TV Show - The Green Room

The Green Room is a collaboration between the City of Ann Arbor’s Community Television Network (CTN), Washtenaw County Public Works and the Office of the Water Resources Commissioner. The airing of each new episode begins on the second Tuesday of the month on Channel 16, and continues throughout the month.  You can check a2gov.org/ctn, and click on Program Guide for the full line up. 

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Production

The show is produced by Barbara Lucas and Tim Nagae. 

2022 TV Shows

In this episode of the Green Room, we take a walk in the Kosch-Headwaters Preserve with naturalist Ron Gamble to learn about butterflies, dragonflies, and moths. 

The guest for this episode of the “Green Room” is Jennifer Theime, Science Coordinator with the Monarch Joint Venture, discussing threats to the Monarch butterfly migration and what can be done to help them.

  • March 7, 2022 (109) -Ben Gundersheimer, Emmy award-winning musician on Monarch Butterflies

The guest for this month’s episode of the “Green Room” is Ben Gundersheimer, Emmy award-winning musician, author, and environmental activist, who reads (and sings!) his bilingual children's picture book “Señorita Mariposa.” We discuss why Monarch butterflies are so special, and what we all can do to help them.

2021 TV Shows

  • December 7, 2021 (108) - National Wildlife Federation's Vanishing Seasons Campaign

Our guest in the Green Room this month is Dr. Mike Shriberg, Executive Director of the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes Regional Center. He will be discussing NWF’s Vanishing Seasons campaign, which focuses on climate change impacts to hunting and angling.

In this Green Room segment, we continue our conversation with Dan Ezekiel, of the Washtenaw Zero Waste Coalition, about reducing waste.

Dan Ezekiel of the Washtenaw Zero Waste Coalition discusses waste: why we throw away so much, and what we can do to reverse this escalating trend—from local educational efforts like the recent “Trash Talk Tour,” to governmental policies. This is the first half of a two-part interview.

In today's Green Room segment we talk with Juliet Berger, City of Ann Arbor ornithologist and president of the Washington Audubon Society, about tips on bird identification.  Click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_Dfi_3ftYo for our previous conversation with Juliet about common birds in our area.

Molly Kleinman of the University of Michigan Ford School of Public Policy serves as chair of the Ann Arbor Transportation Commission.  In this Green Room episode, Molly discusses Ann Arbor's new transportation plan and efforts in the city to reduce reliance on cars with host Barbara Lucas, who shares some of her experiences and perspectives as a bicyclist in Ann Arbor.

  • July 13, 2021 (103) - Land Preservation - Why It's Important & How We Can Do It

Kris Olsson, biologist with the Huron River Watershed Council, discusses land preservation--how we can do it, and why it’s important.

  • June 8, 2021 (102) - Climate Change & Washtenaw County's Carbon Emission Reduction Strategy

Sue Shink, Chair of the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, will discuss the impacts of climate change in the county and what strategies are being employed to reduce the county’s carbon emissions.

Peggy Ferrell of HouseN2Home and Olivia Henz of TheDotOrg discuss how their programs are benefiting both our human and natural environment, by distributing “not new, but perfectly good” items to people experiencing homelessness.

John Mirsky, chair of the City of Ann Arbor Energy Commission, discusses local developments in the fight to address climate change.

Crystal Campbell of the Washtenaw County Racial Equity Office discusses the concept of environmental justice as it relates to potential challenges and opportunities in our local area.

Doug Reith, Resource Coordinator at the Washtenaw County Conservation District, discusses programs which support the planting of native trees and plants, in order to protect our county’s natural resources.

Megan DeLeeuw, Executive Director of the Washtenaw County Conservation District, discusses the many ways planting trees can protect our natural resources.


  1. 2020
  2. 2019
  3. 2018
  4. 2017
  5. 2016
  6. 2015
  7. 2014
  8. 2013
  9. 2012
  10. 2011
  11. 2010

2020 TV Shows

In this segment, we continue our conversation with Michael Garfield, executive director of the Ecology Center, which turned fifty in 2020. We discuss the past five decades of environmental activism in Michigan, as seen through the lens of the Ecology Center’s growth.

Michael Garfield is executive director of the Ecology Center.  The Center was founded in 1970, a result of the first Earth Day Teach-In, held in Ann Arbor.  Michael discusses these past five decades of environmental activism in Michigan, as seen through the lens of the Ecology Center’s growth.

  • October 13, 2020 (94) - Issues of the Environment - a 25-Year Collaboration with Washtenaw County

Mary Mathias Lappe discusses her work as content liaison for the WEMU News weekly radio program called “Issues of the Environment,” a collaboration with Washtenaw County.  This award-winning program, hosted by David Fair, has been running for over 25 years.

Theo Eggermont, Washtenaw County Public Works Director, discusses the new Washtenaw Regional Resource Management Authority.

Rebecca Esselman, executive director of the Huron River Watershed Council, discusses microplastic pollution in our waterways.

For more information on microplastics - visit the Huron River Watershed Council’s page: https://www.hrwc.org/our-watershed/threats/microplastics-pollution/ 

Remy Long, Manager of the City of Ann Arbor’s Greenbelt Program, discusses the preservation of agricultural land and open space in the Ann Arbor area.

Marc Williams of Western Washtenaw Recycling Authority discusses current challenges and opportunities in the recycling world.

Craig Stephan discusses impacts to Michigan from climate change.

Green Room this month features Missy Stults who is the Sustainability and Innovations Manager for the City of Ann Arbor.  Dr. Stults discusses the city’s A2 Zero campaign, which aims for community-wide carbon-neutrality by 2030.

Kris Olsson discusses the science of extreme weather.  Kris is a watershed ecologist with the Huron River Watershed Council who volunteers with the Climate Reality Project and the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, giving presentations on this topic.

Steven Kolk, an insurance actuary, discusses the financial repercussions of climate change and how the insurance industry is being affected.