The Butterfly Effect Tali Orad

This butterfly is excited to speak with Jeff DeQuattro, Director of Restoration, Gulf of Mexico.

“I love the Gulf of Mexico, from alligators in the wetlands and sunsets over the marshes to its salty air and the sight of blue crabs scampering over tidal oyster reefs. I love this place.” 

TNC hired Jeff to manage a $3 million Recovery Act project to restore 1.5 miles of oyster reef in Mobile Bay, Alabama. Soon thereafter, he found himself leading TNC’s oil spill recovery efforts along Alabama’s coast. His role at TNC was then expanded to encompass other conservation and restoration activities along Alabama’s coast.

Before TNC, Jeff worked as an environmental consultant and stormwater professional for large industrial clients and developers throughout Alabama. He has also worked as a hazardous and non-hazardous waste broker, which included cleaning contaminated sites and oil spills.

Jeff, who earned a degree in environmental studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz, says life on the Gulf has a “priceless quality that is unmatched in bounty and possibility. It’s not appreciated for the natural resources that sustain the livelihoods of not only Gulf Coast residents but much of the entire country as well. Who would have thought that it would take the largest environmental disaster in the United States; history for the Gulf to be recognized for its contributions? But hopefully, this disaster made us realize that by working together with a sustainable frame of mind, we can achieve a more resilient and more bountiful Gulf of Mexico that will continue to support the quality of life that is our home.”

In this episode, you will hear about his work at the Gulf of Mexico, oil spills, the value of oyster reefs, community involvement, youth, and more.



Some notes...

More about 1treellion & Jeff DeQuattro.

To support planting all over the world, please check out this link.

The great music is credited to Pixabay.

This butterfly is excited to be speaking with Shubber Ali.

Shubber Ali is the CEO of Garden for Wildlife, a program that began within the National Wildlife Federation. Shubber has spent the last three decades helping companies in the consulting and software industries solve problems through innovation. It was while Shubber was one of Accenture’s Global Leads for Digital  Innovation that he worked with the NWF to launch Garden for Wildlife as its own for-profit e-commerce company.  

Garden for Wildlife allows people to make a difference for the environment by shipping plants native to their zip code that support local wildlife. Their team of experts has thoughtfully utilized 50 years of experience, science, and data to curate plant collections that support wildlife and benefit local ecosystems in every season. And for every plant GFW sells, they reserve one plant for donation to a community garden or public space. 

Shubber is incredibly passionate about innovation, nature, and wildlife, and is on a mission to get as many people as possible to help save the planet, yard by yard. In 2023, GFW shipped over 62,000 plants across 38 states and 2,900+ cities in America.  

In this episode, you will hear about his journey, rain-friendly gardens, what’s the value of buying native species, our lawns, pollinators, and more.



Resources mentioned in the episode:

Books:

Nature's Best Hope - Doug Tallamy

The Nature Fix - Florence Williams

Last Child in the Woods - Richard Louv



Links:

Buying Native Plants for your own yard - https://gardenforwildlife.com/



Fundraising platform signup -  https://content.gardenforwildlife.com/fundraising



Native Plant Finder (NWF) - https://nativeplantfinder.nwf.org/



Some notes...

More about 1treellion & Shubber Ali and Gardens for Wildlife .

To support planting all over the world, please check out this link.

The great music is credited to Pixabay.

This butterfly is excited to be speaking with Devan Schowe.



Devan works as a Campaigns Associate for the wildlife conservation and animal welfare organization, Born Free USA, to fight against the exploitation of wild animals in captivity. 



Prior to her current position with the organization, she worked for several years as a Primate Caregiver and Veterinary Assistant at the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary in South Texas. In her current position, she researches and writes reports on target issues including the private trade of wild animals, wild animals in captivity, the effects of social media on wild animals, the fur trade, and trapping. She increases public awareness of these issues by campaigning on various platforms, including social media, blog posts, and podcasts.



Devan holds an MSc in Primate Conservation from Oxford Brookes University.



In this episode, you will hear about her work at Born Free USA, their different initiatives to help wildlife in captivity, “Compassionate Conservation”, and more.



Some notes...

More about 1treellion & Born Free USA.

To support planting all over the world, please check out this link.The great music is credited to Pixabay.

This butterfly is excited to be speaking with Alexandre Karim Howard.



Karim, is a Swiss-born entrepreneur, with a track record of scaling early-stage startups to become unicorns. Drawing from this experience, he is passionately dedicated to delivering quality products that address vital challenges, particularly in the field of regenerative agriculture.



After a year of hands-on farming experience across Europe, he recognized the pressing need for practical and inclusive solutions that align with nature and cater to all communities. 



Karim is committed to leveraging his expertise to scale regenerative solutions, driven by the desire to solve problems that genuinely matter.

In this episode, you will hear about regenerative agriculture - issues and how we can scale it, the role of AI, and more.



Some notes...

More about 1treellion & Alexandre Karim Howard.

To support planting all over the world, please check out this link.The great music is credited to Pixabay.

This butterfly is excited to be speaking with Clara Botto.



Clara has been engaged with sustainable development at a grassroots and international level, from arts to politics, for the past 8 years. She is currently developing the initiative SRM Youth Watch, which is looking into the governance of climate-altering technologies called Solar Radiation Modification (SRM), campaigns with World’s Youth for Climate Justice seeking an Advisory Opinion from the International Court of Justice on the climate crisis as a human rights issue, is a New European Voice on Existential Risk with the European Leadership Network and is the Science-Policy Thematic Facilitator of the Major Group of Children and Youth to UNEP.



She holds an MSc in International Development and Public Policy, having written her thesis as a public policy case study of deep-sea mining in Portugal, and a BSc in Business with a focus on Creative Economy and Marketing, where she researched sustainable fashion and the universities’ lack of preparation to equip youth for sustainable development in Rio de Janeiro.



In this episode, you will hear about SRM policies, youth involvement in climate justice, and more.



Some notes...

More about 1treellion, Clara Botto, and SRM Youth Watch.

To support planting all over the world, please check out this link.

The great music is credited to Pixabay.

This butterfly is excited to be speaking with Elias Cattan.

Elias is an architect and urban planner from Mexico City, working on bringing nature back into our built environment. Through his architectural designs, urban master planning, workshops, and data visualization in graphics and installations. 

He is the Founder and Director of Taller13 Arquitectura Regenerativa, dedicated to understanding living systems within nature and cities. He designs furniture, interiors, buildings, and urban planning to scale, integrating the patterns of community life and the systems in which they operate.

In this episode, you will hear about his work, the  Urban Regeneration Games, what are complete streets, and more.

Some notes...

More about 1treellion, Taller13 & Urban Regeneration Games.

To support planting all over the world, please check out this link.

The great music is credited to Pixabay.