Alan Bergo is most widely known as a culinary personality and authority on wild Midwestern food, especially mushrooms. In 2012 he launched his website Forager | Chef which now reaches over 1000 people per day, and allows him to connect with mushroom hunters and foragers from around the world. His recent book The Forager Chef's Book of Flora features 180 recipes and over 230 of his own beautiful photographs, inviting us to explore the edible plants we find all around us. In this episode, Alan talks about his experiences in restaurant cooking, discovering his passion for foraged foods, and why we should all venture outside the supermarket and discover what delicious surprises nature has to offer.
Episode 61: Richard J. King - Melville's Oceans
Richard J. King is the author of Ahab's Rolling Sea: A Natural History of Moby-Dick and other books of nonfiction, as well as articles, reviews, and interviews. His works often explore the history of our relationship with marine life and the sea, and Rich has been sailing on tall ships for over twenty years, traveling throughout the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans as both a teacher and a sailor. In this episode, Richard discusses the historical context of Moby-Dick, its place in the fabric of American culture, and why it is still in many ways as relevant today as it was when it was published in 1851.
Episode 60: Jonathan Segal - The Journey To There
Jonathan in Nepal
Jonathan Segal is an avid traveler and naturalist, drawn to remote locations and aboriginal cultures. His various explorations include travels to Costa Rica, the Peruvian Amazon, the Pacific islands, the Red Sea, Nepal, Bhutan, and Papua New Guinea. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Stefan sits down with an old friend and asks what compels him to go to these places, what he has learned, and what these cultures that exist off the beaten path have to offer all of us.
Papua New Guinea
Episode 59: Philadelphia's Rail Park
The Rail Park is a new park in progress in Philadelphia, revitalizing three miles of unused rail lines into a usable, beautiful, public space for all. Situated on two obsolete train lines that served the Reading Terminal, the first phase of construction is complete—filled with pathways, greenery, and amazing city views. In this episode, we speak with Executive Director Rebecca Cordes Chan about the pertinent facts and history of the rail park, how the vision of the park is being realized, and how the project is progressing. Listen to the Rail Park’s podcast Sounds of the Rail Park.
The Cut
Episode 58: Doug Tallamy - Bringing Nature Home
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. In his book Bringing Nature Home, Tallamy explains why everyone with access to a patch of earth can make a significant contribution toward sustaining biodiversity by simply choosing native plants. This episode- pulled from an interview conducted during the production of the film Negotiating with Nature - expands upon these ideas and alarming facts.
Episode 57: Richard Louv - Last Child In The Woods
Richard Louv is a non-fiction author and journalist best known for his seventh book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, which investigates the relationship of children and the natural world. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Stefan asks Richard to revisit the central topics in this notable book within the context of today's cultural landscape of climate crisis, pandemic, loss of biodiversity, and human isolation.
Episode 56: Nick Byron Campbell - Arbow
Nick Byron Campbell is a musician & sound artist based in Bend, Oregon. In addition to creating music for film, TV and commercial, he also creates music under the moniker Left Vessel. His latest album One (and Driftless) incorporates a production technique Nick calls "arbow", which involves creating temporary instruments using living trees. In this episode Nick talks about his roots as a musician and nature enthusiast, and how the two interests have grown over time to become entwined in his latest musical works and sound art experiences.
This Year Be music video
Episode 55: Nadine Phillips - Nature & Forest Therapy
Nadine Phillips is a Forest Therapy Guide based in Mississippi, and is certified by the International Nature and Forest Therapy Alliance (INFTA). Deeply rooted in the Japanese concept of Shinrin-yoku, or “forest bathing”, Forest Therapy is an evidence-based Public health practice considered to be a natural remedy to reduce stress and a pathway to a happier, healthier and more rewarding life. In this episode, Nadine talks with Stefan about her personal discoveries of the wonders of nature and how that has led to her sharing this passion, as well as some of the transformative, positive experiences she has helped foster for others.
Episode 54: Cindy Crosby - Chasing Dragonflies
Cindy Crosby is a writer, teacher, and lecturer on the tallgrass prairie and nature conservation. She is also a Master Gardener, a prairie steward, and a dragonfly monitor. Her latest book Chasing Dragonflies: A Natural, Cultural, and Personal History is an engaging introduction to these remarkable insects. In this episode, Cindy re-introduces us to the often-ignored dragonfly, describing their history, natural habitats & behaviors, cultural mythologies, and ways we can attract them to our own gardens.
Episode 53: Moely Prairie - In Their Own Words
Moely Prairie is the largest remnant of the 14,000-acre Sauk Prairie in Sauk County, Wisconsin. Because it has never been plowed, the prairie is home to a rich array of native prairie plants and animals. Permanently protected through a perpetual conservation easement by owner Barbara Moely in 2015, the prairie is managed and cared for by The Prairie Enthusiasts Empire-Sauk Chapter. In this episode of Nature Revisited, we learn- through the words of the aforementioned- of Moely Prairie's history, its ecological treasures, the challenges of its upkeep, and what lays in store for the future. *Read this episode’s write-up on The Prairie Enthusiasts blog.
Episode 52: John Shewey - The Allure of the Hummingbird
Lifelong birding enthusiast John Shewey is a veteran writer, editor, and professional outdoor photographer. John's new book The Hummingbird Handbook is a must-have guide to attracting, understanding and protecting hummingbirds. In this episode of Nature Revisited, John talks about the origin of his fascination with hummingbirds, and shares a variety of interesting facts, discoveries and insights into the alluring world of these captivating birds.
Episode 51: Hugo Rittson-Thomas - Wildflowers for the Queen
Hugo Rittson-Thomas is a British photographer, best known for his high-profile photographic portraiture, including portraits of Her Majesty The Queen and the Dalai Lama. In his new book Wildflowers for The Queen, Rittson-Thomas celebrates the unsung beauty and diversity of wildflower meadows - specifically the Coronation Meadows established by HRH The Prince of Wales in 2013. In conversation with Stefan of Nature Revisited, Hugo discusses the initiative behind the Coronation Meadows, the importance of such natural landscapes and connected wildlife within the UK, and the various challenges he faced in documenting their natural beauty.
Episode 50: Paul Hawken - Regeneration
Paul Hawken is an environmentalist, entrepreneur, author and activist who has dedicated his life to environmental sustainability and changing the relationship between business and the environment. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Paul introduces us to the concept of Regeneration - a response to the urgency of global warming that can regenerate life on earth and grant agency to a new generation of humanity working together in a system of interlocking initiatives to stem the climate crisis in the span of a single generation.
Episode 49: Daniel Mays- On Small Farming
In 2010, Daniel Mays started Frith Farm on a 14-acre piece of land in Scarborough, Maine. Drawn by Maine's food culture and support for local agriculture, Frith Farm now serves a CSA membership of over 200 families, as well as local natural food stores and farmer's markets. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Daniel talks about his path to establishing Frith Farm, the work and value he brings to the local community, and his belief that farmers should be stewards of the land, not miners of its resources, and that farms should be hubs of the community, not distant sources of its calories.
Episode 48: Heather Holm - Native Bees and Beyond
Heather Holm is a biologist, pollinator conservationist, and award-winning author. In addition to assisting with native bee research projects, she informs and educates audiences through her writing and many presentations about the fascinating world of native pollinators and the native plant communities that support them. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Heather introduces us to a surprising variety of native bees, the ways in which they support our ecosystem, and things we can all do at home to help sustain their populations.
