Ground Truths Series

Ground Truths: Stories from Wisconsin’s Frontlines of Environmental Action is a six-episode podcast series that highlights environmental justice issues across the diverse communities and landscapes of Wisconsin, from Milwaukee to the Northwoods.

Ground Truths is a production of Edge Effects and is funded in part by a grant from Wisconsin Humanities, with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Wisconsin Humanities strengthens the roots of community life through educational and cultural programs that inspire civic participation and individual imagination.

Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this project do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Series editors: Carly Griffith (lead), Clare Sullivan (lead), Ben Iuliano, Justyn Huckleberry, Marisa Lanker, Juniper Lewis

A group of youth work in a community garden

Growing Food Justice Through Urban Farming

In the final episode of the Ground Truths podcast series, Clare Sullivan, Carly Gittrich, and Ben Iuliano talk to urban agriculture leaders in Dane County, Wisconsin about how their programs serve Black communities and other communities of color ...
Corn farm

Farms, Fertilizer, and the Fight for Clean Water

In Portage County, Wisconsin, 95 percent of the nitrate in groundwater comes from agriculture, and it's having major health consequences for residents. Ground Truths editors Ben Iuliano and Carly Griffith find out how community members have used scientific and legal advocacy to fight for cleaner drinking water ...
Overhead view of a frac sand mining facility with train tracks, large sand piles, and a settling pond

What Happens in the Wake of Frac Sand’s Boom and Bust?

Wisconsin is home to some of the best sand in the country, making it a key player in the oil and gas industry. For this episode of Ground Truths, Justyn Huckleberry and Clare Sullivan take a close look at frac sand mining in the state—the lack of regulation and oversight, ...
Old can of Dutch Boy lead paint

Living with Lead in Milwaukee

In 2021, rates of childhood lead exposure in Milwaukee were nearly double the state average. In this episode of Ground Truths, Juniper Lewis and Carly Griffith learn more about this public health crisis ...

Who’s Afraid of Wisconsin Wolves?

With the future of wolf protection being debated on the national stage, Ground Truths editors Clare Sullivan and Marisa Lanker speak with local experts and advocates about wolf stewardship in Wisconsin ...
The top of a white capitol building with bright blue sky in the background

The Slow Erosion of Environmental Protections in Wisconsin

In the first episode of the Ground Truths podcast series, Carly Griffith speaks with environmental advocates in Wisconsin about how they are addressing local issues of contamination from manufactured chemicals like PFAS and industrial agriculture ...

Featured image: A lone tree with green leaves stands behind a brown field with a rolling forest in the background in Dodge, Wisconsin. Photo by Dave Hoefler on Unsplash, 2018.