WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:03.100 This is the Pepperwood Podcast, a production 00:00:03.100 --> 00:00:05.860 of Pepperwood, a non -profit conservation organization 00:00:05.860 --> 00:00:09.480 based at a 3 ,200 -acre nature reserve near Santa 00:00:09.480 --> 00:00:12.119 Rosa, California, in the heart of the traditional 00:00:12.119 --> 00:00:15.539 homeland of the Wappo people. At Pepperwood, 00:00:15.640 --> 00:00:18.519 we aim to inspire conservation through science. 00:00:18.739 --> 00:00:21.620 And on this show, we talk to scientists, stewards, 00:00:21.960 --> 00:00:24.440 and environmental educators about what they do 00:00:24.440 --> 00:00:27.670 and how they do it. We hope to give you a glimpse 00:00:27.670 --> 00:00:30.190 into the real experiences of folks who devote 00:00:30.190 --> 00:00:32.429 their lives to taking care of local ecosystems 00:00:32.429 --> 00:00:38.710 and sharing them with others. Welcome Pepperwood 00:00:38.710 --> 00:00:42.359 podcast community to another episode. As always, 00:00:42.439 --> 00:00:45.299 I am your host, Pepperwood Environmental Educator 00:00:45.299 --> 00:00:48.079 Julianne Bradbury, and today we are going to 00:00:48.079 --> 00:00:49.780 get a little insight into one of Pepperwood's 00:00:49.780 --> 00:00:52.740 most treasured education programs, our Summer 00:00:52.740 --> 00:00:55.600 Science Institute for High School Students, called 00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:58.740 Teen Nat. We're going to hear the voices of a 00:00:58.740 --> 00:01:01.140 few folks who have experienced this program over 00:01:01.140 --> 00:01:03.619 the past few years and can represent what the 00:01:03.619 --> 00:01:05.859 program was like for them and how it impacted 00:01:05.859 --> 00:01:09.319 their lives. First, a little context for you. 00:01:09.799 --> 00:01:13.319 What is TeenNet? TeenNet started in the summer 00:01:13.319 --> 00:01:16.400 of 2013 and has continued to welcome high school 00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:18.519 students into the Pepperwood community every 00:01:18.519 --> 00:01:22.180 year since. The details of the program, how many 00:01:22.180 --> 00:01:24.980 weeks it lasts, the specific projects that the 00:01:24.980 --> 00:01:27.359 participants engage in, have evolved over the 00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:29.459 years and changed to accommodate restrictions 00:01:29.459 --> 00:01:32.599 like periods of social distancing, but the goals 00:01:32.599 --> 00:01:34.819 and the values of the program have remained strong 00:01:34.819 --> 00:01:38.799 through it all. First, The program is completely 00:01:38.799 --> 00:01:42.420 free of cost to participants, and we are so grateful 00:01:42.420 --> 00:01:45.200 to both the donors and the grant funders who 00:01:45.200 --> 00:01:48.280 continue to make that possible. There is an application 00:01:48.280 --> 00:01:50.760 process that you go through to become a participant, 00:01:50.939 --> 00:01:53.799 but there is absolutely no cost to either join 00:01:53.799 --> 00:01:57.319 or experience TeenNet. The program is available 00:01:57.319 --> 00:02:00.540 to high school students who are entering their 00:02:00.540 --> 00:02:03.379 sophomore, junior, or senior years of high school 00:02:03.379 --> 00:02:06.700 following the program. In other words, if you 00:02:06.700 --> 00:02:09.900 are currently a freshman, sophomore, or junior 00:02:09.900 --> 00:02:12.340 in high school, you're eligible to apply for 00:02:12.340 --> 00:02:16.080 the upcoming summer of TeenNet. Once they have 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:18.979 applied and been accepted into the program, Team 00:02:18.979 --> 00:02:22.099 Nat participants gather at our 3 ,200 -acre nature 00:02:22.099 --> 00:02:25.280 reserve for full days of hiking and learning 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:28.300 over a period of several weeks during summertime. 00:02:28.639 --> 00:02:31.020 They typically come from many different local 00:02:31.020 --> 00:02:33.699 high schools to spend time in and learn about 00:02:33.699 --> 00:02:36.740 Pepperwood's diverse habitats. They engage in 00:02:36.740 --> 00:02:39.099 real field research and stewardship projects, 00:02:39.340 --> 00:02:42.120 as well as nature -related artistic and mindfulness 00:02:42.120 --> 00:02:45.099 practices with guidance from Pepperwood's educators, 00:02:45.379 --> 00:02:49.280 stewardship professionals, and scientists. They 00:02:49.280 --> 00:02:51.560 meet a diverse group of regional conservation 00:02:51.560 --> 00:02:54.219 professionals and learn about the wide range 00:02:54.219 --> 00:02:56.979 of careers related to the natural world while 00:02:56.979 --> 00:03:01.319 building their resume and career skills. I joined 00:03:01.319 --> 00:03:05.210 the TNAT staff team in 2024. It was really exciting 00:03:05.210 --> 00:03:07.370 for me to become part of a program with such 00:03:07.370 --> 00:03:10.770 a rich history, including the TNAT alumni community, 00:03:11.110 --> 00:03:14.289 which is more than a decade in the making. Once 00:03:14.289 --> 00:03:16.310 someone has participated in the summer program, 00:03:16.509 --> 00:03:19.090 they become a lifelong member of the TNAT alumni 00:03:19.090 --> 00:03:22.250 community and are therefore invited to annual 00:03:22.250 --> 00:03:25.650 alumni events, given special access to all Pepperwood 00:03:25.650 --> 00:03:28.569 events, and provided with ongoing career support, 00:03:28.750 --> 00:03:31.710 including updates on local conservation internship 00:03:31.710 --> 00:03:34.969 and job opportunities, and references and letters 00:03:34.969 --> 00:03:38.759 of recommendation from Pepperwood staff. So those 00:03:38.759 --> 00:03:40.680 are some of my thoughts and a little background 00:03:40.680 --> 00:03:43.919 about TNAT as a program and as a legacy of the 00:03:43.919 --> 00:03:46.460 Pepperwood educators who've come before me. But 00:03:46.460 --> 00:03:48.500 I want you to hear about the program from the 00:03:48.500 --> 00:03:51.199 ones whose opinions matter most, the folks who 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:53.759 have experienced the program for themselves as 00:03:53.759 --> 00:03:56.860 participants. At our most recent alumni event 00:03:56.860 --> 00:04:00.699 in January of 2025, three of our alumni agreed 00:04:00.699 --> 00:04:03.659 to chat with me about their experiences in TNAT, 00:04:03.780 --> 00:04:05.979 and I'm going to let them introduce themselves. 00:04:08.009 --> 00:04:10.550 Hey, my name is Glenn. I'm a senior in high school 00:04:10.550 --> 00:04:12.870 at Orchard View School, and I did TNAT in 2022, 00:04:13.229 --> 00:04:16.029 and I've since then attended Winter TNAT in 2023, 00:04:16.470 --> 00:04:20.110 2024. My name is Tegan. Currently, I'm a senior 00:04:20.110 --> 00:04:23.389 in high school. I did TNAT in 2024, and I've 00:04:23.389 --> 00:04:25.850 come back for 2025 Winter TNAT, and I plan to 00:04:25.850 --> 00:04:29.209 come back again. I'm Beatrix. I did TNAT in 2024. 00:04:29.509 --> 00:04:32.209 I came back for Winter TNAT in 2025, and you 00:04:32.209 --> 00:04:34.870 can't stop me from coming back again. Gonna be 00:04:34.870 --> 00:04:37.189 back. Right now, I'm still in high school. I'm 00:04:37.189 --> 00:04:40.250 a sophomore now. The only STEM thing I'm doing 00:04:40.250 --> 00:04:42.470 at the moment is engineering programs, which 00:04:42.470 --> 00:04:44.550 isn't too teen that related, but I would credit 00:04:44.550 --> 00:04:48.529 teen that to giving me confidence in those. I 00:04:48.529 --> 00:04:51.750 loved that final insight from Beatrix, something 00:04:51.750 --> 00:04:54.529 that came up often from these three teen at alumni, 00:04:54.610 --> 00:04:57.329 all of whom clearly loved the program and are 00:04:57.329 --> 00:04:59.769 motivated to keep experiencing teen that through 00:04:59.769 --> 00:05:02.649 our alumni events. was that TNAT did not turn 00:05:02.649 --> 00:05:06.810 them into laser -focused ecology machines. Indeed, 00:05:07.029 --> 00:05:10.110 our goal with TNAT is not just to serve folks 00:05:10.110 --> 00:05:12.290 who are committed to becoming the next generation 00:05:12.290 --> 00:05:15.189 of professional scientists, nor is it our goal 00:05:15.189 --> 00:05:18.670 to brainwash folks into pursuing careers as ecologists 00:05:18.670 --> 00:05:21.949 or stewardship professionals. If those careers 00:05:21.949 --> 00:05:24.970 are your goal or become your goal, we can certainly 00:05:24.970 --> 00:05:27.600 support you, but that's not what... we're really 00:05:27.600 --> 00:05:30.579 aiming for. I was really pleased to hear from 00:05:30.579 --> 00:05:33.800 Beatrix, Tegan, and Glenn that they didn't feel 00:05:33.800 --> 00:05:36.699 pressured to shift all of their life goals during 00:05:36.699 --> 00:05:39.800 Teen Nat. Rather, they all described how Teen 00:05:39.800 --> 00:05:42.279 Nat opened their eyes to how an increasing love 00:05:42.279 --> 00:05:44.980 and value for the natural world can be paired 00:05:44.980 --> 00:05:47.800 with other passions and connect them with other 00:05:47.800 --> 00:05:51.120 people. I, in fact, wouldn't say that Teen Nat 00:05:51.870 --> 00:05:54.149 gave me much of a jumping off point to be like, 00:05:54.250 --> 00:05:57.069 now that I've done that, I know how I can be 00:05:57.069 --> 00:06:00.889 a science educator or a botanist or anything. 00:06:01.069 --> 00:06:03.189 It just gave me more interest in those fields 00:06:03.189 --> 00:06:05.790 and gave me a lot of resources to continue pursuing 00:06:05.790 --> 00:06:09.750 that. I plan on going to our local junior college 00:06:09.750 --> 00:06:12.709 and pursuing a career in photography. I think 00:06:12.709 --> 00:06:14.829 that, like, TNAT definitely helped me realize 00:06:14.829 --> 00:06:17.930 that, like, I can have other interests than just 00:06:17.930 --> 00:06:19.629 photography because I know that I didn't have, 00:06:19.709 --> 00:06:22.930 like, much of a plan outside of, like, oh, I'm 00:06:22.930 --> 00:06:25.290 going to go to college and I'm going to do photography 00:06:25.290 --> 00:06:26.750 and then I don't know what I'm going to do from 00:06:26.750 --> 00:06:28.449 there. But now I know that while I do that, I 00:06:28.449 --> 00:06:30.209 can also have kind of, like, a subset of interest. 00:06:31.009 --> 00:06:33.509 It was kind of hard having only one thing to 00:06:33.509 --> 00:06:35.850 enjoy. But then you kind of realize that, oh, 00:06:35.970 --> 00:06:38.129 you know, there's this whole, like, STEM culture 00:06:38.129 --> 00:06:40.069 and doing INAT definitely helped me realize that 00:06:40.069 --> 00:06:42.399 there's a huge community online. Tina helped 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:44.600 me realize that I not only had one hobby and 00:06:44.600 --> 00:06:46.420 that I needed to follow in that hobby, that I 00:06:46.420 --> 00:06:49.800 can combine my hobbies and that not only can 00:06:49.800 --> 00:06:52.259 I be a STEM person, but there's also an artistic 00:06:52.259 --> 00:06:56.180 side to STEM, especially with the online photography 00:06:56.180 --> 00:06:59.660 system I'm at and seeing kind of a artistic and 00:06:59.660 --> 00:07:03.759 humane kind of resource in that kind of data. 00:07:04.170 --> 00:07:06.069 One of the great things about T9 is that there's 00:07:06.069 --> 00:07:08.750 such a diverse group of students that attend. 00:07:08.990 --> 00:07:10.430 They're not all students that are interested 00:07:10.430 --> 00:07:14.529 in biology or environmental science. I myself, 00:07:14.810 --> 00:07:17.029 for example, would like to study mechanical engineering, 00:07:17.110 --> 00:07:19.550 which is a bit different from maybe straight 00:07:19.550 --> 00:07:22.990 biology or chemistry, but I'm still able to... 00:07:23.480 --> 00:07:26.040 love the outdoors and being out there. And some 00:07:26.040 --> 00:07:28.000 of the friends that I made and some of the classmates 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:30.220 from my year were people that were interested 00:07:30.220 --> 00:07:33.079 not just in environmental science, but different 00:07:33.079 --> 00:07:36.740 tech, in English, in writing, etc. And we were 00:07:36.740 --> 00:07:39.939 able to connect over this common love for the 00:07:39.939 --> 00:07:44.139 nature and for the outdoors. Speaking of becoming 00:07:44.139 --> 00:07:47.779 connected with others, I asked about who our 00:07:47.779 --> 00:07:50.360 participants interacted with during TeenNet. 00:07:50.519 --> 00:07:54.399 Who were the human and non -human friends that 00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:57.740 they met and spent time with? I met a lot of 00:07:57.740 --> 00:08:00.610 people that I'm still... catching up with online. 00:08:00.810 --> 00:08:02.670 I met a lot of people of different types than 00:08:02.670 --> 00:08:04.610 I would have just met in my normal school, which 00:08:04.610 --> 00:08:07.029 isn't a big one, doesn't have too many people 00:08:07.029 --> 00:08:10.050 who would want to be outside all summer. So it's 00:08:10.050 --> 00:08:11.649 very cool to know people who want to be outside 00:08:11.649 --> 00:08:13.829 all summer, and I'm glad that I've been able 00:08:13.829 --> 00:08:17.389 to keep up with some of them. And as for non 00:08:17.389 --> 00:08:19.509 -human friends, I haven't been able to catch 00:08:19.509 --> 00:08:21.250 up with any of them, but maybe I'll meet them 00:08:21.250 --> 00:08:23.529 again someday. What are some examples of those? 00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:27.160 I'm not sure that snake I saw would consider 00:08:27.160 --> 00:08:29.579 me a friend, but I would consider it a friend. 00:08:30.000 --> 00:08:33.899 Fair, fair. Did you determine what kind of snake 00:08:33.899 --> 00:08:36.919 it was? Friend -shaped. Friend -shaped. Friend 00:08:36.919 --> 00:08:40.779 -shaped snake, my favorite kind. The first, god, 00:08:40.879 --> 00:08:42.629 I don't think it was the first hike. but maybe 00:08:42.629 --> 00:08:43.950 it was the second. One of the things we have 00:08:43.950 --> 00:08:46.789 to do for T -Net is the project that we present 00:08:46.789 --> 00:08:49.250 at the end. And first, second, maybe third hike 00:08:49.250 --> 00:08:52.230 that we went on, third day, I managed to pick 00:08:52.230 --> 00:08:57.330 up the third most painful stinging animal insect 00:08:57.330 --> 00:08:59.830 that there is out there, the velvet ant. Didn't 00:08:59.830 --> 00:09:02.029 know what it was, then was told that it is that 00:09:02.029 --> 00:09:04.889 and decided not to pick it up. After having dropped 00:09:04.889 --> 00:09:06.629 it multiple times, I didn't mean to. I swear 00:09:06.629 --> 00:09:08.629 I didn't mean to. Of course not. She didn't sting 00:09:08.629 --> 00:09:10.570 me though, which is nice. And we know it's a 00:09:10.570 --> 00:09:12.610 she because they are a... wingless type of um 00:09:12.610 --> 00:09:15.850 the the the females don't have any wings but 00:09:15.850 --> 00:09:17.809 they're a wasp so i found an ant that looks like 00:09:17.809 --> 00:09:20.289 a wasp that might have stung me but she chose 00:09:20.289 --> 00:09:21.889 not to but she chose not to so i think we're 00:09:21.889 --> 00:09:23.970 friends on that level okay great so that was 00:09:23.970 --> 00:09:25.730 your that was one of your first friends yeah 00:09:25.730 --> 00:09:27.929 yeah and it was also what i chose to do for my 00:09:27.929 --> 00:09:30.340 project because we had to um Also, we had to 00:09:30.340 --> 00:09:33.080 have proof of our animals, and we had to have 00:09:33.080 --> 00:09:35.539 photos of them. Cool. So, yeah, you made that 00:09:35.539 --> 00:09:37.960 friend, and she lasted you the whole T -Net experience. 00:09:38.059 --> 00:09:40.440 She was kind of the one that started it. She 00:09:40.440 --> 00:09:43.019 got the ball rolling. That's great. I didn't 00:09:43.019 --> 00:09:44.580 have anything. I had no clue what I was going 00:09:44.580 --> 00:09:45.679 to do, and then I was like, you know what? Why 00:09:45.679 --> 00:09:47.700 not? That's right. That's right. You were inspired 00:09:47.700 --> 00:09:50.600 by that moment. Cool. Any human friends come 00:09:50.600 --> 00:09:53.000 out of this for you? I did. I am currently, after 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:54.179 this, I'm going to go to the mall with some people 00:09:54.179 --> 00:09:57.519 that I know. Great. I think, besides, T -Net 00:09:57.519 --> 00:09:59.720 is not like... I met these people at TeenNet, 00:09:59.820 --> 00:10:01.659 and not only do we meet outside of TeenNet, but 00:10:01.659 --> 00:10:04.259 we keep on coming back to TeenNet. I think that's 00:10:04.259 --> 00:10:06.320 something that is really important, is that TeenNet 00:10:06.320 --> 00:10:08.620 is a place where we can meet, and we can have 00:10:08.620 --> 00:10:11.120 these fun experiences together. Not only because 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:12.480 we met that one time, but because we are going 00:10:12.480 --> 00:10:14.399 to create lasting memories. Sometimes we need 00:10:14.399 --> 00:10:16.440 excuses to hang out with people that we love, 00:10:16.539 --> 00:10:19.159 and that's something that we hopefully provide 00:10:19.159 --> 00:10:21.600 for you. So that's so good. The alumni community 00:10:21.600 --> 00:10:24.580 is wonderful. For Winter TeenNet, every year 00:10:24.580 --> 00:10:28.029 I meet great new students who are doing... completely 00:10:28.029 --> 00:10:30.870 different things in life, but are able to come 00:10:30.870 --> 00:10:32.889 back to this love for Pepperwood and for the 00:10:32.889 --> 00:10:38.110 outdoors. Next, I asked Glenn, Tegan, and Beatrix 00:10:38.110 --> 00:10:42.029 to reflect on how their experiences in TNAT impacted 00:10:42.029 --> 00:10:45.389 their lives overall. TNAT actually really gave 00:10:45.389 --> 00:10:47.649 me the confidence to be more myself in school 00:10:47.649 --> 00:10:51.029 the next semester. That's incredible. And it 00:10:51.029 --> 00:10:55.230 also obviously helped me know a lot more when 00:10:55.230 --> 00:10:59.610 I'm outside. got me wanting to be outside more 00:10:59.610 --> 00:11:02.029 again. I kind of forgot how fun some of this 00:11:02.029 --> 00:11:04.549 was. So that's something that you had used to 00:11:04.549 --> 00:11:06.549 enjoy, but you had maybe lost it a little bit? 00:11:06.690 --> 00:11:09.070 Yeah, maybe lost it, maybe just wasn't hiking 00:11:09.070 --> 00:11:11.029 as much, and then CNAT reminded me, oh, I need 00:11:11.029 --> 00:11:13.370 to try harder to get outside. Adding on to what 00:11:13.370 --> 00:11:15.470 Glynn was saying about the CNAT alumni community, 00:11:15.870 --> 00:11:21.750 it's hard to understate how resourceful and how 00:11:21.750 --> 00:11:23.710 great it is to have connections at Pepperwood, 00:11:23.809 --> 00:11:28.159 because if you ever need any of Pepperwood's 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:30.379 resources, then you have someone to talk to. 00:11:30.659 --> 00:11:33.600 And every newsletter we get seems like it has 00:11:33.600 --> 00:11:37.399 a whole list of opportunities for TeenNet alumni, 00:11:37.539 --> 00:11:40.220 and they're all right here, and it feels much 00:11:40.220 --> 00:11:43.460 easier to look there or to look to a Pepperwood 00:11:43.460 --> 00:11:46.259 staff to look for an opportunity that can be 00:11:46.259 --> 00:11:48.840 of use to you than to just look on the Internet 00:11:48.840 --> 00:11:53.539 and look for lists of the top five whatever across 00:11:53.539 --> 00:11:56.480 the world. All the resources you get are right 00:11:56.480 --> 00:11:59.080 here, and that is one of the most valuable parts 00:11:59.080 --> 00:12:01.059 of TNAT. One of the great things about TNAT is 00:12:01.059 --> 00:12:03.500 that we also learn that everything, like all 00:12:03.500 --> 00:12:06.440 of the plants that we learn, all of the facts 00:12:06.440 --> 00:12:07.700 that we learn, all of the plants that we get 00:12:07.700 --> 00:12:08.980 to work with, all the animals that we get to 00:12:08.980 --> 00:12:11.620 see are all native, and they are all in our area. 00:12:11.860 --> 00:12:14.799 I live 25 minutes from Pepperwood, which means 00:12:14.799 --> 00:12:16.320 that all of the things that I have found here 00:12:16.320 --> 00:12:18.480 or that I see here, I can also see in my backyard 00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:20.259 or around my neighborhood, and I think that's 00:12:20.259 --> 00:12:24.009 really fun. TNAT opens doors and TNAT gives people 00:12:24.009 --> 00:12:27.289 like me the opportunity to discover and learn 00:12:27.289 --> 00:12:29.990 more of what's possible out there. Want to maybe 00:12:29.990 --> 00:12:33.350 pursue something in research or in preserves 00:12:33.350 --> 00:12:36.529 or nature wildlife or ecology when normally I 00:12:36.529 --> 00:12:38.809 might not have considered that as a career path. 00:12:39.009 --> 00:12:41.309 And I'm sure that there are many of my classmates 00:12:41.309 --> 00:12:44.250 from my year of TNAT who did not consider having 00:12:44.250 --> 00:12:46.529 a career in environmental science or something 00:12:46.529 --> 00:12:49.940 else and TNAT opened the doors for them. It's 00:12:49.940 --> 00:12:52.440 small class sizes, so the environmental educators 00:12:52.440 --> 00:12:54.899 are really able to connect and work one -on -one 00:12:54.899 --> 00:12:58.019 with each student. At the end of the TNAT section, 00:12:58.779 --> 00:13:01.659 we do a final project, which is where the students 00:13:01.659 --> 00:13:04.940 display, create a work that shows all of their 00:13:04.940 --> 00:13:07.820 learning throughout the three, four weeks at 00:13:07.820 --> 00:13:11.789 TNAT. And we see these students and people like 00:13:11.789 --> 00:13:14.769 me that are able to use our other skills, like, 00:13:14.850 --> 00:13:16.490 for example, me, that was some video editing 00:13:16.490 --> 00:13:21.110 and computer science to apply them towards Pepperwood 00:13:21.110 --> 00:13:24.250 in ways that we wouldn't have expected. So, for 00:13:24.250 --> 00:13:27.269 example, I created a small documentary video 00:13:27.269 --> 00:13:30.570 that was on some of the indigenous people that 00:13:30.570 --> 00:13:32.610 are with Pepperwood and climate change and how 00:13:32.610 --> 00:13:34.909 that's affected. This is something that I would 00:13:34.909 --> 00:13:37.490 never have thought of was an issue until I came 00:13:37.490 --> 00:13:40.490 to TNAT and learned from some speakers in the 00:13:40.490 --> 00:13:44.690 indigenous community in Sonoma County. Finally, 00:13:44.809 --> 00:13:48.929 I asked our alumni why someone should apply for 00:13:48.929 --> 00:13:52.570 TNAT. And I should have expected our smart, savvy 00:13:52.570 --> 00:13:56.149 alumni to see where I was going with this. You 00:13:56.149 --> 00:13:57.809 should apply if that sounds like something you 00:13:57.809 --> 00:13:59.549 want to do. I think that's the point of this 00:13:59.549 --> 00:14:01.330 podcast to get you to apply. But anyway, I'll 00:14:01.330 --> 00:14:05.240 say it again. Totally. Uh -oh, they're on to 00:14:05.240 --> 00:14:09.399 me. Beatrix could not be more right. We want 00:14:09.399 --> 00:14:12.340 high school students to apply for and experience 00:14:12.340 --> 00:14:16.000 Teen Nat. We love it. But even with that bias 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:18.820 in play, I think these three did each share some 00:14:18.820 --> 00:14:21.779 practical advice on why applying for Teen Nat 00:14:21.779 --> 00:14:25.299 might be a good idea for you. My mom told me 00:14:25.299 --> 00:14:27.220 that... Over the summer, I needed to find something 00:14:27.220 --> 00:14:29.659 to do. And I actually found TNAT through their 00:14:29.659 --> 00:14:33.100 SEA program, where after you go to TNAT, you 00:14:33.100 --> 00:14:37.019 can work with other TNATers in the future. You 00:14:37.019 --> 00:14:39.120 just have to be a previous TNAT attendant and 00:14:39.120 --> 00:14:41.659 also over 18. And I found that, and I was like, 00:14:41.720 --> 00:14:43.759 well, if I do this, I don't have a long -lasting 00:14:43.759 --> 00:14:46.700 plan. I went to TNAT because I was like, it's 00:14:46.700 --> 00:14:48.919 something that can help me move forward in my 00:14:48.919 --> 00:14:51.480 life, not only career -wise, but also experience 00:14:51.480 --> 00:14:54.419 -wise. And I think TNAT is great for experiences. 00:14:55.240 --> 00:14:57.100 not only the only thing you really need is a 00:14:57.100 --> 00:14:59.460 way to get here, but once you are here, there's 00:14:59.460 --> 00:15:01.840 so many other opportunities. Our environmental 00:15:01.840 --> 00:15:04.639 educators kind of help you reel in all of these 00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:06.460 like crazy ideas. Like, oh, I want to see this 00:15:06.460 --> 00:15:07.500 and I want to see this and I want to see this 00:15:07.500 --> 00:15:08.559 and I want to do this. And they go, well, here 00:15:08.559 --> 00:15:10.720 are the tools to do it. So go do it. You know, 00:15:10.720 --> 00:15:12.360 they kind of inspire you to get out there and 00:15:12.360 --> 00:15:14.919 do the things that you kind of wrap your head 00:15:14.919 --> 00:15:17.059 around and do. Do you want something to do over 00:15:17.059 --> 00:15:20.860 the summer? I did and I had a good time. If you 00:15:20.860 --> 00:15:22.820 like hiking, if you like being in the outdoors, 00:15:23.059 --> 00:15:25.679 if you want to spend some time just running around 00:15:25.679 --> 00:15:28.820 hills, then TNAT is perfect for you. We do have 00:15:28.820 --> 00:15:33.799 hills. Yes, a lot of them. I want to say a big 00:15:33.799 --> 00:15:37.059 thank you to Beatrix, Glenn, and Tegan for their 00:15:37.059 --> 00:15:40.500 enthusiastic participation in TNAT, their willingness 00:15:40.500 --> 00:15:42.679 to share their thoughts and experiences with 00:15:42.679 --> 00:15:45.840 you all, and for being great people to spend 00:15:45.840 --> 00:15:49.169 a summer and our subsequent events with. It sounds 00:15:49.169 --> 00:15:52.250 like the feeling's pretty mutual, as Tegan says. 00:15:52.690 --> 00:15:55.669 Um, this place is cool. I like it. I love it. 00:15:56.389 --> 00:15:59.190 I don't know when this episode is reaching you, 00:15:59.230 --> 00:16:01.350 dear listener. At the time we're releasing the 00:16:01.350 --> 00:16:03.710 episode, there are still a few precious weeks 00:16:03.710 --> 00:16:06.289 left for high school students to submit applications 00:16:06.289 --> 00:16:10.490 for the summer 2025 cohort of Teen Nat, but you 00:16:10.490 --> 00:16:12.590 could be listening to this years from now, so 00:16:12.590 --> 00:16:15.509 this year's application period details probably 00:16:15.509 --> 00:16:18.919 aren't very relevant to you. So, What I will 00:16:18.919 --> 00:16:22.340 tell you is this. T -NAT isn't going anywhere 00:16:22.340 --> 00:16:25.159 as far as Pepperwood is concerned. It's going 00:16:25.159 --> 00:16:28.159 to keep happening year after year. So go to our 00:16:28.159 --> 00:16:31.059 website at pepperwoodpreserve .org, follow the 00:16:31.059 --> 00:16:34.860 links to the T -NAT page, or email us at tnat 00:16:34.860 --> 00:16:39.059 at pepperwoodpreserve .org. That's T -E -N -N 00:16:39.059 --> 00:16:44.019 -A -T at pepperwoodpreserve .org for up -to -date 00:16:44.019 --> 00:16:46.700 information about the program. The application 00:16:46.700 --> 00:16:50.659 period tends to take place between January and 00:16:50.659 --> 00:16:53.240 April each year, so that's a great time to check 00:16:53.240 --> 00:16:56.580 in on the program for the following summer. Perhaps 00:16:56.580 --> 00:16:59.240 you are not a high school student and aren't 00:16:59.240 --> 00:17:01.679 immediately connected with one, but you really 00:17:01.679 --> 00:17:04.559 liked what you heard about our TNAT program and 00:17:04.559 --> 00:17:06.920 how it impacts the lives of young people, and 00:17:06.920 --> 00:17:10.039 you want to help support it. Something that I 00:17:10.039 --> 00:17:13.579 really treasure about TNAT is that it is absolutely 00:17:13.579 --> 00:17:18.000 no ifs, ands, or buts, free of cost to participants. 00:17:18.339 --> 00:17:20.859 They don't have to fill out any financial aid 00:17:20.859 --> 00:17:24.420 applications or even think about paying to participate. 00:17:24.890 --> 00:17:27.410 I find that really important in terms of keeping 00:17:27.410 --> 00:17:30.549 the program as accessible as possible to all 00:17:30.549 --> 00:17:33.490 high school students in our community. If you 00:17:33.490 --> 00:17:36.150 feel the same way, please consider contributing 00:17:36.150 --> 00:17:39.349 financially to Pepperwood as a sort of informal 00:17:39.349 --> 00:17:43.190 sponsorship for future TNAT participants. You 00:17:43.190 --> 00:17:45.410 can always feel free to mention the TNAT program 00:17:45.410 --> 00:17:48.069 as part of your donation, but just know that 00:17:48.069 --> 00:17:50.690 all of our departments, all of Pepperwood's staff 00:17:50.690 --> 00:17:54.130 members contribute directly to TNAT, so any financial 00:17:54.130 --> 00:17:56.970 support for Pepperwood supports the TNAT program. 00:17:57.890 --> 00:18:01.069 If you have any questions for the podcast, always 00:18:01.069 --> 00:18:04.869 feel free to email us at podcast at pepperwoodpreserve 00:18:04.869 --> 00:18:08.029 .org. And as always, I'd like to offer a big 00:18:08.029 --> 00:18:10.809 thank you to Stephanie Antonoro, our communication 00:18:10.809 --> 00:18:13.970 coordinator, and Holly Nduselli, our education 00:18:13.970 --> 00:18:16.750 program manager, and the whole Pepperwood team 00:18:16.750 --> 00:18:18.849 for supporting the production of this podcast. 00:18:19.829 --> 00:18:22.890 But don't switch to your next podcast episode 00:18:22.890 --> 00:18:27.009 just yet, because now it's time to play The Nature 00:18:27.009 --> 00:18:32.339 Sound Guess Who Game. To refresh your memory, 00:18:32.500 --> 00:18:35.480 we play a nature sound at the end of each episode, 00:18:35.579 --> 00:18:38.519 and you have the time in between episodes to 00:18:38.519 --> 00:18:42.259 guess or apply your knowledge or to do some research 00:18:42.259 --> 00:18:46.059 into which animal, vegetable, or mineral made 00:18:46.059 --> 00:18:49.279 that sound. You can email your guesses to podcast 00:18:49.279 --> 00:18:52.359 at pepperwoodpreserve .org or comment on the 00:18:52.359 --> 00:18:55.440 corresponding posts on our Facebook, Instagram, 00:18:55.740 --> 00:18:59.369 or Blue Sky accounts. Now, first let's listen 00:18:59.369 --> 00:19:09.250 back to the sound from last episode. That sound 00:19:09.250 --> 00:19:16.970 was made by the spotted owl or Strix occidentalis. 00:19:18.029 --> 00:19:22.480 What? The same species that Michael Galogui told 00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:26.519 a charming story about back in episode 5? Absolutely! 00:19:27.400 --> 00:19:30.619 That spotted owl call was recorded by Thomas 00:19:30.619 --> 00:19:32.980 G. Sander and shared courtesy of the Cornell 00:19:32.980 --> 00:19:37.069 Lab of Ornithology Macaulay Library. The featured 00:19:37.069 --> 00:19:39.769 noisemaker and its brethren that inhabit Pepperwood 00:19:39.769 --> 00:19:42.930 are part of the northern spotted owl subspecies, 00:19:43.029 --> 00:19:46.890 Strix occidentalis corina. Spotted owl populations 00:19:46.890 --> 00:19:49.430 in the western portion of northern California, 00:19:49.589 --> 00:19:52.150 including where Pepperwood is located, are all 00:19:52.150 --> 00:19:55.029 part of the northern subspecies. If you want 00:19:55.029 --> 00:19:58.029 to find the California spotted owl, subspecies 00:19:58.029 --> 00:20:01.630 Strix occidentalis occidentalis, you have to 00:20:01.630 --> 00:20:03.910 look further east into the Sierra Nevada mountain 00:20:03.910 --> 00:20:07.029 range. We'll include a link to the Cornell Lab's 00:20:07.029 --> 00:20:11.210 range map in the show notes. I also ran across 00:20:11.210 --> 00:20:14.009 an article about the spotted owl from the Markula 00:20:14.009 --> 00:20:16.589 Center for Applied Ethics at the Santa Clara 00:20:16.589 --> 00:20:19.690 University that I found very insightful, and 00:20:19.690 --> 00:20:21.349 we'll share a link to that in the show notes 00:20:21.349 --> 00:20:24.539 as well. The article is called The Spotted Owl 00:20:24.539 --> 00:20:28.079 Controversy, written by Claire Andre and Manuel 00:20:28.079 --> 00:20:31.599 Velasquez, and it presents a multifaceted history 00:20:31.599 --> 00:20:34.359 of how spotted owl conservation efforts have 00:20:34.359 --> 00:20:37.259 impacted the timber industry and some of the 00:20:37.259 --> 00:20:40.990 resulting responses in public opinion. Anyone 00:20:40.990 --> 00:20:43.650 involved in forestry can tell you that the spotted 00:20:43.650 --> 00:20:46.869 owl, its status as a listed species, and the 00:20:46.869 --> 00:20:49.430 implications of discovering that it inhabits 00:20:49.430 --> 00:20:52.490 a forest is a very sensitive topic for folks 00:20:52.490 --> 00:20:55.509 planning to harvest timber and for folks working 00:20:55.509 --> 00:20:57.990 to conserve our dwindling old -growth forests. 00:20:59.109 --> 00:21:02.170 Listed species often serve as an umbrella protector 00:21:02.170 --> 00:21:05.970 for an entire ecosystem, and as a result, they 00:21:05.970 --> 00:21:08.349 can become lightning rods for conflicts between 00:21:08.349 --> 00:21:11.390 development and conservation. Spotted owls are 00:21:11.390 --> 00:21:14.089 a pretty good example of this phenomenon. The 00:21:14.089 --> 00:21:16.670 article is a quick and interesting read. Check 00:21:16.670 --> 00:21:20.690 it out. Thank you for playing the Nature Sound 00:21:20.690 --> 00:21:24.309 Guess Who Game. And now here comes a new sound 00:21:24.309 --> 00:21:26.750 for you to guess between now and next episode. 00:21:27.049 --> 00:21:40.329 Here it comes in 3, 2, 1. And here's your second 00:21:40.329 --> 00:21:54.210 chance to listen in 3, 2, 1. Who could that be? 00:21:54.829 --> 00:21:57.789 You'll have to wait till next episode. Thanks 00:21:57.789 --> 00:22:00.269 again for listening and don't forget to keep 00:22:00.269 --> 00:22:01.769 your ears tuned in to nature.