“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.” -John Muir

Ecosystems depend on every individual part in order to run well. The symbiosis between the landscape and its inhabitants is a complex and fragile construct that can be easily upended. Much debate swirls around humans’ place in this landscape. We change our surroundings more than any other creatures, often to the detriment of the ecosystem in place. Much in the way that humans seek a sense of place, each element of nature has its own irreplaceable niche.

Inez Tan is a writer of short stories and poetry. Her first volume of short stories was published in Singapore last September where it became a national best seller. The ebook has just been released. At present, she is enrolled at UC Irvine as an MFA student studying poetry and is working on her first book of poetry. In the fall, one of her poems appeared in Hyphen Magazine. Tan teaches introductory writing courses at UCI. To hear more about the author, teacher and student, listen to the complete interview.

Julia Paull is an artist. At the moment she is using her kitchen counter as a studio. Last autumn, she exhibited at a native plant society. The show involved portraits of native plants with information about their place in the natural environment. Much of her work examines the aesthetics of plants and how this affects animals, particularly the all-too-common practice of planting non-native plants that serve no purpose for the local environment. To hear more from Julia Paull and about the important issue of native vs. non-native plants and how they interact with their surroundings, listen to the complete interview.