Charity Nebbe
Talk of Iowa HostExpertise: Interviewing, literature, ecology, political science, history and life in Iowa, all in order to help IPR listeners and readers better understand, appreciate and explore their state
Education: Bachelors degree from Iowa State University
Favorite Iowa Destination: Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge
Experience:
Has served as a talk show and podcast host for IPR and WOI Radio, as well as for Michigan Public in Ann Arbor from 2000 — 2010
- Has been the host of Talk of Iowa since 2010
- Hosts the podcasts Garden Variety and Unsettled
- Founder of the Talk of Iowa Book Club
- Is a multi-award-winning host and reporter, including a regional Edward R. Murrow for The Bonobo Hope Great Ape Trust Sanctuary, a first place award from the Public Media Journalists Association for her Iowa Veteran Talks About Being Trafficked as a Teenager interview, a first place newscast award from the Public Media Journalists Association, and a Regional Upper Midwest Emmy for Iowa PBS' Iowa Ingredient
- Created the nationally-syndicated public radio show Chinwag Theater, which she produced and co-hosted with author Daniel Pinkwater
- Honored with an Alumni Achievement Award by Iowa State University's Department of Political Science
- Host of Iowa Life and Iowa Ingredient for Iowa PBS
- Author of the children's book Our Walk in the Woods, published in 2008
- Co-founder of Let Me Run Eastern Iowa Corridor, a character development and running program for boys
My Favorite Conversations
-
The Talk of Iowa team hops into a dugout canoe on Lake Darling to learn about Indigenous cultural practices. Plus, Project AWARE uses canoes to clean up Iowa waters. -
While floodwaters destroyed and damaged Spencer homes, neighbors organized to help their community, supporting each other and the community after the devastating floodwaters receeded. -
Every spring, nearly one million Sandhill Cranes pass through an 80-mile stretch of the Platte River in Nebraska on their northward migration. -
In her memoir, Lucinda Williams explains how she spent her career making music on her own terms. -
The 108th annual Meskwaki Powwow takes place this weekend. It’s a four-day celebration of Meskwaki culture and tradition where everyone is welcome.
My Latest Stories
-
The new guide from Golden Hills Resource Conservation and Development details 20 places to hike and explore in Western Iowa. -
Monica Nassif founded the company Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day, using her mother, Thelma Meyer, as the spokeswoman. -
“Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World” was screened earlier this month in Iowa City and will air on PBS as part of "American Masters" on Aug. 25.
My Latest Podcasts
-
If you step outside into the quiet of a summer afternoon or evening, you will probably hear a merry cacophony of insect sounds. We going to talk about the singing insects of late summer in Iowa with entomologist Laura Iles, director of the North Central Integrated Pest Management Center. Then, ISU Extension Consumer Horticulture Specialist Aaron Steil answers late summer gardening questions.
-
If you step outside into the quiet of a summer afternoon or evening right now, you'll probably hear a merry cacophony of insect sounds. We talk with Laura Iles, director of the North Central Integrated Pest Management Center about the singing insects of late summer in Iowa. -
Head Start is a free, federally-funded program that provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition and parent-involvement services to low-income children and families. A new proposal from the Trump administration would do away with many of the federal regulations that guide the program. On this episode, we talk with stakeholders across the state about what the proposed changes may mean for Iowa families. We talk with Chris Juett, executive director of the Iowa Head Start Association, and Drake University Head Start Director Lisa Proctor. We also hear from Mimi Solis, Head Start teacher and former Head Start parent. Later in the episode, the Library Bill of Rights was adopted by the American Library Association in 1939. We listen back to a conversation with former Des Moines Public Library Director Sue Woody about the purpose of the Library Bill of Rights, and the threats it faces today. (Part of this episode was originally produced March 1, 2023.)
