Summary: In this episode of Changehampton Presents, host Francesca Rheannon speaks with Matthew Shepherd of the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation about the critical role insects play in sustaining ecosystems—and the alarming decline many species are facing.

From the “windshield effect” to the loss of habitat and widespread pesticide use, Shepherd explains what’s driving the disappearance of pollinators and other invertebrates. He also addresses common concerns about ticks and offers practical, science-based strategies for managing landscapes in ways that protect both human health and biodiversity.

Most importantly, this conversation is grounded in hope: even small changes—planting native flowers, reducing lawn chemicals, or creating habitat—can help restore the ecosystems that insects, birds, and humans depend on.

Key Topics

• The importance of insects in ecosystems and food webs

• Causes of insect decline: habitat loss, pesticides, landscape management

• The “windshield effect” and shifting baselines

• Pollinators and their role in food production

• Ticks and how to manage landscapes safely without widespread pesticide use

• Lawns vs. biodiverse habitats

• Native plants and their relationship to native insects

• The role of insects in supporting bird populations

• Keystone species vs. biodiversity

• Practical steps individuals and communities can take

How East Hampton Was Saved: Voices From the Front Lines of Preservation

In this episode of Changehampton Presents, we sit down with two men who didn’t just witness East Hampton’s environmental battles—they helped shape them.

Rick Whelan and Barry Raebeck trace the arc of East Hampton’s modern preservation movement, from the explosive growth pressures of the 1970s and ’80s to the grassroots organizing that stopped unchecked development and permanently changed land-use policy on the South Fork. Their conversation explores the abolition of the town’s Planning Department, the fight to preserve places like Hither Woods and Northwest Woods, and the innovative policies—upzoning, setbacks, and farmland preservation—that saved thousands of acres.

Before the formal start of the interview, Rick also discusses his forthcoming history of East Hampton, a sweeping project that documents the town’s hamlets, parks, preserves, and environmental struggles through archival research and interviews reaching back into the 19th century.

This is a rare, first-person account of how ordinary residents, faced with extraordinary pressure, organized to protect land, water, and community—and why those lessons matter more than ever today.

🌱 Main Topics Covered

• The environmental and political turning points of East Hampton in the 1970s–1980s
• The abolition of the East Hampton Planning Department and its consequences
• Grassroots organizing to preserve Hither Woods, Northwest Woods, and farmland
• The rise and decline of local baymen and inshore fisheries
• Brown tide and the collapse of the scallop industry
• Upzoning, setbacks, farmland preservation, and development rights
• Citizen activism across political lines
• How preservation laws reshaped East Hampton’s landscape
• Why local environmental history matters now

Quotes:
On the Abolition of the Planning Department

“East Hampton crossed the Rubicon when the town board abolished the planning department in early 1982.”

“They literally crossed the Rubicon at that point in time, and East Hampton has never really been the same.”

On Development Pressure

“At one point, every inch of space out here was for sale — and there were people that were quite happy to develop every inch of space. That includes the beaches.”

“If we didn’t do something, it was going to be gone. There would literally be high-rise hotels on the beaches in Amagansett.”

On the Rise of the Preservation Movement

“When the planning department was abolished, there was a reaction that was across the political spectrum.”

“People realized that if we didn’t act, this place would not look the way it does today.”

On Fisheries and Environmental Decline

“The real downturn began when I went away to law school… a brown tide came in and ruined the scallop industry.”

“When scallop season opened in Northwest Harbor, there were dozens of trucks lined up… people knew they could make a lot of money.”

On Innovation in Preservation Policy

“Upzoning became a great means of preservation.”

“You could sell the development rights but still farm the land — as long as it stayed in agricultural use.”

On Love of Place

“I basically fell in love with the place.”

In this episode of ChangeHampton Presents: Save the Planet, One Yard at a Time, host Francesca Rheannon speaks with Long Island science teacher and homeowner Amiee Kemp, whose decision to replace her front-yard lawn with native plants landed her in court — and turned her into an accidental advocate for ecological change.

What began as a personal effort to “transform this yard into a functioning ecosystem” evolved into a powerful local test case about how suburban communities define beauty, order, and environmental responsibility. Amy describes how her garden now absorbs floodwater, supports dozens of species of birds and pollinators, and requires no pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers — yet was labeled “unsightly” by her village.

Amy shares how her graduate work through Miami University’s Project Dragonfly deepened her commitment to community-based conservation, and how even small suburban lots can serve as vital ecological connectors in fragmented landscapes. She explains why native plants matter more than popular non-native “pollinator plants,” how her family’s yard is registered with Doug Tallamy’s Homegrown National Park, and what she has learned about building neighbor support through education and “cues to care.”

The conversation also highlights the deeply human side of re-wilding: Amy’s young son helping to research species, neighbors stopping by to learn about bees, and the garden becoming a living outdoor classroom. Ultimately, this episode asks a larger question: How might re-imagining our lawns help re-imagine our communities in an era of climate disruption and biodiversity loss?