Kindred

We are dropping in to say thank you to our guests, our listeners, and our mighty little team.  We appreciate that we are able to do this podcast because of all of YOU! We also talk about our overall take-aways from this season, and what's coming next for Season 5! We'll be back in October so look out for our drop announcement then! Lots of Love.

In this week’s episode, we speak with Dr. Mathias Osvath, Cognitive Zoologist at Lund University about all things corvids and specifically the raven. We’ve known how smart these birds are but, um, did not realize HOW smart! You will never look at a crow, magpie, jay, nutcracker, jackdaw, rook, or raven (all corvids) the same after listening to this conversation. 

Thank you to Dr. Osvath for taking a super brainy subject and breaking it down for us on Kindred so that we can understand how and why corvids are so intelligent. And the part where he talks about a baby raven practicing their little raven croak in a corner by themselves?….Unbearably cute. Plus many more incredible anecdotes.

Lots of Love

Kindred is hosted by Kate Coffin and Jenn Asplundh.

In this week’s episode, we speak with Dr. Wai-Ming Wong, the director of small cat conservation science for the organization Panthera. Dr. Wong introduces us to only a few of the 33 small wild cat species (there’s a fishing cat?!?) and breaks down why we know so little about them! We love learning about the little ones out there, and it turns out these small creatures have BIG lives and personalities. 

Grateful to Dr. Wong for explaining why small wild cats are so important and why, often, it's these types of animals that are a real barometer for the health of an ecosystem and a gauge on the state of climate change. We are so charmed by these two-and-a-half-pound cats, and who wouldn’t be with a kill rate of 60%! Not many animals can boast that! And maybe don’t let your house cats listen…they might get jealous.

Lots of Love.

In this week’s episode, we speak with Rachel Gardner, the conservation translocation officer for the executive agency Forestry England, about her job in species reintroductions. 

Rachel takes us on a walk  back in time into England’s ancient forests and shows us what the future of forests and the landscape could look like. She talks about her work in species reintroductions and recovery projects with their Forest Wilding Programs, and the delicate but critical balance that’s needed to restore the health and diversity of forests and landscapes across the island of England. Forestry England says that “measuring and monitoring change” should be the bedrock of the larger plan and looking well into the future and what can be established now is critical to a successful plan.

You could call this episode “Forests & Fairytales” after listening to Rachel tell the story of England’s forests over time. There is something magical there, and saving these spaces of ancient beauty not only for us but for the creatures that live there is worth the incredible effort that Forestry England is making.

A fairy tale worth telling for centuries to come.

Lots of Love

In this week’s episode, we speak with Matt Rader, the President of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. We dig deep into environmental justice and what it means for people to have access to green spaces and the many positive effects it has not only on the aesthetic of a city but the many mental, physical, social, and overall health benefits.  We’ve been wanting to cover this for a long time and Matt beautifully walks us through what environmental justice is, how it affects all of us, and the many models and programs PHS has put into effect to give Philadelphia access, experience, and a deeper and healthier connection to nature. 

We are so grateful to PHS and Matt Rader for his time, heart, and absolute dedication to getting Philly more access, agency, and connection to all things green. 

Lots of Love.

In this week’s episode, we speak with wildlife photographer Meaghan Garrahan. Meaghan talks to us about why she got into wildlife photography, what it means to her, and what she hopes to offer not only us but the world she captures. Two things stand out about Meaghan’s work. One is the detail, intensity, and mood that her images hold, and two, the fact that this is a relatively recent focus for her.  One of her most powerful images is that of a keen-eyed golden eagle, quiet and powerful, emerging in flight from a cloud of mist. Within this image holds a similar energy Meaghan carries through her lens. Find her Instagram account @meagahan and look out for her image of the little fox, watching the sunset on the beautiful sandy dunes of Cape Cod. You’ll get what I mean.  Lots of Love

In this week’s episode, we speak with wolf researcher, interpreter, and award-winning author, Rick McIntyre. Wolves are one of our favorite beings to talk about and to be able to speak with Rick about them is an honor and an absolute joy.

In 1996, wolves were relocated from Canada to Yellowstone National Park and thus began the Wolf Reintroduction Project. What would follow would not only greatly impact the park and wolf conservation, but the incredible story of these wolves would travel across the world, enamoring hundreds of thousands of travelers to Yellowstone, and changing the way we see wolves and their families forever.

Rick captures the trials and tribulations of pack life, doggedly documenting the growing packs in a detailed account while witnessing them for years upon years, which ultimately resulted in the book series Alpha Wolves of Yellowstone.

It is because of the extraordinary work he did with the Wolf Project that he became known as “The Wolf Interpreter.”

Thanks so much for listening and sharing. Lots of Love.

In this week's episode, we speak with Dr. Andy Suarez, head of the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign on all things ants. Although we didn't get a chance to cover all 15,000 different species of ants, Dr. Suarez takes us underground into the life of ants, how they operate, and what an absolutely critical part they play in all our ecosystems. Dr. Suarez highlights not only how critical they are to the health of our planet, but also what the study of ants' biology and behavior are contributing to us humans.  It's truly the tiny ones that we take the most for granted that make the world go round. That is if you believe a two-inch ant that looks like it's a dinosaur ant is tiny!

In this week's episode, we are checking in with Dr. Kate Stafford about the state of the Arctic. Dr. Stafford talks about her latest trip back and what's been going on with the Bowhead whale in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, north and northwest of Alaska. Dr. Stafford talks about the rapid pace of the melting ice, and the impact this is making not only to the sweet Bowhead whale but to the Inupiaq people of Alaska. It's a chilling recounting of what she is seeing out on the melting ice. We are left with more questions than answers but one thing we know, the Bowhead whales are in trouble. We last spoke with Dr. Stafford in our previous episode #11 called The Song Birds of the Ocean. Please listen to that conversation if you haven't already. Lots of Love.

In this week's conversation, we speak with Tracy Wilson, the Nevada State Director for American Wild Horse Campaign (AWHC) on a critical subject we knew little to nothing about the wild Mustangs and Burros of the West and North Western United States. She walks us through their challenges, the critical edge they live on, and why we must save this iconic historical animal. AWHC believes "There Is A Better Way" to work with supporting and managing these beautiful and powerful animals through programs like their fertility control, or PZP (Porcine Zona Pellucida) the largest program of its kind in the world today. However, brutal and inhumane management via roundups by helicopter still remains the method of corralling the horses and burros, creating chaos, injury, extreme stress, and death. We also believe there is a better way. And we find out what that is, and what we owe these animals that long to live wild and free on our American landscape.

Welcome back to Season 4 of The Kindred Podcast! We are so excited for this next season. We continue to explore the intricate and interdependent relationship that humans have with animals and the environment. And we dig deeper into how we are not above but equal to the Natural world. And through our conversations with people who make this their life work, we work to inspire a new consciousness in all of us in order to repair our relationship with the natural world. Our conversations take us to ecosystems around the world and we can't wait for you to come along. Enjoy, and be inspired! Lots of Love, Kate & Jenn

Kindred is hosted by Kate Coffin and Jenn Asplundh.

We’ve asked Shawn Heinrichs to drop in and walk us through what has happened at a few of the big conventions, like COP 15, COP 27, and CITES, as far as what concrete action has been implemented in support of slowing climate change and specifically in context to protecting the high seas and marine wildlife. He gives us the reality check we all need, and more importantly how our oceans and the beings that live in them are desperately trying to survive in a brutal climate of indiscriminate fishing and our human “out of sight, out of mind” perspective.

In this week's episode, we speak with Rebby Sebei, conservationist and manager at Ruko Wildlife Conservancy.  Rebby talks about her work uniting two warring communities and how through saving the endangered Rothschild's Giraffes, land, and a deeply divided community, can be restored and healed. It's a beautiful story of how the giraffe became a sign of peace and hope.

In this week's conversation, we speak with Tony Incashola Jr., forest manager for CSKT (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes), and Stephanie Gillin, information and education program manager and former wildlife biologist for the CSKT at the Flathead Indian Reservation.

Tony and Stephanie walk us through the history of fire and what it means to their tribes and how the criminalization of their fire practices not only impacted the health of the landscape but significantly changed how fire affects the land, ecosystems, and people of Montana and the general western part of the United States.

In this week's conversation, we speak with Dr. Kelly Slattery of Home & Shore Vet about grief in specific context to the non-human members of our families.

Grief and losing a loved one, human or non-human, is something nearly all of us have experienced and we feel the topic of grief is a really important one to cover and one that is often shied away from because, well, it's a tough subject.

But Kelly walked with us through this whole conversation with grace and a deep understanding of the beautiful bond we have with our pets, and why it's so hard to lose them. We're so grateful to Kelly for her kindness and the grounded space she created for this episode.

We are dedicating this episode to not only the loved ones we have lost, but to the people who are going through a tough time. We hope you feel seen and heard and maybe not so alone.

Lots of Love.

In this week's conversation, we speak with Dr. Elaine Ostrander about all things dogs and why they look like they do. In layman's terms, Dr. Ostrander explains how dogs don't often look like their closest genetic relatives, the wolf. She answers the long standing question and for us the mystery, of how Freddy the Great Dane doesn't look like Franky the Dachshund. We might even have those fancy Victorians to thank for it.

This episode consists of Part 1 & Part 2.

In this week's conversation, we speak with Ecologist Monica Gagliano about her groundbreaking research with plants in context to perception, learning, memory, cognition, and intelligence. Her work opens a new awareness of how we perceive the plant world and challenges traditional thinking about plant and animal intelligence, and how we might connect on a much deeper level than we ever thought. We hear about the patient little Mimosa plant, or Sensitive plant, and how they learn, remember and react.

In this week's conversation, we speak with Ecologist Monica Gagliano about her groundbreaking research with plants in context to perception, learning, memory, cognition, and intelligence. Her work opens a new awareness of how we perceive the plant world and challenges traditional thinking about plant and animal intelligence, and how we might connect on a much deeper level than we ever thought. We hear about the patient little Mimosa plant, or Sensitive plant, and how they learn, remember and react.

In this week's conversation, we speak with Itsaso Velez del Burgo about her work at the Lwiro Primate Rehabilitation Center in the Democratic Republic of Congo rescuing and rehabilitating chimps and other vulnerable species. She talks to us about how the devastating effects of extreme poverty and hunger lead to poaching and the trauma that echoes through the chimpanzees and their families. We hear her intimate account of what little baby chimps go through when they are taken from their killed mothers and what a life resulting from the illegal selling of our closest relatives looks like. 

In this week's conversation, we speak with Ph.D. Student Shelly Eshleman about the incredible journey migrating birds take every year. Shelly talks about her ongoing research and her work at Willistown Conservation Trust tracking migrating birds along the East Coast of the United States with the MOTUS Avian system. We get a peek into the long and sometimes dangerous journey of migrating birds, and the little backpacks they take along the way.

In this week's episode, we speak with Dr. May Berenbaum on all things insects and her work focusing on interactions between insects and plants and the intricate reciprocal relationship they have with each other, some of which is focused on honey bees. Dr. Berenbaum walks us through a field of information highlighting the extraordinary way bugs keep our world clean, and fruitful, and full of all the good things like flowers and honey.

In this week's episode, we speak with Dr. Kristyn Vitale, whose work focuses on companion animal behavior, specifically cat social cognition, cat behavior, and human-cat interaction. Kristyn walks us through why cats can be misunderstood and how we can understand them better, and busting myths that have persisted for far too long. Turns out Spot and Fido aren't the only ones who can be taught how to sit, stay, and roll over!

Welcome back to Season 3 of Kindred! We are so excited to be back and sharing more great conversations. Look out for us wherever you listen to podcasts because we have excellent content coming your way. Thanks for listening and please share Kindred with your friends and family and strangers! 

Lots of Love! Kate & Jenn

Kindred is hosted by Kate Coffin and Jenn Asplundh.

In this week's episode, we speak with Sterling "Trap King" Davis about his non-profit organization, Trap King Humane Cat Solutions, doing 'T-N-R' (Trap, Neuter, Return) in communities around the Atlanta area and the country, working to help support and control cat colonies. We take a deep dive into how he is working to break down stereotypes about cats, and those who work with them, in the white, black, and brown communities with the goal of bringing diversity and a new understanding to cat welfare.

In this week's episode, Kate & Jenn look back on Season 2 and talk about what their big takeaways were, and how each conversation with guests impacted them.

We are so grateful to each guest for the time and care they gave to us this season. The knowledge, depth of understanding, and connection they have to the topics we covered are so inspiring and enabled us to go places and gain new awarenesses we would not be able to get otherwise.

See you all next season! Lot's of Love!

Kate, Jenn, & Kat

New episodes drop every other Tuesday morning (EST).

Kindred is hosted by Kate Coffin and Jenn Asplundh.

In this week's episode, we speak with Willa Powless, a member at large on the Klamath Tribes Council from Oregon about how "land back" is a beginning to heal broken hearts and what land means to her and her tribes. Jenn and Kate were honored to speak with Willa and learn about the deep connection and obligation she feels to land, and how that connection stretches back to the time of her tribes' creation story.

In this week's episode, we speak with Rebby Sebei, conservationist and manager of Ruko Wildlife Conservancy. Rebby talks about her work uniting two warring communities and how through saving the endangered Rothschild's giraffes land and a deeply divided community can be restored and healed. A beautiful story of how giraffes became a sign of peace.

In this week's episode, Kate and Jenn have an open discussion with writer and author (and brother) Justin Coffin on the history and power of language. We talk about how language is used in science and media and why we think it's important to understand how it can give or take away agency and power and a deeper understanding of animals and nature. We aren't looking to answer questions or issues, but to open up a dialogue about how we speak in order to better support the natural world.

In this week's episode, we speak with Jr Ranger Vongani Masingi of the Black Mambas, the all-women's anti poaching unit, and Lewyn Maefala, education officer of the Bush Babies, Environmental Education Program. We talk all about what it's like working in the bush and in the local communities in order to combat poaching and at the same time educate these same communities and schools in and around Kruger, South Africa. A joy and honor speaking with these two incredible women about how and why they came to break boundaries and make history in their communities and country.

Show Notes:

Kate checks in and shares her Earth Day musings along with some life updates. New full-length episodes will return 10th of May 2022.

New episodes drop every other Tuesday morning (EST).

Kindred is hosted by Kate Coffin and Jenn Asplundh.

In this week's episode, we speak with Dr. Monique Udell about her research on animal behavior, cognition, and human-animal interaction at Oregon State University.

Her work focuses on human-animal interactions & bonding, aimed at improving the lives of humans and animals through mutually beneficial interactions. Through her research, we get to access new knowledge in order to deepen the bonds we have with the animals in our lives.

In this week's episode, we speak with Dr. Kate Stafford about her work and research focusing on the song of the superlative Bowhead Whale. Kate dives into the challenges of declining sea ice and sound pollution that these mysterious and massive whales face in the Arctic waters. And she shares her deep love and fascination with the intricate and unique song of the Bowhead Whale.

In this week's episode, we speak with conservationist and artist Shawn Heinrichs and dive deep into the work he is doing to uncover the challenges of our oceans, and the ecosystems that need our empathy and action, through photography and storytelling. And we get to meet a momma whale and her baby and get a glimpse into the eye of love, forgiveness, and sentience.

A quick drop to check in and update you. Sending positive vibes for 2022. Full-length episodes are coming very soon.

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Kate drops in to check-in and talks about what's been going on and what we'll be focusing on in Season 2. We'll be up and running in November.

See you soon. Lots of love!

Episode Notes:

In this week's episode, we speak with Ellie Grace and Linsday Coffin about their process of creating the beautiful music and artwork for our podcast. Ellie speaks about the very heartfelt experience of writing the music with her sweet dog, Wally, and that intimate moment resulting in our theme music. And Lindsay talks about her creative process of drawing our KINDRED artwork and how for her each image/animal came alive and embodied the energy of the podcast.

This is our last episode of SEASON 1. We will be back with SEASON 2 in September 2021. But we will be in touch in the meantime with updates so keep an eye out for a few sneaky drops over the summer. Lots of love!

In this week's episode, we speak with Neal Ritter and Isaac Coffin about how we interact, experience, and play in the natural world as children and how our bodies and minds as humans are born ready to explore and learn and ultimately, evolve. Through Laughing Coyote, Neal and his organization create learning experiences for kids through focused play out in nature, unlocking their innate creativity through connecting to the natural world. And they get to bash rocks and make forts. 

In this week's episode, we speak with Sally Compton from Think Wild Wildlife Hospital & Conservation Center in Bend, Oregon. Sally tells us what we need to know about the wildlife in our neighborhoods and how we can get involved through practical wildlife support measures and local community and governments to better help and maintain the wildlife in our own backyards. And we do a little Raptor myth-busting.

In this week's episode we speak with Claire Hacker & Emma Bull from the "Riding for the Disabled" in the U.K. about the physical, neurological, and psychological effects horses have on humans and the amazing benefits we can achieve through equine handling and riding.

In this week's episode, we speak with Sterling "Trap King" Davis about his non-profit organization, Trap King Humane Cat Solutions, doing 'T-N-R' (Trap, Neuter, Return) in communities around the Atlanta area and the country, working to help support and control cat colonies. We take a deep dive into how he is working to break down stereotypes about cats, and those who work with them, in the white, black, and brown communities with the goal of bringing diversity and a new understanding to cat welfare.

In this week's episode, we speak with Dr. Wallace J. Nichols, Marine Biologist, Conservationist, and Author of Blue Mind about his incredible work uncovering the many physical, mental, and psychological benefits that water has on us as humans. We dive into the science behind Blue Mind and the positive mental health effects water, of any form, gives us.

In this week's episode, we speak with Karin Vardaman, wolf conservationist, founder and director of Working Circle, based out of Colorado. Through Working Circle, Vardaman has created a new conversation through active listening, trust, and understanding between the ranching community and wolf conservation where the goal is to unite the two communities, resulting in a healthy and balanced landscape for ranchers, livestock, grasslands, and wolves.

In this week's episode, we speak with Nadia Aly, underwater and wildlife photographer, about her amazing work documenting and creating a voice for wildlife above and below the water. We hear of her awe-inspiring dive with an aggregation of Mobula rays resulting in her winning Photographer of the year in 2020. Take a deep dive with us and get a glimpse of what it's like to swim with whales, drift dive into thousands of Mobula rays, and meet the tiniest of Mantis shrimp! 

In this week's episode, we speak with the archaeologist, Charlotte Frearson, about the long-standing human connection we have to wolves and dogs and the evolution of that relationship. Charlotte talks about how her dog, a whippet, Indiana Jones has changed her relationship with anxiety and the mental health benefits, for her and those of her students, that come from owning a dog. 

Introducing Kindred, a new weekly podcast about our human relationship to animals and nature; how they inspire us, what we learn from them, and how we can advocate for them. Through conversations with scientists, animal advocates, and others, our hope is to inspire a new awareness of how and why we connect to animals and nature. 

Kindred is hosted by Kate Coffin and Jenn Asplundh.

Season one features interviews with Charlotte Frearson, Nadia Aly, Dr. Wallace J Nichols, Karen Vardaman, Sterling "Trap King" Davis, and many others.