local-action-brings-back-nature-un-recognizes-three
🔗 https://www.decadeonrestoration.org/world-restoration-flagships

Environmental reporting and analysis on how war damages soil, water, air, food systems, and long-term regeneration, with emerging efforts to document harm for accountability and repair.

International Committee of the Red Cross — Environmental damage and armed conflict
🔗 https://www.icrc.org/en/blog/environmental-damage-armed-conflict

UNEP — Environmental risks and devastation in Gaza
🔗 https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/gaza-conflict-poses-urgent-environmental-risks

Environmental Law Institute — Environmental damage in Ukraine and paths to accountability
🔗 https://www.eli.org/vibrant-environment-blog/environmental-damage-ukraine-and-paths-accountability

Emma Marris et al. — "Many Pasts, Many Futures" (forthcoming)
A future-oriented exploration of species reshuffling, conservation values, and how restoration can prevent extinctions without clinging to a single ecological past.
🔗 https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/0BE558C6B4F353F4AC57E596205C3ABF

Clare Follmann — Scapegoat: What the Invasive Species Story Gets Wrong (AK Press, forthcoming)
A sharp critique of invasive species narratives and how ecological fear stories can obscure deeper political and economic drivers of harm.
🔗 https://www.akpress.org/scapegoat.html

Music for this episode is from Grey Room "Down the Rabbit Hole" found on YouTube Audio Library.

What happens when we trace the history of our forests? Not just through trees, but through people, policy, and place? In this episode, I talk with Jennifer Ott, Executive Director of HistoryLink.org, Washington's free online encyclopedia of history. Jennifer is an environmental historian, author of Olmsted in Seattle: Creating a Park System for a Modern City, and co-author of Waterway: The Story of Seattle's Locks and Ship Canal. She brings a deep knowledge of Seattle's reshaped landscapes; it's filled tidelands, leveled hills, and rechanneled rivers, and a lifelong commitment to accessible public history.

We dig into HistoryLink's new Forest History Project, a wide-ranging effort to tell the story of Washington's forests through essays, oral histories, and educational curricula. Funded by the Washington Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, the project includes over a dozen new feature essays - from Indigenous land stewardship to timber company towns, the Douglas fir to the Northwest Forest Plan - as well as 15 interviews with key figures from forestry, conservation, and tribal leadership.

We talk about the relationship between ecological change and historical narrative, the legacies of environmental thinkers, and how public history can shape our understanding of climate adaptation, land stewardship, and just futures. This conversation is a reminder that forests are more than trees; they're stories, struggles, and visions of what's possible.

Forest History Project (HistoryLink):
https://historylink.org/File/23334

Learn more about Jennifer Ott's work
Olmsted in Seattle: Creating A Park System for a Modern City
Seattle at 150: Stories of the City Through 150 Objects
Waterway: The Story of Seattle's Locks and Ship Canal

This episode features music from The Grey Room / Golden Palms. Find more at:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoOTOoAbEhY-WD_XhkvJBJg

Upcoming Event: Plants as Teachers

I'll be giving a talk on January 28, called Plants as Teachers, Messengers and Climate Partners: Habitat Care and Adaptation in a Warming World, hosted by Tacoma Tree Foundation. As climate change reshapes our ecosystems, ecological restorationist Michael Yadrick invites us to rethink so-called "weeds" as allies in adaptation, revealing how plants respond to stress, guide our land care decisions, and help us imagine better futures. Register here:
https://tacomatreefoundation.org/calendar/plants-as-teachers

Treehugger Podcast is a labor of love. If you'd like to help me cover costs and keep episodes like this one flowing, you can support the show here:

Venmo: @myadrick
PayPal: paypal.me/myadrick
CashApp: $michaelyadrickjr

In this episode, Michael talks with evolutionary biologist and urban ecologist Dr. Elizabeth Carlen about how cities - shaped by war, politics, religion, and everything in between - are evolving alongside the wildlife that calls them home. Liz is an urban evolutionary biologist whose research explores how human social structures, from redlining to sacred groves, shape the genetics, behavior, and survival of city-dwelling creatures like squirrels and pigeons.

We dive into the often-overlooked ways that social histories leave their mark not just on human communities, but on the DNA of the animals that live among us. From prayer animal releases and colonial land grabs to the silent corridors of segregation - era parks, we trace how the built environment (and the power structures behind it) drive biological change.

Together, we explore how urban wildlife, often seen as out-of-place or alien, can actually reveal deep truths about the endurance of life, adaptation, and the stories we tell ourselves about nature in cities. From the sidewalks of New York to the treetops of St. Louis and the birds of Mexico City, this is a rich and fascinating conversation on the entangled evolution of people and animals in the urban jungle.

The Conversation article: War, politics and religion shape wildlife evolution in cities

Dr. Elizabeth Carlen's website: www.elizabethcarlen.com

Nature Cities review article "Legacy effects of religion, politics and war on urban evolutionary biology": https://www.nature.com/articles/s44284-025-00249-3

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In this special episode, we welcome author and storyteller Martin Goodman to explore the extraordinary living story of the Bishnoi people—a community in the Western Thar Desert of India who have made protecting life, in all its forms, their deepest devotion.

Three centuries ago, 363 Bishnoi villagers led by Amrita Devi gave their lives to defend the sacred khejri trees from destruction, speaking the words still taught to Bishnoi children today: "My head for a tree is a cheap price to pay." But the Bishnoi are not just a story of sacrifice from the past—they are still here, still tending, still fighting for the beings and ecosystems that sustain us all.

Martin shares the serendipitous journey that brought him to the Bishnoi, the profound lessons he learned among them, and the creation of his new book, My Head for a Tree: The Extraordinary Story of the Bishnoi, Guardians of Nature. We talk about devotion, care as daily practice, the ecology of love, and what it means to live in relationship with the smallest creatures.

We hope this conversation reminds you:
Love is not only an action. It is also a meditation.
A daily practice of belonging.
A vow, renewed again and again, to defend life-affirming practices.

✨ Highlights include:

• The origin story behind the term "treehugger" and why it still matters today
• The 29 rules of the Bishnoi faith: a life built around ecological care
• The emotional and spiritual legacy of Amrita Devi's sacrifice
• How the Bishnoi resist extractive forces with devotion and fierce tenderness
• Reflections on love as an ecosystem, not just an emotion
• How we can follow the Bishnoi's example without appropriating their sacred ways

🌱 Resources and Links:

📚 Buy My Head for a Tree by Martin Goodman:
Bookshop.org Link

📖 Learn more about Martin Goodman, the author of twelve books of award-winning nonfiction and fiction, including Client Earth and Suffer & Survive. He is emeritus professor of Creative Writing at the University of Hull and the director of the Philip Larkin Centre for Poetry and Creative Writing. Martin lives between Los Angeles and London with his husband, environmentalist and Zen priest James Thornton.

Martin Goodman's Website
Martin Goodman's Substack Letters Home

🌿 Subscribe to Grit & Grove:
Grit & Grove on Substack — my essays and reflections on planetary health, justice and ecological restoration, and imagining better ecological futures.

🎶 Listen to the treehugger podcast lightning songs

🌼 About the My Head for a Tree Co-Contributors:

Ram Niwas Bishnoi Budhnagar is a leading Bishnoi activist, former leader of the Bishnoi Tiger Force, and president of the Youth Congress of Jodhpur. His work continues the Bishnoi tradition of fiercely protecting trees, animals, and ecosystems across Rajasthan and beyond.

💌 If you loved this episode... Please consider sharing it with a friend, a loved one, or someone who might be looking for new ways to imagine care and belonging. You can also support the podcast by subscribing, leaving a review, or simply telling someone, "Hey, this made me think differently about what love can look like." Your listening, your sharing, your tending — it all matters.

Thank you for being here. 🌿

treehugger podcast is 5 years old this month!

In this episode, we sit down with Christopher Brown, author of A Natural History of Empty Lots, to uncover the stories hidden in the overlooked spaces of our cities. Christopher shares his unique perspective on urban landscapes—vacant lots, overgrown alleys, and forgotten corners—revealing the vibrant ecosystems and cultural narratives thriving within them. Drawing on his experience as a speculative fiction writer, he challenges us to rethink the value of these unintentional landscapes and their role in shaping our connection to the wider world.

We discuss themes from his book, including the intersections of biodiversity, ecological restoration, and the unexpected beauty found in urban spaces. Christopher also reflects on how his dystopian fiction background shaped his views on resilience, adaptation, and our responsibility to imagine better futures. Whether you're an urban dweller, a nature enthusiast, or just curious about the life teeming in the margins of your city, this conversation will leave you inspired to see your environment through a new lens.

Links and Resources

• Christopher Brown's Website: christopherbrown.com

• Field Notes: Reports from Edgelands

• Living Planet Index 2024 Report

• Christopher's Book, A Natural History of Empty Lots: Find it here

Connect with Us

• Treehugger Podcast on Instagram: @treehuggerpod

• Twitter: @treehuggerpod

• Facebook: Treehugger Podcast

Music for this episode provided by Kevin Macleod and Go By Ocean

In this podcast episode, the discussion dives into the complexities and nuances of ecosystem monitoring, led by the Dylan Mendenhall's deep experience and passion for the field. He emphasizes the importance of well-defined questions to drive high-quality monitoring efforts, contrasting effective monitoring with what they term "zombie monitoring"—data collection that continues without purpose due to sunk cost fallacies or lack of clear objectives. The conversation spans from traditional techniques like plot-based sampling and transect surveys to advanced molecular methods like eDNA, which may revolutionize the way we monitor microbial life and species presence, such as salmon populations in streams.

Remote sensing tools like LiDAR and Landsat are highlighted for their critical role in capturing landscape-level data, aiding in efforts to monitor urban canopy cover and assess heat disparities in historically under-resourced areas. Dylan stresses the challenges in ecological monitoring, from inconsistent funding—often dependent on short-term grants—to data management, where data hoarding hinders potential collaborations and broader ecological insights. He advocates for partnerships, especially when involving multiple stakeholders with complementary expertise, to foster sustainable, impactful monitoring efforts.

Ultimately, the episode explores both the scientific rigor and the philosophical mindset needed in monitoring, encouraging listeners to consider ecosystems not just as research subjects but as collaborators in knowledge-building. Whether through "thinking like a mountain" or creating detailed conceptual models, we illustrate a holistic approach to monitoring that balances scientific inquiry with a deep respect for the natural world.

Haven Ecology and Research Website

Music for this episode courtesy of The 126ers and Otis McDonald

We explore a fresh perspective on non-native and introduced species. Traditionally viewed as pests or threats to ecosystems, some of these species offer hidden benefits that are often overlooked in conventional pest management frameworks. We dive into the complexities of integrated pest management (IPM), discussing the importance of balancing ecological restoration with justice, health, and livelihoods.

This episode was adapted from a talk originally given to an audience focused on integrated pest management. It encourages listeners to rethink the language we use around non-native species, while offering insights into their potential contributions to ecosystems, medicinal practices, and more.

Key Topics Discussed:

• The impact-focused traditional approach of integrated pest management (IPM)
• The often-overlooked benefits of non-native species
• Political ecology and how power relations influence our views on species
• The relationship between ecological restoration and cultural responsiveness
• Medicinal uses of "weeds" and their place in autonomous healing practices
• How rethinking our language around invasive species can shift our environmental practices

Further Reading and Resources: For those interested in diving deeper into the topics covered in this episode, here are some recommended readings and resources:

1. "Just Language" Project
   Learn more about how changing the language we use around species management can transform our ecological and cultural approaches.
   Visit JustLanguage.org

2. Herbal Astrology Oracle Deck by Anima Mundi and Ayana Ayales
   This oracle deck ties together herbalism, astrology, and ancient wisdom, making connections between plants, their medicinal uses, and astrological influences. A fun, creative way to learn more about the plants discussed in this episode.
   More on Herbal Astrology Oracle

3. "Honorable Harvest" – Robin Wall Kimmerer
   For more on indigenous perspectives, Robin Wall Kimmerer's concept of the Honorable Harvest offers valuable ethical guidelines for interacting with nature.
   Watch her talk on YouTube

4. "Invasive Plant Relations in a Global Pandemic: Caring for a "Problematic Pesto" by Gabrielle Doiran
   This paper explores the tensions surrounding invasive species management and advocates for a justice-centered approach to environmental restoration, incorporating ideas of multispecies entanglements and caring for invasive species.

5. "Valuing the Contributions of Non-Native Species to People and Nature" by Dov Sachs et al.
   A framework that examines both the positive and negative impacts of non-native species on ecosystems, highlighting their contributions to social cohesion, food production, climate change mitigation, and mental health.

Connect with Us: If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a review, subscribing, or sharing it with your friends. Your support helps us continue bringing you insightful conversations on ecological restoration and the healing power of nature.

Follow Us:

Instagram: @treehuggerpod | email: treehuggerpod@gmail.com

Music for this episode courtesy of Adam McDougal and TrackTribe