Join The Children’s Hour as we venture into the enchanting world of forests. Hosted by Katie Stone, along with the inquisitive Kids Crew and special guest Dr. Lisa Markovchik, an ecologist from WildEarth Guardians, this episode delves deep into the vital role forests play in sustaining life on Earth.



Find the full episode page with the learning guide at https://childrenshour.org/forests



Forests are more than just a collection of trees; they are dynamic ecosystems teeming with life and intricate relationships. By understanding the science and magic of forests, we can appreciate their value and the importance of conserving them for future generations. Step into the woods with us!



Dr. Markovchick explains how forests are the lungs of the planet, and describes the important role they play in capturing carbon, and creating oxygen. By capturing carbon, forests help maintain the delicate balance in our atmosphere to sustain life on Earth.



We also learn how the trees in a forest use complex mycorrhizal networks to help communicate with one another, and so much more. The mushrooms we see in the forest are just the fruiting bodies of these beings which help decompose the forest debris, and deliver chemicals necessary to keep trees healthy.



You can learn a lot more about forests in our Forests Learning Guide at ChildrensHour.org



This episode was produced by Katie Stone, our Executive Producer and our Senior Producer, Christina Stella, and our intern Thaniel Lentz, with live engineering by Chad Scheer. Our Learn-Along Guide was written by Jonathan Dunski, with help from Lorraine Archibald. Many thanks to Dr. Lisa Markovchick for providing so many additional resources for us to share with our listeners.



The Children's Hour is distributed by Native Voice One, The Native American Radio Network.



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