Sustainable World Radio- Ecology and Permaculture Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this stimulating conversation with Regenerative Land Designer and Educator Javan Bernakevitch, we discuss life design and why it's important. According to Javan, if we don’t design our lives, someone else will.

What are the signs of an undesigned life? Some of them include: not knowing what you’re good at, a lack of direction, being directed by past events, problems saying no, and having a hard time making decisions.

In this interview, we talk about practicing values-based decision making and the impact that can have on taking charge of our time and prioritizing what’s most important to us. Don’t worry, if you’re unclear about your values, Javan gives tips on how to discover them!

Since 2013, Javan has worked with individuals providing assistance on life design and how to design your life to work with, not against, your nature.

Javan Bernakevitch is the founder and operator of Permaculture BC, an education and community hub in British Columbia, Canada. The principle consultant at All Points Land Design, Javan works on small to large scale landscapes.

For information on Javan and his work visit: All Points Design.ca and PermacultureBC.com.

I interviewed Javan about Spilanthes for my Plant Report podcast a few years ago. You can listen here.

Join us on a journey to India to explore the inspiring Beejvan project, a remarkable two acre demonstration farm and community-based initiative in Karjat, Maharashtra, India.

In this interview with co-founder Sanjana Krishnan, discover how Beejvan is revitalizing the land, promoting biodiversity, and empowering the local community.

Sanjana was inspired to start Beejvan when she returned to Karjat a, a place she had loved as a child, to find that the rivers had dried up, soils were depleted, the forest was mostly gone, and that local farmers were suffering.

Sanjana then made it her mission to repair what has been broken through Beejvan, a farmer-led project dedicated to seed saving, land regeneration, ethnobotany, reforestation, and holistic agriculture practices. An integral part of Beejvan is working closely with the local inhabitants of Karjat, the Thakars who are traditional herbalists, healers, and keepers of sacred groves.

Get ready to be inspired by this incredible story of hope and renewal and find out how you can help grow this beautiful project.

To read more about Beejvan, visit them at: https://springprize.org/shortlisted/beejvan/

You can also follow them on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/beejvan/

More on Sanjana: Sanjana Krishnan is a Political Sociologist with a passion for regeneration. Her work focuses on the potential and impact of local initiatives in dealing with socio-environmental concerns for India. She is the cofounder of the Beejvan Biodiversity and Collaborative Research Foundation. Sanjana has worked/volunteered with a range of conservation/permaculture projects across India and Germany. A winner of the Erasmus scholarship, UGC Ph.D. Fellowship, and the German Chancellors' Fellowship, Sanjana has a Master's in Rural Development and a Ph.D. in Political Science.

Beejvan recently won a Lush Spring Prize for Intentional Projects. The Lush Spring Prize honors those who repair the earth’s damaged systems and leave the world lusher than they found it. For more information and to see if your project is eligible for a prize, visit: SpringPrize.org.

Growing an herbal apothecary garden at home is fun and easy. Learn how to start your own in this informative interview with longtime organic farmer Alena Steen.

We begin the episode by talking about the benefits of growing medicinal herbs and then move into the nitty gritty of soil preparation, watering, and harvesting. Alena explains the concept of "benevolent neglect" and talks about how this type of growing can actually increase the medicinal qualities of herbs. 

Alena shares some of her favorite plants with us including Tulsi, Calendula, Ashwagandha, Lemon Balm, Yarrow, and Rosemary. We chat about how to make herbal medicines like oxymels, tinctures, salves, and herbal honeys. 

Whether you have a large piece of land, a garden, or a small pot on a patio- we hope this episode inspires you to grow your own herbal apothecary! 

Alena Steen has been farming and gardening organically for over ten years. She and her partner Danny are the owners of the herbal medicine company Night Heron Farm. Night Heron Farm offers an herbal and flower CSA with plants and products from their farms in Carpinteria, CA. Learn more at NightHeronFarm.org. 

How much space does it take to be happy?  That's a question that author Shay Salomon answers in her book, Little House on a Small Planet. Salomon and photographer Nigel Valdez spent over 8 years documenting small houses across North America. Little House on a Small Planet is a beautiful book that explains how living small is healthier for the earth and "frees up your mind, your wallet, and your soul."

Nadine Artemis, aromatherapist and co-owner of Living Libations, talks about her love of the plant world, the ways in which essential oils can contribute to good health, and how she was busted -twice, at two different airports- for the possession of raw, organic, Fair Trade chocolate.

Part 2 of a 2 part interview with David Holmgren, the co-originator of Permaculture. In part two of this interview, Holmgren talks about his book Future Scenarios: How Communities Can Adapt to Peak Oil and Climate Change, and shares with us his ideas of what living in an energy descent world might be like, and why "the party may not be over".  Interview by Jill Cloutier of Sustainable World, and Wes Roe of the Santa Barbara Permaculture Network.

Part 1 of a 2 part interview with David Holmgren, the co-originator of Permaculture.  Holmgren is co-author of Permaculture One, the book that introduced Permaculture to the world.  In part one of this interview, Holmgren speaks about the beginnings of Permaculture, his home Melliodora; one of the best documented and well known Permaculture demonstration sites, and his book Future Scenarios: How Communities Can Adapt to Peak Oil and Climate Change.  Interview by Jill Cloutier of Sustainable World, and Wes Roe of the Santa Barbara Permaculture Network.

Paul Kephart, Executive Director of Rana Creek- Habitat Restoration and Living Architecture, speaks about his mission to restore biodiversity and preserve healthy ecosystems in the city and built environment. Kephart is an expert in the fields of green roofs, living walls, and watershed management systems.

Interview with herbalist, author, and teacher Kami McBride about the power of plants and ways to integrate herbal medicine into your daily life. Kami speaks about some of her favorite herbs, the perils of plant poaching, and how to be sure that the herbal medicine you buy is sustainably harvested.

Will you be at the mall on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving and the busiest shopping day of the year? Interview with Brian Highley, of Adbusters, about Buy Nothing Day (BND); a 24 hour moratorium on consumer spending. BND is a worldwide campaign that asks consumers to stop buying, just for a day. Also, interviews with people on the street about how they feel about shopping. Interview from November 2005, but still as timely as ever!