Culture Kids

All aboard the Culture Train! In this episode, we head back to New York City on a chilly winter morning to ride along on a real garbage truck and discover what happens to our trash after we throw it away.

With our friend Amelia from the New York Hall of Science, we explore the hidden systems that keep a city running. We learn why sanitation workers start their day before sunrise, how trash is collected from busy sidewalks, and why NYC sanitation workers are known as the “strongest” for lifting heavy bags by hand.

• Why different neighborhoods have different trash pickup schedules
• What “coned” trash cans are and how kids can help when bins are full
• The difference between household trash and recycling
• Why batteries, electronics, and glass should never go in regular trash bags
• What a transfer station is and where trash goes next

Then we hop on the Culture Train to visit a recycling sorting center, where we watch conveyor belts, giant machines, and real workers separate paper, cans, glass, and food scraps so they can be turned into something new.

• Paper can become pizza boxes
• Food scraps can become soil
• Soda cans can become new cans
• Glass can be crushed and reused in new materials

This episode helps kids understand that everything has a system, a place, and a story, and that even small everyday choices, like using the right bin or holding onto trash until you find one, can help the people who keep our communities clean.

About the New York Hall of Science

This episode was created in collaboration with the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI), a hands-on science and technology museum located in Queens, New York, in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.

🌐 Website: https://nysci.org📍 Location: Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, Queens, New York

Follow NYSCI for hands-on science activities, family programs, and exhibit updates:

📸 Instagram: @nysci📘 Facebook: New York Hall of Science

In this Culture Kids adventure, we travel to Bird Island, South Africa with our friend Lisa Faith from SANCCOB to meet African penguins in their natural habitat. Surrounded by ocean waves, rocky shores, and thousands of seabirds, we learn what makes this island a safe nesting home for penguins and other coastal birds.

We discover:


What baby penguins look like before they get their waterproof feathers


Why penguins huddle together in family groups


What moulting is and why penguins cannot swim for several weeks


The challenges African penguins face, including not having enough fish, pollution, oil spills, and habitat loss


How SANCCOB rescues, rehabilitates, and releases seabirds back into the wild

We also learn ways kids can help, like using less plastic, sharing what they learn, and supporting organizations that protect wildlife.

Thank you to Lisa Faith and the entire SANCCOB team for the incredible work they do to care for African penguins and coastal seabirds.

🎧 Be sure to listen to our previous SANCCOB episode to learn more about penguin rescue and rehabilitation.

PLEASE SUPPORT CULTURE KIDS!

Culture Kids is a grassroots nonprofit creating free, accessible cultural and educational audio for children everywhere.
You can support our mission by:
⭐ Leaving a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
📲 Sharing the show with a friend
🌍 Making a donation through our website

🔗 Website: https://culturekidsproductions.org and click on SUPPORT TAB
📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/culturekidsproductions

The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) rescues, rehabilitates, and releases seabirds, including critically endangered African penguins.

🔗 Website: https://sanccob.co.za
📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/sanccob
📘 Facebook: https://facebook.com/SANCCOB
🐧 Adopt a penguin: https://sanccob.co.za/adopt

On this unforgettable Culture Train adventure, Kristen and Asher travel to Bird Island, a rocky seabird sanctuary off the coast of South Africa, to meet African penguins in their natural habitat. Joined by returning guest Lisa Faith from SANCCOB (the Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds), we explore one of the largest penguin colonies in the country and learn what it truly means to protect wildlife in the wild.

Surrounded by crashing waves, soaring gannets, and thousands of calling seabirds, we observe African penguins as they nest, huddle, raise fluffy chicks, and even go through a very uncomfortable but important process called moulting. Along the way, we discover why these remarkable birds are now critically endangered — and how families everywhere can play a role in helping them survive.

This episode is a continuation of our previous visit to SANCCOB’s rescue center, where we learned how injured and oil-affected seabirds are rehabilitated before being released back into the ocean. If you haven’t listened to that episode yet, we recommend starting there to follow the full journey from rescue to release.

Credits:

Hosted by: Kristen and Asher KimGuest: Lisa Faith, SANCCOBProduced by: Culture Kids ProductionsSound design and theme music composed by: Kristen Kim

Sound FX: Envato Elements

Please Support Culture Kids!
Website: https://www.culturekidsproductions.org
Click on Support to Donate!
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/culturekidsproductions

ABOUT SANCCOB

(Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds)
Website: https://www.sanccob.co.za
Adopt a Penguin & Donate: https://adopt.sanccob.co.za/get-involved/adopt-a-penguin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sanccob
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SANCCOBSavesSeabirds

In this episode, Culture Kids travels to New York City to explore City Works, a hands-on family exhibit at the New York Hall of Science.

Together with Amelia- the Director of Exhibit Design and Development, Asher and Mom discover the incredible systems and the people behind them that keep cities running every single day. From buses and ferries to water pipes and wastewater treatment, this episode helps kids understand that cities are much more than buildings. They’re living systems powered by teamwork, science, and care.


How transportation systems like buses, subways, and ferries help people move around a city


Where clean drinking water comes from and what happens after we flush the toilet


How sanitation and wastewater systems protect neighborhoods, rivers, and oceans


Why scientists, engineers, and city workers are so important to everyday life


How cities around the world may look different—but all work to care for their communities

Kids will love pretending to drive a city bus through Times Square, learning about rainwater and drains, and discovering the famous “4 Ps” of what’s safe to flush: pee, poop, puke, and paper!

About CityWorks

City Works is a large-scale, interactive exhibit designed especially for children and families. Through hands-on play, kids can explore real city systems like transportation, water, sanitation, and energy—and see how these systems are connected and supported by people working behind the scenes.

The exhibit encourages curiosity, problem-solving, and empathy by helping children understand how cities function and how their everyday choices matter.


Museum: New York Hall of Science


Location: Queens, New York


Website: https://nysci.org


Exhibit Info: https://nysci.org/exhibitions/city-works

The New York Hall of Science is a family-favorite destination with hundreds of interactive exhibits that make science fun, accessible, and engaging for kids of all ages.

🎧 Credits

Host & Producer: Kristen Kim & Asher Kim

Guest & Collaborator: Amelia, Director of Exhibit Design and Development

Sound Design/Music/Edit: Culture Kids Productions

Music: Envato Elements

Audio Engineer: Robin Lai

Academic Consultant: Elisha Li

In this immersive Culture Kids adventure, Kristen and Asher hop aboard the Culture Train and travel to the lush island of Kauai in Hawaii to visit Aunty Christy at the Kauai Animal Education Farm. Along the way, families learn where Kauai is located, why it is known as the “Garden Isle,” and how its rainforests, rivers, waterfalls, and dramatic coastline were shaped over millions of years. Once at the farm, listeners are welcomed into a peaceful, storybook-like setting where rescued animals roam freely and live in environments designed to help them feel safe, calm, and at home. Asher meets gentle tortoise Sherman, playful sheep Twinkletoes, and energetic rabbits doing joyful binkies, while Aunty Christy explains how animals come to the farm, how they are cared for, and how spending time with them can help people slow down, feel grounded, and connect more deeply with the world around them.

This episode invites children and grown-ups alike to explore what it means to care for animals, learn their stories, and discover how humans and animals can support one another. Through hands-on moments, cultural connections, and thoughtful conversations, Culture Kids highlights how learning about animals where you live can be a meaningful way to help them, even from afar. Families will leave this episode feeling relaxed, curious, and inspired by the idea that every living being has a story worth listening to. As always, Culture Kids reminds listeners that they belong, that their curiosity matters, and that every adventure begins with an open heart and a willingness to learn.

About Kauai Education Farm

Websitehttps://www.kauaianimaleducationfarm.org

Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/kauaianimaleducationfarm
(@kauaianimaleducationfarm)

Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/kauaianimaleducationfarm

Visiting the Farm
Visits are typically by appointment or through scheduled programs and events. Families, schools, and community groups are encouraged to reach out through the website to learn about current offerings, educational experiences, and opportunities to visit.

Supporting the Farm
Kauai Animal Education Farm is supported by community care, donations, and shared stewardship of the land and animals. Information about how to support the farm, stay connected, or learn more about the animals can be found on their website and social channels.

Please support Culture Kids!

Culture Kids is a volunteer supported nonprofit creating immersive, screen free stories that help children and families explore the world together through curiosity, respect, and imagination.

If you would like to support our mission of creating a more connected world for our children, please consider donating any amount to help keep the Culture Train chugging along!

http://culturekidsproductions.org

Click on "Support"

Check out our instagram and send us a DM! @culturekidsproductions

🎧 Credits

Host & Producer: Kristen Kim & Asher Kim

Guest & Collaborator: Christy at Kauai Education Farm

Sound Design/Music/Edit: Culture Kids Productions

Music: Envato Elements

Audio Engineer: Robin Lai

Academic Consultant: Elisha Li