Broadcasting the Next Generation

For the climate workshop, Blunt’s Youth Programs Coordinator Alice Anderson reached out to TNC for support.

“I was familiar with the great work happening at TNC of Maine, and I thought they would potentially be an exciting partner for Blunt Youth Radio,” explained Anderson.

Jeremy Cluchey, TNC’s director of strategic communications, jumped at the opportunity.

“So much about connecting people to nature and inspiring action on climate change is tied to the power of our stories, and audio is an incredible storytelling medium,” said Cluchey. “The fact that this program was equipping students with the skills to share their stories and inspire their peers made it an ideal partnership for us.”

Inspiring Stories

The resulting stories cover a broad range of topics: tackling the problem of plastics in the ocean, the throw-away mindset around clothing, minimizing the environmental impact of meat and dairy, and understanding who bears the burden of climate change and who is accountable for it.

“They surpassed my expectations and were so driven and critical of their work,” said Anderson of the youth producers. “They really pushed themselves and were engaged and amped about the opportunity to make their own stories and find their voice and a way to share their activism through audio.”

For her piece about textile waste, Anja spoke with a local small-business owner, who is also a teen, about her efforts to make her business sustainable and to a vice president of an international non-profit, Soles4Souls, about their efforts to divert shoes and clothing from landfills on a global scale.

“I will be majoring in environmental science and landscape architecture in college,” says Anja, “and I want to use my passion for the environment to improve the sustainability of cities and protect natural resources, while educating others on the importance of protecting our planet.”

When asked about her experience in the workshop, Anja was thoughtful about what was important for her—and for her audience.

“I enjoyed the editing process because I was able to listen again to what my interviewees had to say, and I was able to reflect better on their work to really understand the importance of sustainable businesses. I didn’t want my audio piece to be repetitive and boring so I made sure to only keep in the most impactful statements so listeners could leave with a much clearer picture of [their] work.”

For her audio story, Quinnisa spoke with two ocean advocates about what motivated them to commit to their environmental work and research. Each recounted their reaction to discovering knee-deep plastic debris along the shorelines of seemingly remote places as far apart as Matinicus Island in Maine and a small island in Papua New Guinea. Both of the women Quinnisa interviewed also shared some tips about how to be involved in marine climate activism, from beach cleanups to pushing for innovations that can reduce plastic waste production.

“I learned about microplastics,” says Quinnisa. “Over time, plastic, like a water-bottle, deteriorates and the micro plastics spread everywhere, and that’s a huge problem.”

She also learned that trying to tackle a problem as overwhelming as plastic pollution in the ocean can be daunting, but understanding that lots of little actions can, when taken together, make a big difference is key to moving forward.

Idey spoke with friends and activists to understand how they feel impacted by the climate problem, who they think is responsible or should be held accountable, and what changes they want to see in their community going forward. 

“My hope for my town, Lewiston, is to educate many of the immigrant families on what climate change is and why it is important.”  

Asked about her future goals within the climate movement, Idey says, “For me it would be just continuing what I’m doing, and learning more about different climate change issues and topics that I’m not aware about yet, and learning about more organizations and groups.”

Their full audio stories and more can be found at the Public Radio Exchange.

Elevated Voices

Asked about the success of the workshop, Blunt’s Anderson was clearly excited.

“It was a good reminder that when we have a chance to make the tools and skills of audio-building accessible, often you can take a big step back and let the stories form. I’m thrilled that there are now five more audio-empowered activists out in the world, and I hope they continue to make and share their stories.”

TNC’s Cluchey agrees. “It’s going to take all our hard work and all of our voices to meet the challenges brought on by climate change. These talented students and others like them play a critical role in fostering the social changes we need to make in our relationship to the natural world.”

Blunt Youth Radio Project has been on air for over 25 years and has won thirteen regional and national broadcasting awards. Their work has aired on various National Public Radio programs, including Marketplace and This American Life, the BBC, and many stations around the country through the Public Radio Exchange. The program can be heard on Tuesday nights from 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. ET on WMPG-FM, community radio from the University of Southern Maine.