We are often taught to see ourselves as separate from the living world — yet this separation is an illusion. As we grow into our fullness as human beings, we come into resonance with the shared intelligence of Life.  It is natural to be open to conversation with Nature and other species.

In this unique two-hour webinar-workshop, the Ocean Voices team — Intuitive Interspecies Communicators collaborating with marine scientists and researchers — shares how this groundbreaking initiative began and how it is transforming the way we listen to and engage with the Ocean.

During this experience, you’ll:

•  Hear first-hand how Ocean Voices bridges science and intuitive communication.

•  Learn the principles of Intuitive Interspecies Communication (IIC).

•. Experience the H.E.A.R.T. method (Heart Energy Achieving Real Transformation).

•. Be gently guided in a direct, heart-based communication with our Ocean kin.

Led by Dr. Lynne Shannon, Principal Researcher and head of the Marine Sustainability Lab at the University of Cape Town, the team also includes Wynter Worsthorne, Eleni Gkikakis, and Christine Noble Seller. Their work has been shared at the Global Biodiversity Forum in Davos and within Nature’s Council, inspiring new ways of knowing and collaborating across species. This is a special meeting of science and spirit as we listen to the Ocean together.

Be ready to slow down, listen deeply, and embrace your fully human self — stepping into that wider conversation and relationship with Ocean, grounded in respect, reciprocity, and wonder. 

Support the show

Among the Tlingit people of Sheet’ká Kwáan (Sitka, Alaska), the yaaw, the herring, are honored as sacred relatives. The story of Kaxátjaashaa, the Herring Rock Woman, tells how the first herring came when she sang to them with respect, laying their eggs in her hair. From this teaching, Kiks.ádi women have carried responsibilities to the yaaw for generations through ceremony, harvesting, and collective care.

In this conversation, Kh’asheechtlaa – Louise Brady, of the Kiks.ádi (Raven Moiety – Frog Clan), shares stories of the yaaw, their importance to Tlingit culture and ceremony, and their place in the wider ecosystem that supports whales, birds, fish, and people. She also speaks about the founding of the Herring Protectors, an Indigenous women-led grassroots movement rooted in traditional teachings that celebrates the yaaw, challenges destructive extractive practices, and asserts a sovereign Tlingit relationship with the land and waters.

We invite you to join this webinar to learn about the yaaw, the people who continue to honor them, and why protecting herring matters for the life of the Ocean and for us all. 

Support the show

Forests hold stories—ancient memories woven into their roots, whispered through their leaves, and carried on the wind. In this special gathering, Katherine Parker invites us into a deeper relationship with the Forest as both a place and a presence.

We begin by exploring the connection between Forests and ancestral memory, touching on how these living landscapes hold the echoes of those who came before. Katherine then shares a Forest story, offering a glimpse into the mythic consciousness that has long honored the wisdom of trees.

From there, we turn to practice—ways to attune to the intelligence and consciousness of the Forest, to listen rather than simply observe, and to experience the Forest not as separate from us, but as a part of who we are.

This session is an invitation to slow down, to listen, and to remember. Join us as we step into the stillness and presence of the Forest together.

Katherine Parker, PhD is a Wilderness Rites of Passage Guide and recovering psychologist. She wanders the liminal space between mythology, psychology, and animism, looking for ancestral connections. Kat is an oral storyteller in the tradition of the British Isles and created the podcast Celtic Medicine Stories. She writes “Adventures in the Otherworld, the Science and Mythology of the non-ordinary” on Substack. 

You can learn more about her work at https://ancestralconnection.earth

Support the show

Grant Wilson, Directing Attorney for the Earth Law Center, speaks about the rights of rivers and the processes that individuals and communities engage in to assure basic rights for their rivers.   See the Earth Law Center's Universal Declaration of River Rights.

Grant has advanced environmental campaigns in the United States and worldwide, from representing island nations at the United Nations Climate Change Conference to National Land Policy work in Kenya. As Directing Attorney of Earth Law Center, Mr. Wilson works to advance the rights of nature in law, and in particular focuses on ensuring that our rivers thrive. Grant earned a degree in Environmental Policy from Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University, and a J.D. with a Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law from Lewis & Clark Law School in Portland, Oregon.  

This is the third episode in a series of episodes centered around Rivers of Life. 

Support the show

Dr. Rosita Arvigo-- famed ethnobotanist, spiritual healer, shaman, and author-- will share about the Macal river which was the life-blood of an ancient Mayan civilization and is still important to the people there today. 

The Macal River flows through the Cayo District in western Belize and eventually into the Belize River. Sites along the river include the ancient Mayan town of Cahal Pech and the Belize Botanic Gardens. The river is a meandering waterway flowing through rugged mountains and countless ancient archaeological sites.  It was one of the ancient Maya’s superhighways, linking urban, trade, and ceremonial centers and connecting the interior to the coastal trade routes. After linking up with the Mopan at Branch Mouth, it joins the Old Belize River to carry on down to the coast. For centuries it was a vital part of the Maya Empire and an important source of water, transport, communication, trade, food, hygiene, and recreation for the Maya.

Rosita Arvigo is a Doctor of Naprapathy, ethnobotanist, spiritual healer, author of six books on traditional healing of Central America, co-founder of The Belize Ethnobotany Project with Dr. Michael Balick of the New York Botanical Garden , and an international speaker. She is the founder of Ix Chel Tropical Research Centre in Belize, the Rainforest Medicine Trail, the Terra Nova Medicinal Plant Reserve, and the children’s Bush Medicine Summer Camp in Belize. She had a thirteen-year apprenticeship to one of the last Maya shamans, Don Elijio Panti, who was born in Peten, Guatemala. She is the recipient of The Earth Award, 2007. As the founder of THE ARVIGO TECHNIQUES OF MAYA ABDOMINAL THERAPY she teaches extensive courses on the subject as well as courses in Maya Spiritual Healing.

This is the second episode in a series of episodes centered around Rivers of Life. 

Support the show

Ecuadorian, teacher and healer, Rocio Alarcon will join us to kick off a series of episodes centered around Rivers of Life and will speak about the Amazon River-- considered the “mightiest river in the world”. South America’s Amazon ecosystem is often described as ‘larger than life’ and indeed it comprises the most expansive rainforest in the world, home to the second-longest river on earth. Combined, they spawn an incredible amount of life, with the sheer abundance of flora and fauna making it an essential breeding and feeding ground. A passionately protected yet endangered bio-network, the Amazon River and Rainforest provide our planet with indispensable oxygen, fresh water, and biodiversity. Join us to hear Rocio’s unique perspective of this magnificent river.

Rocio Alarcon is renowned and beloved worldwide for her caring, loving, and passionate approach to people, plants, and nature. An Ethnopharmacologist, Ethno-botanist, shamanic practitioner, and extraordinary teacher and healer, Rocio has spent over 30 years working with ethnic groups in the tropical rain forest and Andes Mountains of Ecuador and in the Basque Country, Spain.  Rocio is the co-founder and director of the Iamoe Center in Ecuador. 

This is the first in a series of episodes about Rivers of Life.

Support the show

Rani Findlay, celebrant and For a Tree Co-founder, speaks about Tree ceremonies and especially the Tree Gratitude Ceremony, and the importance of reciprocity. The short ceremony is a way to say thank you and show our deep appreciation for the trees that give us life. 

In ceremony, we connect with one another, to the spirit, and to the web of all life. The sacred act of ceremony with trees creates the opportunity for us to experience our identity and responsibility as caretakers of life on our Mother Earth.  Our whole-hearted participation opens closed parts of ourselves to all the blessings that are ours to offer for all the gifts we receive.  Rani will share about Tree Gratitude Ceremonies and invite us to use this ceremony to begin or expand our grateful relationship with trees, one based on an exchange of giving and receiving. 

Rani Findlay was initiated into the act and art of ceremony in India forty years ago, guided by revered teachers of the Vedic tradition in upholding the harmonious functioning of nature. A decade ago she met a ceremonial leader of Andean lineage and continues to receive counsel in the indigenous wisdom ways of preserving the continuity of life on Earth. 

In 2012, Rani began exploring with her Celebrant colleague, Woody Winfree, how to actively engage individuals and communities in ceremonies that honor Trees and recognize their immense significance in the web of life. 

This episode is the fifth in a series of episodes centered around the Tree of Life. 

Support the show

Kate Gilday has been a clinical herbalist, flower essence practitioner and creator, Ayurvedic lifestyle consultant, and teacher for over 30 years. In this episode, she speaks about the intimate partnership Trees invite us to be a part of.

 For many years, Kate was a member of Collaborative Healing, a group of local practitioners who address health care through a unique integrative network, educating the community and combining conventional medicine with expert complementary care. She is well-loved for the clarity and clinical relevance gleaned from decades of experience in her teachings. Kate brings her love of the wild places, song, and healing to the workshops she presents around the Northeast.  A creative medicine maker, Kate is the founder of Woodland Essence, a forest botanicals and flower essence company and workshop center.

Over the millennia we have lived and grown with the trees and they continue to invite us into a partnership that we may all thrive even in uncertain times.  Each species carries gifts of its essential nature. By creating time to be with these ancient ones and in paying attention with all of our senses, we can answer the invitation the trees offer and learn how the spiritual essence of a tree can touch and enter our hearts, minds, and own personal essence. We come into a relationship where our lives and that of the trees are enriched. It simply takes stepping forward, opening our arms and spirits to embrace the gift of intimacy that awaits.

These tall ones do seem to be conduits between earth and sky-- storing sunlight in their bodies, releasing oxygen into the atmosphere, and bringing water up from the deeper recesses of the soil.  They carry the long story of the land, of change, and of the qualities to withstand and even flourish in times of uncertainty.  Strength, resiliency, networking, communication, generosity, and the essence of community, there is much we can learn and integrate from the wisdom held in a forest.

This episode is the fourth in a series of episodes centered around the Tree of Life. 

Support the show

Esperide Ananas has traveled the world to reactivate the deep connection between humans and Trees.  In this episode, she speaks about the network that trees create and the role of humans in that network.

Trees, through their specific sensitivity and intelligence, are able to weave the tightest network of connections that exists on the planet making them the largest and most powerful “living computers” on Earth.  For us, as humans, re-establishing a spiritual connection with these beings is a way to recuperate an important part of our collective soul.  We have long forgotten that we are all part of the same spiritual ecosystem, and that our survival and evolution depends on the presence of these extraordinary beings. Through her stories and sharing, Esperide reminds us of our deep kinship with Trees and inspires right-relationship with the Tree World.

Esperide Ananas is an ambassador for Damanhur, an eco-society in Italy, and has been instrumental in their Tree Orienting project.  She is also a spiritual researcher, innovation consultant, and international speaker; she is also the author of several books including The Music of the Plants and Spirals of Energy. Additionally, Esperide conducts research in the field of Selfica, the energy structure of the human being, and the vital energies of nature, and leads courses around the world helping humans to awaken to their potential and connect with nature.

This episode is the third in a series of episodes centered around the Tree of Life. 

Support the show

Michael Dunning is a teacher and a guide who-- after a sequence of harrowing near-death encounters with elemental beings -- was drawn to an ancient yew tree close to Edinburgh. In this, episode Michael speaks of the wisdom and mysteries imparted on him by the yew.  Mysteries learned over nine years as the immensely powerful female yew restored him to health and initiated him in the teachings of the Yew Mysteries. Michael now lives in the USA. 

The Yew is the earthly and sentient expression of the ONE original pre-earthly organism that the earliest cultures referred to as the Tree of Life. The ancient and yet timeless language of the living Yew holds memory and information concerning the pre-earthly origin and spiritual lineage of human beings.

This episode is the second in a series of episodes centered around the Tree of Life. 

Support the show

Clare tells her story of awakening into nature connection and her search for her purpose. She shares her relationship with the trees and gives us all an embodied experience of the TreeSisters' BluePrint of a Restorer Species to help activate our life force on behalf of life.  She also shares how we can take a life-changing inner journey of awakening alongside thousands of others as part of the launch of the TreeSisters journey to a Billion trees a year.

Clare Dubois is the founder of TreeSisters.org, a feminine nature-based organization inspiring the world’s women to take shared leadership around tropical reforestation. TreeSisters reflects Clare’s exploration of the links between feminine consciousness and Nature’s intelligence. She and her team experiment overtly to discover how to call forth the unique capacities and creativity of women on behalf of the trees. They aim to be funding a million trees a month by the end of 2017.

Clare is known for her direct, catalytic energy; her whole systems approach to behavior change, and her unending loyalty and love for the natural world. For two decades she created behavior change processes within the personal growth and social change sectors and volunteered for three years as the UK co-ordinator for a massive agro-forestry initiative in southern India called Project GreenHands (PGH) before initiating TreeSisters.  In her own life, her aim is to reclaim balance, rediscover freedom and health, and to be 'walking permission' for those who are fed up of being held back, and just want to have a go.

Support the show

In this episode, Pam shares the teachings and wisdom of White Pine, the tree of peace.  White Pine has been a main ally of Pam’s for two decades and is an elder among trees who helps to initiate humans into what it means to be truly human. Pam will also share stories from the White Pine Initiation held in September. 

Pam Montgomery is a founding member of O.N.E.  For over 30 years, Pam has been inspiring and guiding individuals to remember their innate relationship with all Beings and to deepen this connection by creating an intimate partnership with Nature.  Pam lectures and teaches around the globe and is recognized internationally as a Voice for the Plants.  She is the author of Plant Spirit Healing: A Guide to Working with Plant Consciousness and Partner Earth: A Spiritual Ecology, as well as a contributing author of Planting the Future.  Pam is the creator of Partner Earth Education Center and co-steward of Sweetwater Sanctuary in Danby, VT.

Support the show

Arkan Lushwala bridges the global north and south, carrying spiritual traditions from the Andes in his native Peru. In this episode, Arkan introduces our new series of episodes around the Tree of Life, and speaks of his own experiences and teaching with the Tree as the embodiment of the prayer and promise of continuity.  His eloquence, as both an author and speaker, gives expression to timeless wisdom in a refreshingly simple and digestible way.

A traditional healer, and founder of a remote ceremonial center and community in New Mexico, Arkan has been a leader and teacher for many years and is the author of  Time of the Black Jaguar and Deer and Thunder.

Support the show

Join us for Forest as Community: The Ecology of Relationships with Luke Cannon, a journey into the interconnected world of the forest ecosystem. Grounded in Appalachian Forest ecology, this exploration touches on Forest principles that play out in countless ways across the planet. 

From the hidden networks beneath the forest floor to the towering crowns of ancient trees, we explore the relationships that sustain these living communities. Luke helps us traverse the intricate web of interactions between fungi, plants, animals, and the elements, touching on deep time and illustrating how these relationships form the foundation of a thriving forest. Within this conversation, you are invited to consider your own connection to the greater community of life, including the Forests where they live—as humans, what is our Forest niche? 

Luke Cannon, a seasoned botanist and naturalist, brings decades of ecological study and experience to this conversation.  His insights draw from Appalachian ecology, ethnobotany, and a lifetime of immersive study with the living landscape.

This webinar offers a unique perspective on Forests as collaborative, relational communities rather than just collections of individual species. Centering our own role within ecosystems, it provides a broad yet nuanced understanding of the Forest's intricate dynamics. It leaves you with a renewed appreciation for the profound interconnectedness that makes a Forest a Forest.

Luke Cannon is a botanist, naturalist, and lifelong student of the living Earth. His passion for understanding the ecological intricacies of forests has taken him across the Americas and beyond, learning and teaching about the Earth's astounding diversity. With a background in Appalachian ecology, ethnobotany, permaculture, and experiential education, Luke draws from diverse fields to share practical, insightful knowledge about the natural world. 

As the founder of Astounding Earth, Luke has dedicated decades to teaching and mentoring people of all ages, helping them deepen their relationship with Nature. He has led programs for numerous institutions, including the North Carolina Arboretum and Organic Growers School, offering accessible, experience-based learning that inspires a lasting connection to the forest community.

You can learn more about Luke and his work at https://www.astoundingearth.com/.

Support the show

Rosemary Gladstar shares stories about how to create a retreat center that is also a sanctuary for plants, animals, and people. What are the key ingredients that go into making a place such as Sage Mountain a true sanctuary – a place of safety and sacredness?

Rosemary Gladstar's Sage Mountain Retreat Center & Native Plant Preserve is one of New England’s foremost learning centers for herbs and earth awareness. Located on 500 wilderness acres in central Vermont, this beautiful piece of Earth Mother is a natural sanctuary and teaching site. There is an incredible assortment of wild herbs and flowers growing in habitats that vary from meadows, forest to swamp. Our wild neighbors include deer, bear, moose, beavers, bobcat, otters, fox, and a wonderful variety of feathered folk that honor us with their presence. 

Rosemary Gladstar is, literally, a star figure in the field of modern herbalism, internationally renowned for her technical knowledge and stewardship in the global herbalist community. She has been learning, teaching, and writing about herbs for over 40 years and is the author of eleven books. Her work includes Medicinal Herbs, a Beginners Guide, Herbal Healing for Women, Rosemary Gladstar’s Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health, and The Science and Art of Herbalism, an extensive in-depth home study course. She lives and works from her home, Sage Mountain Herbal Retreat Center and Botanical Sanctuary — a 500-acre botanical preserve she founded in Central Vermont. She is also the Founding President of United Plant Savers, director of The New England Women’s Herbal Conference and founder and past director of the International Herb Symposium.

Support the show

Deb Soule's biodynamic approach at Avena Botanical gardens helps create a sacred environment for all beings that enter the gardens. As humans, let's be respectful and welcoming to the seen and unseen ones whose presence in our gardens and woodlands brings harmony, balance, and joy.  

Herbal gardens offer sanctuary for pollinators, people, and elemental beings. Flowering plants and trees, hedgerows and pathways, arbors and benches, altars, and bells add magical dimensions into a healing garden. A diversity of plants, blooming throughout the gardening season encourages a diversity of pollinators and birds. Hedgerows and bells are friends to Elemental beings. 

Deb Soule practices as an herbalist, educator, and biodynamic gardener and is the author of  The Woman’s Handbook of Healing Herbs and How To Move Like A Gardener: Planting and Preparing Medicines from Plants. Raised in a small town in western Maine, Deb began organic gardening and studying the medicinal uses of herbs at age 16. Her faith in the healing qualities of plants and her love of gardening led Deb to found Avena Botanicals Herbal Apothecary in 1985. Five years earlier, Deb lived in Nepal near three Tibetan monasteries and was deeply moved by the Tibetan people’s commitment to ease physical ailments and mental and emotional upsets through the use of plants, prayer, and other spiritual practices. Deb received a B.A. in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic in 1981. Since then she has devoted her life to working with and understanding the healing gifts medicinal plants and pollinators offer individuals, families, and landscapes. She focuses on using nourishing herbs, flower remedies, whole foods, and meditation as part of her consulting practice. Avena Botanicals’ three-acre medicinal gardens are open to the public year-round, Monday-Friday. Avena is the first Demeter certified biodynamic farm in Maine.

Support the show

Designing a beautiful kitchen garden is one of the best ways to incorporate the sacred into your garden and ultimately your kitchen. In this episode, Ellen Odgen speaks about the power of creating garden sanctuaries that allow the healing power of plants to be received. 

Beautiful kitchen gardens ultimately bring more joy and connection through nature and the healthy food that is grown and eaten. In this teleseminar, you will learn a basic foundation of simple steps to successful kitchen garden design, that will feed your spirit and soul in new ways. Create a sanctuary to grow food, in order to open your senses to a bigger world that turns work into play and allows plants to nourish and bring peace to our lives.

Ellen Ecker Ogden is the author of The Complete Kitchen Garden and other books on food and garden design. She teaches and lectures on kitchen garden designs, creating small, intimate gardens to nourish the body, mind, and spirit. She was the co-founder of The Cooks Garden seed catalog, specializing in hard to find salad greens and herbs for cooks who love to garden.
 
For more information about Ellen Ogden or her work please visit her website.

Support the show

Join Kathleen Maier for an in-depth discussion of United Plant Savers’ Goldenseal Botanical Sanctuary which includes a living seed repository.  The United Plant Savers 360-acre Botanical Sanctuary sits in the Appalachian Foothills of Southeastern Ohio. Thanks to optimal soil conditions and unique topography, the Sanctuary is a refuge for wild medicinal plants that occur in abundance throughout the property. Historically known as “Paynes Woods”, what is today the Goldenseal Botanical Sanctuary has had the reputation for being the best place to collect medicinal plants since the 1900's. The Sanctuary also offers several acres of restored prairie, reclaimed strip-mine land, ponds and fields to provide visitors the opportunity to see several ecosystems and a wide-ranging variety of herbs and trees. Over 5 miles of foot trails allow visitors access to learn about and see firsthand these herbs and trees flourishing in their natural environment.  Visit the new Goldenseal Sanctuary website at: www.goldensealsanctuary.org

Support the show

Jennifer Radtke shares about how our gardens, however elaborate or simple, offer sanctuary to pollinators.  There are many practical reasons to keep bees, like honey and pollination, but she encounters more and more people keeping Bees for the Bees--their presence and magic. She invites us to step more consciously into this partnership, providing a wealth of information and offers a meditation to help us connect more deeply with Bees.

Jennifer has been keeping bees in her backyard in Oakland, California for 13 years. She currently has 4 hives spread between Oakland, Piedmont, & Orinda, but grandmothers many hives across the area owned by her apprentices and students. She is former Vice-President of the Alameda Beekeeping Association. She is co-founder of the BioFuel Oasis in Berkeley, which sells beekeeping supplies & bees, and has a whole beekeeping education program for backyard beekeepers. She believes in putting the bees and their health first and listening to the bees rather than a top-down management approach. She mostly enjoys sitting with her hives in her garden and just being with them.  Her hives are dedicated, like her, to teaching people about beekeeping, partnering with bees, and connecting with nature. Jennifer is also a founding member of the Organization of Nature Evolutionaries.

For more information on Jennifer's classes please visit her here.  Look at her instagram for bee video and photos (https://www.instagram.com/jenniferradtke/).

Support the show

This episode addresses the degradation of our oceans from the perspective of scientist and sailor, Carol Pease, after just returning from 3 months at sea.  She was recently traveling on an ocean voyage in a 400 foot boat beginning in Finland, then on to Sweden, Denmark, Germany, then sailing from Lisbon to Barbados. 

Carol Pease is a retired and widely peer published oceanographer and meteorologist who lives in the "beautiful Pacific Northwest" in Seattle. Carol calls herself a high latitude traveler, being Norwegian, and is a daughter of Norway.

Carol studied at the University of Michigan, University of Miami and the University of Washington where she achieved Masters Degrees in both Oceanography and Atmospheric Science and ultimately a PhD in Atmospheric Science. 

Support the show

In this episode Susan Draffan offers a brief overview of Sea Turtle evolution and mythology and shares her understanding of their esoteric purpose and requests for humanity in the context of the transformational shift of the ages that is currently unfolding. Together Susan and her Sea Turtle guide lead us on an inner plane journey to remember our true selves and birth our soul’s gift to our beloved planet.

Sea Turtles are one of the most ancient, widespread, fascinating, mysterious species on Grandmother Earth. They occupy all our planet’s oceans except the polar regions, and are both fundamental to and indicators for the health of marine ecosystems. All 7 extant sea turtle species are currently endangered or threatened. Turtles embody central roles of honor in the cosmological and creation stories of many world cultures, and sea turtles in particular act as gatekeepers for liminal portals – the “thin” places between sea and land, unseen dimensions, and levels of consciousness.

Susan is a vibrational essence co-creator and practitioner, plant spirit healer, animal communicator, and seer. Her background includes a former career in clinical medicine and research, spiritual studies in the Western Mystery Tradition, and a lifelong connection to the animal, nature, and fairy realms. She lives and dreams in a sacred valley rimmed by mountains near the sea, where she is presently developing a line of essences with native plants and places while holding a vision of the New Earth.  To contact Susan, please email susan@shiningspirits.net or visit her website www.shiningspirits.net.

Listen to Susan's talk below

Support the show

In this episode, Rachel recounts some of her experiences communicating with the whales, shares her observations and concerns about the booming new “whale-watching” tourism, and offers guidance on how to reach out to these beings without disturbing their lives. She leads us in a meditation practice to make contact with the whales, receive their wisdom, and share our love.


Rachel Baird is an artist, peace activist and writer (best known as a poet). Her books in print include Uplands and Valentines and Other Tragedies.  Baird's conceptual art, including video, installations, and peace centered work can be viewed at  http://rachelbairdart.com.  Currently, she is working on a series of "Peace Wells"- kinetic sculptural installations aligned to the Earth's lay lines, these wells provide visual cellular memory points for the frequency of peace and also create a collaborative energetic grid that will help generate and sustain the frequency of peace across the planet.  The Embrace Project is another of Baird's peace focused creations- utilizing our common human ability and need to be held, this project gathers groups of people in a series of mindful embodied connections to invoke personal and global transformation.   

Since childhood,  Rachel has been aware of communicating with beings of the natural world, particularly the whales. She facilitates voyages to commune with whales and leads guided meditations to “help us reconnect with our water ancestors, meeting them where we are and creating a future together – helping hold the common dream to restore an ocean of peace.” 

Support the show

Larch Hanson is a seaweed harvester on the North Eastern coast, running a family business out of his home in Steuben, Maine. Along with seaweed harvesting, Larch is a structural body worker, a carpenter, a cook, a gardener, just to name a few of his many talents. 

Support the show

Storyteller April Thanhauser recounts traditional tales of the sea and guides us in a meditation journey of remembrance of our ancient and intimate soul connection with Ocean.

April is an educator, healer, and story-teller whose spiritual path has brought her to love a kind of meditation that is based in communion with Nature.  She draws upon her life-long devotion to folk and fairy tales,  and to the ocean,  to share magical stories of ocean spirits interacting with humans.

Mermaids and silkies, nereids and sea gods, are very much alive in our collective imaginations and our mythology.  No matter where we live now, there’s a good chance our near or distant ancestors lived in close relation with the sea. Traditional folk and fairy tales are carriers of our ancestral wisdom, speaking to us down through the generations of things that are important for us to remember. They may instruct us, caution us, make us laugh or shiver or simply entertain us. Many, many of these stories, though, are meant to illuminate aspects of our soul’s journey and remind us of our connection to spirit.

Since the Ocean is indeed our Mother, having birthed the first life on earth so long ago, and since, therefore, her creatures are our relatives, it makes sense that the story of our soul’s journey is filled with ocean connections. The water in our bodies was likely once flowing in an ocean current, and the tides of our emotions are subject to the same cosmic forces which orchestrate the seas. At some deep level, we recognize our kinship with whales, dolphins, and seals. 

And so, there are powerful stories, from many cultural streams, in which the Ocean beings are central. They remind us of the Ocean in us all.

Support the show

Step into the Heart of the Forest and discover the Spirit and Medicine of the Northeast Woodlands.

Join Kate Gilday on a journey through the Northeast woodlands, where Nature encourages us to slow down, observe, and form a deeper connection with the world around us. Kate will share her wisdom and stories, inspiring you to use your senses to experience the unique essence of the forest.

Discover the medicinal and energetic gifts of trees like White Pine, Scots Pine, Golden Birch, and Black Birch, as well as the remarkable qualities of at-risk plants such as Goldenseal, Black Cohosh, and Bloodroot. Learn practical methods for sustainably growing and protecting these precious forest medicines.

Whether you’re an herbalist, Nature enthusiast, or someone seeking to strengthen your bond with the wild, this webinar will illuminate the beauty and healing power of the natural world.

To see the slides that Kate is referring to, check out her full recording here.

Click here for Kate’s Printable Forest Resource List

Support the show

We explore common wild edible plants found at this time of year (late August) and delve into recipes that turn them into tasty delicious food!

Dina Falconi is a clinical herbalist with a strong focus on food activism and nutritional healing. An avid gardener, wildcrafter, and permaculturist, Dina has been teaching classes about the use of herbs for food, medicine, and pleasure, including wild food foraging and cooking, for more than twenty years. She produces Falcon Formulations natural body care products and Earthly Extracts medicinal tinctures. She is a founding member of the Northeast Herbal Association, a chapter leader of the Weston A. Price Foundation, and an organizer of Slow Food-Hudson Valley. She is the author of Earthly Bodies & Heavenly Hair: Natural and Healthy Personal Care for Everybody and Foraging & Feasting: A Field Guide and Wild Food Cookbook.  www.botanicalartspress.com

Support the show

Loving our Mother through the ecological crisis by hearing and intoning poetry in the Wild.

Timothy P. McLaughlin is a poet, spoken word artist, and teacher. He founded the Spoken Word Program at the Santa Fe Indian School and he and his students received numerous awards and were featured in many media publications and programs, among them The New York Times and The PBS New Hour. He is the editor of the award-winning book Walking on Earth and Touching the Sky: Poetry and Prose by Lakota Youth and the producer of a poetry album and documentary film both titled Moccasins and Microphones: Modern Native Storytelling through Performance Poetry. McLaughlin received a Lannan Writing Residency Fellowship in 2011 and his writing has appeared in a variety of journals. His debut collection of poems, Rooted & Risen, chronicles an inspired intimacy with the still wild places & presences of the Earth. He is best known for his powerful style of embodied recitation and his commitment to revitalizing ancient oral traditions in fresh contexts. He offers concerts, workshops, and ceremonies—often in collaboration with his wife, singer & sound healer Madi Sato—meant to awaken an integrated body-soul continuum and rekindle humanity’s basic reciprocal, loving relationship with the Earth. McLaughlin lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with his wife and their three children. Visit him on the web at www.TimothyPMcLaughlin.com or https://praisingearth.org/

Support the show

As humans, we are born from the living web of wildness that is the universe itself. The galaxies are wilderness, as are the planets, the oceans, and the creative depths of the human soul and psyche. Yet much of our modern culture has had the effect of alienating us from the cosmos and our creative selves. Together we will explore the transformational shifts in worldview and practice that are reconnecting us with the Great Community of life. As John Muir wrote, "The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness."

Drew Dellinger, Ph.D., is an internationally known speaker, writer, poet, and teacher who has lectured and taught extensively across the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. He is author of the award-winning poetry collection, Love Letter to the Milky Way, and the upcoming book, Martin Luther King – Ecological Thinker: Toward a Cosmology of Connection. Dellinger has lectured at numerous colleges and universities and has taught at Prescott College, Schumacher College, Naropa University–Oakland, the Sophia Center, CIIS, and John F. Kennedy University, where he was Associate Professor and Director of the Program in Social Ecology. Dellinger has been called "a national treasure," by Joanna Macy, "a deep and courageous poet," by Alice Walker, and "one of the most creative, courageous, and prophetic voices of his generation," by Cornel West. www.drewdellinger.org Twitter: @drewdellinger

Support the show

Tammi Sweet is a passionate and energetic teacher. Her love, amazement and wonder of the human body and how it interrelates with the Earth shines through as she presents the material in ways people can really understand and take home. She loves integrating the wisdom of the body with all aspects of living. Presently she co-directs her Herbal Program at Heartstone Herbal School, and travels throughout the country teaching at Herbal Schools and Conferences. Her learning has come through many paths including traditional Master’s level college studies in Neurobiology, collegiate athletics, College level Anatomy teaching, Massage School, Yoga Teacher Training, Herbal studies, extensive trainings with Tom Brown Jr. and most importantly, an ever-growing love of understanding who we are in relation with this wonderful wild home we call Earth. To learn more about Tammy visit her website, www.heart-stone.com

Support the show

Rachel Corby is a plant whisperer, nature dreamer, biophile. She is passionate about growing and foraging for both her food and medicine. Rachel is the author of The Medicine Garden and 20 Amazing Plants & Their Practical Uses and Rewild Yourself: Becoming Nature. Rachel conducts workshops, retreats and personal sessions on reclaiming your wildness, plant consciousness and sacred plant medicine.

Support the show

This is our inaugural telesemiar episode from March 20, 2016.  Pam Montgomery is a founding member of O.N.E.  Really, it is her vision that led to the creation of O.N.E.  For over 30 years, Pam has been inspiring and guiding individuals to remember their innate relationship with all Beings and to deepen this connection by creating an intimate partnership with Nature.  Pam lectures and teaches around the globe and is recognized internationally as a Voice for the Plants.  She is the author of Plant Spirit Healing: A Guide to Working with Plant Consciousness and Partner Earth: A Spiritual Ecology, as well as a contributing author of Planting the Future.  Pam is the creator of Partner Earth Education Center and co-steward of Sweetwater Sanctuary in Danby, VT.

Support the show

Reconnect. Rebalance. Restore.

Start the New Year by reconnecting with what truly matters. 

Join renowned teachers Pam Montgomery, Deb Soule, and Myra Jackson for a transformative free webinar exploring how grounding in Nature can enhance your health, well-being, and resilience.

Together, we’ll delve into the profound interconnection between people and Nature, discovering how embracing natural cycles can restore balance not just for ourselves but for all life. Gain practical insights and inspiration to help you move through 2025 with clarity and purpose.

This free event is part of the Drinking from the Well: Women Restoring Balance and Knowing series and marks the final day to take advantage of our early bird registration price for the full course.

Support the show

Each year, as we conclude another season of dynamic learning and ceremony with our Nature Evolutionary community, we return to the question, “Can plants save the planet?” Gathering with plant and Earth-centered voices, we explore how plants and trees—these ancient and wise green beings—have the long view and continue to thrive in our ever-changing world. 

The vast bio-intelligence of plants and trees is no longer seen as a fringe idea but is now recognized as a well-researched truth. Recent discoveries are illuminating how plant consciousness affects our lives and the life of the planet in ways we could hardly have imagined just a few short years ago. 

This year, renowned herbalist Rosalee de la Forêt joins ONE founder Pam Montgomery to explore this powerful topic. Together, they’ll share stories from decades of relationship with the green beings, including deeply healing experiences, “wow” moments, and actions we can take to support a thriving world. 

Be a part of this inspiring conversation. Your participation and support make ONE’s work possible as we deepen our partnership with Nature for a life-giving future.

Rosalee de la Forêt is passionate about inspiring people to turn to the healing gifts of medicinal plants and Nature connection.

She is a registered herbalist and the author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transforming Everyday Ingredients into Foods and Remedies that Heal and co-author of Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine.

Rosalee and her husband live in a log cabin in the northeastern cascades of Washington state, where she’s an avid gardener and excels at cuddling up with her cat and her latest knitting project.

You can learn more about Rosalee by visiting her website, www.herbalremediesadvice.org, and her Instagram profile.

Pam Montgomery has been investigating plants and their intelligent spiritual nature for more than three decades. As an author, teacher, and practitioner, she has passionately embraced her partnership with the plants who are guiding us in our spiritual evolution.  

She is the author of Partner Earth: A Spiritual Ecology and the best-selling Plant Spirit Healing: A Guide to Working with Plant Consciousness. She teaches internationally on plant spirit healing, spiritual ecology, and people as Nature Evolutionaries. 

Pam is the founder of ONE.  She has dedicated herself to co-creative partnership with all of life and feels the Organization of Nature Evolutionaries is a way to make this partnership manifest.

You can connect with Pam here: www.wakeuptonature.com 

Support the show

Join us for a profound journey into the heart of Earth wisdom with herbalist and storyteller Robin Rose Bennett. In this special webinar, Robin will lead us in honoring the ancient, living intelligence of the Earth through the magic of plants. Whether you’re a seasoned herbalist or a curious beginner, you’ll discover new ways to deepen your relationship with plants as sacred allies, healers, and guides.

We’ll explore how plants connect us to ancestral wisdom, helping us feel rooted in our bodies, communities, and the natural world. Robin will share rituals and practical insights for working with plants to awaken our inner strength, inspire joy, and—most importantly—pass this wisdom on to the next generation. 

Learn how to weave these practices into everyday life with children, grandchildren, and students, nurturing their natural curiosity and connection to the green world.

Robin Rose Bennett is a story-teller, writer, and herbalist, offering classes in Herbal Medicine and EarthSpirit Teachings since 1986 - at herb conferences, festivals, medical schools, and most joyously, outside with the plants. Robin Rose shares herbal medicine with gratitude for the loving generosity of the plants and the magic, mystery, and beauty of the web of life. 

She is the author of: Healing Magic - A Green Witch Guidebook to Conscious Living, The Gift of Healing Herbs - Plant Medicines and Home Remedies for a Vibrantly Healthy Life,  A Young Green Witch’s Guide to Plant Magic - Rituals and Recipes from Nature, and A Green Witch's Pocket Book of Wisdom-Big Little Life Tips.  

To read more about Robin’s work, please visit https://www.robinrosebennett.com/

Support the show

Join us for a compelling interview with Hilary Giovale, a writer and community organizer who is deeply engaged in the work of truth, healing, and repair. Hilary will share her personal journey as a ninth-generation American settler coming to terms with her ancestral legacies and the responsibilities they carry. We'll explore her process of ancestral repair, her solidarity with Indigenous-led movements, and how her relationship with the land where she lives informs her activism and personal growth.

In this conversation, Hilary will discuss the challenges and insights she has encountered as she navigates the complex terrain of unlearning white fragility and committing to reparations. She’ll offer a candid look at how these experiences have transformed her understanding of kinship, responsibility, and resilience. Expect an open and vulnerable dialogue that goes beyond intellectual analysis, inviting us into the realms of intuition, dreams, and practical rituals for healing.

This interview is an opportunity to hear firsthand from Hilary about her ongoing work to address the harms of colonialism and racial hierarchy. Whether you're beginning your own journey or have been on this path for some time, Hilary’s reflections will offer valuable perspectives and practical tools for those dedicated to creating a more just and equitable world.

Hilary Giovale is a ninth-generation American settler descended from the ancient Celtic, Germanic, and Nordic peoples of northwestern Europe. She lives at the foot of a sacred mountain, a being of kinship, that stands within the traditional homelands of Diné, Hopi, Havasupai, Hualapai, Yavapai, Apache, and Paiute Peoples, as well as several Pueblos. Her relationships with this land inform her life as a mother, community organizer, writer, and philanthropist. In 2015, Hilary became aware of her ancestors’ longstanding presence as American settlers. Since then, she has been living a process of inquiry that includes ancestral repair, solidarity with Indigenous-led movements, reconnection with Earth, apology, forgiveness, and reparations. She is the author of Becoming a Good Relative: Calling White Settlers toward Truth, Healing and Repair (now available for pre-order).  Hilary also co-facilitates the Rekindling Ancestral Memory circle hosted by ONE.  To read more about her work, please visit www.goodrelative.com.

Support the show

Join us for the fifth session of our Soil Conversations series, featuring a compelling discussion with Hunter Lovins, renowned environmentalist, author, and champion of sustainable development. This session promises to delve into the intricate relationships between soil health, climate resilience, and sustainable agriculture. Lovins will share her wealth of knowledge on how nurturing our soil can lead to a regenerative future, offering insights drawn from her extensive experience and pioneering work in the field.

In this conversation, we will explore practical strategies for improving soil health and enhancing ecosystem services. Lovins will discuss the role of innovative agricultural practices, such as agroforestry and holistic management, in building resilient food systems. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how healthy soils contribute to carbon sequestration, water retention, and biodiversity, and how these benefits can be realized on both local and global scales.

This session is an invaluable opportunity to hear from one of the leading voices in sustainability and to engage in a dialogue about the future of our soils. Hunter Lovins’ unique perspective, grounded in decades of activism and research, will provide a rich context for understanding the critical importance of soil stewardship in addressing the pressing environmental challenges of our time.

L. Hunter Lovins is President of Natural Capitalism Solutions. NCS helps companies, communities and countries implement more regenerative practices profitably.  

A professor of sustainable business management at Fordham University, Hunter teaches entrepreneuring and coaches social enterprises around the world. A Managing Partner of NOW Partners, she is also a board member of Aquion and several non-profits. Hunter has worked in energy, regenerative agriculture, climate policy, sustainable development and resilience for 55 years.

A consultant to industries including International Finance Corporation, Unilever, Walmart, the United Nations and Royal Dutch Shell, as well as sustainability champions Interface, Patagonia and Clif Bar, Hunter has briefed heads of state, the UN, and the US Congress, leaders of the numerous local governments, the Pentagon, and officials in 30 countries. 

Author of 17 books – including the recently released A Finer Future: Creating an Economy in Service to Life, which won a Nautilus Award – Hunter has won dozens of awards, including the European Sustainability Pioneer award and the Right Livelihood Award. Time Magazine recognized her as a Millennium Hero for the Planet, and Newsweek called her the Green Business Icon. 

Support the show

Join us for an engaging discussion featuring  Dr. Elaine Ingham, a renowned soil microbiologist and founder of Soil Food Web.  Dr. Ingham will share her insights about the fascinating world beneath our feet and the community of healthy soil ecosystems. She will discuss the vital role that microorganisms play in maintaining soil health and how they can dramatically impact plant growth, nutrient cycles, and overall ecosystem resilience.

Dr. Ingham's extensive experience and pioneering research make her an expert in understanding how we can collaborate with the power of the soil food web to improve soil health and promote regenerative practices. Whether you're a gardener, farmer, or simply a Nature enthusiast, this discussion will provide practical insights into how you can support soil health in your own backyard or community. Topics will include composting, natural soil amendments, and methods to enhance microbial diversity for a thriving garden or farm.

This interview is an inspiring and educational experience for everyone interested in nurturing the life beneath our feet.

Dr. Elaine Ingham serves as the Soil Food Web School's Founder, Principal Ambassador, and Science and Research Advisor. 

Dr. Ingham has advanced our knowledge about the soil food web for over 4 decades. Widely recognized as the world’s foremost soil biologist, she’s passionate about empowering ordinary people to bring the soils in their community back to life.

Dr. Elaine’s™ Soil Food Web Approach has been used to successfully restore the ecological functions of soils on six continents. The courses offered by Dr. Elaine’s™ Soil Food Web School have been designed for people with no relevant experience – making them accessible to individuals who wish to retrain and to begin a meaningful and impactful career in an area that will help to secure the survival of humans and other species.

Dr. Ingham began her college career at St. Olaf College, where she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts. She earned her Master of Science in Marine Biology from Texas A&M and her Ph.D. in Soil Microbiology from Colorado State in 1981. From there, she completed her post-doc at the University of Georgia Institute of Ecology before serving as an Instructor and later an Associate Professor for many years at Oregon State University. During her travels, she served as the first President of the Soil Ecology Society, the Program Director for the Ecological Society of America, and a member of the American Society of Microbiology.

In 2019 she teamed up with Luke Louka and created The Soil Food Web School (SFWS). While she was satisfied with an LMS-based instructional approach to begin with, she has been an advocate for being in contact with students. Even though the school has grown to over 3,000 students in three short years, Dr. Ingham still responds personally to email requests, student forum questions, and course content creation. Using technology to its fullest, Dr. Ingham hosts global webinars and conferences with some of the world's premier experts in soil science and does so for free both for students and the general global audience to help bring awareness of the gifts possible through farming without the use of pesticides and inorganic chemicals. 

Dr. Ingham also opened Soil Foodweb Incorporated in 2020 to serve as her research and consultation company, where people can reach out to hire Dr. Elaine and her research team directly. To reach out, visit soilfoodwebinc.com or email general@soilfoodwebinc.com

Support the show

Join us for an insightful conversation with the brilliant Dr. Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, a leading soil scientist who has pioneered groundbreaking studies on soil’s role in regulating the Earth's climate.

In this third session of our Soil Webinar Series, Dr. Berhe shares her deep passion for the science of soil, helping us all see how essential it is not just for our climate, but for the health and balance of our planet's ecosystems. She talks about the powerful connections between soil and our communities, making it clear that when our soil thrives, so do we. Dr. Berhe also touches on the importance of making sure everyone’s voice is heard in climate discussions, reminding us that diversity in STEM leads to richer, more resilient solutions. Her insights on leadership are truly inspiring, showing us how inclusive, thoughtful leadership can bring real change.

Dr. Asmeret Asefaw Berhe is a Professor of Soil Biogeochemistry and Falasco Chair in Earth Sciences and Geology at the University of California, Merced.  She previously served as the Director of the US Department of Energy’s Office of Science. 

Her research interest lies at the intersection of soil science, geochemistry, global change science, and political ecology. Prof. Berhe’s work seeks to improve our understanding of how the soil system regulates the earth’s climate and the dynamic two-way relationship between soil and human communities. 

Numerous awards and honors have recognized her scholarly contributions and efforts to improve equity and inclusion in STEM. She is an Elected member of the US National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the Geological Society of America, and a member of the inaugural class of the US National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine, New Voices in Science, Engineering, and Medicine.  You can learn more about Dr. Berhe and her work on her website:  https://aaberhe.com/

Support the show

Dive into the deep wisdom of Whales with Pat McCabe (Weyakpa Najin Win, Woman Stands Shining), as she shares stories of kinship, presence, and the great evolutionary teachings carried by our Ocean relatives.

During her recent time with Whales in Tonga, Pat witnessed their intimate family constellations — mothers and calves, quiet escorts, and the radiant love that flows through them. Through these encounters, Whale offered profound reminders about relationship, guardianship, and the spiral of time itself.

Whale invites us to see evolution not as a long, linear timeline, but as something simultaneous — a vertical movement where past, present, and future rise together, like Whale itself lifting from the depths into the light.

In this special conversation, Pat shares about her experiences with Whale as elder, teacher, and kin. Through her stories and ceremonial presence, we are invited to listen more deeply, to feel the spiral of time within us, and to remember our place in the great web of life.

This is a chance to sit with Whale’s medicine of love, presence, and evolution — and to let their song awaken new possibilities in our hearts.

Support the show

Join us for a compelling live webinar interview with Briana Alfaro and Danielle Peláez from Soul Fire Farm as we dig into the rich and essential world of soil as well as the profound relationship we share with soil. This engaging discussion will cover:

• Is Soil Alive?: Taking a look at the composition and nature of soil and perception of soil and its vital role in sustaining life on Earth.
• Soul Fire Farm's Soil Practices: An in-depth look at how Soul Fire Farm’s regenerative practices in caring for their soil promote biodiversity and ecological balance.
• Caring for and Honoring Our Soil: Practical advice and insights on nurturing and respecting the soil in our own landscapes.

Briana and Danielle will share their expertise, experiences, and ways that Soul Fire Farm partners with the land to help the soil remain vibrant and life-giving. This webinar promises to be a rich exchange of knowledge, fostering a deeper connection to the Earth beneath our feet and inspiring actionable steps to support soil health in our own communities. 

This is a wonderful opportunity to learn from two passionate experts in regenerative agriculture and soil stewardship!

About Soul Fire Farm:  Soul Fire Farm is an Afro-Indigenous centered community farm committed to uprooting racism and seeding sovereignty in the food system. To learn more about Soul Fire Farm and their fantastic work, visit their website at www.soulfirefarm.org.  

Briana Alfaro, Soul Fire Farm Administrative Director of Programs & Partnerships, (she/her) is a multiracial, Mexican and Indigenous grower, educator, writer, and activist living in unceded Gayogohó:nǫ˺ territory, in Ithaca, NY. She co-creates educational offerings and supports coalition work as Director of Programs & Partnerships at Soul Fire Farm. Her passion for land stewardship and agriculture is rooted in a long-held infatuation with food and cooking; in her family’s experience as campesino farmers and US farm workers; and in a love of nature cultivated by family camping trips as a child. She has worked with National Young Farmers Coalition, Northeast Organic Farming Association of NY, and San Diego Food System Alliance. She holds a M.S. Food Studies from Syracuse University and serves on the Board of the Youth Farm Project. 

Danielle Peláez, Soul Fire Farm Education Manager, (she/they || ella/elle) is a queer farmer, educator, and land tender. A lover of plantitas, fungi, human and non-human beings, Danielle dreams of serving her community through facilitating (re)connection to the soil, drawing on her roots in the western highlands of Guatemala. As the Farm Education Manager, Dani co-creates and co-leads earth-based educational offerings. They love being outside in all forms (gardening, hiking, foraging, napping in hammocks) and sharing meals with friends.

Support the show

Join us for a lively and informative conversation with dynamic herbalist, farmer, and educator Tammi Sweet. Her passion for soil and her perspective that "Compost is God" set the tone for a fun and insightful discussion. Discover the alchemical magic of composting, where kitchen scraps and yard waste transform into fertile, life-giving soil.

We’ll discuss practical tips for creating and maintaining a compost system that works wonders. Tammi will explain how organic matter turns into rich soil, boosting fertility and plant growth. Whether you're a composting newbie or a seasoned pro, Tammi's enthusiasm and years of farming experience will help you see composting in a whole new light.

Tammi will also share about growing hemp and its close relationship with healthy soil. Learn how this versatile plant thrives with nutrient-rich compost and how it, in turn, enhances soil health. Tammi's holistic, knowledgeable, and practical take on soil, compost, and hemp cultivation will leave you inspired and ready to get your hands dirty.

This is the first webinar in our Soils Series, culminating in our Soil Gratitude Ceremony. Join us on this journey of discovery and celebration of the Earth’s incredible processes. Come and discover why "Compost is God" and how you can contribute to the health of our planet through soil and compost practices.

Tammi Sweet loves to teach. It’s her superpower. She has a magical ability to connect with almost anyone when teaching and help them understand complex material.

For over 30 years, Tammi has shared her gift of teaching at various colleges, massage schools and herbal schools throughout the country. Her background in physiology makes her an invaluable resource to developing herbalists and massage therapists alike, who want to deepen their foundation as practitioners.

In addition to her physiology expertise, Tammi is also a practitioner and teacher of herbal medicine. She is deeply influenced by her studies with accomplished herbalists, including Rosemary Gladstar, Pam Montgomery, Tom Brown, Jr. and especially Stephen Buhner’s pioneering work on the heart as an organ of perception.

In 2007, Tammi set out to “combine all the things I love into one curriculum and teach whatever I wanted in ways that made sense--on my own terms.” So, she and her partner Kris Miller launched the Heartstone Center for Earth Essentials.

At Heartstone, Tammi and Kris run their Herbal Apprenticeship. Tammi also offers online courses that integrate physiology and plant medicine with Tammi’s love of teaching, such as her signature course Anatomy & Physiology for Herbalists. 

The other branch of her teaching is Cannabis. In 2019 Tammi offered her first online course in Medicine Making with Cannabis. 2020 brought about her six month long Online Cannabis Grow course. Teaching these two courses led to publishing two books; The first; The Wholistic Healing Guide to Cannabis and her second, The Beginner’s Guide to Growing Cannabis.

Support the show

Join us in discussion with Jakob Shockey, co-founder of Project Beaver, for an insightful webinar that explores a pivotal question, "How can we move towards coexistence and partnership with Nature even in places where we as humans have dramatically altered the landscapes?"  Looking to Nature and co-creative partnership, we will delve into the role of beavers as natural engineers and their crucial contributions to environmental health and sustainability.

During the webinar, you’ll learn about the critical ecological benefits that beavers provide. They create and maintain wetlands, essential for a diverse range of flora and fauna, which serve as natural water filters, reduce flooding risks, and help in carbon sequestration efforts. Jakob will discuss how the structures built by beavers, such as dams, can prevent flash flooding and reduce soil erosion, essential for restoring degraded landscapes and repairing damaged watersheds.

Despite their importance, beavers are often seen as nuisances. This session will challenge such views and highlight the need for a shift towards coexistence and appreciation of beavers as valuable partners in our environmental efforts.

Engage with us to explore how co-creative and co-existence efforts with beavers can lead to a more sustainable and resilient future for all life.

NOTE:  Slides were used in this episode.  To see the visual, visit the video recording here.

Jakob Shockey is a professional wildlife biologist, entrepreneur, land steward, and storyteller. His work focuses on restoring the natural process and order of resilient habitat, its wildlife, and the complex interrelationship with humans. He has been working professionally in Oregon’s streams, rivers and wetlands for over a decade. He is the foremost authority in mitigating beaver conflicts with human infrastructure in Oregon, through his company Beaver State Wildlife Solutions.  Jakob also co-founded and leads Project Beaver, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering humans to partner with beavers and value their works. 

Jakob lives in the Siskiyou Mountains of Southwestern Oregon, with his wife and their three children along the same creek he grew up swimming in. While Jakob remembers cannonballing into pools that teamed with young coho, that stream now goes dry every summer, and instead of swimming, his kids play with powdery rocks. That shift in baselines for what is perceived as “normal” in just one generation has animated his work.

Jakob values community, truth, awareness, and grace. He is a clear-eyed optimist, working for resilient human and non-human habitat with tools like strong inference and evolutionary theory. He flies a paraglider, climbs big trees, volunteers with Search and Rescue, plays the fiddle, and once gentled a wild horse, which he took with him to college. He also sings to himself, loves flying kites and can’t spell.

To learn more about Jakob and Project Beaver, visit their website at:  https://projectbeaver.org/

Support the show

Embark on a captivating journey of herbal exploration with renowned herbalist Rosalee de la Forêt in our upcoming webinar, "Weeds to Wellness: Strengthening Your Connection to Nature." Join us as we unravel the untold stories of the often-overlooked plants that thrive in your local environment, proving to be powerful allies on your path to well-being and connection to Nature.

In this enlightening session, Rosalee will guide you through the transformative potential of seasonal, local herbs – commonly dismissed as 'weeds.' Learn to identify and appreciate the healing and nutritional qualities of these resilient plants right in your own backyard. Discover how these humble herbs can become your partners in fostering a profound connection to Nature, promoting balance and vitality in your life.

As we delve into the symbiotic relationship between humans and these resilient plants, Rosalee will share her expertise on seasonal foraging, offering practical tips and personalized insights. Don't miss this unique opportunity to cultivate a deeper connection with Nature, embracing the wellness potential of your yard. 

Join us and unlock the healing secrets hidden in the seasonal weeds around you!

Rosalee de la Forêt is passionate about inspiring people to turn to the healing gifts of medicinal plants and Nature connection.

She is a registered herbalist and the author of the bestselling book Alchemy of Herbs: Transforming Everyday Ingredients into Foods and Remedies that Heal and co-author of Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine.

Rosalee and her husband live in a log cabin in the northeastern cascades of Washington state, where she’s an avid gardener and excels at cuddling up with her cat and her latest knitting project.

You can learn more about Rosalee by visiting her website, www.herbalremediesadvice.org, and her Instagram profile.

Support the show

An insightful webinar featuring Keith Laakkonen, Sanctuary Director at Audubon’s corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Southwest Florida.  In this engaging conversation, Keith delves into Corkscrew's unique ecology, focusing on its old-growth cypress, Ghost Orchids, Wood Storks, and the significance of prescribed fire in maintaining the delicate balance of this unique sanctuary. Discover the fascinating history of the Everglades and the impact of development and alteration of this landscape through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

We explore ongoing restoration and conservation efforts in the region and emphasize the crucial role wetlands play in maintaining ecological balance and the health of the entire region. Keith, who grew up in Southwest Florida, also shares his experiences amidst the captivating landscapes, the inspiration that fueled his connection to the land and water, and the journey that led him to his current role.

This webinar offers a rare opportunity to connect with the heart of this natural wonder and gain insights into the passion and commitment driving conservation efforts in the area.

Keith Laakkonen, as Sanctuary Director of Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, oversees the 13,450 acres in the Western Everglades. Leading a dedicated team of 25 people, he focuses on land conservation, research, policy, and public engagement. 

Laakkonen is Audubon's spokesperson for the Western Everglades. He collaborates closely with Audubon Florida's leadership to reach conservation goals in the region, and he and his team are dedicated to restoring and protecting the Sanctuary's ecology. 

With over 20 years of environmental management experience, Laakkonen has held distinguished roles, including Director at the 110,000-acre Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and a regional administrator for the Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection at the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. His accolades include the Guy Bradley award from Audubon Florida, earned during his tenure as the Environmental Sciences Coordinator for the Town of Fort Myers Beach. 

A Southwest Florida native and avid birder, Laakkonen's educational background includes a Bachelor of Science in wildlife ecology from the University of Florida and a master's degree from Florida Gulf Coast University with a focus on sea-level rise policy. His diverse interests encompass watershed management, environmental policy, wildlife ecology, prescribed fire management, hydrologic restoration, exotic plant and animal management, as well as environmental education and outreach.

Support the show

Join us for this enlightening webinar as Cynthia Jurs shares her story of Sacred Earth Activism and inspires us to ask ourselves this question:

How can we bring healing and protection to the Earth? 

In 1990 Cynthia climbed a path high in the Himalayas to meet an “old wise man in a cave”—a venerated lama from Nepal. In response to her question, the old lama gave her a formidable assignment based on an ancient practice from Tibet: she must procure earth treasure vases made of clay and potent medicines, fill them with prayers and symbolic offerings, and bury them around the world where healing is called for.

Ultimately, the path from the wise man’s mountain cave winds around the world, bringing Cynthia into relationship with elders, activists, diverse ecosystems and communities. One by one, as the humble clay pots are planted in the Earth, the power of an ancient technology of the sacred comes alive and a global community grows to protect the Earth and learn how to become vessels of healing.

As many of us wonder what we can do in this eleventh hour, Cynthia offers a riveting account of one woman’s response to the challenges we face, and invites all of us to become “sacred activists” heeding the call of the Earth.

Cynthia Jurs became a dharma teacher(Dharmacharya)in the Order of Interbeing of ZenMaster Thich Nhat Hanhin in 1994 and, in 2018, was made an honorary lama in the Vajrayana tradition of Tibetan Buddhism in recognition of her dedication to carrying out the Earth TreasureVase practice. Inspired by thirty years of pilgrimage into diverse communities and ecosystems, today Cynthia is forging a new path of dharma in service to Gaia—a path deeply rooted in the feminine, honoring indigenous cultures, and devoted to collective awakening. Cynthia leads meditations, retreats, courses, and pilgrimages to support the emergence of a global community of engaged and embodied sacred activists. She lives at the foot of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in northern New Mexico, where she is often found walking in the wilderness with her dog or gardening with her husband. You can find her offerings and join the global healing community at  www.GaiaMandala.net

Support the show

Join us for the third session of our Wetlands Series as we explore the confluence of Water and Earth in sustaining abundant life.  Drawing on her years of work with communities, rivers, and freshwaters worldwide, Earth Elder Myra Jackson will share about her co-creative partnership with water and wetlands as places of wonder, unity, and connection.  These awe-inspiring, unifying spaces foster biodiversity, mitigate climate change, and help sustain life on a global scale.  

Immerse yourself in the reciprocal movement between water, a life-giving and dynamic force, and wetlands, which purify our ecosystems. Delving into the intricate relationship between humanity and wetlands, Myra will skillfully guide us to feel our connection with the freshwaters in our own landscapes.

As we approach the Spring Wetlands Gratitude Ceremony, let's come together to honor the magic of wetlands and deepen our connection to these vibrant, vital aspects of Nature.  https://www.natureevolutionaries.com/wetlands-gratitude-ceremony

Myra Jackson is an Earth Elder who has held careers in engineering, holographic organizational development and academia. She carries the title of Diplomat of the Biosphere with a primary focus on transforming our societal relationship with Nature through public policy approaches that recognize Nature's intrinsic rights to exist whole along with all Her life forms. She also serves as an expert on the platform of the U.N. Harmony with Nature Program. Her life’s work is anchored by her role as an Evocateur of the Sacred and those ideas whose time has come.   

Myra participated in the Women Working for the Earth Summit hosted by ONE and has been a webinar guest sharing her highly popular topic, “Nature’s Embrace: The Way of True Reparations”. 

Support the show

Join us for the second session of our Wetlands Series.

We talk with Dr. Emily Hite to explore the complex connections between communities and their land and water.  Dr. Hite is a cultural, environmental anthropologist and passionate advocate for environmental sustainability whose research focuses on the intersection of human-water relationships and climate governance. 

Dr. Hite investigates the far-reaching consequences of damming rivers and how communities and wetlands are intricately linked to the health and vitality of these waterways. We will speak about the importance of maintaining the integrity of rivers and the delicate balance required to sustain both human communities and the diverse ecosystems they rely on.  As part of this conversation, Dr. Hite will share stories of communities working together to maintain an ancestral connection to their waters and land in the face of infrastructure and land development.

How did Dr. Hite find her passion for her work, and what is her personal relationship with water? 

She shares valuable insights from her research and collaboration with the Global River Protection Coalition and her studies in Costa Rica, as well as shed light on the Coalition’s ongoing efforts to enhance wetland protections on a global scale. 

Together, let's empower ourselves with knowledge and contribute to the collective effort to preserve the waters that flow through our world.

Dr. Emily Hite is an Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Saint Louis University. She is also a primary investigator at SLU's Water Institute and serves as a regional co-chair of the Global River Protection Coalition. Her research is focused on understanding human-water relationships and how they are challenged by both climatic changes and climate policy.  A central concern of her research is the justice and equity of the processes of climate governance, with particular interest in how different knowledges, values, and belief systems are integrated into those processes. 

Dr. Hite works with dam-impacted communities in the United States and throughout Latin America and conducts research at international climate and hydropower meetings to understand local-to-global perspectives. The ultimate aim of her research is to influence more culturally-informed governance that aligns with the principles of climate justice.

Support the show

Here we delve into the profound intersections of Wetlands, Indigenous food systems, and the enduring impacts of colonization, featuring the esteemed Dr. Lyla June Johnston. A luminary in her field, Dr. Johnston, a poet, anthropologist, and advocate for Indigenous wisdom, will lead us through an exploration of the intricate relationships between these elements. 

Lyla June speaks about the significance of Wetlands and highlight their importance in Indigenous cultures and food systems. From her unique perspective, Dr. Johnston shares stories and sustainable practices that have shaped Indigenous food cultures and deep connections and partnerships with the land.

As part of this conversation, we also examine the impacts of colonization on Wetlands and Indigenous food systems following the westward expansion of European settlements across Turtle Island. Together, we explore changing perspectives on Wetlands and restoration efforts, as well as movements for reclaiming and revitalizing Indigenous land stewardship and food systems.  

This is an incredible opportunity to engage with a visionary leader and gain a deeper understanding of the vital connections between Wetlands, Indigenous food systems, and the ongoing impacts of colonization.  

Dr. Lyla June Johnston (aka Lyla June) is an Indigenous musician, author, and community organizer of Diné (Navajo), Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne), and European lineages. Her multi-genre presentation style has engaged audiences across the globe towards personal, collective, and ecological healing. She blends her study of Human Ecology at Stanford, graduate work in Indigenous Pedagogy, and the traditional worldview she grew up with to inform her music, perspectives, and solutions. Her doctoral research focused on the ways in which pre-colonial Indigenous Nations shaped large regions of Turtle Island (aka the Americas) to produce abundant food systems for humans and non-humans.

Note:  Slides that she references can be seen in the video recording of this presentation available here:  https://www.natureevolutionaries.com/events-programs/2024/lyla-june-johnston

Support the show

It's time to rewild ourselves and our dominant worldviews to build earth-centered communities for all. 

Join us for an illuminating journey with Osprey Orielle Lake, a renowned author, activist, and changemaker, as we delve into the pressing need to rewild ourselves and our dominant worldviews. In a world teetering on the edge of social, environmental, and climate collapse, this webinar offers a beacon of hope and a roadmap to building Earth-centered communities that can thrive.

In our exploration, we'll tackle the complex web of interconnected crises, including colonialism, racism, patriarchy, capitalism, and ecocide. By weaving together ecological, mythical, political, and cultural perspectives, Osprey invites us to reconnect with the Earth's lineage and historical memory. Together, we'll explore the delicate threshold between peril and promise.

Uncover the collective wisdom passed down by Earth-centered cultures. Gain a deeper understanding of climate justice and systemic challenges. Find inspiration to contribute to the creation of thriving Earth communities. This webinar promises to be a wellspring of hope and a remedy to the prevailing despair of our times. 

Osprey Orielle Lake is the founder and executive director of the Women's Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN).  She works internationally with grassroots, BIPOC and Indigenous leaders, policymakers, and diverse coalitions to build climate justice, resilient communities, and a just transition to a decentralized, democratized clean-energy future. 

She sits on the executive committee for the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature and on the steering committee for the Fossil Free Non-Proliferation Treaty. Osprey’s writing about climate justice, relationships with nature, women in leadership, and other topics has been featured in The Guardian, Earth Island Journal, The Ecologist, Ms. Magazine and many other publications. 

She is the author of the award-winning book Uprisings for the Earth: Reconnecting Culture with Nature. Osprey holds an MA in Culture and Environmental Studies from Holy Names University in Oakland and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area on Coast Miwok lands. 

To learn more, go to: https://ospreyoriellelake.earth

Support the show

Plastic pollution is one of the most urgent and far-reaching threats facing our Oceans today—touching everything from marine life to coastal communities to climate resilience. In this powerful conversation with Rachel Bustamante of Plastic Pollution Coalition and Tamara Adame, a scientific ocean diver and anti-plastics activist, we explore the multifaceted impacts of plastic on Ocean health, and the deep interconnections between pollution, policy, and our relationship with the living world.

With a background in environmental policy analysis and campaign coordination, Rachel has worked to protect marine biodiversity and Ocean health at both state and global levels—including participation in the UN Global Plastics Treaty negotiations and direct advocacy with U.S. lawmakers. Her work is grounded in a commitment to justice, care, and solutions that protect people and planet.

As a scuba diving instructor in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, diving in the Mexican Caribbean, Tamara started noticing a huge influx of plastics to the Ocean about eight years ago. Her own grassroots efforts at organizing Ocean cleanup - and seeing how little impact that had on the quantity of plastics in the region - led her to become an anti-plastics activist, both in her state of Quintana Roo and at the national level. Plastic bags in supermarkets have now been banned across Mexico, thanks to the efforts of many anti-plastics advocates, including Tamara.

This session includes grounded insight, personal story, and tangible steps for those seeking to become more active stewards of Ocean health—whether in local watersheds or at the global level.

Visit the webinar page to watch short film Mermaids Against Plastic and download a resource list with links mentioned in the webinar. 

To learm more about Rachel Bustamante and her work visit her here Plastic Pollution Coalition. 

To learn more about Tamara Adame and her work visit her website.  

Support the show