© 2024
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
An update has been released for the Android version of the WAMC App that addresses performance issues. Please check the Google Play Store to download and update to the latest version.

#1688: Student Debt and Backyard Ecology | The Best of Our Knowledge

Wilton Nature Preserve and Park Education Coordinator and Environmental Educator Allyson Paradis points out a tree chewed by beaver.
Lucas Willard/WAMC
Wilton Nature Preserve and Park Education Coordinator and Environmental Educator Allyson Paradis points out a tree chewed by beaver.

On this episode on The Best of Our Knowledge:

A series of winter nature walks is aimed at bringing upstate New York residents closer to native plants and animals.

We’ll learn about the importance of ants in the agricultural economy.

And Jody Cowan will speak with an artist who is drawing attention to the student debt crisis with a unique exhibit in western Massachusetts.

Stay Connected
Lucas Willard is a reporter and host at WAMC Northeast Public Radio, which he joined in 2011.
One of the newest additions to the WAMC team, Jody Cowan has a naturally curious approach to media production and strong passion for story telling. Jody's work is currently showcased on the shows 51% and The Best of Our Knowledge.
Related Content
  • On this episode on The Best of Our Knowledge… As Democrat Kathy Hochul begins her term as New York’s first elected female governor, local students share some of the inaugural spotlight. Our Jody Cowan will have more. Bob Schneider of the New York State School Boards Association will provide analysis of Hochul’s education goals for 2023. The upstate New York video game industry gets a powerup with state funding. And 2022 proved to be the sixth-warmest year on record in Massachusetts.
  • On this episode on The Best of Our Knowledge…As COVID-19 restrictions ease, public school students are seeing the return of an exciting tradition – the school field trip. Jody Cowan will bring us more. The Peace Corps is sending its first deployment of volunteers around the world since the lockdown of 2020. Host Lucas Willard will speak with a recent graduate preparing for her two-year tour. And a storybook is helping young children affected by the war in Ukraine.
  • On this episode of the Best of Our Knowledge: New York State is requiring school districts that utilize Native American imagery to change their nicknames and mascots. Jody Cowan will speak with school officials about how they’re preparing for the change. Host Lucas Willard will speak with arborist Fred Breglia about finding what could be New York’s largest living tree. And we’ll visit a new learning lab in Troy, New York.
  • On this episode, host Lucas Willard will speak with Katie Bisset, a survivor of the 2012 Sandy Hook school shooting, about a tenth anniversary remembrance she recently organized at Siena College in Loudonville, New York. We’ll also learn about an upcoming webinar series focused on addressing mental health in education.