We envision a resilient world dependent on the thoughtful cultivation of plants

Episode II: Plants Responding to Climate Change with Tom Kaye

Topics: Drought and Fire Resilience

Garden Futurist

Episode II: Plants Responding to Climate Change with Tom Kaye

00:00 / 00:21:12

“And when I say ecosystem function, I mean, functions that are important for human survival. This is not just because I think ecology is cool and native plants are neat, but I think I want a world where my children and my grandchildren will survive.” – Tom Kaye

We are talking about how wild plant populations are responding to climate change and what humans, both ecologists, and home gardeners, might do to encourage healthy and diverse ecosystems.

Tom Kaye is the executive director at the Institute for Applied Ecology in Corvallis, Oregon where his team is working to conserve native species of plants and animals, and doing ecosystem restorations.

This episode was sponsored by:

GARDEN FUTURIST

A show about innovative thinkers contributing to a climate resilient future through the power of gardens.

Produced and hosted by Sarah Beck, Adriana Lopez, and Adrienne St Claire

Edited and directed by Kelsey Skonberg

Sarah Beck is the executive director of Pacific Horticulture.

Adriana López-Villalobos currently lives in Vancouver, British Columbia where she works as Curatorial Coordinator for the UBC Botanical Garden. She is originally from Mexico, where she completed her BSC and MSc, studying plant ecology and mating systems evolution, before migrating to Canada to pursue a PhD focusing on the genetics of species across their geographic ranges.

Adrienne St. Clair is a botanist working with Metro, a regional government in Portland, Oregon where her work spans conservation to restoration. Adrienne managed a native plant nursery for almost a decade before pursuing a graduate degree. She received her Master’s in Plant Biology and Conservation from Northwestern University and Chicago Botanic Garden where she studied the effect of horticulture techniques on native-plant genetics.

Kelsey Skonberg is a Community-Centered Video and Podcast Editor and Science Journalist in Everett, WA.