The World We Want: The NAAEE Podcast

Imagine a world where communities thrive, curiosity sparks change, and hope fuels action. Welcome to The World We Want , the NAAEE podcast that's bringing a better future to life, one inspiring story at a time. Join us as we chat with people across continents and cultures who care about education and the environment—the trailblazers, visionary leaders, and everyday heroes making a difference. Learn more at https://naaee.org/podcast.

The World We Want: The NAAEE Podcast is a education podcast hosted by NAAEE, with 18 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

NAAEE hosts The World We Want: The NAAEE Podcast, a education show with 18 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #17

  Learning Together: Language, Nature, and the Conversations That Shape Us | Dr. Diego Román

  Aug 6, 202658 minS2

  Most of us think of language simply as a way to communicate what we already know. But what if language also shapes what we notice, who feels welcome to participate, and even how we care for the natural world? In this thoughtful conversation, our host Gerry Ellis of GLOBIO speaks with Dr. Diego Román, whose work brings together language, science, and environmental education in ways that are helping reshape how many educators think about learning. Their discussion moves from classrooms to agriculture, curiosity, belonging, and the importance of genuine dialogue. Along the way they explore why knowledge alone rarely changes behavior, how community influences the choices we make, and why nature may be one of the last places where people with different experiences and perspectives can still learn from one another. Rather than offering simple answers, this conversation invites us to consider how listening, respect, and shared experiences might help create the kind of world we all hope to build. Learn more about Diego's work and find related resources for educators on our website > Send us your thoughts! > The World We Want: The NAAEE Podcast is an educational outreach project of the North American Association for Environmental Education ., in partnership with nonprofit GLOBIO . Find us on: Instagram: @thenaaee Facebook: @THENAAEE LinkedIn: @NAAEE YouTube: @thenaaee or Email us at: podcast@naaee.org Thanks for listening, and thanks for sharing The World We Want!

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  Episode #16

  Growing Hope Through Positive Storytelling and Community Action: A Conversation with Crystal DiMiceli

  Jul 15, 202652 minS2

  Many of us care deeply about the future of our planet. But sooner or later, we arrive at the same question: What can I actually do? In this episode of The World We Want , host Gerry Ellis of GLOBIO sits down with environmental educator, conservation communicator, and Forces for Nature host Crystal DiMiceli to explore how hope is built through action, one small step after another. Drawing on experiences from work in Panama and Colombia and years of interviewing conservationists, educators, and community leaders, Crystal reflects on how positive storytelling can help people move beyond feeling overwhelmed and begin making meaningful change in their own communities. Together they discuss: Why hope grows from taking action The role of storytelling in environmental education Helping young people feel empowered rather than overwhelmed Finding local ways to make a difference Building stronger connections to nature The importance of becoming a bridge across different perspectives Crystal also shares the personal journey that led her into conservation, the unexpected moment she realized she truly belonged in the environmental community, and why she believes every individual has the capacity to become a force for nature. At its heart, this conversation explores a simple but powerful idea: Hope isn't something we wait for. It's something we build together. Learn more about Crystal's work and find related resources for educators on our website > Send us your thoughts! > The World We Want: The NAAEE Podcast is an educational outreach project of the North American Association for Environmental Education ., in partnership with nonprofit GLOBIO . Find us on: Instagram: @thenaaee Facebook: @THENAAEE LinkedIn: @NAAEE YouTube: @thenaaee or Email us at: podcast@naaee.org Thanks for listening, and thanks for sharing The World We Want!

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  Episode #15

  Nature Journaling, Curiosity, and Learning to Pay Attention | John Muir Laws

  Jun 17, 202658 minS2

  What does it mean to truly notice the world around us? For naturalist, educator, and nature journaler John Muir Laws—known to many simply as Jack—careful observation is more than a skill. It's a way of building curiosity, deepening understanding, and strengthening our connection to the natural world. In this episode of The World We Want , host Gerry Ellis explores Jack's commitment to helping people learn through direct experience. Through nature journaling, drawing, questioning, and close observation, Jack has inspired educators, students, scientists, artists, and lifelong learners to slow down and engage more deeply with the living communities around them. The conversation explores how observation strengthens learning, why curiosity is a critical part of environmental education, and how paying attention can transform our relationship with nature. Together they discuss: Nature journaling as a tool for learning and discovery Observation, curiosity, and scientific inquiry The relationship between art and science Environmental education through direct experience Building stronger connections to place and nature Why attention is one of the foundations of care At its heart, this conversation asks a simple but powerful question: What might change if we learned to see the natural world more carefully? Learn more about John's work and find related resources for educators on our website > Send us your thoughts! > The World We Want: The NAAEE Podcast is an educational outreach project of the North American Association for Environmental Education ., in partnership with nonprofit GLOBIO . Find us on: Instagram: @thenaaee Facebook: @THENAAEE LinkedIn: @NAAEE YouTube: @thenaaee or Email us at: podcast@naaee.org Thanks for listening, and thanks for sharing The World We Want!

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  Episode #14

  Building Opportunity from the Ground Up: Community and Environment on Chicago’s South Side | Quilen Blackwell

  May 20, 20261h 2mS2

  A lot of conversations about the environment focus on distant places—forests, oceans, and wildlife. But for many people, the environment is much closer: the neighborhood around them, the vacant lot down the street, the air they breathe, and the spaces where children grow up and play. In this episode of NAAEE’s The World We Want , host GLOBIO ’s Gerry Ellis speaks with Quilen Blackwell, founder of Southside Blooms and Chicago Eco House , about reimagining what environmental work can look like in urban communities. Over the past fifteen years, Quilen has worked on Chicago’s South Side transforming vacant lots into flower farms, creating jobs for young people, and building a model that connects community development, environmental stewardship, and economic opportunity. Drawing from his experiences growing up in Wisconsin, serving in the Peace Corps in Thailand, and working in Chicago’s Englewood neighborhood, Quilen reflects on how place shapes perspective—and how reconnecting people to land, even in unexpected places, can create meaningful change. This conversation explores: How environmental work can begin at the neighborhood level The connection between land, opportunity, and community well-being What it means to create pathways for young people through meaningful work How small, local efforts can grow into larger systems of change At its core, this episode asks a simple but powerful question: What if the environment we care for begins right where we live? Learn more about Quilen's work and find related resources for educators on our website > Send us your thoughts! > The World We Want: The NAAEE Podcast is an educational outreach project of the North American Association for Environmental Education ., in partnership with nonprofit GLOBIO . Find us on: Instagram: @thenaaee Facebook: @THENAAEE LinkedIn: @NAAEE YouTube: @thenaaee or Email us at: podcast@naaee.org Thanks for listening, and thanks for sharing The World We Want!

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  Episode #13

  Noticing the Natural World | Poetry, Curiosity, and Environmental Education with Aimee Nezhukumatathil

  Apr 16, 202658 minS2

  What does it mean to really notice the world around us? In this episode of The World We Want , host Gerry Ellis speaks with poet and nature writer Aimee Nezhukumatathil about curiosity, attention, and the role that observation plays in environmental education and our relationship with the natural world. Aimee’s work explores the connections between poetry, science, nature, and memory, and how naming plants, animals, and landscapes helps us build a deeper connection to the places where we live. Her latest book, Night Owl , looks at the natural world after dark and invites readers to slow down, listen, and rediscover a sense of wonder and curiosity about the living world around them. This conversation explores the quiet heart of environmental education—not just learning facts about the environment, but learning how to pay attention, how to ask questions, and how to remain curious about the world throughout our lives. We talk about nature writing, teaching, curiosity, naming species, childhood wonder, and how observation can lead to care, connection, and lifelong learning. This episode is about noticing, curiosity, poetry, and our shared relationship with the living world. Learn more about Aimee and find relevant resources for educators on our website > Send us your thoughts! > The World We Want: The NAAEE Podcast is an educational outreach project of the North American Association for Environmental Education ., in partnership with nonprofit GLOBIO . Find us on: Instagram: @thenaaee Facebook: @THENAAEE LinkedIn: @NAAEE YouTube: @thenaaee or Email us at: podcast@naaee.org Thanks for listening, and thanks for sharing The World We Want!

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