Episodit
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Dr. Adam Gazzaley is a neuroscientist, neurologist, inventor, author of the book The Distracted Mind, a nature photographer, entrepreneur, and investor. He’s the founder and executive director of Neuroscape, and the David Dolby Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Physiology, and Psychiatry at UCSF.
He’s also the co-founder and Chief Science Advisor of Akili at Jazz Venture Partners, he’s a member of the Board of Trustees and Science Council of the California Academy of Sciences. Adam has authored over 180 scientific articles and delivered over 700 talks.
In this second part of our conversation, Adam details the ways his lab is creating the future of experiential medicine with the most advanced methods for nature connection and psychedelics research I’ve ever heard of. In short, it’s absolutely mind bending. We also weaved into the conversation our mutual love of nature photography and looked at it through Adam’s unique lens of neuroscience, and of course, Adam shares with us how he likes to microdose nature.
Enjoy the ride,
Jeff
Episode Links
Dr. Adam Gazzaley’s Website
Neuroscape (Dr. Gazzaley’s lab)
Wanderings (Dr. Gazzaley’s nature photography)
Akili
The Distracted Mind by Dr. Adam Gazzaley
Jazz Venture Partners
The Nature Fix by Florence Williams
Connect with Nature Junkie
If anything in this episode was helpful or stoked you out, please hit the share button and tell a friend, leave an awesome review, or comment so we can bend the algorithms toward nature. Thanks!
Instagram: @naturejunkieradio
Website: www.naturejunkielife.com
Newsletter: Sign Up Here
Email: [email protected]
Production Credits
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry
Outro music by Tyler Johnson
Editing by Aashish M.
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Dr. Adam Gazzaley is a neuroscientist, neurologist, inventor, author of the book The Distracted Mind, a nature photographer, entrepreneur, and investor. He’s the founder and executive director of Neuroscape, and the David Dolby Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Physiology, and Psychiatry at UCSF.
He’s also the co-founder and Chief Science Advisor of Akili at Jazz Venture Partners, he’s a member of the Board of Trustees and Science Council of the California Academy of Sciences. Adam has authored over 180 scientific articles and delivered over 700 talks.
On the show today, Adam delivers a Jedi training session on attention, we bust myths about multitasking, we talk about using video games for attention (which Adam and his lab, Neuroscape, pioneered), we talk about practical tips for parents and how to cultivate a healthy relationship with nature, screens, and social media (or at least attempt to). We also talk about nature’s unique ability to restore cognitive attention and the potential mechanisms.
Enjoy the ride,
Jeff
Episode Links
Dr. Adam Gazzaley’s Website
Neuroscape (Dr. Gazzaley’s lab)
Wanderings (Dr. Gazzaley’s nature photography)
Akili
The Distracted Mind by Dr. Adam Gazzaley
Jazz Venture Partners
The Nature Fix by Florence Williams
Connect with Nature Junkie
If anything in this episode was helpful or stoked you out, please hit the share button and tell a friend, leave an awesome review, or comment so we can bend the algorithms toward nature. Thanks!
Instagram: @naturejunkieradio
Website: www.naturejunkielife.com
Newsletter: Sign Up Here
Email: [email protected]
Production Credits
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry
Outro music by Tyler Johnson
Editing by Aashish M.
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Puuttuva jakso?
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Serge Dedina leads the international team at WILDCOAST, the non-profit that he co-founded in 2000. A former California State Parks Ocean Lifeguard, Serge was elected to two terms as Mayor of Imperial Beach, California from 2014-2022. His innovative coastal and ocean conservation work has been reported on by the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, NBC News, Washington Post, BBC, NPR, Wall Street Journal, and 60 Minutes among others. He’s also the author of three books, including Saving the Gray Whale, Wild Sea, and Surfing the Border.
Being a surfer and ocean lover my whole life, it’s an absolute honor to have Serge on the show. His wonder, curiosity, and energy for the wild is contagious. I love the work Serge and his team at Wildcoast do to protect iconic coastal ecosystems with nature based solutions. And I also love how they go about it. As you’ll hear Serge describe, they work with people to protect nature. And that’s really their secret sauce. The ability to genuinely connect with people in communities, and roll up sleeves together to create a positive impact.
In this episode Serge and I talked about the founding of Wildcoast/Costasalvaje, their mission, their key programs (like protecting sea turtle nesting beaches in Mexico, mangroves, gray whale habitat, and coral reefs), barriers to conservation, the importance of blue mind, opportunities for nature based, blue carbon solutions for climate change, and the ups and downs of protecting wild places. Serge is a master storyteller and this conversation left me with both inspiration and hope for what’s possible.
Enjoy the ride,
Jeff
Episode Links
Wildcoast/Costasalvaje
Saving the Gray Whale by Serge Dedina
Wild Sea by Serge Dedina
Surfing the Border by Serge Dedina
Blue Mind by Wallace J. Nichols
Connect with Nature Junkie
If anything in this episode was helpful or stoked you out, please hit the share button and tell a friend, leave an awesome review, or comment so we can bend the algorithms toward nature. Thanks!
Instagram: @naturejunkieradio
Website: www.naturejunkielife.com
Newsletter: Sign Up Here
Email: [email protected]
Production Credits
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry
Outro music by Tyler Johnson
Editing by Aashish M.
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Ben Goldfarb is an independent conservation journalist. His new book Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet was named one of the best books of 2023 by the New York Times. He’s also the author of Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter. He’s the winner of the 2019 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Science, The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, Orion Magazine, Mother Jones, The Guardian, VICE News, and so many more.
Ben’s new book involves a deeper understanding of roadkill than I ever thought I’d have. For example, the average taxpayer cost of a Deer Vehicle Collision runs $6600, and you don’t want to know the cost of a moose collision, but it’s in there too. Thankfully, his book is about so much more than roadkill. Like many of the great books that delve into the world of the things we take for granted, Crossings opens up the twisted history of our roads, the strange and wonderful ways they make animals behave, and the funny and flawed characters who have been innovating new road ecology solutions over the years. Ben and I traverse all of this in our convo along with the potential for skunk superpowers and the amazing influence of mountain lion love stories. And yes, roadtrips will never be the same again.
Episode Links
Ben Goldfarb
Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet
Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter
The Biophilia Hypothesis
P-22 Mountain Lion
Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing
Beth Pratt
Jeff Sikich
Seth Riley
California Roadkill Observation System (CROS)
Wildlands Network
The Center for Large Landscape Conservation
Pew Research Center
National Wildlife Federation
Animal Road Crossing ARC
Path of the Panther
Carlton Ward
Functional Connectivity of the World’s Protected Areas by Angela Brennan et al.
Connect with Nature Junkie
@NatureJunkieRadio on Instagram
Email: [email protected] (submit a microdose of nature by emailing a 30-60 second voice memo with your name, how you microdose nature and how it makes you feel so we can share it with the community)
Newsletter Signup
Show Production Credits
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry (@ahabnimry, https://bigdaytheagency.com/)
Outro music by Tyler Johnson
Editing by Aashish M.
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Welcome! Water photography has been a deep passion of mine for the last decade, which is why I’m stoked to share that we have one of the greats on the show today - San Diego’s Todd Glaser. Todd was a staff photographer at Surfer magazine for over a decade where he landed more than a dozen covers. When Kelly Slater and Rob Machado want to make images, they give Todd a call. As an artist he has amazing range shooting a wide variety of people and lifestyles in water and on land. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Outside, Men’s Health, GQ and the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, in addition to commercial clients like La Mer, HBO, Adobe and many more.
Todd is not only one of the world’s best water photogs, he’s a rabid nature junkie, a morning frother, and a damn fine human. We had so much fun geeking out on nature and photography that we have a two part episode for you.
If you’re landing on Part 2 without having listened to Part 1, I highly encourage you to go back and start with Part 1 for important context. In Part 1 we cover Todd’s early nature exploits, how he thinks about and approaches his craft of photography, his creative influences, and we understand the importance of the early morning hours in Todd’s life. And yes, we geek out a little bit on photo gear and settings as a snack for all the photo hounds out there.
In Part 2, we explore the making of the legendary book and film Proximity, Todd shares his insights about how what he does in the ocean translates back to life on land, he opens up about challenges of navigating social media in this largely post-print world, and of course we learn how Todd microdoses Nature.
Enjoy the ride,
Jeff
Episode Links
Todd Glaser Photography
Todd Glaser on Instagram
Proximity the book
Proximity the movie
Aquatech Housings
Taylor Steele
Castles in the Sky by Taylor Steele
Sipping Jetstreams by Taylor Steele
Steve Sherman
Kelly Slater
Rob Machado
Dave Rastovich
Stephanie Gilmore
Craig Anderson
John John Florence
Albee Layer
Shane Dorian
Connect with Nature Junkie
@NatureJunkieRadio on Instagram
Email: [email protected] (submit a microdose of nature by emailing a 30-60 second voice memo with your name, how you microdose nature and how it makes you feel so we can share it with the community)
Newsletter Signup
Show Production Credits
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry (@ahabnimry, https://bigdaytheagency.com/)
Outro music by Tyler Johnson
Editing by Aashish M.
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Welcome! Water photography has been a deep passion of mine for the last decade, which is why I’m stoked to share that we have one of the greats on the show today - San Diego’s Todd Glaser. Todd was a staff photographer at Surfer magazine for over a decade where he landed more than a dozen covers. When Kelly Slater and Rob Machado want to make images, they give Todd a call. As an artist he has amazing range shooting a wide variety of people and lifestyles in water and on land. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Outside, Men’s Health, GQ and the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, in addition to commercial clients like La Mer, HBO, Adobe and many more.
Todd is not only one of the world’s best water photogs, he’s a rabid nature junkie, a morning frother, and a damn fine human. We had so much fun geeking out on nature and photography that we have a two part episode for you.
If you’re trying to choose between the two, I highly encourage both as they’re packed with Nature Junkie wisdom! In Part 1 we learn about Todd’s early nature exploits, how he thinks about and approaches his craft of photography, his creative influences, and we understand the importance of the early morning hours in Todd’s life. And yes, we geek out a little bit on photo gear and settings as a snack for all the photo hounds out there.
In Part 2 we explore the making of the legendary book and film Proximity, Todd shares his insights about how what he does in the ocean translates back to life on land, he opens up about challenges of navigating social media in this largely post-print world, and of course we learn how Todd microdoses Nature.
Enjoy the ride,
Jeff
Episode Links
Todd Glaser Photography
Todd Glaser on Instagram
Proximity the book
Proximity the movie
Aquatech Housings
Taylor Steele
Castles in the Sky by Taylor Steele
Sipping Jetstreams by Taylor Steele
Steve Sherman
Kelly Slater
Rob Machado
Dave Rastovich
Stephanie Gilmore
Craig Anderson
John John Florence
Albee Layer
Shane Dorian
Connect with Nature Junkie
@NatureJunkieRadio on Instagram
Email: [email protected] (submit a microdose of nature by emailing a 30-60 second voice memo with your name, how you microdose nature and how it makes you feel so we can share it with the community)
Newsletter Signup
Show Production Credits
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry (@ahabnimry, https://bigdaytheagency.com/)
Outro music by Tyler Johnson
Editing by Aashish M.
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This interview is a special one to me and I think it will be for you too. In the mid-90s, I was a professional snowboarder. It was such a fun chapter of my life because snowboarding was in a wildly innovative phase. Tricks were getting technical, jumps were getting bigger, handrails were getting longer, curvier, and more kinked. But like most board sports, snowboarding has many dimensions. One of those is backcountry riding. Unlike the super technical trick nature of park and pipe riding, backcountry riding is more of an art form. It’s marked by the creativity of the line you choose on big, blank canvases, your flow, the style of your air, and how long you can hold your grab. Today’s guest, Elena Hight, has performed at the top of both of these dimensions of snowboarding.
Elena is a 2 time Olympian snowboarder, an X-games gold medalist, she’s the first female to land a frontside 900 in competition at 13 years old, the first snowboarder to land a double backside alley-oop rodeo in a halfpipe contest, she’s the first female to ride the infamous Tahoe Grizzly Spines, she’s graced the cover of many magazines, and it’s a complete honor to have such a badass Nature Junkie on the show.
If you’re worried that we’re going to geek out too hard on trick technicalities, don’t hesitate. We checked that stuff at the door. Instead, this is a conversation about Elena navigating life’s transitions, doing extremely hard things, and learning how to better connect with everything through nature. Whether or not you're a snowboarder, I have no doubt you’ll glean something insightful from this convo. Elena dropped all kinds of Nature wisdom hard-earned from her depth of experience in vast mountain landscapes.
Enjoy the Ride,
Jeff
Episode Links
@ElenaHight on Instagram
Elena Hight’s Website
Elena Hight’s Youtube Channel
Ode to Muir Snowboard Film
Edge of the Earth on Max/HBO
Our Breath Collective
Box Breath
Protect Our Winters (POW) - A non-profit that helps passionate outdoor people protect the places we live and experiences we love from climate change.
Jeremy Jones
Elena’s Full Part in Ark
Creation Theory Film by Arc’teryx
Flying High Again Snowboard Film by Teton Gravity Research and Mike Hatchett
Wet Fur
Continuum
Connect with Nature Junkie
@NatureJunkieRadio on Instagram
Email: [email protected] (submit a microdose of nature by emailing a 30-60 second voice memo with your name, how you microdose nature and how it makes you feel so we can share it with the community)
Newsletter Signup
Show Production Credits
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry (@ahabnimry, https://bigdaytheagency.com/)
Outro music on acoustic guitar by Tyler Johnson
Editing by Aashish M
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Writer Michael Sacasas, or L.M. Sacasas as he’s known by his pen name, is the author of The Convivial Society, a popular newsletter on the intersection of technology and society. His work has been featured in The Atlantic, Vox, the New York Times, and he’s been a guest on The Ezra Klein Show.
I truly enjoy reading Michael’s newsletters because they have depth, they examine topics from multiple angles with nuance, they weave in history and bits of philosophy, and he poses smart questions. As a result, his essays stand out from today’s fast-cut, clickbait, shallow media landscape, with refreshing poise.
In this thoughtful exploration, we use an essay of Michael’s titled, Whose Time? Which Temporality?, as a doorway to examine how digital, consumerist time is becoming dominant, and has no regard for our biology or wellbeing. Then we discuss the value of moving through life’s transitions in tune with the pace of nature’s transitions. In other words, slow, sauntering, gradual. If you’re feeling uneasy about how much digital time is driving the world these days and looking to explore alternative ways of being, I think you’ll leave this conversation with new perspectives.
Enjoy the ride,
Jeff
Episode Links
The Convivial Society - L.M. Sacasas’ Substack
@LMSacasas on X
Whose Time? Which Temporality? by L.M. Sacasas
The Questions Concerning Technology by L.M. Sacasas
Kevin Kelly
Why We Sleep by Matthew walker
The Circadian Code by Satchin Panda
American Technological Sublime by David E. Nye
The Uncontrollability of the World by Hartmut Rosa
Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv
Reconnection by Miles Richardson
The Embers and the Stars by Erazim Kohák
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The Hartman Group
The 4 Day Week Global
Connect with Nature Junkie
@NatureJunkieRadio on Instagram
Email: [email protected] (submit a microdose of nature by emailing a 30-60 second voice memo with your name, how you microdose nature and how it makes you feel so we can share it with the community)
Newsletter Signup
Show Production Credits
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry (@ahabnimry, https://bigdaytheagency.com/)
Outro music on acoustic guitar by Tyler Johnson
Editing by Aashish M
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Tristan Gooley is known as The Natural Navigator. Also nicknamed by some as “The Sherlock Holmes of Nature,” Tristan’s philosophy centers around the idea that humans have an innate ability to navigate and connect with the natural world using observational and intuitive skills.
He has led expeditions in five continents, climbed mountains in Europe, Africa and Asia. He’s walked with and studied the methods of various indigenous peoples in some of the most remote regions on Earth, and he’s the only living person to have both flown solo and sailed single handed across the Atlantic. Tristan is also a prolific writer who has authored several books and educational resources.
In this super fun and informative conversation, Tristan shares with us why natural navigation is a worthy pursuit (especially in this hyper tech world!), he shares his favorite techniques for navigating with nature’s clues, and we get into his latest book, How to Read a Tree. If you’re looking for new ways to experience the outdoors, want to learn about natural navigation, or pick up some techniques on how to read trees, you’re bound to resonate with this episode. Also, if you’re a parent (grandparent, aunt, uncle, sibling, etc.), Tristan's books and educational tools are a great way to foster nature connection in kids.
Enjoy the ride,
Jeff
Episode Links
The Natural Navigator
Tristan’s Instagram
How to Read a Tree by Tristan Gooley
The Lost Art of Reading Nature's Signs: Use Outdoor Clues to Find Your Way, Predict the Weather, Locate Water, Track Animals—and Other Forgotten Skills by Tristan Gooley
The Secret World of Weather: How to Read Signs in Every Cloud, Breeze, Hill, Street, Plant, Animal, and Dewdrop by Tristan Gooley
How to Read Water: Clues and Patterns from Puddles to the Sea by Tristan Gooley
How to Read Nature: Awaken Your Senses to the Outdoors You've Never Noticed by Tristan Gooley
The Natural Navigator, Tenth Anniversary Edition: The Rediscovered Art of Letting Nature Be Your Guide by Tristan Gooley
The Nature Instinct: Learn to Find Direction, Sense Danger, and Even Guess Nature's Next Move Faster Than Thought by Tristan Gooley
The Walker's Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs by Tristan Gooley
The Natural Explorer: Understanding Your Landscape by Tristan Gooley
The Natural Navigator Pocket Guide by Tristan Gooley
Wild Signs & Star Paths by Tristan Gooley
How to Connect with Nature by Tristan Gooley
Natural Navigation Courses by Tristan Gooley
Connect with Nature Junkie
@NatureJunkieRadio on Instagram
Email: [email protected] (submit a microdose of nature by emailing a 30-60 second voice memo with your name, how you microdose nature and how it makes you feel so we can share it with the community)
Newsletter Signup
Show Production Credits
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry (@ahabnimry, https://bigdaytheagency.com/)
Outro music on acoustic guitar by Tyler Johnson
Editing by Aashish M
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Marcelo Bengoechea is a surfer, runner, artist and has been a long time creative director and entrepreneur in the surf and action sports industry for brands like Reef, Seshday, Superbrand, KindHumans. He is currently the general manager at The Studio at Fernando Bengoechea Photography.
In 2004, Marcelo and his family lost his brother Fernando Bengoechea, a world renowned photographer, to the Indian Ocean Tsunami. While Fernando’s boyfriend Nate survived the tsunami in Sri Lanka, Fernando’s body was never recovered.
In this heartfelt conversation we understand the tragic loss of Fernando, how time, meditation, therapy, and medication enabled Marcelo to rediscover his true essence. We talk about the importance of brotherhood. We learn how Marcelo is on a mission to keep his brother’s artwork alive through a spiritual collaboration. We go into depth about how he makes each piece by hand, assisted by his brother, nature, and how he’s really weaving together much more than a couple of photographs. And though we do geek out on photography a bit for the photo nerds, this conversation is a full circle exploration of life, death, art, and creating a life well-lived.
Episode Links
The Studio at Fernando Bengoechea
On Instagram @fernando_bengoechea_photo
Perspectives Space - a community venue dedicated to amplifying impact
The Things that Matter by Nate Berkus
Oprah Winfrey article about Fernando and Nate
Yvon Chouinard
Connect with Nature Junkie
@NatureJunkieRadio on Instagram
Email: [email protected] (submit a microdose of nature by emailing a 30-60 second voice memo with your name, how you microdose nature and how it makes you feel so we can share it with the community)
Newsletter Signup
Show Production Credits
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry (@ahabnimry, https://bigdaytheagency.com/)
Outro music on acoustic guitar by Tyler Johnson
Enjoy the Ride,
Jeff
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Cecil Konijnendijk is widely considered one of the world’s leading experts on urban forestry. He co-leads the Nature Based Solutions Institute, a think tank for the evidence-based greening of cities. He’s also an honorary professor at the University of British Columbia with over 25 years of experience studying, teaching, and advising on aspects of urban forestry and nature-based solutions. In 2021, he launched the 3-30-300 rule for greener and healthier cities, which is being implemented in communities around the world.
In this wisdom-packed conversation, Cecil shares the basis for the 3-30-300 rule he created, how it benefits mental health, cools cities, and improves social cohesion. We get behind the scenes to understand what strategies and tactics are working well to improve forestry in cities, what cities are doing it well, what the challenges are, and what gets politicians to take action. Cecil shares his vision for how future cities will look and feel different, and then we close by understanding how Cecil defines nature and how he microdoses it regularly.
Episode Links
Cecil Konijnendijk @anurbanforester on X
Nature Based Solutions Institute
Evidence-based guidelines for greener, healthier, more resilient neighbourhoods: Introducing the 3–30–300 rule by Cecil Konijnendijk
How to Read a Tree by Tristan Gooley
Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker
Michael Pollan
Falling Fruit a non-profit that helps connect people to the culinary bounty of city streets (i.e. free fruit) to help locate free fruit and connect people around the world
Connect with Nature Junkie
@NatureJunkieRadio on Instagram
Email: [email protected] (submit a microdose of nature by emailing a 30-60 second voice memo with your name, how you microdose nature and how it makes you feel so we can share it with the community)
Newsletter Signup
Show Production Credits
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry (@ahabnimry, https://bigdaytheagency.com/)
Outro music on acoustic guitar by Tyler Johnson
Enjoy the Ride,
Jeff
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Today our guest is a guy who has the word zen in his name, my amigo Luke Wientzen returns to the show for a full length episode. In case you missed it, Luke was on the show for a microdose nature episode #6 where he led us through meditation three ways. Please check that out if you missed it.
Luke Wientzen has been a yoga, breathwork, and mindfulness teacher for the past 15 years and also worked as a public high school special education teacher for 18 years. He’s the Co-Founder of Our Breath Collective and the Founder of Inner Echo.
Luke has been curious his entire life about the greater mystery of this human existence. He has studied with many masters in a wide range of practices, from yoga - for its physical embodiment and therapeutic healing approaches - to various breath techniques, energy medicine, martial arts, and several schools of meditation. Luke passionately shares wisdom from his own direct experiences in the interest of furthering the benefits of healing and awakening to himself and others in his life and communities.
We open up today’s convo with a brief meditation guided by Luke, then dive into his early nature influences feeling the sharp change of seasons, we talk about his journey to each of his practices, how he learned to reframe his relationship with pain from a yoga-induced back injury (including visualizing yourself in the flow walking into Studio 54 in 1977, just groovy with some fresh threads on!). We get into how he weaves together yoga, meditation, and breathwork as gateway practices for revealing your true nature, living in a greater sense of wholeness, and living from the heart. We discuss the subjective similarities between psychedelics and meditation spurred by a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson, and of course we learn how Luke defines nature and how he microdoses it regularly.
Episode Links
@lwzen Luke Wientzen on Instagram
Inner Echo (main place to sign up for work with Luke)
The Yin & Yang of Gerry Lopez documentary by Stacy Peralta
Tias Little
Esalen Institute
Henry Shukman at Mountain Cloud Zen Center
Tim Ferriss Show Podcast (Episode #531): Henry Shukman — Zen, Tools for Awakening, Ayahuasca vs. Meditation, Intro to Koans, and Using Wounds as the Doorway
Tim Ferriss Show Podcast (Episode #560): Zen Master Henry Shukman — 20 Minutes of Calm, Plus the Strange and Powerful World of Koans
Waking Up App by Sam Harris
Dogen
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
Loch Kelly
Huberman Lab podcast
Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson
On Having No Head by Douglas Harding
Kensho
Connect with Nature Junkie
@NatureJunkieRadio on Instagram
Email: [email protected] (submit a microdose of nature by emailing a 30-60 second voice memo with your name, how you microdose nature and how it makes you feel so we can share it with the community)
Newsletter Signup
Show Production Credits
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry (@ahabnimry, https://bigdaytheagency.com/)
Outro music on acoustic guitar by Tyler Johnson
Enjoy the Ride,
Jeff
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Cynthia Lair has written three cookbooks, including “Feeding the Whole Family,” and her latest, “Sourdough on the Rise.” She’s given a TEDx talk on “How to Cut an Onion,” and was the host of the YouTube series “Cookus Interruptus.” Her passion for food and nutrition played out on faculty at Bastyr University from 1994 to 2016 where she created and directed Bastyr’s Bachelor of Science in Nutrition & Culinary Arts degree program. She taught whole foods cooking at the Seattle area’s famous PCC Markets for nearly thirty years, and she’s presented at Dr. Andrew Weill’s annual Health & Nutrition Conference. Her first career was as an actress in New York, theater has always been a part of her life, and more recently she has returned to it full steam performing and teaching improv theater.
It’s an absolute honor to have Cynthia on the show. She was one of my favorite professors as a student at Bastyr University many moons ago because of her amazing depth of food and culinary knowledge combined with her playful teaching style.
In this conversation we begin by understanding how she got into teaching people how to cook and writing her amazing book Feeding the Whole Family. We delve into the messiness of feeding picky eaters and the challenges of getting everyone gathered and happy around the table. We talk about her time at Bastyr University teaching budding doctors the importance of learning to cook. Then we take things deeper in my favorite part, Cynthia’s philosophy of approaching food and cooking as an act of meditation. Then we round it out by sharing the process of creating Cookus Interruptus, a YouTube cooking show she created with some fellow actors that she describes as “Michael Pollan meets Everyone Loves Raymond. Lastly, of course Cynthia shares how she thinks about nature and her tips for microdosing it regularly.
If you’re a parent trying to feed your family and create healthy behaviors around food, or if you are in desperate need for some common sense approaches to eating well, or if you’re looking for ways to get the benefits of meditation without sitting on a cushion, I hope this episode will help replenish your stoke for the kitchen.
Episode Links
https://cynthialair.com/
Feeding the Whole Family: Cooking with Whole Foods: More than 200 Recipes for Feeding Babies, Young Children, and Their Parents
Sourdough on the Rise: How to Confidently Make Whole Grain Sourdough Breads at Home
How to Cut an Onion Ted Talk by Cynthia Lair
Cookus Interruptus
@dottiesourdough on Instagram
Bastyr University
Puget Consumer’s Co-Op (PCC)
Actively Noticing Nature (Not Just Time in Nature) Helps Promote Nature Connectedness by Miles Richardson et al.
Dr. Weil Nutrition & Health Conference
True Food Kitchen
Cooked by Michael Pollan
Connect with Nature Junkie
@NatureJunkieRadio on Instagram
Email: [email protected] (submit a microdose of nature by emailing a 30-60 second voice memo with your name, how you microdose nature and how it makes you feel so we can share it with the community)
Newsletter Signup
Show Production Credits
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry (@ahabnimry, https://bigdaytheagency.com/)
Outro music on acoustic guitar by Tyler Johnson
Enjoy the Ride,
Jeff
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Nature Junkies are always listening when nature speaks. In this Microdose Nature episode of Nature Junkie Radio, we explore the fascinating Biophilia Hypothesis, which is our deep biological attraction to nature. Discover how you can tap into this invisible force and put it into practice daily.
We’ll take a short walk through the history of the Biophilia Hypothesis, how Harvard biologist E.O. Wilson helped put the science on the map, and how you can start to apply it in your own life with simple techniques like “Noticing Nature.”
Episode Links
Eric Fromm
E.O. Wilson
Biophilia by E.O. Wilson
Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Stephen Kellert
The Biophilia Hypothesis Edited by Stephen R. Kellert and Edward O. Wilson
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond
John Muir
Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life by Dacher Keltner
Connect with Nature Junkie
@NatureJunkieRadio on Instagram
Email: [email protected] (submit a microdose of nature by emailing a 30-60 second voice memo with your name, how you microdose nature and how it makes you feel so we can share it with the community)
Newsletter Signup
Show Production Credits
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry (@ahabnimry, https://bigdaytheagency.com/)
Outro music on acoustic guitar by Tyler Johnson
Enjoy the Ride,
Jeff
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Michelle is a professor of journalism at Chaffey College and a contributor to the New York Times, The Alpinist, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and other national publications. She founded The Chaffey Review, which is an award-winning literary journal, she advises student media, teaches poetry and critical thinking in the California State prisons and has been recognized as a Longreads Top 5 for her article on the relationship between environmentalism and hope. She also guides yoga and meditation workshops throughout southern California.
Here’s why I wanted to have Michelle on the show. Even though she grew up in a religious cult, because it was in the mountains of the Angeles National Forest, she grew up deeply connected to nature. And ultimately, she ended up drawing upon everything she learned from nature - perhaps most importantly resilience - to survive. This conversation with Michelle is about her new memoir Forager: Field Notes for Surviving a Family Cult, her life then, now, and the role nature connection has played throughout.
Even though most of us didn’t grow up in cults, and probably won’t ever be in one, her story delves into the messy dynamics of family relationships, searching inside ourselves to discover who we are, and also simply figuring out what’s safe to eat, which is something we can all relate to.
Episode Links
Michelle Dowd
@michelledowdz on Instagram
Forager: Field Notes for Surviving a Family Cult
Huberman Lab
The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter
The Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv
Pine Nuts
Dive! by Jeremy Seifert
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Nia Somatic Exercise
Savasana
USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
Dr. Steven Hassan/Freedom of Mind Resource Center
Your Undivided Attention podcast episode with Dr. Steven Hassan
Connect with Nature Junkie
@NatureJunkieRadio on Instagram
Email: [email protected] (submit a microdose of nature by emailing a 30-60 second voice memo with your name, how you microdose nature and how it makes you feel so we can share it with the community)
Newsletter Signup
Show Production Credits
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry (@ahabnimry, https://bigdaytheagency.com/)
Outro music by Tyler Johnson
Enjoy the Ride,
Jeff
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Christian Beamish is surfer, shaper, boat builder, sailor, and writer. He shapes beautifully rippable surfboards under his Surfboards California label and is a regular contributor to The Surfer’s Journal. He’s also the author of the book, The Voyage of the Cormorant, a memoir that chronicles the building of a boat with his own hands, and sailing it down the Baja, Mexico coastline against sound advice in search of secluded surf, a deeper connection with himself and nature.
In this convo we talk about what it feels like to ride waves and Christian’s approach to shaping boards that spans from rippable shortboards to more soulful “point-and-shoot” models. We discuss Christian’s concept of blood memory, his early exploits in coastal vastness and backpacking that catalyzed a life of chasing nature. And of course, we chat about many of the themes in his book, The Voyage of the Cormorant, like the generosity of people you meet in the wild, and moving at the pace of whales instead of digital clocks. Though we’ll always be working on this one, we attempt to figure out how to tap into the “Real Time” of nature, whether out on the open ocean, or stuck in what Christian calls the Technological Maw of modern life. This one will make you want to build things with your hands, follow your curiosity and create challenging life experiences that are both romantic and radical.
Episode Links:
http://christianbeamish.com/
Voyage of the Cormorant by Christian Beamish
Christian on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/christianbeamish/
Surfboards California on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/surfboardscalifornia/
Christian’s Board Showroom - 500 Maple Avenue Carpinteria, CA 93013
Island Brewing
Coastal View monthly column It’s All Surfing by Christian Beamish
The Surfer’s Journal
Navy Seabees
Britt Merrick
Al Merrick
Aqualife Ponds by Dave Misterly
The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan and Alan Vermilye
Iain Oughtred Isle of Skye boat plans
WoodenBoat Magazine
Epigenetics
José Guadalupe Posada
The 3-Day Effect by Florence Williams
Tom Morey
Surf is Where you Find It by Gerry Lopez
Patagonia
Ryan Lovelace
Connect with Nature Junkie:
@naturejunkieradio on Instagram
Newsletter Signup
Submit a Microdose of Nature
Email: [email protected]
Show Production Credits:
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry (@ahabnimry, https://bigdaytheagency.com/)
Outro Music by Tyler Johnson
Enjoy the ride,
Jeff
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Microdose Nature is a series of short episodes of Nature Junkie Radio where the aim is to immerse you in nature through direct experience, short lessons, practical tips, or all of the above.
Luke Wientzen has been a yoga, breathwork, and mindfulness teacher for the past 15 years and also worked as a public high school special education teacher for 18 years. He’s the Co-Founder of Our Breath Collective and the Founder of Inner Echo.
Luke has been curious his entire life about the greater mystery of this human existence. He has studied with many masters in a wide range of practices, from yoga - for its physical embodiment and therapeutic healing approaches - to various breath techniques, energy medicine, martial arts, and several schools of meditation. Luke passionately shares wisdom from his own direct experiences in the interest of furthering the benefits of healing and awakening to himself and others in his life and communities.
In this episode we’ll immerse you step-by-step into three short, guided meditations. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never tried meditation or you’re a master, this is a great place to begin to help replenish your stoke. You’ll want to favorite this one so you have it handy anytime you need a little reset.
Episode Links
Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki
Waking Up app by Sam Harris
Ram Dass
Ram Dass, Fierce Grace movie
Inner Echo
@lwzen Luke Weintzen on Instagram
Our Breath Collective
Newsletter Signup
Submit a Microdose of Nature
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry (@ahabnimry, https://bigdaytheagency.com/)
Outro Music by Tyler Johnson
Enjoy the ride,
Jeff
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Microdose Nature is a series of short episodes of Nature Junkie Radio where the aim is to immerse you in nature through direct experience, short lessons, practical tips, or all of the above.
Today we’ll immerse you into the simple, restorative pleasure of swimming under waves. In this step-by-step microdose nature mission, Jeff guides us through arriving at the beach, dropping into the present moment, swimming under the waves, and how to notice all of the sensations as a way to replenish your stoke.
Episode Links
Blue Mind by Wallace J. Nichols
Fish People documentary by Keith Malloy
Come Hell or High Water documentary by Keith Malloy
The Plight of the Torpedo People by Dave Parmenter, Bruce Jenkins, Chris Burkard, Keith Malloy, Jeff Johnson
On the Bubble by Mike Stewart in The Surfer’s Journal (subscription required)
Newsletter Signup
Submit a Microdose of Nature
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry (@ahabnimry, https://bigdaytheagency.com/)
Enjoy the ride,
Jeff
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Justin Wilkenfeld is a friend, a surfer, he was the 4th employee at iconic lifestyle brand GoPro, and played an integral role in growing that company into a global success. More recently, he became the co-founder and CEO of KindHumans, a social and eco friendly online marketplace that is B-Corp Certified, a member of 1% For the Planet, is Carbon Neutral Certified, and gives back 3% of every sale to non-profits.
In this convo we discover how Justin’s early family trips to a lake in upstate New York opened up his mind to the wonders of nature, especially when he didn’t have permission. Justin tells the serendipitous story of how being a student at the University of California San Diego and a regular surfer at Blacks Beach landed him a job at GoPro as it was about to go on a meteoric rise. We nerd out on the uniqueness of building purpose-driven, lifestyle brands and how it shaped his punk rock brand sensibilities that ultimately fueled the birth of KindHumans. Then we dive down the rabbit hole of what it takes to create an impact brand from the ground up - including the struggles of dealing with social media and innovating nature-friendly products when the system seems to push back at every turn. Justin also shares his nature-stacking techniques for bringing himself into the present moment as a grounding pre-surf ritual. This one will help stir the juices of what it means to intertwine fun, purpose, impact, and beautiful storytelling with our work.
Newsletter Signup
Submit a Microdose of Nature
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry (@ahabnimry, https://bigdaytheagency.com/)
Enjoy the Ride,
Jeff
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Tim Shields is a desert biologist specializing in the desert tortoise. He’s authored, co-authored, and illustrated numerous scientific papers and his perspectives on conservation biology have been featured in BBC World News, CNN, Audubon Magazine, the Los Angeles Times Magazine, and the Sierra Club to name a few. He’s also the founder of Hardshell Labs, a group of biologists and engineers focused on creating humane solutions to help control bird damage. Tim is also the protagonist in a new short documentary film called Ecohack!, which is a powerful yet playful take on saving the desert tortoise.
I have to admit, I never thought I’d have a deep conversation about the desert tortoise, but we did and we went well beyond that. What made this conversation fun is that Tim Shields isn’t your average biologist. He’s a deep thinker and a creative guy who joined forces with some young techies to create innovative solutions to re-balancing ecosystems. We discuss the importance of levity in environmental storytelling and solutions creation. Yes, we learn a thing or two about the plight of the desert tortoise but we also get into using lasers, drones, and 3D printing to encourage behavior change for ravens. Tim also shares the massive potential for turning online gaming into ecosystem conservation and muses on his meaning of nature. And not to be missed, he regaled us with a story from the time he played a game of nearly naked chicken with a mojave rattlesnake. This one gives rise to a whole new way of thinking about ecosystem balance.
Newsletter Signup
Submit a Microdose of Nature
Podcast cover art by Ahab Nimry (@ahabnimry, https://bigdaytheagency.com/)
Enjoy the Ride,
Jeff
- Näytä enemmän
