Nature Breaking

12:30

Inside Climate Week: WWF's Panda House Recap

Nature Breaking ·

2026/10/01

Last week, WWF hosted its first-ever Panda House, a full day of panel sessions during Climate Week NYC — the annual gathering timed to coincide with the UN General Assembly, where leaders from across the climate and conservation world come together to debate ideas and push for action. In this special recap episode, host Seth Larson and WWF's Sarah Wilson bring you inside Panda House, with a series of short conversations recorded live between panel sessions. The day's discussions spanned carbon

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32:23

Ze Frank on the Science and Voice Behind True Facts

Nature Breaking ·

2026/09/22

What do black-footed ferrets, cockatoos, and geckos have in common? They've all starred in True Facts, the wildly popular YouTube series from Ze Frank that's taught millions of people about the weird and wonderful side of wildlife. In this episode of Nature Breaking, host Seth Larson sits down with Ze to talk about his nearly two-decade journey as a creator. Together, they explore: How True Facts evolved from comedy sketches into rigorous science storytelling Why creative limitations often lead to

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04:21

Matthew Rhys on Climate Change & Storytelling (2023)

Nature Breaking ·

2026/09/18

Earlier this week Matthew Rhys made history as the first actor to ever win two lead-acting Emmys in one night. That was especially exciting for us at WWF because, amid all the scientists and conservation experts we've interviewed on this show over the years, the only actor to ever appear on Nature Breaking was none other than Matthew Rhys. He joined our podcast back in 2023 to talk about the Apple TV show Extrapolations, an anthology show about climate change that he appeared in. Host Seth Larson

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45:15

Unwrapped: The Plastic Crisis (Part 3) | Turning...

Nature Breaking ·

2026/09/08

The plastic crisis isn't too big to solve — but solving it will take all of us. In the third and final episode of Unwrapped: The Plastic Crisis, our three-part miniseries from Nature Breaking, host Seth Larson and WWF plastics expert Erin Simon turn from the past and present to the future — exploring what it will actually take to build a world where plastic doesn't end up polluting our oceans, our communities, and even our own bodies. Joining the conversation is Carissa Cabrera, a marine biologist,

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39:50

Unwrapped: The Plastic Crisis (Part 2) | Can...

Nature Breaking ·

2026/08/25

The world's plastic problem won't be solved by good intentions alone. In part two of Unwrapped: The Plastic Crisis, our special three-part miniseries from Nature Breaking, host Seth Larson and WWF plastics expert Erin Simon shift from the past to the present—digging into what's actually being done right now to tackle plastic pollution, and where those efforts are falling short. Joining the conversation is Jeff Bezzo of SC Johnson, one of the world's largest household product companies, who works at

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40:29

Unwrapped: The Plastic Crisis (Part 1) | The Origins...

Nature Breaking ·

2026/08/11

Plastic pollution didn't happen overnight. In the first episode of Unwrapped: The Plastic Crisis, a special three-part miniseries from Nature Breaking, host Seth Larson and WWF plastics expert Erin Simon take a step back to examine how we got here—and why solving this crisis requires understanding the decisions that shaped it. Joining the conversation is Dr. Jenna Jambeck, the University of Georgia researcher whose landmark 2015 study was the first to quantify how much plastic enters the ocean each

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41:58

What Animal Names Reveal About Humanity

Nature Breaking ·

2026/07/14

Why do we call an elephant an elephant? Why did the narwhal become known as the "unicorn of the sea"? How did the praying mantis help to inspire kung fu in ancient China? And what can the names we give to animals tell us about ourselves as people? In this episode of Nature Breaking, host Seth Larson sits down with bestselling author, conservationist, and WWF board member T.A. Barron to discuss his new book, Naming Nature. Drawing on languages, folklore, mythology, and cultural traditions from around

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31:08

America Is Losing Its Grasslands – Why It Matters

Nature Breaking ·

2026/06/30

As the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, there's no shortage of reflection about the landscapes, history, and ideals that have shaped this country. For many people, iconic American landscapes might include mountains, forests, or coastlines. But there's another ecosystem—vast, vital, and often overlooked—that's quietly disappearing: grasslands. You might know grasslands by other names: prairies, plains, or savannas. Regardless of the name, grasslands

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01:08:38

Reframing Rural: From Sand to Soil

Nature Breaking ·

2026/06/23

*Bonus Episode Today's episode is a feed swap courtesy of Reframing Rural, an award-winning documentary show that explores the people, history, and culture of rural America. The episode, "From Sand to Soil," was included in Season 4 of Reframing Rural, which focused on the challenges that farm and ranch families face as they pass their operations from one generation to the next. Today you'll hear about the Bruski family, a ranching family in Montana that made a bold decision to rethink how their

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32:16

The Rio Grande Is Running Dry—Here's Why

Nature Breaking ·

2026/06/16

Last winter you probably heard about the lack of snow in the western US, and how that might impact everything from ski resorts to farmlands and freshwater supplies. News coverage of this drought most-often invokes impacts on the Colorado River. But there's another system—the Rio Grande—that's facing just as much pressure. Stretching from Colorado to the Gulf of Mexico, the Rio Grande – or the Rio Bravo as it's known in Mexico – supports millions of people, vast acres of farmland, and diverse

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36:32

Rethinking Seafood and the Future of our Oceans

Nature Breaking ·

2026/06/02

Seafood is one of the most important food systems on the planet—supporting livelihoods, feeding communities, and fueling a global industry. But it's also under growing pressure. Overfishing, climate change, and illegal fishing are putting many marine ecosystems at risk. So how can we meet global demand for seafood without pushing our oceans past their limits? And what role should companies play in building healthier, more resilient oceans? In this episode of Nature Breaking, host Seth Larson speaks

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31:35

Bringing Buffalo Back (2025)

Nature Breaking ·

2026/05/19

NOTE: This episode was originally released in July 2025. Once nearly wiped out, the plains bison, or buffalo, as they are often called by Native Americans, are returning to the Great Plains — and with them, a powerful story of cultural renewal, ecological restoration, and Indigenous leadership. In this episode of Nature Breaking, WWF's Heather Dawn Thompson (a citizen of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe) shares how Native Nations are leading efforts to restore buffalo populations, reclaim food

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23:50

The Mental Health Benefits of Spending Time in Nature

Nature Breaking ·

2026/05/05

Are you feeling stressed, scattered, or mentally drained? Science suggests a surprisingly simple way to feel better: spending time in nature. In this episode of Nature Breaking, we explore the growing body of psychological research showing how time spent outdoors improves focus, mood, and overall mental health. Host Seth Larson is joined by Dr. Dennis Stolle, Executive Lead Psychologist for Applied Psychology at the American Psychological Association (APA), to break down what's actually happening in

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16:19

Why Giant Pandas Are a Conservation Success Story

Nature Breaking ·

2026/04/21

When you think of endangered species, chances are the giant panda comes to mind. With their black‑and‑white coats, bamboo obsession, and internet‑famous antics, pandas are among the most beloved animals on Earth—and they're also one of conservation's most hopeful success stories. In this episode of Nature Breaking, we're diving into the surprisingly weird and wonderful world of giant pandas with Colby Loucks, Vice President and Deputy Lead of WWF's Wildlife Program. Together, we unpack what makes

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38:54

What happens when you invest money in nature?

Nature Breaking ·

2026/04/14

*Bonus Episode* What does it really mean to invest in nature—and why does it matter? In this special crossover episode of Nature Breaking and The Pew Charitable Trusts' After The Fact podcast, WWF's Seth Larson and Pew's Giuliana Pence explore the growing field of nature finance. Joined by experts from both organizations, they tackle a big question: how much does it cost to protect nature, and where does that money come from? You'll hear from Matthew Cranford of WWF and Shubash Lohani of Pew as they

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23:07

How Maya Higa Is Inspiring Millions to Take Action...

Nature Breaking ·

2026/04/07

This week on Nature Breaking, we're teaming up with conservationist and content creator Maya Higa to kick off WWF's annual Give an Hour for Earth campaign. Maya is a Twitch streamer and YouTuber whose online community contributed tens of thousands of hours to our campaign last year. Host Seth Larson interviews Maya about her journey from growing up on a farm to becoming a zookeeper, falconer, livestreamer, and founder of Alveus Sanctuary – a wildlife rehabilitation facility. She explains how

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12:40

Good News for Monarch Butterflies

Nature Breaking ·

2026/03/24

Good news is hard to come by in the conservation world—but this week, we have some to share. A new report from WWF‑Mexico shows that the endangered migratory eastern monarch butterfly is showing promising signs of recovery, with monarchs occupying 7.24 acres of forest in their wintering grounds in Mexico—up from 4.42 acres last year. That's a 64% increase. In this episode of Nature Breaking, we revisit conversations with two monarch experts—Eduardo Rendón‑Salinas of WWF‑Mexico and Court Whelan of

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13:29

Nature's Awards Show: Celebrating Wildlife,...

Nature Breaking ·

2026/03/10

Right now we're at the height of awards season, when artists across a variety of disciplines get awarded for the best achievements in their respective industries. In the spirit of that season, we decided to hand out some awards of our own this week. This episode features the first-ever Nature Breaking Awards. It's just like your favorite awards show, but for conservation instead of music or movies. Co-hosts Seth Larson and Hayley Lawton will run through fun categories like "Best Ecosystem

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28:16

Can "Impact Investing" Help Save the Planet?

Nature Breaking ·

2026/02/24

Finance has a critical role to play in achieving conservation goals. Simply put, saving an ecosystem, or a species, isn't free. Those efforts require lots of scientific research and analysis, tools, infrastructure, and staff. WWF has been at the forefront of a variety of innovative ways to finance those efforts – from Project Finance for Permanence initiatives, to debt for nature swaps, and more. Today we're going to talk about another approach that's gaining steam: impact investing. Impact

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30:37

Climate Change & Nature Loss are Driving an Insurance...

Nature Breaking ·

2026/02/10

Did you know that extreme weather disasters in the U.S. are now causing more than 20 billion‑dollar events every year, leaving a growing share of those losses uninsured? As climate change accelerates—and as ecosystems like wetlands and forests are destroyed and degraded—the insurance protection gap is widening, putting households, businesses, and entire communities at rising financial risk. In this episode of Nature Breaking, you'll hear from David Kuhn, WWF's Director for Adaptation and Resilience

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