Biophilic Solutions: Nature Has the Answers – Details, episodes & analysis

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Biophilic Solutions: Nature Has the Answers

Serenbe Media Network

Science

Society & Culture

Education

Frequency: 1 episode/15d. Total Eps: 128

Have you ever noticed how DNA’s spiraling structure mirrors the shape of seashells and flowers? How our circulatory system branches like tree roots? Nature doesn’t just surround us—we are nature. Our bodies, minds, and societies are woven into its rhythms, yet in today’s modern world, we’ve severed that bond, and the consequences ripple through our environment, politics, culture, and even spirituality.

Every other week, host Monica Olsen sits down with leading experts to explore the profound connections between planetary health and human well-being. Through these conversations, they uncover how nature influences everything—from the way we design our cities to the way we govern, heal, and find meaning in our lives. As we face climate change, biodiversity loss, and deep societal shifts, rediscovering our place in the natural world isn’t just necessary—it’s transformative.

Join us on this biophilic journey. Follow and listen today, because nature holds the answers.

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Score global : 78%

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Nature, Coherence, and Constructing Health with Tye Farrow

Season 5 · Episode 108

Tuesday, November 4, 2025 • Duration 53:20

We think a lot about how people make us feel, but what about the places we spend our time in? In this episode, we explore how architecture and design influence our physical and mental well-being, from hospitals and workplaces to the spaces we move through every day.

Our guest, Tye Farrow, is a world-renowned architect and pioneer at the intersection of neuroscience and design. His new book, Constructing Health: How the Built Environment Enhances Your Mind’s Health, reveals how buildings can either harm or heal us.

We talk with Tye about salutogenic design, the importance of coherence, and why there’s no such thing as a neutral space. Plus we explore how nature and biophilic design play a key role in creating environments that give health rather than take it away. If you’ve ever wondered why some spaces make you feel alive while others drain you, this conversation will change the way you see the built environment.

Show Notes

Image Credit: Farrow Partners Architects, Photographer Tom Arban

Keywords: architecture, neuroscience, biophilic design, salutogenic design, coherence, built environment, health and wellness, environmental psychology, design for healing, nature and design, sustainable architecture, mental health, spatial design, human-centered design, Tye Farrow, Constructing Health, healthy buildings, urban design, Serenbe, podcast, wellbeing, placemaking

Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review.

Follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn and learn more on our website.

#NatureHasTheAnswers

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Solutions Rewind: David Orr on Saving Democracy—and the Planet

Season 5 · Episode 107

Tuesday, October 14, 2025 • Duration 57:54

In a time of deep political division and environmental crisis, what would it look like to design a democracy that’s truly in harmony with the natural world?

In this episode, we revisit a powerful 2022 conversation with David Orr, Professor of Practice at Arizona State University, editor of Democracy in a Hotter Time, and one of the leading voices at the intersection of ecology, education, and politics.

Orr challenges us to think beyond short-term fixes and consider how a “biophilic democracy” rooted in care for each other and the planet could transform the way we live and govern. We explore why democracies fail, how our brains are wired for both division and connection, and how education might help us build a more resilient and compassionate society.

Show Notes:

Democracy in a Hotter Time: Climate Change and Democratic Transformation, edited by David W. Orr
Democracy Unchained: How To Rebuild Government For The People, edited by David W. Orr, Andrew Gumbel, Bakari Kitwana, and William S. Becker
Dangerous Years: Climate Change, the Long Emergency, and the Way Forward by David Orr
Democracy in a Hotter Time, presentation at Elon University (YouTube)
Design with Nature by Ian L. McHarg
The Biophilia Hypothesis, edited by E.O. Wilson and Stephen R. Kellert
Dr. David Orr and Dr. Miranda Yaver on the Stand Up! With Pete Dominick Podcast

The Future Is Local: Rebuilding Economies and Healing the Earth with Helena Norberg-Hodge

Season 5 · Episode 98

Tuesday, June 10, 2025 • Duration 01:02:37

Time and again, we've examined how the challenges we face – poverty, inequality, environmental degradation, and more – are deeply intertwined. Understandably, it can start to feel pretty overwhelming. But here’s the encouraging part: the solutions are just as interconnected.

In this episode of Biophilic Solutions, we speak with Helena Norberg-Hodge, founder and director of Local Futures, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring ecological and social well-being by revitalizing local communities and economies. Helena envisions a world where food is grown by nearby farmers, money circulates within communities, local businesses thrive, and meaningful work is accessible to all.

She argues that many of today’s crises stem from an overly globalized economic system and that the path forward lies in a broad shift toward localization. Helena advocates for a more informed and intentional public that values local economies and deeper connections with nature. In our conversation, we explore the power of local food systems, the importance of community and ecological bonds, and the role vulnerability plays in healing. Drawing on lessons from indigenous cultures, Helena makes a compelling case for localization as a path toward greater social cohesion and environmental resilience.

Show Notes

Building Living Machines with Biology, The Original Technology

Season 1 · Episode 11

Tuesday, August 17, 2021 • Duration 01:02:07

This week, Monica and Jennifer sit down with Jasmina Aganovic to talk about all things beauty and biotechnology. After earning a degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering from MIT, Jasmina worked with well-known beauty brands like Fresh and Living Proof before founding her own line, Mother Dirt, a brand that uses the naturally occurring bacteria found on human skin to treat and cleanse without stripping. Currently, Jasmina is the entrepreneur in residence at Gingko Bioworks, a biotechnology company working to bring nature to the forefront in innovation. We cover a lot of ground in this episode including Gingko’s partnership with Moderna, the weaknesses of the ‘clean’ beauty industry, and why biology is the ultimate technology.

Show Notes

Gingko Bioworks: The Organism Company
Grow by Gingko
No Soap, No Shampoo, Bacteria-Rich Hygiene Experiment, by Julia Scott (The New York Times)
Laboratory of Longings by Ani Liu

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Why “No Farms, No Food” is a Biophilic Rallying Cry

Season 1 · Episode 10

Tuesday, August 3, 2021 • Duration 42:50

This week, we're speaking with Beth Sauerhaft, the Vice President of Programs at American Farmland Trust. If you've seen the 'No Farms, No Food' bumper stickers, you're familiar with AFT whether you know it or not. In her current role, Beth oversees all of the programming that helps American Farmland Trust achieve its mission of preserving farmland, protecting farmers, and promoting environmentally sound farming practices. Prior to joining AFT, Beth has worked in sustainability roles at EPA, the Department of Agriculture, and even Pepsico. We'll talk about corporate responsibility, the importance of farmland for combating climate change, and the practices that can help farmers (and the planet) thrive.

Show Notes:

Beth Sauerhaft, Vice President of Programs, PhD, American Farmland Trust
Regenerative Agriculture is a System, Not a Single Practice, American Farmland Trust
Farmland for a New Generation in New York, by Erica Goodman (American Farmland Trust)
Farms Under Threat: Biodiversity and Agriculture, American Farmland Trust
Cover Crops Create Resilient Farms and Landscapes, by April Ann Opatik Murray (American Farmland Trust)
Women for the Land Initiative, American Farmland Trust
Donate to American Farmland Trust and Help Save the Land that Sustains Us
Get Your FREE ‘No Farms No Food’ Bumper Sticker
Vote in the 13th Annual Farmers’ Market Celebration

How Are Climate and Racial Justice Inextricably Linked?

Season 1 · Episode 9

Tuesday, July 20, 2021 • Duration 36:44

On this episode of Biophilic Solutions, we talk to Jacqui Patterson, the Senior Director of the NAACP’s Environmental and Climate Justice Program, about why we cannot separate our fight for planetary health from the fight for racial justice. Why is race, even more so that socioeconomic status, the single biggest indicator for placement of toxic facilities in the United States? Why do we silo issues like public health, race, and climate, when they are so closely related? Why is campaign finance reform essential as we move toward a greener and more equitable planet? We’ll address all of these questions and more.

Show Notes

Environmental and Climate Justice (NAACP)
At the Intersections by Jacqueline Patterson in All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis, ed. by Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and Dr. Katharine K. Wilkinson, 2020
Just Energy: Reducing Pollution, Creating Jobs Toolkit (NAACP)
20 Things We Can Do to Advance a Just and Sustainable Planet by Jacqueline Patterson
The Necessity of Harmony for a Sustainable Planet by Jacqueline Patterson (Humans & Nature), 2013
Q&A with Jacqueline Patterson, director of the NAACP’s Environmental and Climate Justice Program by Holly Bowers (Arcadia), 2021
Move to Amend
Democracy Initiative
Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ): A home for white people working for justice

How Do We Build a Biophilic Movement?

Season 1 · Episode 8

Tuesday, July 6, 2021 • Duration 23:26

How do we build a biophilic movement? Halfway through our first season, Monica and Jennifer reflect on the lessons they have learned so far and bring it all back to our innate love of and need for nature. They’ll dive deeper into their own backstories and relationships with nature, discuss why biophilia is a useful way to reframe the environmental conversation, and explore the importance of consciousness raising when growing a movement.

Show Notes

Follow The Biophilic Institute on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook
Prescribing Nature by Jennifer Walsh with Beth McGroarty (for the Global Wellness Summit
I Lived in a Tent for 3 Months. It Changed Everything … In a Good Way by Jennifer Walsh (Medium)
Serenbe

Follow Monica and Jennifer on Twitter

Bird Watching, Love & Diversity: How Biophilia Pushes Us Forward

Season 1 · Episode 7

Monday, June 21, 2021 • Duration 01:04:27

We spoke with Dr. Drew Lanham, a distinguished Professor of Wildlife Ecology at Clemson University and the author of the Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature, to discuss the intersection of nature, humanity, and race. How have the natural sciences progressed since Dr. Lanham first began in his career and what work is there still to do? Why are conservation and activism inextricably linked? And why is it impossible to separate the simple act of birding from systemic racism? We’ll grapple with all of these questions (and so much more) on our seventh episode of Biophilic Solutions.

Show Notes

Dr. Drew Lanham, Distinguished Alumni Professor of Wildlife Ecology in the College of Agriculture, Clemson University
The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature (Milkweed Editions, 2017)
9 Rules for the Black Bird Watcher by J. Drew Lanham (Orion Magazine, 2013)
Nine New Revelations for the Black American Bird-Watcher by J. Drew Lanham (Vanity Fair, 2020)
What Do We Do About John James Audubon? by J. Drew Lanham (Audubon Magazine, 2021)

Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review.

Follow us on Instagram and and learn more on . #NatureHasTheAnswers

Can Biophilia & The Fashion Industry Work Together?

Season 1 · Episode 6

Tuesday, June 8, 2021 • Duration 47:55

Fast fashion’s impact on the environment is well-known, but do you have to sacrifice style in order to protect the environment? Marci Zaroff, the founder and CEO of EcofashionCORP and a sustainable fashion pioneer, says absolutely not. Learn about the hidden impacts of the fashion industry, from the massive environmental and human toll to the microfibers that make their way into our food supply. We also talk to Marci about where the industry is headed, the shift in consumer expectations, and why she is optimistic about the future of fashion.

Follow Marci on Instagram and check out her brands: Metawear Organic, Farm to Home, Seed to Style, and YES AND.

Show Notes

Ecorenaissance: A Lifestyle Guide for Co-creating a Stylish, Sexy, and Sustainable World, by Marci Zaroff (2018).
The 5 Levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Verywell Mind)
The environment and economy are paying the price for fast fashion -- but there’s hope (Vox).
Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)
Farm to Home launches second collection with TENCEL™ Lyocell available exclusively at QVC (Textile World).

Can Regenerative Agriculture Scale?

Season 1 · Episode 5

Tuesday, May 25, 2021 • Duration 49:04

Through cutting-edge research, consumer education, and farmer training, Rodale Institute has been at the forefront of the organic movement for over 70 years, so we were thrilled to have the opportunity to sit down with their Chief Impact Officer, Jeff Tkach, to discuss all things agriculture. In this episode, we’ll dive into regenerative farming, the scalability of organic production, fostering a greater connection to the food we consume, and why human & planetary health starts with soil. Without giving anything away, there were multiple jaw-dropping moments during this interview; trust us, you don’t want to miss it!

Follow Rodale Institute on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Follow your hosts Monica Olsen and Jennifer Walsh on Twitter.

Biophilic Solutions is brought to you by the Biophilic Institute and the Biophilic Leadership Summit.

Show Notes

Rodale Institute Southeast Organic Research Center in Chattahoochee Hills, GA
Regenerative Organic Certified™ led by the Regenerative Organic Alliance
Shop Regenerative Organic Certified™ products at Patagonia Provisions

Biophilic Solutions: Nature Has the Answers – Details, episodes & analysis

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Biophilic Solutions: Nature Has the Answers – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

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Other99+

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