Airs Wed., Feb. 19, 6 p.m. Renewable energy sources are one of the fastest growing industries in the U.S., especially visible in Texas and Louisiana. This is great for reducing carbon emissions and stimulating the economy but not without environmental impacts. In this episode of Conserving Earth, host Janice Bezanson, Senior Policy Director for Texas Conservation Alliance, welcomes Doug Lewin, author of the Texas Energy and Power Newsletter, host of the Energy Capital Podcast, and founder of Stoic Energy Consulting. They’ll discuss the drivers that are leading to rapid growth of renewables, in particular solar farms, and the benefits and problems of this rapid growth.

Wed., January 15, 2025, at 6 p.m. On this Conserving Earth, Beaux Jones, President and CEO of The Water Institute, discusses their mission and purpose with host Rebecca Triche. The Water Institute is located in Baton Rouge and provides research and policy guidance for communities, businesses and agencies managing ecosystems or infrastructure in Louisiana and other Gulf coast states. Much of their research focuses on water management, including riverine, coastal and deltaic systems. Learn how they assist in planning for future hazards and risks, why the institute was created, and how their research is adding to Louisiana's leadership in coastal and water management.

Airs December 18, 2024Louisiana and Texas rank 4th and 5th in the nation in terms of having the most wetlands. However, it’s estimated that half of our wetlands have already been lost. Laura-Ashley Overdyke of the Caddo Lake Institute, talks to Dr. Rachel Fern, the Statewide Wetland Program Manager for Texas Parks and Wildlife, about our unique and irreplaceable wetlands.

From pine forests to coastal marshes, Louisiana citizens enjoy being outdoors and value conservation of our land, water and wildlife. Louisiana Outdoors Forever is a new program that provides matching funds for conservation projects. Louisiana has been missing out on a lot of opportunities for conservation work and funding has gone to other states, but not anymore. On this episode of Conserving Earth, host Rebecca Triche talks with Karen Gautreaux from the Nature Conservancy Louisiana about Louisiana Outdoors Forever and how you can help.

It’s Fall and while nature may look less green, this is actually a good time to transplant or plant your garden or backyard with native plants. Volunteers Heather Warner-Finley, Lawrence Rozas, Jackie Duncan, and Linda Auld provide advice and resources about native plant gardening and improving butterfly habitat. Learn what organizations in Louisiana are doing to promote native plants to benefit wildlife on the next Conserving Earth on November 20th at 6pm.

On the next Conserving Earth, learn how the the Emerald Ash Borer, a nonnative beetle, is infecting ash trees in southeastern forests and has been found in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas. We’re also celebrating the 60 year anniversary of the Land and Water Conservation Fund and how it has funded many of the parks and natural areas we enjoy today. Join us for the next Conserving Earth on August 21 at 6pm.Hosted by Rebecca Triche

Airs Wed., Oct. 16, 6 p.m. Zoos are fun places to go to learn about animals from all over the world. But did you know that zoos are also heavily engaged in conservation? Join us tonight at 6 p.m. on Conserving Earth for a behind-the-scenes look at what zoos do to conserve wildlife, both in the United States and around the world. Ben Jones, Vice President for Conservation and Education at the Houston Zoo, tells about pygmy elephants in Asia (they’re still pretty big!), tamarins in South America, breeding Houston toads, prairie chickens close to home, and a host of other wildlife and special programs.

Airs Wed., July 17, 6 p.m. We’ve all heard Louisiana referred to as Sportsmen’s Paradise. But much of that paradise is disappearing, with wetlands in the Mississippi Delta eroding away at a rate of a football-field-sized parcel every 100 minutes. These problems are occurring not just along the Louisiana coast but along all the Gulf of Mexico, from the Texas coast to Florida.In this month’s edition of Conserving Earth, we’ll be talking about how to keep Sportsman’s Paradise from becoming a vanishing paradise. Host Janice Bezanson, Senior Policy Director for Texas Conservation Alliance, welcomes Bill Cooksey, Senior Sportsman Outreach Coordinator for the National Wildlife Federation program Vanishing Paradise. They’ll be joining to talk about efforts to stop that coastal erosion and save this amazing resource.

On this month’s edition of Conserving Earth, host Janice Bezanson, Senior Policy Director for Texas Conservation Alliance, welcomes Melanie Ferguson, Director of the Dallas Water Commons, and actor-author-activist David Marquis, who has written and performed one-man plays about nature and is producing a trilogy of books on how water fits into our lives.

On this month’s Conserving Earth, Janice Bezanson talks with talented wildlife filmmaker Ben Masters of Fin and Fur Films. Ben and Janice talk about how natural history filmmaking can be used to influence conservation of iconic species and help people learn to coexist with the wildlife in our world. Ben’s feature-length films, such as Deep in the Heart, and his numerous shorter pieces, chronicle key wildlife successes and highlight ways to protect the healthy ecosystems that support both people and wildlife. Red River Radio listeners can view the amazing cinematography and wildlife action shots of Ben and his team at https://www.finandfurfilms.com/.