Speak Environment
Speak Environment
Cierra Dawson
Speak Environment is a podcast hosted by Cierra Dawson, an aspiring ecologist. Cierra is a graduate of Oregon State University with a B.S. in Environmental Science and a specialization in Applied Ecology. She is currently working in the nonprofit sector. Through social media, she is practicing accessible environmental education with her skills in technical writing, verbal and written communication, and graphic design. The SE Podcast is for you if you like learning about All Things Environment.
Soil Health, Food Sustainability, and Environmental Justice with Sage Fairman
In today's episode, I sit down with Sage Fairman from the Oregon Climate & Agriculture Network (OrCAN). Sage is the Program Manager of OrCAN, and she specializes in regenerative agriculture, bilingual farm business support, and farmworker advocacy. Our discussion centered around soil health, sustainability in agriculture, and environmental justice through the lens of food systems. This episode is a great starting point for learning about the principles of soil health, so let's learn!For more resources, visit the OrCAN website at oregonclimateag.org. ¿Hablas español? Visita oregonclimateag.org/en-espanol.Visit the Speak Environment website for a complete list of resources used in today's episode (NEW website design!)The music for the episode is Hopeful Journey by Scott Holmes.
May 31, 2025
28 min
MINISODE: The Problem with Invasive Annual Grasses
Welcome to the first mini-episode (minisode) of the Speak Environment Podcast! I have been busy at work behind the scenes reimagining and getting ready to revamp the show, including starting to make short-form videos for Instagram and TikTok! This is the first of more minisodes to come. With that being said, let's talk about the problem with invasive annual grasses.Visit the Speak Environment website for a complete list of resources used in today's episode (NEW website design!)The music for the episode is "Hopeful Journey" by Scott Holmes.
May 25, 2025
4 min
The Endangered Species Act in Less Than 20 Minutes
December 28th, 2024 marks the 51st anniversary of the Endangered Species Act of 1973. As such, this is an ideal time to reflect on the history of such a landmark piece of legislation. So today, we're breaking down the Endangered Species Act Crash Course style in under 20 minutes. Visit the Speak Environment website for a complete list of resources used in today's episode. The music for the episode is "Hopeful Journey" by Scott Holmes.
Dec 28, 2024
17 min
War and the Environment: Lessons From Palestine, Congo, and Sudan
Today’s episode explores the intersections of war and its impact on the environment using contemporary conflicts across Palestine/Israel, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Sudan. 2023 brought about the beginning of horrific wars and humanitarian crises in the Middle East and Africa. This episode explores these crises and how they are impacting the air, land, and water in each place. Disclaimer: This episode is not entirely objective. Nor is it a comprehensive deep dive into the history of these locations and the root causes of each conflict. For further reading/listening please see these interactive infographics. Or, visit the Speak Environment blog for links and downloads for all reference materials used in today's episode. Intro/outro music is provided by Scott Homes under a free Creative Commons License https://scottholmesmusic.com/
Feb 2, 2024
32 min
Sustainable Forest Management: A Case Study on the McDonald-Dunn Research Forest with Hunter Grove
In today’s episode, I speak with Hunter Grove to explore the topic of sustainable forest management. Hunter is a current Oregon State University student focused on advocating for the sustainable management of the McDonald-Dunn research forest in Corvallis, Oregon. Today’s episode is pretty place-specific, but even if you’re not an Oregonian or an OSU student, there is valuable information about forest biodiversity, environmental justice, and traditional ecological knowledge/forestry practices!  Websites mentioned in today's episode: Friends of OSU Old Growth Website: https://friendsofosuoldgrowth.org/ Future of the McDonald Dunn Forest Website: https://tlc5103.wixsite.com/mcddfuture  Instagram page ran by Hunter Grove (@futureofmcdonald_dunn_osu): https://www.instagram.com/futureofmcdonald_dunn_osu/  Visit the Speak Environment blog for links and downloads for all reference material used in today's episode: https://bit.ly/3I6JCsN  All music is provided by Scott Holmes under a free Creative Commons License: https://scottholmesmusic.com/
Feb 15, 2023
24 min
When a Wildland Firefighter Turns Plant Nursery Supervisor with Jeremy Ojua
Have you ever met someone and felt like you wanted to buy them a coffee and just...talk? That's how I felt about today's podcast guest, Jeremy Ojua. Jeremy is (in his own words), a snowboarder-turned-firefighter-turned-native-plant-nursery-supervisor. Or in other words, he's a well-rounded person that knows something about...everything? In today's episode, Jeremy and I talk about the existential crisis that is your early 20s, finding your path in the environmental field, the pros and cons of seasonal jobs, the importance of nature immersion experiences for youth, and an interesting encounter he had with a black bear. See more of Jeremy's photography: https://www.instagram.com/ojuaphoto/  Speak Environment on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakenvironmentpodcast/ Visit the Speak Environment blog for links and downloads for all reference material used in today's episode: https://speakenvironment.wordpress.com/ All music is provided by Scott Holmes under a free Creative Commons License: https://scottholmesmusic.com/
Nov 28, 2022
27 min
Ask a Sustainability Grad: All Things Sustainability with Alli Wodar (Earth Minded)
In today's episode, I speak with Alli Wodar from the Earth Minded Podcast about all things sustainability. Alli graduated from the University of Florida in 2021 with a B.A. Sustainability Studies and a minor in Geography. I ask her all about how her interest in sustainability began, what her undergraduate was like, and what she's up to now that she's on the other side of Commencement. If you're graduating from college soon and are looking for post-graduate advice, this is the episode for you. Check out Alli's podcast Earth Minded: https://linktr.ee/earthmindedd Find Earth Minded on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earthmindedd/ Speak Environment on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakenvironmentpodcast/ Visit the Speak Environment blog for links and downloads for all reference material used in today's episode: https://speakenvironment.wordpress.com/ All music is provided by Scott Holmes Music under a free Creatives Commons license: https://scottholmesmusic.com
Feb 4, 2022
19 min
Phenology: It's All About Timing!
Have you ever wondered what corals, oak trees, and chickadees have in common? In today's episode, we explore the concept of phenology, or the scientific study of natural cycles. We talk about how the annual spawning event of Australia's Great Barrier Reef, pollen and allergy season in oak trees, and how a cute little bird with a funny name is experiencing a big problem. It's all in about timing! Visit the Speak Environment blog for links and downloads for all reference material used in today's episode: https://bit.ly/3Ja1NNY  All music is provided by Scott Holmes Music under a free Creatives Commons license: https://scottholmesmusic.com
Dec 20, 2021
23 min
Climate Anxiety, Imposter Syndrome, Gender Inclusivity & More with Julia Szpor (Being Better)
A grab bag episode and conversation with Julia Szpor from the Being Better podcast. In today's episode, Julia and I discuss a variety of topics from naming imposter syndrome in podcasting/life as young women doing important work, the importance of gender inclusivity in sustainability and other environmental efforts, combatting climate anxiety (which is only getting worse), and a lot more.  Check out the Being Better podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7MnZYYACmVKM4SAD3gKYeW Find Being Better on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beingbetter.pod/ Speak Environment on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakenvironmentpodcast/
Oct 7, 2021
47 min
Defining Environmental Sustainability
Hi everyone! In today's episode, we explore the academic realm of environmental sustainability. What is it actually? Who coined that term? What is the global community doing to implement it? This podcast was recorded as a final project for an Environmental Writing course I completed this past spring term at Oregon State University (WR 462 in OSU language). My hope is that you learn something about sustainability as I did! Academic sources cited during this podcast: Constanza & Patten, Commentary, Defining and predicting sustainability (1994) (https://doi.org/10.1016/0921-8009(95)00048-8) Robert Goodland, Commentary, The Concept of Environmental Sustainability (1995). (Published in JSTOR Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, Volume 26 1995 https://are.berkeley.edu/courses/ARE298/Readings/goodland.pdf) Moldan et al., How to understand and measure environmental sustainability: Indicators and targets (2012) (Published in Elsevier Ecological Indicators Volume 17 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2011.04.033) All music is provided by Scott Holmes Music under a free Creatives Commons license: https://scottholmesmusic.com
Jun 30, 2021
28 min
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