(Note, this one was taped when it was still cold, and now it’s hot!) As author Allison C. Meier states, “There are no seasons, only microseasons now.” What are microseasons? They’re a different way of viewing time as local, marked not by arbitrary flips of the calendar or the coming and going of major weather patterns, but by more ephemeral and sometimes obscure environmental shifts that only last a few weeks.

With Erin Chapman, Allison writes a newsletter called NYC Microseasons that investigates these ephemeral seasons with a mix of wit, humor, and scientific rigor. Wythe and Melissa talk to Erin and Allison about their project overall, many specific plants that live in NYC, shadows/smoke/smog and their effects on plants, cooking possum meat, the seasonality of CSAs, and—of course—algae. We explore all sorts of changing weather patterns and discuss what they mean not only for growing food and foraging in cities, but how we culturally understand and value different parts of the year. We also talk briefly about Allison’s new book, Grave, which fans of urban planning and green design (among others) will definitely enjoy. Check out the episode, and pick up Grave!

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