For world-recognized scientist and visionary, Diana Beresford-Kroeger, trees are a religion. In her eyes, forests are cathedrals that present humanity with numerous divine gifts including the source of the planet’s potential salvation. “I want to remind you that the forest is far more than a source of timber.  It is our collective medicine cabinet.  It is our lungs. It is the regulatory system for our climate and our oceans.  It is the health and well-being of our children and grandchildren. It is the mantle of our planet and our sacred home.”

Orphaned at a young age in Ireland, Diana was the last child to receive a full Druidic education which immersed her in ancient Celtic wisdom before she attended University College, Cork where she gained an extensive scientific education. But she never forgot the old wisdom and Diana has spent a lifetime trying to understand trees and share that knowledge with the world. She has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades for her work and has spent decades curating, planting and restoring the global forest. In addition to authoring numerous books on the topic Diana is also the subject of the documentary Call of the Forest: The Forgotten Wisdom of Trees (available on Amazon).

 Our Green Heart is Diana’s latest book, and in it she challenges us all to dig deeper into the science of forests and the ways they will save us from climate breakdown – and then do our part to plant and protect them.

“The children of earth’s future need a world where these essential connections are revitalized and respected.  We can give them this future by pledging to revive the global forest.  Pick up a trowel.  Plant a native tree every year for six years.  It’s that simple”.

The Great Abolitionist is the first major biography of Charles Sumner in over 50 years. Employing his “vast knowledge of 19th-century Boston and its diffident attitude toward slavery and integration,” Stephen Puleo calls his book a “biographical history” that brings to life two decades when the nation’s very fate hung in the balance -- when slavery consumed Congressional debate, America careened toward civil war, and the country dealt with the war, the assassination of a President, and the monumental task of Reconstruction. Before, during, and after the war, Charles Sumner’s voice rang strongest, bravest, and most unwavering, often at the cost of great personal sacrifice. He moved America toward the twin goals of abolitionism and equal rights for emancipated people, which he fought for literally until the day he died. From the award-winning author-historian we’ll gain a deeper understanding of this remarkable abolitionist and the time in which he lived.

Interest in the novel has continued, and now “The Emperor of Ocean Park” has been adapted into a streaming series starring Academy Award-winner Forest Whitaker.

In the book, “Black Homeownership on Martha’s Vineyard: A History,” authors Thomas Dresser and Richard Taylor trace the presence of Black Americans on the Vineyard back to pre-Revolutionary War, through the Underground Railroad and the Civil War, and into the 20th century and the Great Migration.

The singer-songwriter, 85, joins The Culture Show for a conversation ahead of her show at Tanglewood at the end of August.

Dating back to even pre-revolutionary years, Newport was home to entrepreneurs, political pioneers and philanthropists from across the African diaspora.

A new documentary covering the career of legendary rapper and founding member of the Wu-Tang Clan, Ol' Dirty Bastard, is on the horizon. The rapper's life is a tale of triumph, transcendent genius and tragedy. "Ol' Dirty Bastard: A Tale of Two Dirties," premieres on A&E TV on Aug. 25 and will be available to stream the next day.

Kirsten Oberoi describes the profound impact of choral singing on children's cognitive and emotional development when every voice is valued.

Bradley Vernatter, CEO and general director of the Boston Lyric Opera, and Haris Lefteri, creative director of Hibernian Hall speak with Boston Public Radio about multicultural event.

Boston's second city sponsored mixtape, “Dear Summer: Volume 2” is live, featuring a new set of artists for 2024.