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

Mushrooms are fascinating. They’re not quite plants and they’re not quite animals. Unique and charming mushroom caps are just the fruit of a massive, interconnected mycelium network. And there are millions of mushroom species yet to be discovered. 

In this episode, Gregory & Emily Han share the mysterious world of mushrooms. They’re the co-authors of Mushroom Hunting: Forage for Fungi and Connect with the Earth, a wonderfully accessible pocket guide for identifying common mushrooms and cultivating the joy of discovery. With Emily & Gregory as our guides, we learn about mushroom hunting as a mindfulness practice, why you don’t have to harvest or forage to enjoy the simple pleasure of looking, and the mental health benefits of staying curious. 

So, let’s hit the trails and see what we can find. 

Show Notes

• Mushroom Hunting: Forage for Fungi and Connect with the Earth 
• Wild Drinks & Cocktails: Handcrafted Squashes, Shrubs, Switchels, Tonics, and Infusions to Mix at Home
• Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine
• Creative Spaces: People, Homes, & Studios to Inspire
• Emily Han Website
• Emily Han Instagram
• Gregory Han Website
• Gregory Han Instagram

Key Words: Mushroom, Fungi, Mycelium, Foraging, Harvesting, Nature, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Wellness, Mindfulness, Pocket Nature

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

What would you think if your doctor wrote you a prescription to take a walk outside? To visit an art museum? To take a yoga class? It may sound unconventional, but the practice of prescribing nonmedical interventions to improve health, known as social prescribing, is becoming more and more commonplace. This week, we’re chatting with Julia Hotz, author of The Connection Cure: The Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service, and Belonging. With Julia as our guide, we’ll explore the profound relationship between environment and wellness, the amazing health outcomes of social prescriptions, and the healthcare professionals at the forefront of this growing movement. 

In a busy world, where so many of our ailments are lifestyle based, social prescribing helps connect us back to the things that make us human. 

Show Notes

• The Connection Cure: he Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service, and Belonging by Julia Hotz
• Social Prescribing Website
• You’re Not Sick – Your Environment Is (Slate)
• The Connection Cure explores social prescriptions to improve mental health (NPR)

Key Words: healthcare, public health, preventative medicine, nature, biophilia, biophilic design, culture, art, wellness, social prescribing, loneliness, health, lifestyle, mental health 

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

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

It’s easy to think that business interests are diametrically opposed to environmental progress - and in many cases, you wouldn’t be wrong. However, meaningful evidence suggests that many businesses would actually improve their bottom line if they adopted more sustainable practices. Enter today’s guest, David S. Eady, the director of industry engagement at the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business. In this role, David works with companies in the Drawdown Georgia Business Compact, which leverages the collective impact of the Georgia business community to achieve net zero carbon emissions in the state through a just, prosperous, and sustainable transition. In his (limited) spare time, David also serves as the mayor of Oxford, Georgia, where his lifelong career in environmentalism has inspired a number of important sustainability initiatives.

In this interview, Monica catches up with David about the power of collective action and partnership, measuring impact over time, and meeting business leaders where they are. 

Show Notes

• About David Eady
• Drawdown Georgia Business Compact
• Drawdown Georgia
• Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business
• Oxford GA Official City Website
• Biophilic Solutions | Shifting to a Green Economy with Edward B. Barbier

Key Words: Climate Change, Climate Action, Environmental Issues, Corporate Responsibility, Georgia Tech, GA Tech, David S. Eady, Drawdown, Drawdown GA, Ray C. Anderson, Carbon, Carbon Emissions, Biophilia, Biophilic Design 

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

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

What does it really mean when we talk about reconnecting with nature? To actually connect with nature, is it enough to simply get outside? Who speaks for the rights of nature to remain undisturbed? These are just a few of the compelling questions raised by our guest today, Dr. Karen Lloyd. Karen is the author of acclaimed book Abundance: Nature in Recovery and is a lecturer at the University of Lancaster, as well as writer in residence at the university’s Future Places Institute. Her work largely explores themes like abundance, restoration and repair in the natural world.

In this episode, we chat with Karen about a wide range of issues including habitat loss in her native Lake District, why the tendency to shift our baseline isn’t helping us in the climate fight, the city that has declared pollinators as citizens, and how we can meaningfully re-entangle ourselves with the natural world. 

Show Notes

• About Karen Lloyd (University of Lancaster)
• Karen Lloyd Website
• Abundance: Nature in Recovery by Karen Lloyd
• Are You Suffering From Shifting Baseline Syndrome? (Earth.Org)
• Sweet City: Defeating the City-Nature Antagonism (Congress for the New Urbanism)
• Hyperobjects: Philosophy and Ecology After the End of the World by Tim Morton 
• Follow Karen on Facebook and X

Key Words: Nature, Nature Based Solutions, University of Lancaster, Lake District, English Lake District, Pollinators, Pollinator Habitats, Hyperobject, Climate, Climate Change, Climate Solutions, Biophilia, Biophilic Design 

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

Time and time again, we’ve seen that spending time in nature has profound effects on our physical and mental wellbeing, but did you know that the outdoors are also uniquely suited for imparting leadership skills? This week, we’re chatting with Sandy Colhoun, the President of NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School), a global nonprofit wilderness school that is dedicated to stewardship & sustainability, diversity in the outdoors, education, leadership, safety, and community. Their programs range from expeditions for young students and semester-away programs to executive leadership and even NASA training courses. 

In this conversation, we chat with Sandy about his own formative experience in a NOLS program, discovering yourself in the wild, and we define a core tenet of the NOLS philosophy, expedition behavior.

Show Notes

• NOLS
• About Sandy Colhoun
• NOLS Stewardship & Sustainability
• NOLS Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion 
• NOLS Programs & Courses
• Resources
• Follow NOLS on Instagram
• Chattahoochee Hills Charter School
• Walk Your Way Calm: A Guided Journal for Uncluttering Your Mind with Every Step by Jennifer Walsh

Key Words: NOLS, Outdoor Education, Leadership, Outdoor Adventure, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Nature Based Solutions, Nature Based Learning, Wilderness, Wilderness Medicine

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

E.O. Wilson once said, “if insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos”- and he wasn’t wrong. In fact, our entire food system depends on the energy that tiny bugs transfer to vertebrates. So, what’s the issue? Insects themselves depend on native plants and larger portions of our outdoor spaces have been overtaken by non-native, invasive species and resource-intensive, environmentally futile lawns. 

It sounds dire, but there are plenty of solutions according to today’s guest Douglas Tallamy, the T. A. Baker Professor of Agriculture in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware. Dr. Tallamy has dedicated much of his career to raising awareness about the significance of native plants and outlining the simple, common-sense solutions that everyone can use to improve biodiversity in their own backyard. In this conversation, we chat with Doug about the promise of keystone species, the amazing progress he’s made reintroducing native plants on his own Pennsylvania property, and the nonprofit he founded to encourage private landowners to join the movement.

Show Notes

• About Douglas Tallamy
• Homegrown National Park
• Homegrown National Park: Native Plant Resource Directory
• Bringing Nature Home by Douglas W. Tallamy
• The Living Landscape by Rick Darke and Douglas W. Tallamy
• Nature’s Best Hope by Douglas W. Tallamy
• The Nature of Oaks by Douglas W. Tallamy
• Meet the Ecologist Who Wants You to Unleash the Wild on Your Backyard (Smithsonian)

Key Words: Native Plants, Pollinator Garden, Oak Trees, Keystone Species, Ecosystem, Ecosystem Restoration, Biodiversity, Biodiversity Crisis, Douglas Tallamy, Doug Tallamy, Food System, Biophilia, Biophilic Design 

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

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

Our guest today, Shelby Stanger, believes that a little bit of outdoor adventure is the key to a full and happy life. In fact, Shelby credits her own experiences surfing and escaping her comfort zone with catapulting her into a totally new life path. Today, Shelby is the host of the Wild Ideas Worth Living podcast and the author of Will To Wild: Adventures Big and Small to Change Your Life, a field guide of sorts for anyone interested in seeking more adventure. The best part? For Shelby, deep transformation doesn’t require an expensive retreat or tons of self-help books - simply getting outside on a consistent basis can completely shift your perspective and lead to meaningful growth.

In this episode, we chat with Shelby about the power of awe, a few particularly inspiring stories from her amazing book (seriously - we can’t recommend it enough!) and the magic you find out on the trails. 

Show Notes

• Will to Wild: Adventures Big and Small to Change Your Life
• Wild Ideas Worth Living Podcast
• About Shelby Stanger
• Shelby Stanger on Instagram

Key Words: Nature, Adventure, Wildness, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Wellness, Self Help, Recreation, Outdoor Recreation, Surfing, Surf, Nature, Nature Based Solutions

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

Our guest today, Robert Hammond, has dedicated his life to creating vibrant public spaces that foster human connection, wellbeing, and bring out the best in our communities. In the late 90’s, Robert, alongside business partner Joshua David, co-founded New York City’s iconic High Line, transforming an abandoned rail line into a lush greenway that connects 1.5 miles of Manhattan. After over two decades at The High Line, Robert took on a new role as President and Chief Strategy Officer at Therme US, a global company that is revolutionizing the ancient practice of thermal bathing in order to bring wellness to people from all walks of life. 

In this episode, we chat with Robert about his incredible career, the importance of public spaces that foster social infrastructure, and his ultimate goal to democratize wellness (and make it a little more fun in the process).

Show Notes

• The High Line
• High Line Co-Founder Robert Hammond to join Therme Group
• Therme Group: A Global Wellbeing Leader
• Therme Sustainable Technology
• A magical, green walk along Paris’ Promenade Plantee (Guardian)
• Robert Hammond on Instagram

Key Words: High Line, Friends of the High Line, New York, New York City, Green Infrastructure, Social Infrastructure, Therme, Thermal Bathing, Wellness, Biophilia, Biophilic, Nature Based Solutions, Nature

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

Thoughtful and creative design can change the world, from the products we use every day to innovative and climate-resilient buildings, to entire cities that prioritize the health and vitality of the people who live in them. Our guest today is Dr. Ellen Bassett, the John Portman Dean of the College of Design at Georgia Tech, where such innovation is taking place on a daily basis. Ellen’s background lies in urban planning with areas of expertise in land use planning and law, sustainability, health and the built environment, and international development particularly in the Global South. 

In this interview, Monica and Jennifer catch up with Ellen about where her interest in urban planning began, the importance of using biophilic design across disciplines, and the impactful years she spent abroad working in Kenya. 

Show Notes

• About Ellen Bassett
• Ellen Bassett Research
• Georgia Tech College of Design
• Conversations with Cabrera: Ellen Bassett (YouTube)
• Solar Decathlon 
• SimTrigate Design Lab, School of Architecture, Georgia Tech
• Front Lawns, Biodiversity, and Bylaws with Nina Marie Lister (Biophilic Solutions)
• Atlanta Beltline

Key Words: Georgia Tech, Design, College of Design, Urban Planning, Land Use, Land Planning, Land Law, Kenya, Africa, Architecture, Built Environment, Urban Sprawl, Atlanta, Nature, Nature Based Solutions, Climate Change, Climate Resilience, Biophilia, Biophilic Design 

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

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

It’s officially cozy season! This week, Monica and Jennifer are back with another roundup of biophilic holiday reads, perfect for gifting or curling up with by the fireplace. So, whether you’re looking for a beautiful coffee table book, inspiring looks at the science of spirituality, or words of wisdom inspired by nature, keep on listening. 

Shownotes 

• Biophilic Solutions on Bookshop.org
• The 2024 Biophilic Leadership Summit 
• Wild: The Naturalistic Garden by Clare Takacs and Noel Kingsbury
• Design a healthy home by Oliver Heath
• How to Be More Tree: Essential Life Lessons for Perennial Happiness by Potter Gift and Annie Davidson
• Thin Place Design: The Architecture of the Numinous by Dr. Phillip James Tabb
• The Transcendent Brain: Spirituality in the Age of Science by Alan Lightman 
• The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
• The Language of Trees: A Rewilding of Literature and Landscape by Katie Holten 

Key Words: Biophilic, Biophilia, Nature, Nature Based Solutions, Reading, Holiday, Gifts, Book, Book List, Science, Spirituality, Trees, Garden, Gardening, Natural Garden, Thin Places, Creativity, Literature, Landscape, Clare Takacs, Noel Kingsbury, Oliver Heath, Potter Gift, Annie Davidson, Phil Tabb, Phillip James Tabb, Alan Ligthman, Rick Rubin, Katie Holten

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