GREENFIELD — What could reality television, the loneliness epidemic and Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan all have in common?

All have been topics on Backyard Oasis, a podcast geared toward older adults in Franklin County that is produced by volunteers working out of Greenfield Community College’s multimedia studio. The show, which launched in late 2023, recently surpassed 50 episodes.

Backyard Oasis aims to bring older adults into the realm of podcasts, a space typically dominated by the younger generations, by sharing local perspectives on a wide variety of topics, according to co-host Denise Schwartz. “Oasis” is an acronym that stands for “Older Adults Seeking, Inspiring and Serving.”

A key part of the mission, the podcast team said, is to not only share insight and perspectives on issues facing the region and society, but to also show that older folks are able to connect with the community and take on the new technology that is available.

“It was created by and for older adults,” Schwartz said. “What it can tell listeners is it can minimize some of these myths about older adults.”

“We built the plane as it flew,” Chad Fuller added. “I’ve come to understand a podcast is also a form of art. I’ve had a lot of fun.”

Schwartz, as well as fellow team members Fuller, Christine Copeland, Judy Raper and Alex Audette, gathered in the studio Friday afternoon to celebrate reaching 50 episodes — well, 53, as of March 28, to be specific — of Backyard Oasis and reflect on the experiences they’ve had.

Producing the podcast has been great fun for guests and hosts alike. With the podcast team were several guests who have appeared on the show, including Dan and Bonita Conlon, the owners of Deerfield’s Warm Colors Apiary, and Franklin Regional Council of Governments Regional Public Health Nurse Meg Ryan, who said appearing on the show was a fun experience.

Ryan, whose job focuses on trying to connect seniors around Franklin County, added that the podcast also serves as a venture into a new form of outreach for people in the region, which provides another outlet for folks to connect with local issues.

“We need our local perspectives,” Ryan said.

Those local perspectives come from a wide range of topics, too. The most recent episode explores getting involved in the community with Sharon Martula. If you’re looking for something more lighthearted, the episode prior to that follows how Greenfield resident Todd “Happy” Boynton and an 81-year-old retired educator have formed a community through pickleball. Other topics include changing technology, local authors, movies and green burials.

Backyard Oasis can be found through both Apple and Spotify’s platforms, as well as at rss.com/podcasts/backyardoasis. Episodes are also posted on GCC’s YouTube channel.

Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.