Tiny home podcast seeks to build conversation on climate change

By Tim Kalinowski on March 20, 2021.

SUBMITTED photo Lethbridge-based actor and environmentalist Michael Bartz recently won a $10,000 Telus STORYHIVE grant to produce and host a podcast on his quest to build an off-grid tiny home.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDtkalinowski@lethbridgeherald.com

Lethbridge actor, environmentalist and would-be podcast adventurer Michael Bartz recently won a $10,000 Telus STORYHIVE grant to host a six-part podcast on his quest to build an off-grid tiny home, and to seek out great conversations about ways we can all come together to meet the challenges of climate change and the other great environmental challenges of our lifetime.
The upbeat and personable Bartz is thrilled Telus saw the merits of his “In Over My Head” podcast proposal, and he hopes with STORYHIVE’s professional mentorship to turn it into an ongoing weekly forum for discussion about what everyday citizens can do to help, in his own words, “save the planet” from the porch of his own home-built, off-the-grid, tiny home.
“I was totally overwhelmed,” Bartz confessed when he heard he had won the grant. “I broke down crying. Especially when you put so much effort into these ideas, and putting it on paper … I was really happy I stood out to them, and they saw something in me that was worthwhile.”
Out of hundreds of applicants in B.C. and Alberta, Bartz’s “In Over My Head” podcast was one of only 16 chosen to receive the grant money.
Bartz spent four years building his own off-grid tiny home on wheels prior to coming up with the idea for the podcast, and the tiny home is going to essentially act as his weekly co-host.
“I talk about building the tiny house on wheels and trying to live sustainably,” he explained, “and actually over the time I have been building this is the reason I call it ‘In Over My Head.’ I really do feel like I am one person trying to save the planet, but is even that an effective way to live that can make a difference? And so talking about some of those emotions I have gone through, but really trying to offer hope to people.
“So people I am featuring are local environmentalists who are making a difference in our community, but who are also going to share information with the audience about what they can do to try to make a difference toward climate change. That’s the story I want to tell.”
The “In Over My Head” podcast will premiere this fall. To view Bartz’ $10,000 winning one minute pitch video link to https://www.storyhive.com/projects/6492.

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