In this episode I speak with James Fitzgerald, Research & Policy Manager at BCarbon, a carbon credit registry focused on nature-based solutions. We discuss:
• How the papaw tree and other evolutionary anachronisms reveal ancient relationships between extinct megafauna and modern plants.
• The evolving concept of "invasive species" in our increasingly globalized and interconnected world.
• The geological contrast between Long Island's climate vulnerability and New England's bedrock resilience.
• The century-long transformation of New England from farmland to forest, enabling the return of native megafauna.
• How Victorian "pteridomania" devastated native fern populations in Scotland and Wales, illustrating conservation challenges.
• The remarkable adaptation of black bears to human-dominated landscapes in New York City's suburbs.
• The complex interplay between human activity and natural systems in shaping modern ecosystems.
