A Journey Through Nature and Science

Don Murphy

Our podcast we explore nature and science by following the personal journeys of individuals who have dedicated their lives to nature and science.   We talk with theoretical physicists, park rangers, conservation biologists and anyone who loves nature and science.

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Episodes

Unravelling The Secret Of Life With Ancient Biomolecules
Jan 30 2023
Unravelling The Secret Of Life With Ancient Biomolecules
The revolution in science that is transforming our understanding of extinct life may also lead to Unravelling The Secret Of Life With Ancient Biomolecules.We used to think of fossils as being composed of nothing but rock and minerals, all molecular traces of life having vanished long ago. We were wrong. Remnants of Ancient Life reveals how the new science of ancient biomolecules—pigments, proteins, and DNA that once functioned in living organisms tens of millions of years ago—is opening a new window onto the evolution of life on Earth.Paleobiologists are now uncovering these ancient remnants in the fossil record with increasing frequency, shedding vital new light on long-extinct creatures and the lost world they inhabited. Dale Greenwalt is your guide to these astonishing breakthroughs. He explains how ancient biomolecules hold the secrets to how mammoths dealt with the bitter cold, what colors dinosaurs exhibited in mating displays, how ancient viruses evolved to become more dangerous, and much more. Each chapter discusses different types of biomolecules and the insights they provide about the physiology, behavior, and evolution of extinct organisms, many of which existed long before the age of dinosaurs.A marvelous adventure of discovery, Remnants of Ancient Life offers an unparalleled look at an emerging science that is transforming our picture of the remote past. You will never think of fossils in the same way again. Join us on this episode of Life Is A Story We Tell Ourselves and learn how fossils of all kinds man lead to Unravelling The Secret Of Life With Ancient Biomolecules. You will hear from the first human being ever to see the fossil of a blood-engorged mosquito. This is real-life Jurassic Park.
California Is On The World Stage Saving The Earth's Biodiversity
Jan 15 2023
California Is On The World Stage Saving The Earth's Biodiversity
California was on the world stage recently helping to save the earth's biodiversity at the international biodiversity summit in Montreal, Canada. The countries agreed to protect 30% of the earth's biodiversity by the year 2030. Leading the United States is the state of California, which has put forward an ambition plan called, Pathways to 30x30.California Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-82-20 establishes a goal of conserving 30% of California’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. The Governor tasked the California Natural Resources Agency (CRNA) to coordinate the implementation of 30x30 with other State agencies and stakeholders through a series of actions including the development of a framework document, called Pathways to 30x30. The final Pathways to 30x30 strategy document was released in April 2022 and identifies challenges, opportunities, and strategies to achieve 30x30. Pathways to 30x30: Accelerating Conservation of California's Nature will set us on the path to successful implementation through shared action.Leading this effort is this episode's guest, the secretary of the Resources Agency, Wade Crowfoot. Secretary Crowfoot oversees an agency of 21,000 employees who protect and manage California’s natural environment. This includes stewarding the state’s forests and natural lands, rivers and waterways, and coast and ocean, protecting fish and wildlife, and overseeing energy development. As a member of the Governor’s cabinet, he advises Governor Newsom on natural resources and environmental issues.Secretary Crowfoot firmly believes that good natural resources management helps natural places thrive and allows communities and our economy to prosper. His key priorities include: Building California’s resilience to climate change-driven threats, including wildfire, drought, extreme heat, flooding and sea-level rise. Expanding equitable access to parks, natural places and outdoor recreation for all Californians. Preserving California’s world-renowned biodiversity of plants and animals.This past week Secretary Crowfoot attend the international summit on biodiversity in Montreal, Canada where he communicated that California is on the world stage saving the earth's biodiversity.
Managing The Threats To Biodiversity
Oct 2 2022
Managing The Threats To Biodiversity
For decades environmental groups, Non Government Organizations and scores of government agencies have been managing the threats to biodiversity. We often hear of the projects to save the elephants or the pandas and now huge projects seek to clean the ocean from millions of tons of plastic pollution.However there are many projects small and large that we don’t hear about. Work is quietly being done on the ground to save whole ecosystems or to protect one last remaining plant or animal. Here to talk about some of these project is our guest, who just happens to be my daughter, is Dr. Kina Murphy.Dr. Murphy holds a Ph.D. in Biology/Ecology that focuses on mitigating the impacts of human land-use change on biodiversity and a Masters in Community and Regional Planning with a focus on natural resource management. She has over twenty-years of experience working throughout Africa, Asia and North America where she has focused on biodiversity monitoring, market-based approaches to conservation and community-based conservation planning and policy. Her other strengths include biodiversity offsets and mitigation planning for extractive industries and a detailed understanding of the Business and Biodiversity Offsets Program.Currently, Dr. Murphy is the Africa Strategy Development Lead for the Campaign for Nature where she is responsible for helping the Campaign for Nature (CfN) to achieve it’s three overarching campaign goals of: 1) Increasing global targets for terrestrial and marine protected areas under the 2020-2030 strategic plan for the Convention on Biological Diversity to at least 30% by 2030, 2) Securing a minimum of an additional $1B/year in funding commitments for management of protected areas in developing countries to accompany increased protected area targets; and 3) Approaching biodiversity conservation in a way that fully integrates and respects Indigenous leadership and Indigenous rights.Managing the threats to biodiversity is a formidable task, which Dr. Murphy has dedicated her life to achieving.
Earth's Biodiversity Is In Danger of Collapse
Sep 3 2022
Earth's Biodiversity Is In Danger of Collapse
Earth's biodiversity is in danger of collapse.  According to the campaign for nature, "The natural world is disappearing at an unprecedented rate. The loss of nature poses a grave threat to our clean air and drinking water, the survival of wildlife, the prosperity of communities, and nature’s ability to protect us from natural disasters, future pandemics, and other intensifying impacts of climate change.  The twin crises of climate change and the rapid loss of biodiversity threaten the very existence of humanity on Earth."The Campaign for Nature is a partnership of the Wyss Campaign for Nature and the National Geographic Society. It works with partners worldwide to champion the ambitious, science-driven, global goal to protect at least 30% of the planet by 2030, a target to be agreed on at the 15th Conference on the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2022.Specifically, the Campaign for Nature is calling on world leaders to:  help mobilize financial resources to ensure protected areas are properly managed and approach biodiversity conservation in a way that fully integrates and respects Indigenous leadership and Indigenous rights.On this episode we are joined by Brian O’Donnell. Brian is the executive director of The Campaign For Nature. For more than two decades, Brian has been a leading land and wildlife conservationist.  He helped build international support for a global target of protecting at least 30% of the earth’s land and seas by 2030. Brian helped organize a High Ambition Coalition of more than 95 countries to support the campaign’s goals. On this episode we will be talking about this ambitious worldwide effort to protect 30% of the earth’s biodiversity by the year 2030. The Campaign For Nature is at the forefront of advocating for this ambitious effort because they recognize that the earth's biodiversity is in danger of collapse.
Protecting & Restoring The Most Endangered Rainforest On Earth
Aug 23 2022
Protecting & Restoring The Most Endangered Rainforest On Earth
The Third Millennium Alliance has accepted the challenge of Protecting & Restoring The Most Endangered Rainforest On Earth. Ryan Lynch is the executive director of the Third Millennium Alliance (TMA). Ryan is joining on the podcast to discuss this challenge.TMA began when conservationists Isabel, Jerry, and Bryan met in South America during the first years of the new millennium. They were three idealists in their late 20s facing the prospects of a biosphere headed toward collapse. Together they set out to directly engage the greatest challenge of our times: steering humanity onto a path of sustainability and ecological resilience.In 2007, they founded TMA and took the first step toward creating what is now the Jama-Coaque Reserve (JCR). They raised $16,000 from friends and family, established a nonprofit organization, and purchased 100 acres of unprotected rainforest at the very peak of Ecuador’s coastal mountain range—in the heart of the Pacific Forest.In the beginning, they camped in the forest, lived off of bananas and soggy bread, and slept in leaky tents while exploring the beauty and biodiversity of this special place. During the years that followed, they learned by doing. They practiced permaculture, experimented with reforestation, and built a collaborative relationship with their neighbors and people throughout the region. Meanwhile, TMA continued to grow as an organization. Hundreds of people from dozens of countries came to JCR to work in the rainforest and join the effort.Fourteen years later, JCR protects 1,500 acres of rainforest. It is equipped with a scientific research center that attracts biologists from around the world. It also includes a regenerative agroforestry demonstration site that features the country’s largest repository of the most endangered heirloom cacao variety on earth.TMA is now working on a Community Reforestation Program with the potential to reverse deforestation and steer the regional economy onto a more sustainable course. It’s a model that can be replicated in other endangered ecosystems throughout the world.All of the above is in service of TMA’s ultimate goal: create a large-scale conservation corridor in northwest Manabí that connects the last surviving remnants of the Pacific Forest of Ecuador.There is no greater challenge to humanity than protecting and restoring the most endangered rainforest on earth.
Mysterious Petroglyphs At Pohnpaid May Reveal The Secrets Of Life
Aug 14 2022
Mysterious Petroglyphs At Pohnpaid May Reveal The Secrets Of Life
Mysterious Petroglyphs At Pohnpaid May Reveal The Secrets Of Life. While residing on the small Pacific island of Pohnpei in the 1990s, Carole Nervig discovered that a recent brush fire had exposed hundreds of previously unknown petroglyphs carved on gigantic boulders. This portion of the megalithic site called Pohnpaid was unknown even to Pohnpei’s state historic preservation officer. The petroglyphs were unlike others from Oceania, so Nervig began investigating and comparing them with petroglyphs and symbols from around the world.In this fully illustrated exploration, Nervig documents her discoveries on Pohnpei, revealing how the archetypal symbols of the Pohnpaid petroglyphs have exact counterparts in other ancient cultures and universal motifs throughout the world, including the Australian Aborigines, the Inca in Peru, the Vedic civilization of India, early Norse runes, and Japanese symbols. She provides evidence that Pohnpaid is closely related to—yet predates—neighboring Nan Madol and shows how Pohnpaid was an outpost of the sunken Kahnihmuesio, a city of the now-vanished civilization of Mu, or Lemuria. In this episode Carole Nervig will Discuss the archaeo-astronomical function of the Pohnpaid stones. She will also share how many of the glyphs symbolize celestial phenomena and clearly reveal how their creators were sky watchers with a sophisticated understanding of astronomy, geophysics, geomancy, and engineering. We will discover how the scientific concepts depicted in the petroglyphs reveal how the citizens of Mu had a much deeper understanding of the living Earth than we do, which gave them the ability to manipulate natural forces both physically and energetically. Please listen in and learn how the Mysterious Petroglyphs At Pohnpaid May Reveal The Secrets Of Life.The author, Carole Nervig, has written a fascinating book on this subject. She has spent more than four decades researching Micronesian traditional culture and oral history as well as the sacred sites of Micronesia and Hawai'i. She first moved to Micronesia as a Peace Corps volunteer in 1969. In the 1990s she discovered a previously unknown megalithic portion of the Pohnpaid petroglyphic site on the Micronesia island of Pohnpei. Creator of the Nan Madol Foundation, she now lives in Ecuador. You can buy her book, The Petroglyphs of Mu.
Are High Achievers Really Successful
Apr 10 2022
Are High Achievers Really Successful
Dr. Ruth Gotian is the Chief Learning Officer and Assistant Professor of Education in Anesthesiology and former Assistant Dean of Mentoring. She will join us to discuss the question, are high achievers really successful. Dr. Gotian is also Executive Director of the Mentoring Academy at Weill Cornell Medicine. She has been hailed by the journal Nature and Columbia University as an expert in mentorship and leadership development. In 2021, she was selected as one of 30 people worldwide to be named to the Thinkers50 Radar List, dubbed the Oscars of management thinking. Recently, she won the Thinkers50 Distinguished Achievement - Radar Award given to a “thinker with the potential to change the world of theory and practice” and cemented her place as the #1 emerging management thinker in the world. She is also a semi-finalist for the Forbes 50 Over 50 list. In addition to publishing in academic journals, she is a contributor to Forbes, Psychology Today and Harvard Business Review, where she writes about ‘optimizing success’. Her research is about the mindset and skill set of peak performers, including Nobel Prize winners, astronauts and Olympic champions. Dr. Gotians latest book, The Success Factor is available on Amazon.In her latest book, Dr. Gotian discusses how high achievers attain that status and others can use some of their methods to attain such a status. However, the questions remains, are high achievers really successful. What is success? How do you measure that success. And what about the rest of us who are not in the loft category of being achievers. Can an average achiever make a difference in the world? These are the questions that we will tackle during this episode of, Life Is A Story We Tell Ourselves.
The Hope, Heartbreak and Inspiration of Angel Island Immigration Station
Mar 20 2022
The Hope, Heartbreak and Inspiration of Angel Island Immigration Station
The story of the hope and heartbreak of Angel Island Immigration Station is artfully and solemnly told by the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation (AIISF). The Foundation raises awareness of the experience of Immigration into America through the Pacific. AIISF collects and preserves the rich stories and personal journeys of thousands of immigrants. It shares them with visitors and everyone living in America through education initiatives and public programs. The Angel Island Immigration Station reminds us of the complicated history of immigration in America. It serves as a symbol of our willingness to learn from our past. This ensures that our nation keeps its promise of liberty and freedom.From 1910 to 1940, Angel Island was the site of an U.S. Immigration Station that functioned as the West Coast equivalent of Ellis Island. However, Angel Island facility also enforced policies designed to exclude many Pacific Coast immigrants coming from eighty countries.In 1970, the site was slated for demolition because of its deteriorated condition. The later discovery of Chinese poetry that had been carved into the walls of the detention barracks saved it from destruction. That led to renewed interest in the Angel Island Immigration Station. Most importantly, the discovery of poetry increased awareness of the need to access the vivid lessons of sacrifice and triumph in the history of immigration.Sparked by the discovery, Bay Area Asian Americans, spearheaded by Chris Chow, formed the Angel Island Immigration Station Historical Advisory Committee (AIISHAC). This organization studied how best to preserve the station for historical interpretation. In July 1976, their hard work came to fruition. The state legislature appropriated $250,000 to restore and preserve the Immigration Station as a state monument.
The Human Struggle To Find Spirit, Purpose and Meaning
Mar 7 2022
The Human Struggle To Find Spirit, Purpose and Meaning
Amist world turmoil the human struggle to find spirit, purpose and meaning for a life of peace, health and wellness continues. Deep within the core our beings we all question why we are here. We want to know what does it all mean. We seek to know our purpose on this planet.Cosmologists search the heavens for answers. How did life begin? What is our purpose in the grand scheme of things. Physicists at CERN probe subatomic particles in an attempt to peel back the skin of the metaphorical onion in hopes to find answers to life's deepest questions.Others turn to religion for answers. There are thousands of religions, sects, cults, systems of belief and world views all vying to give answers. Some do it with the best of intentions, while others seek to profit from the human quest for spirit, purpose and meaning.On this episode of Life Is A Story We Tell Ourselves, we are joined by Oluwatobiloba Black who will help us explore the continuing human struggle to find spirit, purpose and meaning. Oluwatobiloba AKA Tobi Black comes from Yorubaland in Nigeria. She’s an initiated Ifa and Osun Priestess, a yogi and certified yoga teacher.  She works as a priestess, healer and holistic health guide. She believes that living a true spiritual life can bring about health and wellness which in turn brings peace and happiness. She has travelled to over 50 countries mostly in search of health, meaning, and purpose. With the help of natural and holistic medicines and professionals, she cured herself of clinically diagnosed chronic illnesses, depression, anxiety, Hashimoto, and digestive issues.Oluwatobiloba Black has a wealth of experience and knowledge, lives a holistic embodied lifestyle, teaches movement classes, mindfulness practices, passionately speaks and write about natural alternative and holistic health, and she creates personalised holistic health programs. She is passionate about healing, helping people make conscious decisions about their healing journeys, and to live with clarity. Oluwatobiloba Black holds double masters in computer security & forensics with a distinction.  She continuously studies psychology, philosophy, human behavior, traditional and ancestral wisdom and medicines, Ifa, Isese, Shamanism, movement, meditation, sacred geometry, holistic and natural health, and mindfulness.Her life’s journey has led her to experience the connection between health, wellness and spirituality.
A Grueling 50 Rounds of Golf Scores Big For Clean Water
Feb 26 2022
A Grueling 50 Rounds of Golf Scores Big For Clean Water
Despite millions of dollars spent on well meaning efforts access to clean water is still a problem for millions. That has not deterred  Phillips from giving it another effort.  Phillips played 50 rounds of golf in 50 states in just 50 days. Why is clean water important?It makes people healthier by eliminating water borne diseases and promoting better sanitation. Diseases from dirty water kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war.  Between 2 to 5 million people die each year from water-related illnesses and over 40% of those deaths are children under five years old.  Read the previous sentence again.Clean water gives people more time.When people no longer have to walk many miles each day to access water for household tasks like cooking, cleaning, and washing, they are freed to grow food, attend school, enter the workforce, and to better their families, communities and national economies.  In Africa alone, women spend 40 billion hours a year walking for water.  Yes, 40 BILLION.Clean water helps end the Poverty Cycle.As more people are able to enter the workforce and people are healthier, the economy of a country grows and the revolving cycle of poverty is stopped.  People and countries become less dependent on “hand-outs” and emergency relief from more affluent countries and become more self-sufficient and independent. The world could also avoid spending $30 BILLION annually on the treatment of preventable, water-related diseases.  This isn’t a temporary, short-term fix; it’s a deal changer.  I’ve seen first-hand how access to clean water is dramatically changing families, communities, even entire regions; you’ll hear many of those stories in my upcoming social media posts.The United Nations is also working to provide clean drinking water and sanitation to people in need.  You can learn more about the UN's efforts here.So please join us as Clay Phillips describes how a grueling 50 rounds of golf scores big for clean water and why access to clean water remains a problem for millions. You also can learn more here.
Rewards and Dangers of Cave Diving Exploration
Jan 22 2022
Rewards and Dangers of Cave Diving Exploration
Cave diver, Brian Starnes joins us to talk about his experiences with the rewards and dangers of cave diving exploration in caves all over the world.  Brian was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. He completed his cave diver training in 2014 and is now on the way to becoming a Full Cave Instructor. What does it mean to be a "full cave instructor"? Join to find out. Brian started technical diving at Protec Sardinia in 2017 and has continued to develop in technical diving ever since. He has lived and worked in Sardinia, Italy. Brian loves to travel and he has been traveling around the world since 2012. He has worked in several dive centers as an instructor and dive guide. He completed his Divemaster training in Utila, Honduras and passed his diving instructor training in November 2017 in Thailand. After reaching the limits of scuba diving, he entered technical diving. He also worked in Mexico/Tulum from 2014 – 2017 as Cenote Guide and Cave Guide. He has diving experience since 2012 visiting countries like Thailand, Australia, Egypt, Israel, Ecuador, Honduras, USA and now Sardinia. He worked in Mexico as a cave guide and instructor and now spends much of his time in Ecuador. His main tasks at the moment are the training courses in the “Essential Tech”, “Sidemount” and “Cavern” areas. He is also a talented videographer and is responsible for the video department at Protec Sardinia. The rewards and dangers of cave diving exploration are not only enjoyed as a sport but provide scientific information about caves and often reveals new information about life deep within the earth where light never reaches.
Access To Clean Water Remains A Problem For Millions
Jul 26 2021
Access To Clean Water Remains A Problem For Millions
Despite millions of dollars spent on well meaning efforts access to clean water is still a problem for millions. That has not deterred 64 year old Clay Phillips from giving another effort. Philips plans to play 50 rounds of golf in 50 states in just 50 days. Why is clean water important?It makes people healthier by eliminating water borne diseases and promoting better sanitation. Diseases from dirty water kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war.  Between 2 to 5 million people die each year from water-related illnesses and over 40% of those deaths are children under five years old.  Read the previous sentence again.Clean water gives people more time.When people no longer have to walk many miles each day to access water for household tasks like cooking, cleaning, and washing, they are freed to grow food, attend school, enter the workforce, and to better their families, communities and national economies.  In Africa alone, women spend 40 billion hours a year walking for water.  Yes, 40 BILLION.Clean water helps end the Poverty Cycle.As more people are able to enter the workforce and people are healthier, the economy of a country grows and the revolving cycle of poverty is stopped.  People and countries become less dependent on “hand-outs” and emergency relief from more affluent countries and become more self-sufficient and independent. The world could also avoid spending $30 BILLION annually on the treatment of preventable, water-related diseases.  This isn’t a temporary, short-term fix; it’s a deal changer.  I’ve seen first-hand how access to clean water is dramatically changing families, communities, even entire regions; you’ll hear many of those stories in my upcoming social media posts.So please join us learn why access to clean water remains a problem for millions. You also can learn more here.
The Great Outdoors Is What Makes America Great
Jun 13 2021
The Great Outdoors Is What Makes America Great
The great outdoors is what makes America great and Our guest, Derrick Crandall, who served as President and CEO of the American Recreation Coalition from 1981 to 2019 has proven that . He was also  the executive vice president of The Recreation Roundtable. As Counselor to the National Park Hospitality Association.  Mr. Crandall directs that organization’s staff efforts. He is Chairman of the Board of The Corps Network and also serves as Co-Chair of the Coalition for Recreational Trails. He was a member of the President's Commission on Americans Outdoors (1985 to 1987). He received the Chevron Conservation Award and was named to the President's Commission on Environmental Quality in 1991. He was the initial Chairman of the Take Pride in America Advisory Board, appointed by the Secretary of the Interior, and served as Chair of the Take Pride in America Partners Council. He was a Founding Director of the National Forest Foundation, appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture. He has served on several national judging panels, including co-chairing the U.S. Department of the Interior's Take Pride in America award program. Among the dozens of public-policy programs in which he has played a central role are the National Scenic Byways Program, Recreation Fee Demonstration Program, Recreational Trails Program, Wallop-Breaux Program, and the National Recreation Lakes Study Commission. These efforts have been recognized in many ways, including induction into the RV Hall of Fame and receipt of the Annual Award of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators. USA Today has described him as “the outdoor guru.” He received the Spirit of Take Pride Award in October 2004 and was recognized with a Centennial Award by the US Forest Service. He served as a member of the National Park Service Advisory Board Health and Recreation Committee. He has served in leadership roles on numerous community and philanthropic organizations including the executive committee of WOW-Wonderful Outdoor World. He is an honors graduate of Dartmouth College. No one has done more than Mr. Crandall to insure that the great outdoors is what makes America great. The Land and Water Conservation Fund that has been Protecting Lands and Giving Back to Communities for decades owes a debt of gratitude to Mr. Crandall and many other conservationist for their contributions. We will discuss those contributions on the podcast.Specialties: Mr. Crandall served on the Board of the American Society of Association Executives for seven years, including two terms as Vice Chairman. He received ASAE's Professional Performance Award in 1980, his Certified Association Executive recognition in 1990 and was named an ASAE Fellow in 1992.  Please join as we explore the great outdoors.