In the Lonely Planet Guide, the editors provide one simple admonishment to travelers considering a journey to Panama’s Darien Gap: “Don’t even think about it!” But that didn’t deter English orchid enthusiast Tom Hart Dyke, who plunged into the forest in 2000 to see orchids – but ended up spending ten months in captivity. 

In the Lonely Planet Guide, the editors provide one simple admonishment to travelers considering a journey to Panama’s Darien Gap: “Don’t even think about it!” But that didn’t deter English orchid enthusiast Tom Hart Dyke, who plunged into the forest in 2000 to see orchids – but ended up spending ten months in captivity.

The biggest black market you’ve never heard of is blooming right under your nose. Whether it’s a 4,000-pound cactus shoveled from the Arizona desert or delicate orchids pinched from the tangled jungle of Peru, rare plants are at the center of a rapidly growing and lucrative world of crime. Hosted by plant expert Summer Rayne Oakes, Bad Seeds plunges straight into it, featuring the buyers, the sellers, the obsessives, and those who came face-to-face with the criminals behind an underworld few know exist.

The biggest black market you’ve never heard of is blooming right under your nose. Whether it’s a 4,000-pound cactus shoveled from the Arizona desert or delicate orchids pinched from the tangled jungle of Peru, rare plants are at the center of a rapidly growing and lucrative world of crime. Hosted by plant expert Summer Rayne Oakes, Bad Seeds plunges straight into it, featuring the buyers, the sellers, the obsessives, and those who came face-to-face with the criminals behind an underworld few know exist.

Bad Seeds

Episode 4: Charming Personalities

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b3c17c9c-6e01-4a28-8998-aff601041738/transcript

Hey! This is Summer Rayne Oakes, host of Bad Seeds. Our season is wrapped, but if you want even more plant content, I wanted to recommend another podcast that I love. 

Growing Joy with Plants explores the plant person connection, and teaches you how to care for plants successfully and cultivate joy in your life by doing so. Click over to Growing Joy with Plants and subscribe, and take a listen to this short trailer to get to know Maria better. You can listen on Apple, Spotify, and follow Maria on Instagram. 

Hey! This is Summer Rayne Oakes, host of Bad Seeds. Our season is wrapped, but if you want even more plant content, I wanted to recommend another podcast that I love. 
Growing Joy with Plants explores the plant person connection, and teaches you how to care for plants successfully and cultivate joy in your life by doing so. Click over to <a href="https://growingjoywithmaria.com/podcast/">Growing Joy with Plants</a> and subscribe, and take a listen to this short trailer to get to know Maria better. You can listen on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/growing-joy-with-plants-formerly-bloom-grow-radio/id1313519159">Apple</a>, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/33ExNjMA35y9Uv7ceJZaOK?si=670b004781734157">Spotify</a>, and follow Maria on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/growingjoywithmaria/">Instagram</a>.

Check out the Growing Joy with Plants Podcast

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/59d95810-a090-4677-a8c2-b0140148bc23/transcript

In Bad Seeds, we’ve explored the crimes of obsessed hobbyists, of organized criminals, and even corrupt governments. But what about the elephant in the room? What about when the places entrusted to conserve flora are committing the crimes? And what about those risking everything… to protect plant-life and our planet?

This is the last episode of Season 1. But! You can get more plant content by following host Summer Rayne Oakes on her YouTube channels Plant One on Me and Flock. 

In Bad Seeds, we’ve explored the crimes of obsessed hobbyists, of organized criminals, and even corrupt governments. But what about the elephant in the room? What about when the places entrusted to conserve flora are committing the crimes? And what about those risking everything… to protect plant-life and our planet?
This is the last episode of Season 1. But! You can get more plant content by following host Summer Rayne Oakes on her YouTube channels <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpBzvPnmlkNQ789CV9LJN1NCVP1vdvxU6">Plant One on Me</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/flockfingerlakes">Flock</a>.

Episode 8: The Destroyer of Worlds

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/2d232fe6-8299-409b-bea3-b01201467f34/transcript

Zambia is home to a rare and coveted rosewood called mukula, but the country has been losing its treeline for years. The Zambian government put regulations and penalties in place to stop the illegal logging of this vital resource, but still, the deforestation continued. So what was accounting for the rapid disappearance of mukula? One undercover investigation exposed a chain of corruption and fraud – leading all the way to the top of Zambia’s government.

Zambia is home to a rare and coveted rosewood called mukula, but the country has been losing its treeline for years. The Zambian government put regulations and penalties in place to stop the illegal logging of this vital resource, but still, the deforestation continued. So what was accounting for the rapid disappearance of mukula? One undercover investigation exposed a chain of corruption and fraud – leading all the way to the top of Zambia’s government.

Episode 7: The Tree That Bleeds

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8128f694-3bf1-47ba-8df2-b00a0114dc82/transcript

Episode 4: Charming Personalities

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