Sustainable World Radio: Recent Episodes
Sustainable World Radio
Episode 171: 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.
The post Life Design and Cultivation first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 170: 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.
The post Cultivating Seeds of Regeneration at Beejvan first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 169: Is Permaculture the best option we have to meet the demands of an unpredictable future? In this lively conversation with Rosemary Morrow, Margie Bushman, and Wes Roe, we discuss the potential Permaculture holds in restoring degraded ecosystems around the globe.
Rosemary Morrow is a Permaculture designer, teacher, and earth restorer. She is the author of numerous publications including Permaculture Teaching Matters and The Earth Restorer’s Guide to Permaculture. Rosemary is the co-founder of the Blue Mountains Permaculture Institute and Permaculture for Refugees.
We hear about Rosemary’s work in places she calls crowded margins- including refugee camps and areas greatly impacted by climate change. We learn why Rosemary still believes that Permaculture is the most valuable tool we have to in Earth restoration.
We chat about the importance of the Permaculture ethics (Earth Care, People Care, Fair Share), some of the challenges of Permaculture, and the biggest misconceptions people have about Permaculture design.
Margie Bushman and Wes Roe are the co-founders of the educational nonprofit the Santa Barbara Permaculture Network and founding Board Members of the Friends of the International Permaculture Convergences (FIPC).
Enter Our Giveaway- June 2nd to June 9th, 2023!Visit: https://melliodora.com/melliodora-giveaways/earth-restorers-guide-to-permaculture-giveaway-swr/I’ve partnered with Melliodora Publishing to give away a copy of Rosemary Morrow’s incredible new Earth Restorer’s Guide to Permaculture PLUS a collection of other titles from the ethical publishing house:
- Earth Restorer’s Guide to Permaculture by Rosemary Morrow
- 470 a novel by Linda Woodrow
- Permaculture Pioneers: stories from a new frontier edited by Kerry Dawborn and Caroline Smith
- Our Street (Retrosuburbia for Kids) by Beck Lowe and David Holmgren
- 2023 Permaculture Calendar, curated by Permaculture Principles
Open to listeners in Australia and the U.S. only due to shipping purposes. There will one winner (of the entire book pack) who will be chosen at random and notified by email. Good luck!
Links:
Permaculture for Refugees
Blue Mountains Permaculture Institute
Melliodora Publishing
SB Permaculture Network
The post Permaculture for Our Changing World first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 38: Our plant today is Fig and our guest is Dr. Lee Reich. Lee is a writer, horticultural consultant, and educator with graduate degrees in soil science and horticulture.
Lee is a big fan of Figs (Ficus carica) and in this episode we learn how to successfully propagate, grow, and harvest this ancient plant. Lee explains why it’s a challenge to know how many varieties of Figs there really are and shares his tips about how to keep your Fig tree healthy and happy.
Figs are unique in the fruit world. Did you know that when you eat a Fig, you aren’t eating a fruit? A fig is really a syconium (or synconium), a part of a stem that expands into a sac containing flowers. Luckily for us, Fig syconiums are so delicious!
Although, Figs are a true Mediterranean plant, they are adaptable and resilient. Those who live in colder climates, rejoice! You can successfully grow Figs and enjoy your own delicious syconiums. :) Lee shares some of his many methods for Fig growing in cold regions, including growing them in pots, overwintering them in greenhouses and basements, and pruning them so their low growing arms are very close to the ground. Learn more about these techniques in depth in Lee’s book Growing Figs in Cold Climates.
A former plant and soil researcher for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Cornell University, Lee’s books include Weedless Gardening, Uncommon Fruits for Every Garden, and Growing Figs in Cold Climates. Lee wrote a syndicated gardening column for the Associated Press for nearly 30 years.
Lee’s farmden- his term for his more than a garden, less than a farm, piece of land, has been featured in many publications like the New York Times and Martha Stewart Living and has won awards from National Gardening and Organic Gardening magazines.
Visit Lee’s website at leereich.com to learn about Figs, fruit, gardening, soil, and more!
Lee was a guest on my other podcast Sustainable World Radio. Click here to listen to the episode Gardening Like Nature, where Lee discusses the art and science of building soil from the ground up and why he believes it’s important to pay attention to the top few inches of soil and let nature take care of the rest. Learn about mulch, the importance of compost, and why Lee loves to repurpose what others might call waste in his quest to improve soil fertility and grow vibrant and resilient plants.
The post The Fabulous Fig! first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
What does water want? What happens when we allow water to be water? Author Erica Gies explores the concept of Slow Water in her new book Water Always Wins: Thriving in an Age of Drought and Deluge.
Slow Water approaches are unique to each place and work with natural systems. Slow Water is key to greater resiliency and offers multiple benefits including reducing floods, droughts, and wildfires. The Slow Water movement asks where our water comes from and examines the impact that our water treatment methods have on the environment, other people, and animals.
In this episode, Erica talks about Slow Water projects around the world and what happens when water is allowed to slowly flow, meander, and linger on the landscape.
We discuss the indigenous view of water as a “who,” a relative, and a being worthy of respect and compare it with the industrial idea of water as a commodity or a threat. We discuss how this skewed modern world view affects our relations with water, influences how we build our infrastructure, and imperils life on the planet.
Water has critical relationships with creatures, insects, plants, microbes, rocks, and soil. Many animals including water voles, prairie dogs, and the rock star of the water world, beavers can be our allies in the Slow Water movement.
Wetlands, bogs, and marshes are also allies when it comes to slowing water and sinking excess atmospheric carbon. Peat is the super sinker of CO2- covering only 3% of the earth and holding 30% of the soil carbon. Wetlands restoration is a powerful climate change mitigation tool and asset to the Slow Water movement.
Have you heard of the Hyporheic Zone, also called the “Liver of the River?” This ecotone found in rivers and streams is a hidden universe rich in biodiversity, fertility, and action. Erica shares a story about a Hyporheic Zone restoration project in Seattle that is having profound impacts on water quality and stream health.
It is becoming increasingly obvious that our attempts to control water are failing. Our cities and concrete infrastructure speed water away as quickly as possible, yet water seems to be reclaiming its territory more frequently. By participating in the Slow Water movement, we can cooperate with nature and water to create a more abundant world for all.
Erica Gies is the author of the new book Water Always Wins- Thriving in an Age of Drought and Deluge. Erica is a National Geographic Explorer and an award-winning independent journalist who writes about water, climate change, plants, and critters for The New York Times, Nature, The Atlantic, and many other publications. Erica cofounded two environmental news startups, Climate Confidential and This Week in Earth. You can find Erica online at: EricaGies.com and SlowWater.world/
The post Water Always Wins- Slow Water Solutions for Drought and Deluge first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 167: Learn how to garden like nature from writer, horticultural consultant and educator Dr. Lee Reich. We start the episode with an audio tour of Lee’s award winning “farmden,” which is more than a garden and less than a farm. Packed with plants, including...
The post Gardening Like Nature with Lee Reich first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 166: Did you know that oceans make life possible on our planet? Even if we live far from the coast, our lives are influenced by the ocean. Oceans generate oxygen, capture carbon, shape weather, and provide habitat for countless creatures. To learn more about...
The post Why the Ocean Matters first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 165: This special episode introduces the Regenerative Media Alliance, a project I have been working on for quite some time with fellow podcast producers Oliver Goshey and Scott Mann. The Regenerative Media Alliance or RMA is a cooperative group for podcasters and media...
The post The Regenerative Media Alliance first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 164: Are you a fan of Raptors or birds of prey? Members of this large group of magnificent birds include hawks, eagles, falcons, and owls. For many of us, seeing raptors in cities and in the wilderness is awe-inspiring. To learn more about...
The post Raptors and Rodenticides- the Unintended Consequences of Rat Poison first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
by Your Hungry Neighborhood Owl, as told to Jill Cloutier You may see me after the sun goes down. A sharp, swift glide, feathers wide and silent, a blur of brown or white. You may hear me. My calls can fill the darkness with...
The post Silent Night: The Unintended Consequences of Rodenticides first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 163: What if you could replace your monocrop grass lawn with a “solar powered regenerative system that stores carbon while creating habitats”? You can! Learn how in this informative episode with Owen Wormser. Did you know that the average lawn is a a...
The post The Generosity of Meadows first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 37: Welcome to the world of Hops, Humulus lupulus. In this relaxed conversation with organic farmer and Hops grower Acadia Tucker, we discuss this unwieldy and happy to be alive plant. We touch briefly on the history of Hops, which like its illustrious...
The post The Wild World of Hops first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 162: Is the future nuts? According to our guest Michael Judd, it definitely is, but in a good way! In this fun and informative interview, Michael shares his vision of a bountiful and food secure future where nut tree orchards and farms abound. ...
The post The Future is Nuts! first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 36: Have you heard of Spilanthes? In this fun and informative interview with regenerative land designer, educator, facilitator, and Spilanthes fan Javan Bernakevitch, we discuss this unique plant. An herbal ally with a long history of use for oral health and immune support, Spilanthes is...
The post Sensational Spilanthes first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 161: 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...
The post Grow Your Own Apothecary Garden first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 35: Did you know that Einkorn wheat is 27,000 years old? Wheat is one of the world’s oldest grains and like it or love it, it’s been part of human life for thousands of years. Learn about this long revered and recently reviled...
The post Wheat- An Ancient Grain for Modern Times first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 160: Lonny Grafman has worked with hundreds of communities around the globe assisting them with projects across a broad spectrum of sustainability. In this inspiring episode Lonny reflects on his decades of work and shares his knowledge and experience about how to how...
The post Building a More Resilient World first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 34: Tulsi is a beautiful aromatic plant with strong medicinal qualities. In this interview with organic farmer Alena Steen of Night Heron Farm we learn how to propagate, grow, harvest, and utilize this lovely and revered plant. Tulsi is native to India where...
The post Tulsi Basil: An Herbal Ally for Our Times first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 159: Step into the vibrant and beautiful world of living color with natural dyer, designer, artist, and educator Sasha Duerr. Sasha takes us on a journey from Soil to Studio. We learn how creating and working with dyes made from plants, seaweed, and other natural materials can increase our ecological and botanical knowledge, foster collaboration, and have a beneficial impact on ecosystems.
Natural dyeing offers us multiple opportunities to participate in solutions. Food scraps and green waste can transform old clothes into “new”. Instead of being buried at landfills and emitting VOC’s, organic materials like onion skins, pomegranate rinds, and citrus peels can be re-purposed into natural dyes that revitalize our wardrobes and lessen our carbon footprint. Some dyes can even be poured into the garden when finished and used as a fertilizer.
Unwanted weeds in your yard or invasive plants in your neighborhood can also be turned into color. One of my favorites is Sour Grass. I look forward to seeing this ubiquitous plant every Spring. I collect loads of it and dye old clothes a neon yellow that really glows. (Note: Be sure to identify plants before using them as dyes- just in case they are toxic.)
Sasha talks about a few of her favorite dyes including Loquat, Eucalyptus leaves, and Redwood Cones, all very appropriate plants for beginning dyers. We also learn about some of the palettes from her new book Natural Color. I especially loved the Pollinator and Perfume Palettes. They will make you swoon!
What color story would you like your clothes to tell?
Sasha Duerr is an artist and designer who works with plant-based palettes, natural dyes, and place-based recipes. She is an Adjunct Professor at the California College of the Arts with a joint appointment in textiles and fine arts where she designs curriculum and teaches courses in the intersection of natural color, slow food, slow fashion, and social practice.
Her work has been shown in galleries and museums across the United States and abroad. In 2007, Sasha founded the Permacouture Institute to encourage the exploration of regenerative design practices for fashion and textiles. Her extensive work with plant-based palettes and ecological principles through local land-based sources and community has been featured in many publications She is the author of The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes, Natural Color, and Natural Palettes.Discover more about Sasha and her work at SashaDuerr.com.
Sasha mentions the following references in this episode:
Books by Kate Fletcher
Fibershed
Greenpeace
Botanical Colors
The post The Wondrous World of Living Color with Sasha Duerr first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 158: Longtime organic farmer Mark Sturges believes that when we create a better habitat for beneficial insects, we create a better habitat for ourselves. Mark is a master compost maker whose compost is filled with life. When Mark creates compost, he encourages the “whole neighborhood” to move in. The cast of characters in Mark’s neighborhood are vast and include beetles, rotifers, fungi, nematodes, springtails, enchytraeids, and Beauveria bassiana- an insect “eating” fungi.
Mark and I chat about compost tea and how its application can re-invigorate plants, soil, and large areas of land. You’ll hear about Mark’s successful use of compost tea in a vineyard suffering from a Phylloxera infestation. Mark’s tea was sprayed on a Pinot block and the grapes were saved!
Mark is a so-called entrepreneurial “Entra-Manure” who fills us on the importance of manure in the compost loop. He tells us why we shouldn’t use chemical de-wormers on our animals and what effect these products have on beneficial insects, especially beetles. In turn, a lack of beneficials can lead to devastating impacts on pasture land, soil, animals, and climate.
After hearing Mark talk about beetles, maybe you’ll obtain Beetle Enlightenment like I did! I now have a deep appreciation for these unsung heroes of decomposition who also have an important role to play in mitigating climate change.
Mark Sturges makes and ships organic compost and compost creatures nationwide from his Chili Nervanos farm in Bandon, Oregon.
Mark is a writer whose work has appeared in Acres USA. His book of poetry The Return of the Fertilizer King and Other Tales is available online. Mark doesn’t have a website. His work is all word of mouth. You can reach Mark at: ChiliNervanos382 (at) gmail.com.
The post How to Create Living Compost first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 33: Albizia julibrissin is one of my new favorite trees. Commonly called The Tree of Happiness, Persian Silk Tree, and Mimosa, Albizia is native to Asia and a member of the Fabaceae family. I love its pink puffball flowers, gorgeous fragrance, whimsical nature, and...
The post The Happiness Tree: Albizia julibrissin first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 32: Meet the broad and beautiful Amaranth family in this episode with farmer and seed saver Andrew McMillion. Andrew shares his experiences propagating and growing Amaranth and tells us about his favorite members in this low maintenance and resilient family including: Orach (Atriplex...
The post The Amazing Amaranth Family first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Learn how your clothing choices can change the world in this episode with writer Elizabeth Segran. Elizabeth tells us the grim news first. Did you know that the fashion industry is responsible for 8% of global greenhouse gases? That’s more than all international flights...
The post Clothes and Climate: The Environmental Cost of Fast Fashion first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 154: When medicinal at risk plants need help, United Plant Savers (UPS) comes to the rescue! Known as the “consciousness of the herbal products industry” because of their work with at risk medicinals, UPS staff and members have their feet on the ground and...
The post Saving Medicinal Plants with United Plant Savers first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 153: Put down that shovel and start a no-till perennial garden! In this fun and informative interview, Permaculture Designer and Teacher Morag Gamble shares her tips about how to create an abundant and thriving organic oasis. Morag’s garden in Queensland, Australia has more...
The post Gardening the Permaculture Way: How to Create an Abundant Perennial Garden first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 152: Famed cinematographer Louie Schwartzberg talks about his new film Fantastic Fungi that highlights the fascinating and often hidden world of the fungi beneath our feet. Renowned for his time lapse work with flowers, Louie has now turned his lens toward the fungal kingdom...
The post Fantastic Fungi: An Interview with Louie Schwartzberg first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 31: Journey into the world of Quercus, the amazing Oak. Horticulturalist Byron Joel is an avid Oak fan and shares his knowledge about Oaks from tiny acorn to robust tree. You’ll learn about what Oaks need to grow well, the beauty of Oak as...
The post The Mighty Oak first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 151: What if we could heal broken ecosystems, toxic landscapes, and poisoned water? My guest today is Dr. John Todd, ecological designer and author of the new book, Healing Earth- An Ecologist’s Journey of Innovation and Environmental Stewardship. John Todd boldly travels to...
The post Healing Earth: A Diversity of Solutions first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 150: Join us for a mind and heart expanding conversation with Dr. Monica Gagliano about her research in plant cognition and her direct experiences with the botanical world. A pioneer in the field of Plant BioAcoustics, Monica’s peer-reviewed work has furthered the concept...
The post Plant Speak- A Conversation with Dr. Monica Gagliano first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.
Episode 30: If you’ve ever wandered into a patch of Nettle, you probably remember its ferocious sting! But, did you know that Nettle is a nutritional powerhouse and herbal medicine rock star? Renowned for its tiny hairs and formic acid bite, Nettle is a plant...
The post Nettle: The Prickly Medicinal Herb first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.