Inspiring Conservation Conversations: A New Way to Explore the Lower Shore
- Lauren Imhof
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
The Lower Shore Land Trust is hitting the airwaves in collaboration with Delmarva Public Media. Conservation Conversations is a brand-new radio segment and podcast that highlights environmental topics specific to the Lower Shore, hosted by me, Lauren Imhof. As I’ve come to discover, the Lower Shore is a special place where forests, marshes, meadows, and waterways come together. I love that one weekend I can go hiking in lively forests and the next weekend relax in the sand and salty air. I’ve discovered a landscape shaped by tides, seasons, and generations of people who live and work with the land. This monthly segment attempts to capture that special diversity in a four-minute interview featuring passionate locals and organizations.
The first episode highlights some tips and tricks to late fall foraging with Amanda Elyse from Meadowlands Retreat. Amanda shows me how to harvest Dandelion roots, which can be roasted to create a gut-healthy coffee alternative. Since this was my first episode ever, I learned a lot about the writing and editing process. I wish I could have included all of Amanda’s great stories and plant facts. She gave me a recipe for what she calls Woodland Chai. All you need to brew this homegrown tea is fresh pine needles, bayberry leaves, and goldenrod. To add some spice to her chai, Amanda wants to experiment with adding spicebush, but you can also add cinnamon and other spices for that additional flavor!
The second (and newest) episode explores one of LSLT’s restoration programs, Yards for Creation. Lower Shore Land Trust works with One Water Partnership to plant native trees which enhance these pollinator meadows. I joined our staff members, Beth Sheppard and Brooke Orr, to visit St. Philip’s Episcopal Church and perform a site visit for their upcoming Yards for Creation projects. I enjoyed seeing how my coworkers creatively approached each space. For Brooke, Yards for Creation is one of the favorite parts of her job. You can see that joy in the way she brainstorms with Beth and St. Philip’s green team to create each space specific to the congregation’s needs. I was inspired by the excitement from St. Philip’s green team as they envisioned how these projects will transform their current green space. Talking to the team specifically, they looked forward to how these pollinator habitats will support their community, enhance the beauty of the property, and create new space to build and teach their youth ministry.
To catch upcoming episodes, live, tune into the morning news segments on Delmarva Public Media stations (WSDL 90.7 and WESM 91.3). If you miss them live, don’t worry! All episodes will be on the Delmarva Public Media and Lower Shore Land Trust website, as well as on LSLT’s Spotify. I hope these episodes transport you throughout the Lower Shore and you too can explore its unique landscapes with me. Together, we can learn to love this land a little more.
