Ecologists know health is connected for all that lives. But most humans are not yet hip to this fact. One Health, both title and theme of a globally vital body of work makes this point for elephants, turtles, water, soil, etc. etc. etc.  - and us. 

Dr. Sharon Deem directs the Institute of Conservation Medicine for the Saint Louis Zoo. Her work with animals, here and abroad, gave rise to the research, understanding, philosophy and curriculum called One Health, a collaboration with Drs. Elizabeth Rayhel and Kelly E. Lane-deGraaf, who teach this material at Fontbonne University. One Health draws from many disciplines, shows a way toward many solutions to issues from human to planetary scale.

This Earthworms conversation ranges around One Health implications for our species during this Big Time Out, from a place of deep appreciation for Nature's health commitments and safeguards - for all species, on this 50th Earth Day.

Don't miss hearing Sharon Deem's TEDx talk!

THANKS to Earthworms engineering team, Andy Coco, Andy Heaslet, Jon Valley. 

Music: Main theme from Swan Lake, performed live for Earth Day and Earthworms by Stephen Blake, husband of Sharon Deem, from the shelter of their home.

Related Earthworms Conversations: 

Richard Louv: Our Wild Calling (Dec 2019)

Relatives, Responsibility, Mindfulness with Dr. Daniel Wildcat (Oct 2018)

Bears! with biologist Laura Conlee (July 2018)

Learning Field Botany in Missouri's winter held little appeal for Dr. Kyra Krakos' classes at Maryville U. You just can't do your science easily. This was well before COVID-19 threw a curve into science and all human projects. 

Workaround: Krakos merged her stratae of expertise with her students' digital-native prowess. She "grows" Virtual Reality prairie, glade and riparian outdoor classrooms. She set up systems so advanced students teach beginners the basics (like how pollination works), freeing herself to stay ahead of their voracious learning curves by collecting "skins" on her travels to house new VR explorations of the prairies and glades of Shaw Nature Reserve,  to Ireland's glacial lakes and woodland Berns.

While Virtual rules almost everything for us humans right now, some on-site physical pleasures gnawingly persist. Maryville will soon host Virtual Goat Week, this year's edition of an ongoing Goat Lab study of invasive species removal methods, starring the super-chomping plant control power of Goats.

BIG THANKS to Earthworms engineering crew: Andy Coco, Andy Heaslet, Jon Valley.

Music: Mister Sun, performed live at KDHX by Hunter's Permit

Related Earthworms Conversations - Tech & Green Science

Global Mosquito Alert with Dr. Anne Bowser (Aug 2019)

Dr. Elaine Ingham: Soil Science Rocks Plant Health (Oct 2017)

Drawdown: Solutions to Reverse Global Warming (March 2018)

Earth Day launched 50 years ago. 2020 is cause for a global celebration, if not for some bits of lipid-coated protein commanding human awareness, planet-wide.

In St. Louis, our Earth Day-365 leaders are rallying to help us  celebrate, learn, and organize VIRTUALLY, at the safe and healthy Social Distance. Over NINE days of eco-logical events, folks here in the Earthworms region will celebrate, while staying apart and healthy. Green learning, music and much more for all, April 18-26!

Dr. Jess Watson and Bob Henkel of Earth Day-365 talk with Earthworms' Jean Ponzi about upcoming events, and how ALL of us can join this semi-centennial of Life On Earth connection.

Related Earthworms Conversations: Earth Day: history of a genius event with Dr. Adam Rome (May 2018)

Music: One Mint Julep, performed live at KDHX by Brian Curran
Thanks to Andy Coco, Andy Heaslet, and Jon Valley Earthworms tag-team engineers.