Divided Together Podcast
Project overview
The Divided Together podcast and associate Border Field State Park self-guided tour app reveals topics that involve separation and unification related to the border featuring people with direct experience and knowledge. The podcast is available on trnerr.org and wherever podcasts are presented. In conjunction with the podcast there is a self-guided app, Border Field State Park: Divided Together, that was created to be geo-referenced as the user explores Monument Mesa, a 4-acre section in the southwest section of the park. The app also highlights the snippets of the podcast that will play as they reached designated points within Monument Mesa.
Research conducted
Due to participants living in local and international locations, episodes were recorded in segments at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, Zoom meetings, and on site at the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge.
Findings
Divided Together aimed to elevate the San Diego/Tijuana border region by exploring Border Field State Park and its origins. This was an important goal because the histories of the two cities are very intertwined, and the culture of the Reserve and Border Field State Park has been largely dictated by them.
These stories are sometimes very difficult, but often they are also enlightening. This project successfully presents these topics in a compelling and engaging way. As a result, the podcast has highlighted indigenous stories and land use practices, current nature-based solutions to challenges faced by communities in the Tijuana River Valley, science and research efforts, historical events, and an overall complex history of the San Diego/Tijuana border region.
Outcomes & impact
Podcasts are an increasingly popular medium of learning information. It is an attractive one as well, given the possibility of engaging with a seemingly endless variety of topics while being able to multitask. This podcast arrived at the perfect time and serves as a way of elevating the uniqueness of the Reserve. Divided Together has been utilized in many ways but largely it serves as another type of resource in a format that meets the public where they increasingly are.
As of June 2023, there have been over 2,000 podcast downloads. Currently there are two seasons with a total of six episodes. Each episode features the TRNERR Education Coordinator as the primary narrator and features recorded interviews with expert informant guests from different backgrounds.
Sponsors & supporters
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