This episode of Big Blend Radio’s Nature Connection show features climate storyteller and activist Denali Sai Nalamalapu, author of “Holler: A Graphic Memoir of Rural Resistance” (Timber Press / Hachette, May 13, 2025).

Based in Southwest Virginia, Nalamalapu is a powerful new voice in climate storytelling and a leader in one of Appalachia’s most courageous environmental resistance movements. Holler chronicles the fight against the Mountain Valley Pipeline through the eyes of six local activists—a teacher, a nurse, a photographer, and more—who dared to challenge corporate power and government complicity in the heart of coal country.

The conversation explores: - How visual storytelling makes climate issues more accessible. - The diverse perspectives and skill sets that strengthen grassroots movements. - The importance of community involvement in resisting fossil fuel expansion. - How innovation, education, and personal stories can drive climate action. - Why self-care and balance are vital for sustaining long-term activism.

Blending personal insight, lived experience, and stunning visual storytelling, Nalamalapu offers a moving and empowering look at resilience, resistance, and the future of the climate movement. More at: https://denali-sai.com/

🎧 This Nature Connection episode is also featured on Big Blend Radio’s "Quality of Life" and "Rants, Raves & Rock" Channels: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/bigblendradionetwork

In this episode of Big Blend Radio’s Nature Connection Show, we expose the urgent threat facing Florida’s black bears: the proposed return of trophy hunting. Our featured guests—Adam Sugalski, founder of OneProtest, and Kathleen Walls, travel writer and animal rights activist—delve into the history, controversy, and consequences surrounding bear trophy hunting in the state.

Despite widespread public opposition, Florida officials are considering allowing trophy hunting again—this time with even more extreme and controversial methods. Proposed regulations include using dogs to chase down bears, and allowing bow hunting, both of which raise serious concerns about ethics, suffering, and safety. These changes reflect a broader shift: from traditional, regulated practices to high-tech and high-cruelty tactics that prioritize trophies over wildlife protection.

Key issues discussed include: - The cruelty of using dogs to hunt bears, often resulting in prolonged chases and violent encounters. - The dangers and suffering caused by bow hunting, which can leave bears wounded and dying slowly. - How modern technology—like GPS collars and high-powered optics—makes killing easier, reducing fair chase and undermining conservation claims. - The false narrative that trophy hunters are conservationists. - The economic motivations behind these changes, often benefiting landowners and developers. - How urban expansion is shrinking bear habitat, making coexistence—not killing—essential. - The growing role of public activism and protest in challenging these proposals and defending wildlife.

This conversation calls attention to the real motives behind trophy hunting and stresses the importance of ethical wildlife management rooted in science and compassion. If you're passionate about protecting animals and opposing cruelty disguised as tradition, this episode will inform, outrage, and inspire you to take action.

🎧 Learn more and get involved: https://www.beardefenders.org/ 📖 Read Kathleen Walls' article, The Bear Facts: https://www.americanroads.net/bear_5-9-2025.htm 🌱 Visit OneProtest: https://www.oneprotest.org/

This episode of Big Blend Radio shines a spotlight on North East Trees, an award-winning urban greening nonprofit committed to building climate resilience and advancing environmental equity in underinvested communities throughout Los Angeles.

Featured Guests: 🌳 Joe Laskin – Director of Development, North East Trees – https://www.northeasttrees.org/ 🌿 Cheryl Leutjen – Author of “Love Earth Now” and “Madness on the Brink of Eco-Apocalypse," and Board Director, North East Trees – https://cherylleutjen.com/ Recognized as a 2025 Nonprofit of the Year by the California Association of Nonprofits, North East Trees is making a lasting difference through urban forestry, biodiversity enhancement, and workforce development programs. From planting over 100,000 trees to transforming schoolyards into green spaces, the organization demonstrates how trees can heal communities, foster connection with nature, and combat climate change.

📺 Learn more in this PBS special: Combatting Climate Change with Trees – https://www.pbs.org/video/combatting-climate-change-with-trees-tcffrw/

This episode is also featured on Big Blend Radio’s "Parks & Travel", "Quality of Life", and "Garden Gossip" Channels. Keep up with all Big Blend Radio shows at: https://www.podbean.com/podcast-network/bigblendradionetwork *** Images by Alex Michel, courtesy of North East Trees