When pandemic lockdowns stopped the world on a dime, seafaring scientist Maddalena Bearzi went from exploring the mysteries of the marine mammals teeming off the shore of L.A. to a life inside, re-discovering the nourishing connections of nature in her own backyard.

Bearzi joins us in conversation to help us find solace in nature in our own backyard and to talk about her new book, Stranded: Finding Nature in Uncertain Times. She describes the therapeutic power of nature and the ease we can feel when we unguard our hearts and minds to accept what nature offers.

Whether it be cultivating a drought-resistant garden on a carbon zero budget or observing the insectile social systems and avian courtships thrumming in her backyard, Bearzi will help us curate a daily wonder at the natural world and celebrate the marvel of ordinary wildlife with warmth and charisma.

About Maddalena: Maddalena Bearzi is president and co-founder of Ocean Conservation Society. She holds a PhD in biology and a postdoctorate from UCLA, and she has been involved in studying marine mammals, with a conservation bias, since 1990. Her research on dolphins and whales off California represents one of the longest investigations worldwide. She has published several scientific peer-reviewed papers; she is coauthor of Beautiful Minds (Harvard University Press), author of Dolphin Confidential (University of Chicago Press), and Stranded: Finding Nature in Uncertain Times (Heyday Press). Her first children’s book for MacMillan is forthcoming. Maddalena’s work has been covered by CNN, NPR, Al Jazeera America, the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Huffington Post, American Scientist, and National Geographic, among others. Born and raised in Italy, she now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and dog.