Throughout her career, Cheryl Charles has focused on the well-being of children, families, communities, and the environment that supports us all. Considered one of the world leaders in the movement to connect children with nature, Cheryl is the Co-Founder of the Children & Nature Network and is international co-chair of #NatureForAll, a global campaign of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Cheryl talks about her career and her ongoing work for children, her new global effort to inspire love of nature, and how getting involved locally is the best way begin acting globally.
Episode 72: James Faupel - The Urban Prairie
James Faupel specializes in Restoration Ecology at the Litzinger Road Ecology Center (LREC), a division of the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St Louis, MO. With a background in horticulture and arboriculture, James is part of a growing movement championing the ecological benefits of cultivating native plant species. In this episode, James discusses the alarming loss of natural prairie from the American Midwest, its vital role in the preservation of wildlife and plant species, and how 'Urban Prairies' can help raise awareness and appreciation for prairies, and the crucial mission to save and restore them.
James’ Article A Prairie Resurgence?
Episode 71: Jeffrey Ryan - The Making of the Appalachian Trail
Jeffrey H Ryan is an author, adventurer, photographer, and historian. He has written several books about his outdoor exploits, his fascination with hiking trails and the people and places found just off the beaten path. In this episode of Nature Revisted, Jeffrey talks about the colorful history of the Appalachian Trail and the parties involved in its creation. He also recounts some of his own personal experiences on the AT, as well as some notable stories and anecdotes that have caught on over the years.
Episode 70: Kris Primacio- The Nature of Surfing
Kris Primacio is the co-founder and CEO of the International Surf Therapy Organization, a collective of the world’s leading surf therapy practitioners, clinicians, researchers, and influencers. ISTO works together as an information hub for surf therapy prescriptions and a place for sharing in the practitioner community. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Kris shares how she discovered the power of surfing as a source of personal healing and connection with nature. Paying that passion forward, she now works to help others discover the therapeutic powers of the ocean, surfing, and the sense of community it fosters.
Episode 69: Dekila Chungyalpa - The Sacred and The Science
Dekila Chungyalpa is the founder and director of The Loka Initiative, a capacity-building and outreach program at the University of Wisconsin–Madison for faith leaders, religious institutions, and culture keepers of Indigenous traditions. Its mission supports faith-led environmental efforts around the world through collaborations with faith and Indigenous leaders on environmental protection, sustainable development, and climate issues. In this episode Dekila addresses the dualistic faith/science divide prevalent in the West, and how a shift in one's perspective reveals that they are actually in harmony with one another. Embracing a framework of interdependence and the need for compassion and community are essential in facing the climate crisis.
Episode 68: Matt Lutz - Nature and the Architect
Matt Lutz is an architect (RA), a certified passive house consultant (CPHC), and an associate professor of architecture in the School of Architecture + Art at Norwich University in Vermont. He is active in the passive house community, which works to further high-performance sustainable building practices. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Matt discusses the intersection of sustainable, affordable housing with its relationship to its natural surroundings.
Episode 67: Roy Diblik - On Gardening
Roy Diblik is an American perennial garden designer, plant nurseryman, and author of The Know Maintenance Perennial Garden. He co-owns the Northwind Perennial Farm in Burlington, Wisconsin and has collaborated with Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf on projects such as the Lurie Garden in Chicago. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Roy describes a different way of looking at plants than we're used to, how plants can thrive together in communities, and why we need more gardeners.
Lurie Garden, Chicago
Episode 66: Stephanie McEvoy - Farming Carbon
Stephanie McEvoy is Operations Director for Farming Carbon - a Northern Ireland initiative creating environmental and social impact through sustainable 'carbon farming'. Carbon farming is an approach to agricultural practices that result in increased storage of atmospheric carbon in the soil. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Stephanie explains how employing this regenerative approach to farming promotes biodiversity and carbon sequestration while also supporting rural communities and food security for all.
Episode 65: Kathy Wicks - Capturing Nature
Skunk Cabbage
Kathy Wicks has been a nature lover, writer, and artist since childhood. She has an academic background in fine art, environmental education, marketing, and library science. She now focuses on her passion for the serenity of the outdoors and capturing life through the camera lens in the form of environmental photography. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Kathy talks about her personal approach and philosophy to capturing nature in such a way that the viewer not only sees as she sees, but senses her relationship with the subject.
Sagamon River
Episode 64: The Aldo Leopold Foundation - Inspiring an Ethic of Care
Aldo Leopold
Established in 1982 by the five children of Aldo Leopold and his wife Estella, The Aldo Leopold Foundation is a conservation organization whose vision is to weave a land ethic into the fabric of our society; to advance the understanding, stewardship and restoration of land health; and to cultivate leadership for conservation. In this episode of Nature Revisited, Stefan talks with Senior Fellow Stanley Temple and Jackson Newman (from the Future Leaders Program) about how they work to celebrate the ideas and legacy of Aldo Leopold and the important work being done by the Leopold Foundation.
The Shack
Episode 63: Bron Taylor - The Sacred in Nature
Bron Taylor is professor of religion and environmental ethics at the University of Florida and author of Dark Green Religion - Nature Spirituality and the Planetary Future. His research focuses on the affective and spiritual dimensions, and political impacts, of grassroots environmental movements around the world, as well as upon the complex relationships between human beings, their religions, and the environments they inhabit. In this episode of Nature Revisited, the topic at hand is the notion of 'The Sacred' as it pertains to nature, if such a thing is inherent within nature, and our moral obligations to the earth's diversity of life and other natural wonders.
Episode 62: Alan Bergo - The Forager Chef
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