Episodes 121-130



Episode 121 - Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are back with a brand new episode of The Buzz.  Fran and Tom start off the episode with a little housekeeping before a new round of "That's Hot" & "This or That" that have Tom and Fran biting off more than they can chew while "Take it or Leaf it" turns out to be a much larger topic then they realized. Find out the details on the next Native Plants Healthy Planet live Podcast Event.  Music by RJ Comer. 





Episode 122 - Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick connect with Terry Doss (Co-Director of Meadowlands Research & Restoration Institute) from The New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. Topics include the history of the NJSEA as well as the Meadowlands of NJ.  Also discussed are the importance and diversity of the Meadowlands, the research being done in this grassland ecosystem, as well as what the future holds for the The Meadowlands. Terry describes her road to finding what she wanted to be. Music by Egocentric Plastic Men.

Follow The NJSEA - Website 





Episode 123 - Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are back with a brand new episode of The Buzz.  There is a lot of housekeeping this week before a new round of "That's Hot".  A new "This or That" spills over into "Take it or Leaf it". "Grow Read A Book" takes us into circle time. Find out the details on the next Native Plants Healthy Planet live Podcast Event.  Music by RJ Comer. 





Episode 124 - Tom Knezick flies solo in a new feature called the Secret Tapes.  Tom goes out in the field for a Moth Night with Blaine Rothhauser, Bill Young, and Steve Knezick.  Why Moths?  First, they're pretty cool.  Second, they are a great reflection of the health of your habitat.  There are thousands of different types of moths, and while many are generalist feeding species, some are specialists.  Certain moths will only feed as caterpillars on walnuts, or cottonwoods, or another single genus.  This means that the presence of certain moths mean that you have certain species of plants in the area.  It was an awesome night with awesome friends, and we know you're sure to enjoy the conversation. Music by RJ Comer. 





Episode 125 - Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are back with a brand new episode of The Buzz.  There is a lot of housekeeping this week before a new round of "That's Hot". "This or That" debates the reasons for doing the right thing.  "Take it or Leaf it" gets a little complicated. In a surprise twist, "Grow Read A Book" is not a book. Find out the details on the next Native Plants Healthy Planet live Podcast Event.  Are you listening all the way to the end for our secrets?  Music by RJ Comer. 




 
Episode 126 - Tom is in Louisville at the Eastern Native Grassland Symposium.  He sits down with two fan favorites, Shannon Trimboli from Backyard Ecology and Southeastern Grasslands Institute and Kyle Lybarger from Native Habitat Project.  They discuss how they started spreading the message of native plants, meeting for the first time in person, their thoughts on cultivars, and how they garden at home.  Music by RJ Comer. 

Follow Native Habitat Project - Website / Facebook Instagram / YouTube / TikTok / Patreon
Follow Backyard Ecology - Website / Facebook / YouTube / Patreon




 
Episode 127 - Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are back with a brand new episode of The Buzz.  There is a lot of housekeeping this week before a new round of "That's Hot". "This or That" tackles invasives and climate change while "Take it or Leaf it" involves hiking courtesy. Find out the details on the next Native Plants Healthy Planet live Podcast Event.  Are you listening all the way to the end for our secrets?  Tom and Fran get way off topic.  Music by RJ Comer. 



 
 
Episode 128 - 
Welcome to Rooted Discussions, our roundtable conversations featuring top minds in the field of the topic at hand. On this episode, hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are joined Aimee Code (Pesticide Program Director) and Sharon Selvaggio (Pesticide Program Specialist Parks, Nurseries & Natural Areas Lead) of the Xerces Society. Conversations include a recently published study about milkweed plants purchased from retail nurseries across the country and the pesticides found in these plants, how these pesticides may affect Monarchs, what this study means, and how to conduct purchasing native plants. Music by Andorra.

Follow The Xerces Society - Website / Facebook / Twitter

Are Plants Sold as Pollinator-Friendly also Pollinator-Safe? The Case of Milkweed and How to Help





Episode 129 - Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick are back with a brand new episode of The Buzz.  How did the live podcast go?  Find out here.  There is a new round of "That's Hot" this episode. "This or That" revisits Hawaii and also discusses native fruits. Tom and Fran revisit the Milkweed Contamination Conundrum and share their thoughts on the topic.  Are you listening all the way to the end for our secrets? Music by RJ Comer. 


 
 
 

Episode 130 - Hosts Fran Chismar and Tom Knezick bring The Native Plants Healthy Planet Podcast to a live audience for the first time ever hosted by the Hudson County Chapter of The Native Plant Society of New Jersey at The Nature's Park Café in James Braddock Park in Bergen County! Tom and Fran reconnect with Dr. Randi Eckel from Toadshade Wildflower Farm to discuss Randi's journey through ecology.  Also discussed is the importance of The Native Plant Society and Randi outlines some of her favorite native plants. The panel takes live questions from audience members for the first time.  Music by Egocentric Plastic Men.

Follow Toadshade Wildflower Farm - Website / Facebook 
Follow The NPSNJ - Website / Facebook / Twitter / Flickr