Poet Emily Hockaday (2:07) speaks with Ann Wallace about her new poetry collection, In a Body, published in October 2023 by Harbor Editions. Emily discusses the layered ways in which new motherhood, the death of her father, a diagnosis of fibromyalgia—as well as science and ecology—have shaped Emily’s work, much of which she composed while walking with her child on the trails of Forest Park in Queens, New York. We then hear from Dr. Randi Eckel (32:52) about the new NPSNJ programs that members can look forward to in 2024. Also, in this episode, Randi answers a question from Gail about using cardboard as a mulch to suppress invasive weeds in a new installment of Ask Randi. And Kim Correro joins the conversation to talk with sustainable landscape designer and naturalist Elaine Silverstein (40:32) about rethinking the lawn. Elaine is the Vice President of Chapters for NPSNJ and the Co-leader of the Bergen Passaic Chapter. She will further share her expertise in “Choosing, Planting, and Caring for Native Plants,” a four-week workshop for The Native Plant Society of New Jersey, to be offered in January. Registration opens on December 4th at NPSNJ.org. And to close out the episode, poet Theta Pavis (1:05:16) shares “Growing Avocadoes in East Orange,” winner of the Seed Challenge that The WildStory ran earlier this fall, sponsored by Jennifer Jewell and Timber Press. Theta and two other winners each received a copy of Jennifer’s book What We Sow: On the Personal, Ecological, and Cultural Significance of Seeds.