Backyard OASIS

Greenfield Community College

Backyard OASIS reaches out to older adults who seek knowledge to help them live more thoughtfully, healthily, and happily; who hope to inspire others with their ideas; and who serve their communities in the interest of greater good. Join us frequently for wide-ranging conversations with a diversity of people who are growing older...and want to talk about it! Created by Dennis Lee, Denise Schwartz, Chad Fuller, Christine Copeland, and Judy Raper Produced by Alex Audette at Greenfield Community College's Teaching and Learning Innovation Center Contact us at backyardoasispodcast@gmail.com and check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BackyardOasisPodcast

  1. 73 - All About Our Pharmaceuticals (And More!) with host Denise Schwartz

    8H AGO

    73 - All About Our Pharmaceuticals (And More!) with host Denise Schwartz

    Today, host Denise Schwartz reconnects with Jill Shuman to talk about something most people take every day but rarely think much about: pharmaceuticals. How do the drugs we take come to market? How do they work in the first place?? And what the HECK is "ethnobiology"? All that and more on this wide-ranging episode of Backyard OASIS! Be sure to subscribe to the Greenfield Community College Backyard OASIS Podcast and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content! Hosted by Denise Schwartz Produced by Alex Audette in the Multimedia Studios at Greenfield Community College in Franklin County, MA

    39 min
  2. 72 - Let's Play Games (And Talk About Why We Play Them, Too), with host Denise Schwartz

    12/31/2025

    72 - Let's Play Games (And Talk About Why We Play Them, Too), with host Denise Schwartz

    Whether it's Candy Land, Pickleball, Tag or Mah Jongg, playing games taps into something deeply human. Denise and Jill explore how games sharpen skills, spark imagination, create connections with others and remind us that we humans love to have FUN! Be sure to subscribe to the Greenfield Community College Backyard OASIS Podcast and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content! Hosted by Denise Schwartz Produced by Alex Audette in the Multimedia Studios at Greenfield Community College in Franklin County, MA

    35 min
  3. 71 - A Lifetime of Admiration for a Legend: Gabe Temesvari on Connie Francis, with host Denise Schwartz

    12/05/2025

    71 - A Lifetime of Admiration for a Legend: Gabe Temesvari on Connie Francis, with host Denise Schwartz

    On this episode of Backyard OASIS, Denise talks with Gabe Temesvari, who was a sub-teen in Ohio listening to American Bandstand when Dick Clark introduced a song by a girl with a voice both "plaintive and sincere." There began Gabe's lifetime admiration of Connie Francis, hailed as one of the top-charting female vocalists of the late 1950s and early 1960s and one of the best-selling music artists in history. Today Gabe tells us about the Connie Francis he knew as an artist who attained fame, endured tragedy and was guided by a belief that one has to “try and try again.” Be sure to subscribe to the Greenfield Community College Backyard OASIS Podcast and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content! Hosted by Denise Schwartz Produced by Alex Audette in the Multimedia Studios at Greenfield Community College in Franklin County, MA

    42 min

  4. 10/02/2025

    70 - Spilling the Tea Part 9 with Jessica Niedbala, Mackenzie Shanahan, and Judy Raper

    Join your hosts Judy Raper, Jessica Niedbala, and Mackenzie Shanahan for their ninth deep dive into today's reality TV and pop culture! Be sure to subscribe to the Greenfield Community College Backyard OASIS Podcast and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content! Hosted by Judy Raper, Jessica Niedbala, and Mackenzie Shanahan Produced by Alex Audette in the Multimedia Studios at Greenfield Community College in Franklin County, MA

    52 min
  5. 69 - Inside the Mind of a Killer, with Denise Schwartz

    09/24/2025

    69 - Inside the Mind of a Killer, with Denise Schwartz

    Host Denise Schwartz might be a little anxious by the end of this episode. Why? Because today she's talking about... killing. And people who kill. Serial killers, mostly. Guest John Olszewski corresponded with and met many of society's most notorious killers. He'll tell us about them, why they kill, and about humans' obsession with true crime. John Olszewski is author of true crime books Long Dark Walk and Serial Shorts, was born and raised in the historic city of Salem, Massachusetts. His fascination with true crime began at a young age, sparking a lifelong pursuit of understanding serial killers. John earned degrees in Criminal Justice, Behavioral Science and Counseling Psychology, leading to work in hospitals, jails, prisons and treatment centers. He has also shared his expertise on the lecture circuit while maintaining connections with some of the world’s most infamous murderers. Be sure to subscribe to the Greenfield Community College Backyard OASIS Podcast and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content! Hosted by Denise Schwartz Produced by Alex Audette in the Multimedia Studios at Greenfield Community College in Franklin County, MA

    38 min
  6. 68 - FootCare By Nurses, For All! with Host Christine Copeland

    09/22/2025

    68 - FootCare By Nurses, For All! with Host Christine Copeland

    On this episode of the Backyard OASIS Podcast, host Christine Copeland has a conversation Dr. Kate Clayton-Jones, founder and CEO of Footcare by Nurses, and Lee Wicks, a writer who translates Kate’s deep scientific knowledge into accessible language for the public, especially elders who can no longer care for their own feet. They talk about how understanding the health of your feet leads to understanding health in general, particularly issues of balance, posture and confidence. They also talk about the psychological benefit of the one-on-one relationship this nursing care provides for seniors. Dr. Kaye Clayton Jones is the founder and CEO of FootCare by Nurses, a Greenfield-based company that provides foot care in Western Massachusetts, parts of Connecticut, Cape Cod, and the Islands. Kate and registered nurses who have received specialized training, attend to each patient with caring attention and a mission to improve quality of life and prevent more complicated health problems such as amputations. Kate was motivated to start FootCare by Nurses because, as an acute care nurse, she saw too many people falling or having their toes or feet amputated from causes she thought were preventable with good nursing care. With a clear passion for better care of feet, a business background, and a mission of prevention, Kate began her journey to prove that nurses can take great care of feet and give everyone the best scientifically backed foot care possible. In 2020 she received a PhD in nursing science from UMass, and in 2025 she graduated with a Doctorate in Nursing Practice (UMass), and her capstone was on chronic pain and complicated grief. She gave a TEDx talk in 2019 to raise awareness about caring for your feet and was nominated for the 2020 Massachusetts Woman’s Small Business Owner of the Year Award. Two years ago, she and two nurses greeted the walkers midway on Monte’s March for hunger and helped them tend to their sore feet. When she isn’t running the business, Kate can be found on the front lines developing out the science of foot care. Learn more about Dr. Clayton Jones' work at https://footcarebynurses.net Lee Wicks is a retired communications professional, a writer who has published a novel and a memoir, and a marketing consultant who works with Kate to help educate people about the vital importance of preventive ongoing footcare. She first met Kate at the end of covid-19 isolation when her neglected feet needed care. She was so impressed by the care and information she received that she approached Kate about a job just when Kate was looking for help with her marketing materials and the Footcare by Nurses website. Lee is a retired person who still wants to be professionally engaged, and as a writer she relishes the challenge of translating Kate’s scientific knowledge into accessible language for the public, especially elders who can no longer care for their own feet. In her free time Lee writes (she is working on a second memoir) spends time with friends, family and her giant dog Ziggy, swims, walks and takes classes at the Y. Learn more about Lee Wicks' work at https://winningwriters.com/people/lee-wicks Be sure to subscribe to the Greenfield Community College Backyard OASIS Podcast, and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content! Photo credit: Hosted by Christine Copeland Produced by Alex Audette in the Multimedia Studios at Greenfield Community College in Franklin County, MA

    41 min
  7. 67 - Spotting and Avoiding Scams in a Digital Age, with host Judy Raper

    08/21/2025

    67 - Spotting and Avoiding Scams in a Digital Age, with host Judy Raper

    On this episode of the Backyard OASIS Podcast, host Judy Raper has a conversation with therapist and clinical social worker Brooke Donatone about scams on seniors – specifically what they look like in the digital era. They talk about warning signs that a correspondence might be a scam, the different forms modern scams can take, and how you can help older adults in your life who you suspect may be the victim of a scam. Learn more about Brooke and their work at https://www.deliberatepsychotherapycollaborative.com/ Be sure to subscribe to the Greenfield Community College Backyard OASIS Podcast, and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content! Photo credit: Deliberate Psychotherapy Collaborative Hosted by Judy Raper Produced by Alex Audette in the Multimedia Studios at Greenfield Community College in Franklin County, MA

    24 min
  8. 66 - A Beekeeper and an Astronaut Offer Messages About Creating Global Economies That Consider Earth's Environment FIRST - with host Denise Schwartz

    08/13/2025

    66 - A Beekeeper and an Astronaut Offer Messages About Creating Global Economies That Consider Earth's Environment FIRST - with host Denise Schwartz

    Astronaut Ron Garan's realization that humans' focus on economic systems is wrong aligns with beekeeper Dan's thinking about ways to save Earth's ecological systems. You'll hear part of Garan's stirring message read by Denise, followed by Dan Conlon's thoughts about how we can create economic systems that improve Earth's environmental system that we depend on for our existence. Be sure to subscribe to the Greenfield Community College Backyard OASIS Podcast, and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content! Hosted by Denise Schwartz Produced by Alex Audette in the Multimedia Studios at Greenfield Community College in Franklin County, MA

    48 min
See All (73)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Backyard OASIS reaches out to older adults who seek knowledge to help them live more thoughtfully, healthily, and happily; who hope to inspire others with their ideas; and who serve their communities in the interest of greater good. Join us frequently for wide-ranging conversations with a diversity of people who are growing older...and want to talk about it! Created by Dennis Lee, Denise Schwartz, Chad Fuller, Christine Copeland, and Judy Raper Produced by Alex Audette at Greenfield Community College's Teaching and Learning Innovation Center Contact us at backyardoasispodcast@gmail.com and check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BackyardOasisPodcast

Information

  • Creator
    Greenfield Community College
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    73
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Greenfield Community College 2023
  • Show Website
    Backyard OASIS