James FitzGerald on Rewilding, Climate Adaptation, and New England

In this episode I speak with James Fitzgerald, Research & Policy Manager at BCarbon, a carbon credit registry focused on nature-based solutions. We discuss:

• How the papaw tree and other evolutionary anachronisms reveal ancient relationships between extinct megafauna and modern plants.

• The evolving concept of "invasive species" in our increasingly globalized and interconnected world.

• The geological contrast between Long Island's climate vulnerability and New England's bedrock resilience.

• The century-long transformation of New England from farmland to forest, enabling the return of native megafauna.

• How Victorian "pteridomania" devastated native fern populations in Scotland and Wales, illustrating conservation challenges.

• The remarkable adaptation of black bears to human-dominated landscapes in New York City's suburbs.

• The complex interplay between human activity and natural systems in shaping modern ecosystems.

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