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On this episode, we\'ll examine the relationship between natural history and social history.\\xa0Join Leah as she sits down with park ranger LaJuan Tucker to talk about the conservation of urban wildlife, and how changing societal attitudes determine how we relate to our landscapes. LaJuan will explain how, in recent years, Austin\'s Parks and Recreation Department has implemented a new mandate to protect pollinator habitats, even when that means sacrificing the "manicured" look of the park in high-traffic areas.\\xa0

We\'ll also zoom out and talk more broadly about\\xa0the philosophy of conservation today. How should our parklands be used, and who gets to decide?\\xa0Should we strive to preserve "native" landscapes, or build more community gardens? And how do we reconcile the romance of the Texas landscape with the racist realities of our past? We\'ll talk about the lingering effects of Jim Crow in Austin, from actual monuments to the Confederacy, to present-day structural inequality. And we\'ll hear about LaJuan\'s personal mission to encourage more young Austinites of color to seek careers in environmental conservation and city planning. Here, and in upcoming episodes as well,\\xa0we\'ll begin to engage with the paradox of Austin as an environmentally progressive, yet socioeconomically segregated, city.\\xa0

For a map of the many sites discussed in this episode, along with the full transcript, photos, and more, visit\\xa0hothousepodcast.com.\\xa0While you\'re there, sign up for the newsletter to get bonus Hothouse content!\\xa0Email the\\xa0show\\xa0with plant questions and feedback at\\xa0info@hothousepodcast.com\\xa0and follow us on Instagram @hothousepodcast.\\xa0This interview was recorded in April 2018 at Permanent RCRD Studios in Austin, Texas. Hothouse is produced by Leah Churner and engineered by Mike Moody.\\xa0Music by Moonsicles.\\xa0moonsicles.bandcamp.com.\\xa0\\xa0