Soundings

In this Episode, Emerson explores why people put themselves through the physically demanding experience of a run. Is it the flow state in running, the desire to feel untethered, or is it something else entirely?
Produced by Emerson Prentice

This episode traces the history of livermush, a southern dish, from producer Ana Gray's family farm to a North Carolina factory, told through family memory, labor, and survival. What begins as a search for a childhood food becomes a story about inheritance, care, and quiet resistance.
Produced with support from the Braden Storytelling Grant and the Stanford Storytelling Project.
[This episode was edited to comply with award submission requirements]
Credits:
Phyllis Hunter Bracket and Louise Rulfed and the Hunter Livermush family
Macy Jones 
Martha Jones, my Aunt Mothe
The SSP team, with a special Shout out to Dawn J Fraser
 
Music:
Free Music Archies – Eirik finbak, Dear Whiskey 
Youtube Studio Audio Library – Chris Haugen, Soul Food – Alge, make the visible invisible
freesound.org 

Through the two possible journeys of an Aloha Shirt, Tead Count tells the story of the true cost of fast fashion.
Music from Blue Dot Sessions.
Interviewees:
Barchi Gillai, Associate Director Value Chain Innovation Initiative,https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/faculty-research/labs-initiatives/vcii
Lila Temple, Stanford FashionX, https://www.stanfordfashionx.com/
Research:a. https://www.sgs.com/en-be/news/2023/10/cc-q3-2023-profitability-and-textile-durability-in-the-circular-economyb. https://www.roadrunnerwm.com/blog/textile-waste-environmental-crisisc. theguardian.comd. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/fashion-and-the-circular-economy-deep-divee. https://cottonique.com/blogs/articles/how-long-will-it-take-for-fabrics-to-decompose?srsltid=AfmBOoqh10_PyQpTbPI-XzlMYGUo2dN1DVejdaOfczf7fPLVzUfVWJVhf. https://www.unep.org/technical-highlight/sustainable-fashion-take-centre-stage-zero-waste-day

I Speak for the Trees is a podcast that explores the consequences of land use change. Join us as we investigate the parallels between The Lorax and the real world in order to address the issue of sustainable land use change. From local land clearing in Wisconsin, restoration of overgrazed ranchland in Texas, to green space implementation in Chicago, we highlight how technology, policy, education, and community action can come together to reshape the way we think about and interact with our land.
Music and Sound:
Music and sound effects from Descript Library other than McCarthy (Blue Dot Sessions)Quantum Jazz - Passing Fields (Blue Dot Sessions) First Results (Blue Dot Sessions),Basketliner (Blue Dot Sessions) Borough (Blue Dot Sessions) Lakal (Blue Dot Sessions) andDelamine (Blue Dot Sessions). David Bamberger speaking clips from National Geographic’s “50Years Ago, This Was a Wasteland. He Changed Everything | Short Film Showcase” YouTubeDocumentary.
The Lorax by Dr. Suess, audiobook read by Ted Danson
 
Interviewee Bios:Dr. Diana Moanga is a Lecturer and the Manager of the Spatial Analysis Center in the StanfordDoerr School of Sustainability. Her research includes studying land use land cover changeprocesses using remote sensing and spatial analysis, focusing on the effects of environmental andanthropogenic stressors on coastal socio-environmental systems. She is particularly passionateabout furthering our understanding of climate equity for coastal communities and mappingcoastal hazards at various scales. She has a Ph.D. in Environmental Science Policy andManagement from UC Berkeley in 2020. Her dissertation research used geospatial techniques tostudy land use and land cover changes across California. Specifically, her research exploredmanagement impacts on California’s coastal lands, agricultural transitions in the Central Valley,and wildfire activity under future climate regimes. Diana also earned a Master’s in Science inMarine Affairs and Policy from the University of Miami in 2015. For her master's research sheexamined the spatial and temporal characteristics of harmful algal blooms and studied coastalzone management and coral conservation.Scott Stortz is the elected Village President of Slinger, Wisconsin, where he leads efforts to fosterthoughtful growth and community development with an emphasis on quality of life, controlledtaxes, and business development. He’s held the position of Village President since 2021, and isalso the president of Star Properties, Inc, a real estate firm specializing in residential sales inWashington, Ozaukee, Sheboygan, Fond Du Lac, Dodge, Waukesha and Milwaukee counties.He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cardinal Stritch University with a Bachelor of Scienceand a minor in Sales & Marketing.
 
David Bamberger is the Founder and Chairman Emeritus of Selah Ranch in Blanco County,Texas, in the heart of the Hill Country. Born into poverty, he created a successful career inentrepreneurship, which allowed him to fund the purchase of Selah Ranch in 1969. Over thecourse of the next quarter century, Bamberger and his team restored what was the “‘sorriest pieceof land’” in Blanco County. Through a myriad of methods–including the selective thinning ofAshe Juniper trees–and countless difficulties, their efforts have resulted in a thriving ecosystemand the rejuvenation of formerly-dry springs. In addition to being a steward of the land, Mr.Bamberger has made tremendous efforts to share his wisdom with the next generation, hostingfield trips to Selah Ranch, and developing curriculum on topics such as groundwater infiltration.Research:● Importance and prevalence of cities in the futureNeil Khor, et al. (2022). World Cities Report 2022, Envisioning the Future of Cities, UNHabitat https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/2022/06/wcr_2022.pdf● Maggie Daley Park construction processTarantino, J. (2024). Explore Maggie Daley Park: Chicago’s Urban Wonderland. TheEnvironmental Blog. https://www.theenvironmentalblog.org/2024/12/maggie-daley-park/● Ecosystem Services DefinitionMillennium ecosystem assessment, M. E. A. Ecosystems and human well-being. Vol. 5.Washington, DC: Island press, 2005.● National Geographic Documentary on Selah RanchNational Geographic. “50 Years Ago, This Was a Wasteland. He Changed Everything |Short Film Showcase.” YouTube, 24 Apr. 2017,www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSPkcpGmflE. Accessed 21 May 2025.● Background on Selah RanchKlepper, Dan E. “Scout | December 2007 | TPW Magazine.” Tpwmagazine.com, 2025,ntpwmagazine.com/archive/2007/dec/reader/. Accessed 28 Apr. 2025.