Plant People

About Plant People

Plant People explores the ways our relationships with plants are tied to current environmental issues, and how art and culture reflect our connection to the ecosystems we rely on to thrive. Through lively stories and conversations with scientists, gardeners, artists, and experts, join the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) for deep dives into everything from food systems and horticulture to botanical breakthroughs in the lab and the field, and the many ways our daily lives are sustained by plants. Then stay for discussions on how we can return the favor, protecting what we have—and cultivating what we need—to ensure plants and people continue to support each other for future generations. Host Jennifer Bernstein, NYBG’s President & CEO, guides you through the role of humans in caring for our shared planet, whether you’re in your backyard garden, tending a window sill full of houseplants, or finding your love of nature in a concrete jungle. Let NYBG—rooted in NYC’s cultural fabric for over 130 years and a beloved respite in the heart of the Bronx, the city’s greenest borough—be your anchor for understanding how plants make a difference in your life, and our world, every single day—in ways both big and small.

Publisher

New York Botanical Garden

Category

science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

13 May 2024

Latest episode

8 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

32 of 35 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   8 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Kelp with Dr. April Ridlon

   Host Jennifer Bernstein interviews Dr. April Ridlon about the vital ecological and economic roles of ocean kelp forests and human impacts on their balance.

2. 

   25 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Cycads with Dr. Dennis Stevenson

   Host Jennifer Bernstein interviews Dr. Dennis Stevenson about the ancient cycads, their evolutionary history, and the urgent conservation efforts needed to protect these living fossils.

3. 

   11 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Giant Water Lilies with Brie Langley & Vanessa Callahan

   Host Jennifer Bernstein interviews Vanessa Callahan and Brie Langley about the fascinating giant water lily, exploring its impressive size and unique adaptations.

Inside a recent episode

Kelp with Dr. April Ridlon

Published 8 Jun 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] So we do research on wild and rehabilitated otters. And we actually rehabilitate otters and put them back in the wild. Equally important and actually the subject of my favorite exhibit at the aquarium is the kelp forest that is right off our shores. And so another part of my job here at the aquarium is overseeing our coastal ecosystems research, which is research into kelp forests and what makes them resilient and persistent and what might drive their loss or recovery. estuarine systems, so like estuaries, sloughs, salt marshes. These are both really important coastal habitats, and we do research in both of these places. […]

Who has been a guest on Plant People

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• April Ridlon
• Dennis Stevenson
• Vanessa Callahan
• Brie Langley
• Pathmanathan Umaharan

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.7 / 5

201 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

55 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 55 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

70

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

97

Contact Plant People

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Shows with a similar audience

• 

  In Defense of Plants Podcast

• 

  Native Plants, Healthy Planet

• 

  Cultivating Place

• 

  MARGARET ROACH A WAY TO GARDEN

• 

  Radiolab

• 

  Science Friday

Questions about Plant People