Backyard OASIS - Older Adults Seeking, Inspiring, Serving

Enter Smith College from Elm Street onto College Lane in Northampton and stroll down the hill towards the Mill River on your right. On your left you have arrived: the Botanical Garden of Smith College with outside flower beds, a pond surrounded with diverse wetland plants, and the Victorian style greenhouses of The Lyman Plant Conservatory.

Join Anjali D’Souza, Manager of Engagement for the Gardens and longtime docent, Bill Copelan...

Western Massachusetts resident Larry McFarland calls himself a travel enthusiast. And indeed, he has traveled to some thirty countries from the age of 54 to his current age of 70.

In this episode, Larry describes his journey, both in mind and miles. He addresses solo vs. group travel, planning a trip, safety and financial considerations, and regales us with a few anecdotes from his jaunts.

Speaking of jaunts, you can find Larry’s tr...

Pioneer Valley has suffered some demanding changes to climate in the past 20, 25 years. Are public officials prepared to meet our needs as these changes deepen?

Hosted by Chad Fuller with guest Josh Shanley, this conversation explores the concept of resilience centers - community spaces designed to support people during climate-related emergencies or other large scale disruptions - and what it might take, both practically and collec...

What does it mean to walk the Camino - not just once, but multiple times, in different seasons of life and with different people?

In this conversation, Beth Berry shares what keeps calling her back to the Camino and how each journey has unfolded in its own way. From shifting expectations and comfort levels to the subtle (and not-so-subtle) changes in trail conditions, Beth shares how the same path can offer something new and alive e...

In "High Bridge", Miller imagines what might happen if two 19th century historical figures with different childhoods and worldviews formed a friendship and combined their skills to vindicate a person accused of murder. Set in upstate New York, "a cauldron bubbling with the lure of fast fortunes... and battles for civil liberties", High Bridge links Matilda Joslyn Gage, a child of freethinking abolitionists, and Grover Cleveland, w...

Meet the residents of the winter and spring forests, JoJo who is no bigger than his grandfather’s thumb, and Bea the Bolivian Bunny, when Copeland and Rosnick read their children's books and talk about the importance of telling stories to people of all ages.

“Writers Read Us Stories They Love”, a Backyard Oasis series, introduces listeners to authors in western Massachusetts who read from their books and talk about their work, thei...

Denise Schwartz reads "Bird of Providence", a short story written by her brother, T.P. Schwartz-Barcott. Set in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1989, it introduces us to Joey G. Gagliardi, a young guy trying to find his way out of a neighborhood that "no longer matters because no one who matters lives there. "

T.P. Schwartz-Barcott's book "Let There Be Light", as well as his other books, can be found online.

“Writers Read Us Stories Th...

Judy, Jo An, and Lou are older adults in recovery who come together in this episode to reflect on the challenges and unexpected gifts of growing older while living sober.

Be sure to subscribe to the Greenfield Community College Backyard OASIS Podcast, and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content!

Photocredit: Ivana Cajina "Sunrise"

Hosted by Judy Raper

Produced by Will Copeland in the Multimedia Stud...

Associate Dean of Community Engagement at GCC joins Andrea Cohen-Kiener to talk about the fundamentals of reading palms. They also discuss the intersection of this spiritual exploration with her work as a Rabbi. Andrea will be offering a workshop on February 23rd at 3pm. You can register here.

Be sure to subscribe to the Greenfield Community College Backyard OASIS Podcast, and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other...

Denise Schwartz hosts Bela Breslau reading from “Pilgrim Maya”, a novel about one woman's devastating loss and her journey towards a new and meaningful life.

“Writers Read Us Stories They Love”, a Backyard Oasis series, introduces listeners to authors in western Massachusetts who read from their books and talk about their work, their ideas, and the stories they wish to tell.

Be sure to subscribe to the Greenfield Community College Ba...

You have a say when it comes to drugs you've been prescribed. So speak up. Ask questions. Don't be embarrassed. Know why a certain drug has been prescribed. Know if you'll have all those side effects you hear about on TV commercials. Know the risks and benefits of this drug. You must know as much you can about the meds you take because they only work as intended when used correctly. Here are 12 questions Shuman, a retired science ...

There is so much we don’t know about the medications we take as prescribed or that we purchase over the pharmacy’s counter. My guest today will take us on the journey a medication makes from its creation in the lab, through testing and regulation, and into the pharmacy where you pick it up and take it home. It is a journey that takes longer than you may think…and there will almost always be some side trips along the way.

Be sure to...

Whether it's Candy Land, Pickleball, Tag or Mah Jongg, playing games taps into something deeply human. Denise and Jill explore how games sharpen skills, spark imagination, create connections with others and remind us that we humans love to have FUN!

Be sure to subscribe to the Greenfield Community College Backyard OASIS Podcast and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content!

Hosted by Denise Schwart...

On this episode of Backyard OASIS, Denise talks with Gabe Temesvari, who was a sub-teen in Ohio listening to American Bandstand when Dick Clark introduced a song by a girl with a voice both "plaintive and sincere." There began Gabe's lifetime admiration of Connie Francis, hailed as one of the top-charting female vocalists of the late 1950s and early 1960s and one of the best-selling music artists in history. Today Gabe tells us abo...

Join your hosts Judy Raper, Jessica Niedbala, and Mackenzie Shanahan for their ninth deep dive into today's reality TV and pop culture!

Be sure to subscribe to the Greenfield Community College Backyard OASIS Podcast and check back regularly for new episodes as well as other enriching GCC content!

Hosted by Judy Raper, Jessica Niedbala, and Mackenzie Shanahan

Produced by Alex Audette in the Multimedia Studios at Greenfield Community Co...

Host Denise Schwartz might be a little anxious by the end of this episode. Why? Because today she's talking about... killing. And people who kill. Serial killers, mostly. Guest John Olszewski corresponded with and met many of society's most notorious killers. He'll tell us about them, why they kill, and about humans' obsession with true crime.

John Olszewski is author of true crime books Long Dark Walk and Serial Shorts, was born an...

On this episode of the Backyard OASIS Podcast, host Christine Copeland has a conversation Dr. Kate Clayton-Jones, founder and CEO of Footcare by Nurses, and Lee Wicks, a writer who translates Kate’s deep scientific knowledge into accessible language for the public, especially elders who can no longer care for their own feet. They talk about how understanding the health of your feet leads to understanding health in general, particul...

On this episode of the Backyard OASIS Podcast, host Judy Raper has a conversation with therapist and clinical social worker Brooke Donatone about scams on seniors – specifically what they look like in the digital era. They talk about warning signs that a correspondence might be a scam, the different forms modern scams can take, and how you can help older adults in your life who you suspect may be the victim of a scam.

Learn more abo...

Astronaut Ron Garan's realization that humans' focus on economic systems is wrong aligns with beekeeper Dan's thinking about ways to save Earth's ecological systems. You'll hear part of Garan's stirring message read by Denise, followed by Dan Conlon's thoughts about how we can create economic systems that improve Earth's environmental system that we depend on for our existence.

Be sure to subscribe to the Greenfield Community Colleg...