125. How Smokey the Bear Changed America: The Importance of Grasslands with Kyle Lybarger of The Native Habitat Project - a podcast by Mary Kingsley, Emma Kingsley

Today's guest is Kyle Lybarger, a forester and conservationist from north Alabama. His passion is identifying, protecting, and managing the overlooked grassland ecosystems in his region and educating the public about the environmental value and climate benefits of these native plants. Most people don't realize that so many of our forested areas were once actually native grasslands that were maintained by the grazing of native animal life and the management practices of the native people. In this conversation, Kyle also explains the importance of fire in land management, both the naturally occurring fires and those that indigenous people practiced to sustain local food systems. Tune in to hear Kyle's take on Smokey the Bear, rewilding and the "no-mow" movement, how our domestic landscape has shifted here in the United States and what we can all do to reinvigorate our land and secure our food system. 
Topics Discussed:Join the Lady Farmer Slow Living Challenge! (Starts 2.6.23)

How Kyle got to the Native Habitat Project and how that evolvedGrassland ecosystems

The need for education about native plantsThe ecological role of grasslands

Why the grasslands have disappearedKyle discusses "rewilding"


Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee The role of burning in maintaining grasslands

How Native Americans utilized the grassland ecosystemsHow Smoky the Bear and growing populations changed land management practices

Porter's GoldenrodHartselle Sandstone Barren

How Kyle established an outdoor classroom in his hometownHow forestry competes with biodiversity

Grasslands are valuable for sequestering carbonBirds for Beef

Jenny Harris of White Oak PasturesGrazing Gone Native with The American Forage Council

Discretionary use of sprays to restore grasslandsRestoring lawns to native habitats for wildlife diversity and for creating reliable food sources


Connect with Kyle:Native Habitat Project's website

Kyle's FB page, Native Habitat ManagersOn Tik Tok @nativeplanttokOn Instagram @nativehabitatproject


The Native Habitat PodcastThis Episode is Sponsored by Havelock Wool: Visit https://havelockwool.com/gooddirt to learn all about wool insulation!

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Original music by John Kingsley. The Good Dirt podcast is edited and engineered by Aleksandra van der Westhuizen and produced by Mary Ball. The Good Dirt is a part of the Connectd Podcasts Network.Statements in this podcast have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not to be considered as medical or nutritional advice. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease, and should not be considered above the advice of your physician. Consult a medical professional when making dietary or lifestyle decisions that could affect your health and well-being.

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