There's something to be said for cruising down the open road, taking in the sights and smells with the sun on your face, and two wheels between you and the ground. In this episode Stefan talks with his co-worker Dan Barmore, who finds freedom, meaning and a connection to nature while on the road.
Episode 16: The Experience of Place - Mitchell Silver & New York City's Parks
Mitchell Silver on the roof of The Arsenal, Central Park. Photo by Michelle Young
The notion of what our city's parks can and should be has been undergoing a dramatic makeover in recent years, and New York City is leading by example. NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J.Silver has over 30 years experience in planning and is internationally recognized for his contributions to contemporary planning issues. In this episode Mitchell discusses the comprehensive planning, place making and implementation strategies he has put forth to both modernize existing NYC parks as well as reclaim & transform post-industrial sites into new playgrounds, beaches and wilderness areas.
Central Park NYC
Episode 15: Doug Tallamy - Nature's Best Hope
Humans have destroyed natural habitat in so many places that local extinction is rampant and global extinction accelerating. This is a growing problem because it is the ecosystems around us that support us. Doug Tallamy is a professor of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology at the University of Delaware, where he studies the many ways insects interact with plants and how such interactions determine the diversity of animal communities. His new book, Nature's Best Hope, lays out a new approach to conservation that everyone can employ at home in their own yards.
Episode 14: Dan Snow - In The Company of Stone
Dan Snow is an assemblage artist specializing in site-generated, or locally sourced, natural materials. His dry stone constructions include a wide variety of functional as well as artistic sculptural works which fuse vanguard vision with old world techniques and traditions. In this episode, Dan recounts his path to becoming an artist, the philosophy behind his work, and the co-founding of The Stone Trust- a southern Vermont educational center preserving the craft of dry stone walling.
Episode 13: Aleskkya - Sacred Landscapes and Readings & Music
Part 1 - Sacred Landscapes
Aleskkya is a multi-disciplined artist, designer, musician, and poet who has made a life of creating images in words and music. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Aleskkya recounts an unexpected mid-life awakening which led him from a 'normal' life of education and career success onto a path of mystical self-discovery and exploration across earth, culture, and artistic expression.
Part 2- Readings & Music from Snow on Water
Part 2 of Nature Revisited Episode 13 continues with a selection of readings and music from Aleskkya's Snow on Water. Aleskkya is a multi-disciplined artist, designer, musician, and poet who has made a life of creating images in words and music.
Episode 12: Scott Stokoe - Reframing Nature & Culture
Scott Stokoe is a Vermont-based ecological educator working with institutions to develop and expand their offerings in educating for sustainability through the creation of hands-on, applied learning experiences. In this episode, Scott explains how the concept of Nature is a human construct, and the global environmental crises mankind is facing are a result of our cultural failures.
Episode 11: Meg Lowman - Canopy Meg
Margaret Lowman aka 'Canopy Meg' has dedicated a lifetime of pioneering research into the hidden ecosystems of forest canopies found all over our home planet. As these imperiled marvels of nature enter an increasingly fragile state of balance, Meg is working to save Earth's forests and conserve the still uncounted wonders and discoveries they contain. In this episode Meg recounts her career path, discusses the mission of her work, as well as the various 'Canopy Walks' she is helping to build in an effort to raise awareness and appreciation of the world's forests.
Episode 10: The Vermont Institute of Natural Science - Call of the Wild
The Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) is a nonprofit, environmental education, research, and avian rehabilitation organization in Quechee, Vermont. In this episode Stefan speaks with VINS Director Charles Rattigan, as well as other staff about the history of VINS, its mission, and the new Forest Canopy Walk exhibit opening Fall 2019.
Episode 9: Tori van Norden - Bird of the North
In this episode we meet Stefan van Norden's daughter Tori, who shares her experiences with nature growing up and how they helped shape her as a person. She also discusses her generation's perspective and outlook regarding the appreciation of nature and the looming climate crisis.
Episode 8: Joel Fry - Bartram's Garden
Founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1728 by botanist John Bartram, Bartram's Garden is the oldest surviving botanic garden and arboretum in the United States. Join Curator Joel Fry as he talks about the rich past behind this national landmark and its important place in American history.
Bartram’s Garden, Philadelphia
Episode 7: David Van Wie - Take Me To The River
Part 1: On The Fly
David A. Van Wie is a former environmental professional turned writer & photographer who also has a passion for Fly Fishing. In this episode, David talks about the history of Fly Fishing and the theory and practice of tying flies. In preparation for Part 2 of the episode, David ties an assortment of flies that he will put to use in a nearby trout stream.
Part 2: In The Stream
In this episode, David takes us to a trout stream near his home and walks us through the process of selecting flies and thinking like a fish in order to catch one. He also talks about his new book, Storied Waters.
Episode 6: Larry Doyle - Needleworker
Larry Doyle is an artist specializing in needlepoint who has mastered his craft over a lifetime of practice. In this episode, Larry shares his life experiences as an artist and how nature plays a central role in inspiring and informing his art.
Episode 5: Cheryl Charles - Children & Nature Network
In this episode Cheryl Charles, founder of the Children & Nature Network, talks about her work developing a worldwide movement to reconnect children and nature, as well as the profound effects nature can have on our physical and mental well-being.
Episode 4: Julia Plevin - The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing
Inspired by the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, forest bathing is the act of spending intentional time in nature to promote health and well-being. Author Julia Plevin talks about her book The Healing Magic of Forest Bathing and how reconnecting with the natural world can be a way to restore calm, creativity and balance to one's life.
Episode 3: Jeffery Reddick - A Painter Without A View
Jeffery Reddick is currently 30+ years into a life sentence for non-violent crimes in a North Carolina correctional facility. But he is not your run-of-the-mill inmate… Nature Revisited takes a glimpse inside the life of a man who has embraced the power of his memories of nature, together with his love of painting to transport himself beyond the confines of incarceration, touching the lives of some surprising people along the way. Author Gordon Hayward offers additional insights from a decade of correspondence with Jeffery.
Addendum: December 2023 - Jeffery has been released from prison and now lives with his sister in South Carolina.
