The Mike Nowak Show Podcasts

Guests: Foresight Design Initiative Executive Director Peter Nicholson; Dan Kenney, chair of a group called Stop the DeKalb County Mega-Dump; Joe Lill, Vice President of the Chicago Audubon Society talks about Birding America ViII. But who knew that he had prodigious musical talent? Check out the final ten minutes of the podcast to hear Joe wail on the trumpet...over the phone, no less.

Beth Botts fills in for the vacationing Mike Nowak. Guests: Diane Blazek of All-America Selections and National Garden Bureau; Jim Kleinwachter, head of the Conservation@home program for the Conservation Foundation; garden designer Andrea Green of Gardens by Design in Oak Park.

Guests: Follow up on Chicago's war on local food: Chicago Tribune's Monica Eng, Alexis Leverenz of Kitchen Chicago and Martha Boyd from Angelic Organics Learning Center; Garth Conrad, president of the Midwest Ecological Landscaping Association (MELA); speakers for the 18th Annual Natural Landscaping Seminar for the Wildflower Preservation and Propagation Committee of McHenry County--Lorraine Johnson, Ed Collins and Nancy Williamson.

Guests: Natural Resources Defense Council's Josh Mogerman talks about latest developments in the Asian Carp crisis; Mr. Brown Thumb invades the studio with his legion of Twitter followers; Chicago Tribune writer Monica Eng and Flora Confections Chief Operating Officer Lee Greenhouse discuss the heartbreaking action of the Chicago Health Department, which destroyed thousands of dollars of fruit purees in a licensing dispute. (This link contains the video that is posted on my home page.)

Beth Botts co-hosts. She and Mike talk about the latest funding crisis for Illinois Extension, the state of the economy in horticulture, why you should stop whining about snow (it's good for your plants), and they answer a few gardening questions along the way.

Guests: The Resource Center's Ken Dunn is receiving the 5th Annual Elizabeth I. Benson Award this Wednesday, January 27, at the Wellington Avenue United Church of Christ. Ken and Pam Richart of the Eco-Justice Collaborative talk about the event (which I am emceeing). Also on the show, CMAP Executive Director Randy Blankenhorn on the Go To 2040 initiative; Dave Snyder from Chicago Rarities Orchard Project (CROP).

Mike and Heather talk about relief for victims of Haiti earthquake; Guests: Maureen Phillips talks about the 7th Annual Gardening Show presented by the Porter County Master Gardeners Association. Speakers for the show include Connor Shaw from Possibility Place Sursery and writer Jean Starr from Chicagoland Gardening Magazine.

Guests: Robert Nevel, Joel Smith and Terra Brockman discuss the Martin Luther King, Jr.Social Justice Weekend at KAM Isaiah Israel January 15th & 17th; Guy Sternberg, Mayor Bruce Tossell and David Ellis talk about saving the historic Osage-orange tree in Kewanee, Illinois; actor/producer Michael Martin and Chicago actor Richard Henzel preview the opening of Verbatim Verboten: The Words You Long to Hear at Hamburger Mary's in Andersonville on January 13 (yes, I'm in the show).

Guests: NeighborSpace Executive Director Ben Helphand talks about One Seed Chicago; Robin Schirmer of Churches' Center for Land and People and Rob Gardener of The Local Beet discuss Winter Farmers Markets in and around Chicago.

Mike looks at the stories of 2009 that fell through the cracks.

The Mike Nowak Show X-Mas X-Travaganza! Guests: Joe Heidgen from Shady Hill Garden; Scott Austin , who has hosted his own radio show in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia, Canada for 21 years. And the WCPT premiere of It's a Wonderful Slice of 'It's a Wonderful Life.'

Guests: "Gardening Nude" author Shawna Lee Coronado; Mick Dumke, contributor to the Chicago Reader's Clout City blog, discusses Chicago recycling with Mike; Eric Hansen of Competitive Lawn Service, Inc., talks about acquiring a propane-fueled Roush/Ford F350 for his business.

Guests: Chicago French Market co-developer Bob Wislow, and Dimitri Fayard, co-proprietor of vendor Vanille Patisserie. Shawn Kingsette and Thom Kraak from The Care of Trees discuss indoor and outdoor holiday trees--how to decorate them and keep them healthy.

Guests: Tim Magner of Green Sugar Press on his environmental books for children; Brian Granahan of Environment Illinois talks about various green issues, including the drawbacks of nuclear energy and the future of cap-and-trade in America; Josh Mogerman from Natural Resources Defense Council discusses the threat of Asian carp to the Great Lakes.

Guests: Bruce and Erika Horigan of Horigan Urban Forest Products, Inc., Roy Diblik of Northwind Perennial Farm, and a special appearance in the second hour by arborist Guy Sternberg of Starhill Forest Arboretum. In a completely non-horticultural related appearance, Mike's holiday caroling group, The Frozen Robins take over most of the second hour with their warbling and improvisation.