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
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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
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Iowa Writers’ Workshop graduate Yiyun Li is headlining the University of Iowa’s Literary Legends event Oct. 23 in conjunction with the Iowa City Book Festival. -
Two best friends have been working to make Clinton a destination and create connection in their community through art — from colorful murals to giant wooden trolls. -
How the dissolution of the separation of church and state opens the door to unchecked power.
My Latest Podcasts
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The drone of cicadas has always been one of the sounds of summer in Iowa. Annual cicada populations are holding their own, but periodical cicadas are in trouble. On this episode, we talk with University of Iowa biologist Andrew Forbes about a study that uses GIS technology to show how habitat loss has impacted cicada populations. We also hear from GIS experts Susan Meerdink and Adam Skibbe and discuss what the future holds for these cicadas.
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Sports betting can elevate a sports fan's connection to the game, but can lead to corruption and decimate savings. Des Moines resident Caleb Tessmer shares his positive experience casually sports betting. Then, Justin Balthrop joins the program. He gambles in the low seven figures each year, but his research reveals the harmful nature of online sports betting. Later in the hour, Dave Bluder, author of The Great Gamble, dove into the world of sports betting corruption for his novel and shares how the gambling industry continues to alter his view on sports. (This episode was originally produced March 27, 2025.)
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On this episode, we listen back to a 2025 conversation with Dawson resident and Air Force veteran Justin Wolfe, who received bronze at the 10th annual Invictus Games in Vancouver, Canada. Adaptive sports have helped Wolfe push past limitations from his diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. Troy Peterson, a fellow veteran and Winterset resident, helped Justin turn to sports through his non-profit ValorFit. Later in the hour, research from ecologists Steven Dinsmore and Victoria Fasbender at Iowa State University demonstrates that humans can tweak their behavior in relatively small ways that could make a positive impact for the pectoral sandpiper, a migratory shore bird that often stops in Iowa on the way from breeding grounds in the Arctic to where they winter in South America. (This episode was originally produced Feb. 25, 2025.)