Episodes
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Carolyn recalls romanticizing the woods after spending time with her father among the majestic Redwoods.
Her connection to the forest deepened when she later, within her studies, traveled to Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Surrounded by their rich forests, she was struck by a profound realization that changed her career path: these forests and their biodiversity were deeply intertwined with agriculture.
This insight revealed to her how Western culture often approached growing food incorrectly, while some local communities used practices that regenerate the environment, doing the exact opposite.
What was her experience there? What is agroforestry? And how can agriculture help nature regenerate itself? Join Carolyn Hirshon, a PhD student at the University of Rhode Island and the host of The Farmers I Know podcast, as we explore the world of sustainable food systems.
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Connect with Carolyn: https://www.instagram.com/thefarmersiknow/
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Gabriela has always felt at home where she grew up, on a guest house farm on the Portuguese coast. Despite often leaving her land to travel and work, deep down she knew that, like indigenous trees, she belonged to that place.
But one summer day, a wildfire swept through her father's land, devouring everything around. Her father was evacuated, leaving the fire time to pass. And when he returned to his lands, thinking that everything would be gone, his house was nearly intact.
If we tell you this story today, it's not only a testimony to the resilience of nature but Gabriela's own journey. Gabriela started to explore wildfires and understand the cultural issues behind these events, changing her vision of this element.
Join us as we follow Gabriela, a photographer, event curator, and coach, exploring the intersections of art, creativity, and ecology as we uncover the stories hidden within forests and wildfires, illuminating important issues that we once forgot.
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Connect with Garbiela: https://www.instagram.com/gabrielala.m/
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Dorcas grew up in Kenya, where her father instilled in her the value of planting trees—his farm was full of trees and coffee plants. Dorcas also recalls the generational stories that were passed along: they once had forests full of trees that have now been cut down. These stories sparked a deeper appreciation for nature within her. While she once overlooked tree-cutting on farms, believing it would bring other benefits, Dorcas's perspective shifted over time.
With eye-opening studies in marine science management, Dorcas founded the Mazingira Pamoja Initiative, dedicated to empowering women and girls. Among its projects, the initiative focuses on restoring mangroves on Funzi Island.
What are Dorcas's experiences in planting mangroves with local communities, and why does she view forest ecosystems as essential?
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Connect with Dorcas: https://www.instagram.com/dorcaswakio/
Support the Mozengida Pamoje Initiative: https://www.instagram.com/mazingirapamoja/
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Rūta's upbringing was enriched by her mother's presence and the wisdom of her grandmother, a passionate geologist deeply connected to the natural world and its spiritual essence.
When her grandmother faced a grave illness, Rūta found herself pondering: “If we were able to present the diagnosis with a very different approach, how would people heal?” This question ignited her journey into psychology, intertwined with her understanding of biology.
As a dedicated researcher, writer, and facilitator of multi-species imagination, Rūta immersed herself in interpreting the human psyche through the lens of nature. Exploring the innate mechanisms of regeneration and embracing co-creation with the natural world, she sought to unravel the mysteries of the psyche and promote healing.
What symbolism does the forest hold? And what profound insights does nature offer about ourselves?
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Connect with Rūta: https://www.instagram.com/r_u__ta/
Read Rūta's articles: https://rutazem.substack.com/
Sympoiesis: https://www.instagram.com/sympoiesis.world/
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Ana was raised in Venezuela with her family, who had been cattle farmers for generations. They, from whom she inherited Indigenous ancestry, maintained a deep connection to the land.
However, due to increased governmental pressure, she was compelled to leave with her parents for Canada, thus becoming separated from her family, homeland, and culture.
Growing up far from her ancestors' lands, Ana found solace through meaningful encounters and the nature around her. By exploring the forest whenever possible, observing her surroundings, foraging, and learning the names of the trees, she cultivated a sense of belonging to her new environment. Embracing her Indigeneity, Ana's worldview evolved.
How did she forge this profound bond with the forest, and what experiences did she encounter there? Follow Ana's journey as a forager, activist, and influencer.
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Connect with Ana: https://www.instagram.com/ana.inthewild/
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After a long journey that took her from writing poems to strangers, to the Shakespeare & Company bookstore café in Paris, and to an immersive writing experience in a forest in Sweden, Billimarie found herself back in her mother's garden. "This is a man-made woods," Billimarie recalled a phrase that had struck her during her time in Sweden. "Man-made," she thought.
Meanwhile, her mother, wise and attuned to nature, understood the needs of her plants instinctively, without relying on science or other methods. Witnessing her mother's connection with nature, Billimarie felt compelled to pass on this knowledge to her own daughter.
What could be more beautiful than nurturing the dream of a greener world, where such a connection is not only cherished but also achievable?
This is why she decided to create her own dream, a forest oasis in the desert.
How did she reach this point? Join us as we dive into Billimarie's creative journey.
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Connect with Billimarie:https://www.linkedin.com/in/bee0robinson/
Billimarie's Ecofarm project: https://www.instagram.com/foreverystaratree/
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Welcome to Season 2 of Terra Stories.
What’s on the agenda? FORESTS. 🪲🌳🌲🪵🍄 Specifically, “Reviving Forests Roots” explores forest ecosystems and their wisdom, deepening the intrinsic links between nature and humanity through the people who live and listen to it. It’s a journey to our roots, steeped in stories, to imagine, rediscover, and reconnect with the natural world and our ancestral origins.
This first episode is a brief introduction to the series. I wanted to share something with you, focusing on forests, my connection to them, and how my perspective has evolved. Whether my words resonate with you or not, that’s the beauty and purpose of this series. It acknowledges that our experiences with nature differ due to cultural backgrounds and perspectives. I reflect on the stories I’ve been told by those around me, the myths and folklore that shaped me, and explore alternative narratives to deepen our connection with our rooted selves.
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Naima's father has always taken care of his garden as if he were hiding a secret within it. Naima couldn't help but wonder, 'how could such a tough person have such a tenderness to care for the plants, the fruits that grew on the trees, and the birds that latched on them.'
It wasn't until she re-entered that sacred space, a few years after painful events, that Naima began to unravel the precious mysteries her father nurtured within his garden.
In the midst of pain, that garden became the doorway to her interest in nature, caring for the little things, the simple things. She found life lessons hidden in the trees, discovered comfort in its presence, and drew meaning from its richness.
What did she learn and what is the wisdom hidden in every garden?
Join us as we immerse ourselves in the soft words of Naima's poetry, where, as a writer, poet, performer, and nature advocate, she unravels the emotions hidden within the heart of her father’s garden.
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Connect with Naima: https://www.instagram.com/naimaaishalemu_/
Naima's website: https://msha.ke/naimaaishalemu#articles-and-books
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Justine's grandfather had a passion for photographing trees, particularly those with character. This made him a man who knew how to find wonder in the small things.
Justine found her grandfather's legacy to be a guiding light amid the growing waves of the haunting melodies of a changing world.
As she embarked on her own odyssey, she understood that the wonders of the world weren't just confined to the grandiose; they flourished in the hidden corners of the Earth, just waiting for someone to see them.
Justine is now a writer, she believes that words and the stories we build with them have the ability to unveil the wonders we often overlook.
What brought Justine back to seeing the wonder in the small things?
Dive into this new episode and open your eyes to the wonders of the natural world.
⭐ Do you want to support Terra Stories? Add 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Connect with Justine: https://www.linkedin.com/in/justine-payton-34a13222b/
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Birungi's journey starts with her ancestors, who always found inspiration in nature for their creative work.
Through the use of banana tree fibers, bark cloth, and batik techniques native to Uganda, they crafted various forms of art that shaped her childhood. This left her with a profound respectful relationship with the natural world, driving her to revisit these traditions and incorporate them into her own life, leading her to become a collage artist and art tutor.
Influenced by her roots, nature, Black feminism, and Afro-somatic movement, Birungi employs her art as a means to explore ways of achieving well-being within a community.
How did Birungi's origins impact her childhood? Why did she choose natural materials for her art, inspired by her ancestral traditions? How can this art promote healing?
Dive into the vibrant colors, textures, and movement of Birungi's mindful art as we explore these questions and more in this episode.
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Connect with Daiva: https://virtuallyrooted.com/
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Daiva's journey began in Lithuania, where rich cultural folklore wove a profound love for the performing arts into the very core of her being.
During her exploration of diverse talents and encounters with pivotal figures, Daiva paused, allowing the peaceful silence of nature to guide her. In that serene moment, she not only listened but also embarked on a new path.
Leaving everything behind, she followed the footsteps of permaculture and regenerative design, choosing to infuse these principles into both her life and her vocation as an ethical marketer.
What were the pivotal milestones in Daiva's life? How did she learn to attune herself to nature's wisdom and draw inspiration from it?
Join us as we dive into Daiva's story in response to Earth’s call.
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Connect with Daiva: https://virtuallyrooted.com/
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"It's not an appropriate job for women"; Favour had to face numerous challenges and obstacles when she decided to pursue a career in forestry: the opposition of her family and societal norms.
Yet, this hasn't stopped her from exploring her connection with nature, driven by her love for the environment and the desire to make a difference.
Something she deeply inherited from her grandmother, a dedicated farmer in the village who taught her about nature's enchanting beauty, its secrets, its mechanisms and our duty to honor it.
How did she counter this? How does she use her experience to inspire young women to follow in her footsteps? How did she embrace the forests against all odds?
Dive into Favour's story in the heart of Nigeria.
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Connect with Favour: https://www.linkedin.com/in/favour-ayedun/
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Ana and Andrea inherited important knowledge from their great-grandmother.
She was a wise woman who left the highlands for the coast to secure her family's future.
She believed that if you have received any good opportunity to have a better life, you shouldn't forget to open up those opportunities to the people around you and who will come.
Ana and Andrea grew up in the village of Chepén, Peru, where the impact of climatic events on their families and community sparked reflection on what can be done to build more unified and sustainable futures.
How have Ana and Andrea perpetuated their ancestral knowledge? Why is knowledge sharing important? How do they help local communities take part in nature restoration?
Dive into Ana and Andrea's fascinating story.
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Connect with Ana: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anayisoto/
Connect with Andrea: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-g%C3%B3mez-0177b2224/
Crea Planeta: https://creaplaneta.org/
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Dawa Yangi Sherpa is a Sherpa-Nepali woman, who grew up in a culture where mountains are deities and nature is an entity to be respected.
As she grew up and moved from Nepal to India and then to the United States, she embarked on a path that called her and led her to reconnect with her roots, rediscovering the wisdom and knowledge of her ancestors.
What did she learn? Does reconnecting with nature mean reconnecting with our roots? Is traditional knowledge the key to the world we envision?
Take a journey to the Himalayas and discover Dawa's fascinating story.
(Dawa is a member of Cooperative Climate Futures (CCF) and Network of Sherpa Students & Professionals (NNSP). She currently works as the Social Safeguards Technical Specialist with the Rights & Communities Program at the Wildlife Conservation Society)
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Connect with Dawa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dawa-yangi-sherpa/
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Have you ever heard stories where rivers are sacred, healing, and creative?
Well, let us tell you one:
Tessel is a Dutch artist, who was lulled by the sound of rivers, waterfalls and waves, who developed an admiration for the natural world, its shapes, colors, and secrets.
The secrets that fascinated her as a child, watching time go by through the movements of water, and that she began to unravel as she grew older, after numerous dips in the cold Swiss rivers.
Why did it help her to clear her mind, think, and feel at home?
Why is water an essential resource, both scientifically and spiritually?
She continued to explore these secrets through some research and visiting different communities around the world - gaining insights about the different ways in which people connect to water.
And above all, transcribing them, through her art, where the "feminine" has a special place within this resource.
Let yourself be carried away by the gentle current of the inspiring world of Tessel.
⭐ Do you want to support Terra Stories? Add 5 stars on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Connect with Tessel: https://www.tesselvanderputte.com/
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Sources:
- Richard Louv, Last Child In The Woods
- Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha
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Natalie Sifuma grew up in Nairobi and spent most of her childhood living close to the Arboretum, an oasis near the city center.
It was here that she first had a love for trees, but it wasn't until she started working with a storytelling firm in 2017 that she found a creative way to connect with people, places, and the environment, and begin using stories to share information.
In January, Natalie visited the Nairobi Arboretum on her way to work, and this inspired her to write a story: Nairobi Arboretum, The City's Green Oasis
What is the history of the Arboretum? Has it changed since @Natalie’s childhood? What will she experience there?
Travel to the Nairobi Arboretum with Natalie Sifuma, Head of Communications at SHE changes Climate, and go through her childhood memories, her deep and colorful vision of nature that surrounds her, and her connection to trees.
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Asmita is a young woman from western Nepal who recently completed her Bachelor's in Forestry from Tribhuwan University.
When she was a child, her parents, originally from the mountains of Nepal, used to draw their resources from nature, like the Ayurvedic products they added to their tea.
Asmita, at the age of six or seven, did not want to go to school anymore - which her father agreed to on the condition that she do the daily chores around the house. So he took her to the community forest and had her carry the fuel wood home.
Asmita found herself feeling very cold in the foggy forest and scared that a wild animal would attack them. Soon after, she realized that no wild animal would be there and that education was so important.
It was also what slowly accentuated her innate interest in nature, forests and the greener future that she could, with her knowledge, draw.
How has Asmita learned, through her education and experience, to protect and manage forests? How do people in Nepal connect to nature through forests? How to make sure that the products of the forests are distributed equally to all?
Let yourself be guided by the story of Asmita and dive into the life-giving forests of Nepal.
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Ashley is a storyteller, she first started by searching for fossils at her grandmother's house and saving the trees in her garden.She traveled to the Caribbean, saw the rainforest, and was blown away by the fact that the local people ate termites because of their amount of protein and how the termites lived with tree species.
Growing up, Ashley wanted to study biology and become an artist. Although specializations like those in the United States diverged, she couldn't stop doing both.
As a result, she decided to study anthropology, nestling her in a perfect way. It aligned with how she saw things already coexisting and having these connections siloed in other forms of study.
However, during all this time, she met many people with intuitive wisdom about themselves and the natural world, who had incredible things to say and who inspired her.
That's how she finally found herself, looking at stories, thinking she could reach people, support them and tell their stories. She wanted to create an environment where we were more self-reflective and could listen.And above all, she needed reciprocity.
How did she get there?
Who did she meet on her way?
How and why was storytelling the solution?
What did she learn about scientific communications?
Ashley, Director of Storytelling and Marketing for Communications and Partnerships at the Jane Goodall Institute in the USA, will take you on her journey to cultivate reciprocity through hopeful storytelling.
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Ready to reconnect to yourself and nature?
Source: Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass
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Cecilia lives in the center of Argentina, in a region that is a wetland, having one of the biggest rivers in South America. She is an environmental advocate, a COP26 Youth Delegate & COP27 Young Negotiator.
As a student, she spent many years learning about the importance of her lands, about how rich the biodiversity was, and how her Indigenous ancestors used to live from what they could get from the ground.
However, due to climate change, in 2020, Argentina experienced the worst drought in history. It stopped raining, and they are still suffering from the driest season of all time. Slowly, they’ve seen nature die, and later on that year, agriculture took over all those lands, put it on fire and they are growing meat where they used to have one of the richest wildlife in the country.
What lessons did she learn?
How has resilience taught her core values?
How does she see the world of tomorrow?
Cecilia will take you into her history, her culture and how from a devastating event her resilience made her learn an essential life lesson, full of positive action and hope for the future that you can make your own.
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Ready to reconnect to yourself and nature?
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Have you ever felt part of something bigger, something that the world we created did not manifest? Well, we are part of nature, nature is the great center of everything, it is our home and where we come from.
For this second introductory episode, I’m happy to introduce you to Tania Roa, a wildlife, environmental and social justice advocate.
Tania will take you on a rethinking path of our place on Earth from Anthropocentrism to Ecocentrism, she will share with you her passion for nature, her origins, guide you to re-imagine the world you live in and share with you the actions you can take to act for Planet Earth and reconnect to nature, what you are part of.
⭐ Do you want to support Terra Stories? You can give strength by giving your opinion and stars on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Let us know on social media if you liked the episode and follow our updates:
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