“Plant People” from The New York Botanical Garden and PRX Explores the Connections between People and Plants and How Both Need Each Other to Thrive
The new podcast is hosted by Jennifer Bernstein — the William C. Steere Sr. President of The New York Botanical Garden — and features lively conversations with scientists, gardeners, artists, and explorers
The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) today announced Plant People, a new podcast brought to audiences in partnership with nonprofit public media organization PRX. Exploring the ways our relationships with plants are tied to the environment and all of our connections to the ecosystems we rely on to thrive, the podcast will feature lively stories and conversations with scientists, gardeners, artists, explorers, and more.
Plant People is made with PRX Productions, PRX’s in-house production unit. An audio trailer is available now across all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart, Overcast, and Pocket Casts:
The first episode will be released on Monday, May 20, 2024, with new episodes released bi-weekly.
In each episode of the podcast, host Jennifer Bernstein, CEO and The William C. Steere Sr. President of The New York Botanical Garden, guides listeners through the role that humans play in caring for our shared planet, whether in a backyard garden, tending a window sill full of houseplants, or finding their love of nature in a concrete jungle. NYBG — rooted in New York City’s cultural fabric for more than 130 years and a beloved respite in the heart of the Bronx, the City’s greenest borough — will be the anchor for understanding how plants make a difference in listeners’ daily lives and in our world, while also bringing the wonder and knowledge of NYBG to listeners everywhere.
“I welcome you as we set out on this journey to discover the story of plants and people,” says Jennifer Bernstein. “One of the very best parts of my job is meeting and working with an amazing array of different types of plant people. This season, we’ll meet scientists and curators right here at the Garden, and we’ll go beyond NYBG to hear the many ways in which plants and people are inextricably linked. Plants need people, and people need plants.”
Plant People will take deep dives into everything from food systems and horticulture to botanical breakthroughs in the lab and the field and the many ways our daily lives are sustained by plants. Listeners will also hear discussions about how they can return the favor, protecting what we have — and cultivating what we need — to ensure plants and people continue to support each other for future generations.
The first episode will focus on two important and enormous NYBG research collections: the LuEsther T. Mertz Library — the most important botanical and horticultural library in the world, with more than 11 million archival items spanning 10 centuries — and the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, which houses 7.8 million preserved plant specimens, the largest plant research collection in the Western Hemisphere. Jennifer Bernstein speaks with Rhonda Evans, Director of the Mertz Library, and Emily Sessa, the Patricia K. Holmgren Director of the Steere Herbarium.
The PRX Productions team behind the podcast includes Jessica Miller, Courtney Fleurantin, Adriana Rosas Rivera, Genevieve Sponsler, Pedro Rafael Rosado, and Jocelyn Gonzales.
About The New York Botanical Garden
The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) has been a connective hub among people, plants, and the shared planet since 1891. For more than 130 years, NYBG has been rooted in the cultural fabric of New York City, in the heart of the Bronx, its greenest borough. NYBG has invited millions of visitors to make the Garden a part of their lives, exploring the joy, beauty, and respite of nature. NYBG’s 250 acres are home to renowned exhibitions, immersive botanical experiences, art and music, and events with some of the most influential figures in plant and fungal science, horticulture, and the humanities. NYBG is also a steward of globally significant research collections, from the LuEsther T. Mertz Library collection to the plant and fungal specimens in the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, the largest such collection in the Western Hemisphere.
The plant people of NYBG — dedicated horticulturists, enthusiastic educators, and scientific adventurers — are committed to helping nature thrive so that humanity can thrive. They believe in their ability to make things better, teaching tens of thousands of kids and families each year about the importance of safeguarding the environment and healthy eating. Expert scientists work across the city, the nation, and the globe to document the plants and fungi of the world — and find actionable, nature-based solutions to the planet’s dual climate and biodiversity crises. With eyes always looking forward, they train the next generation of botanists, gardeners, landscape designers, and environmental stewards, ensuring a green future for all. At NYBG, it’s nature — or nowhere.
About PRX
Celebrating more than 20 years as a nonprofit public media company, PRX works in partnership with leading independent creators, organizations, and stations to bring meaningful audio storytelling into millions of listeners’ lives. PRX is one of the world’s top podcast publishers, public radio distributors, and audio producers, serving as an engine of innovation for public media and podcasting to help shape a vibrant future for creative and journalistic audio. Shows across PRX’s portfolio of broadcast productions, podcast partners, and its Radiotopia podcast network have received recognition from the Peabody Awards, the Tribeca Festival, the International Documentary Association, the National Magazine Awards, and more, including in 2022 when Futuro Media and PRX won a Pulitzer Prize. Visit PRX.org.
The New York Botanical Garden is located at 2900 Southern Boulevard, Bronx, New York 10458. For more information, visit nybg.org
The New York Botanical Garden is located on property owned in full by the City of New York, and its operation is made possible in part by public funds provided through the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. A portion of the Garden’s general operating funds is provided by The New York City Council and The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation. The Bronx Borough President and Bronx elected representatives in the City Council and State Legislature provide leadership funding.
