For The Wild

The ubiquity of water is demonstrated in almost everything we come into contact with. It’s responsible for everyday objects like blue jeans, bread, and coffee, it rushes through pipes below our feet, is necessary for industrial violence like fracking, mapped through watersheds, exists as a healing modality, and is also a great source of pleasure - yet most of us take water for granted as a mundane necessity, rarely stopping to look at how tightly water is woven into politics, science, and the economy. This week on the podcast we look at the power and ubiquity of water in a world where it is becoming scarce with guest Andrea Ballestero. Andrea explores the tensions that exist between a human right and a commodity, water futures, pricing mechanisms, the fallacy of rationing and block pricing, and water scarcity. Andrea Ballestero is Associate Professor of Anthropology at Rice University and she is also the founder and director of the Ethnography Studio. Her background includes a law degree, training in Natural Resource Policy, and a Ph.D. in anthropology. Her recent book, A Future History of Water, examines the daily work of implementing the human right to water in Costa Rica and in Northeast Brazil. This book is open access and available for download for free on her website. Dr. Ballestero is currently researching cultural imaginaries of the underground in Costa Rica, particularly aquifers. Her research and all of her publications can be found at https://andreaballestero.com/.Music by The Pit-Yak Aiodoi, Palo-Mah (Suculima), and Jahnavi Veronica.Visit our website at forthewild.world for the full episode description, references, and action points.Support the show

Environmental and ecological sustainability movements have often negated their complicity in white supremacy, heteronormativity, patriarchy, and capitalism, citing that their pursuits and causes are objectively positive because they are on behalf of the so-called “natural world.” This week on the podcast, we dig deeper into this topic with Guy Ritani and Toad Andrew Dell of PermaQueer. We discuss greenwashing, queering permaculture, what culturally relevant permaculture looks like, the ethics of frugality, and the importance of recognizing our responsibility in the web of things. PermaQueer is an ecological education project that focuses on accessibility to LGBTQIA and BIPOC folx. Toad and Guy who run PermaQueer, teach Permaculture through a queer lens with attention to the decolonization of its practices with more inclusion and access to marginal demographics. To them, permaculture provides a method of accessing and managing resources that care for communities needs with relatively small financial inputs. Music by Eliza Edens and India Blue and Joshu.Visit our website at forthewild.world for the full episode description, references, and action points.Support the show

“I validate the idea that survival is the ultimate act of creation in a world that has reduced us to fascist arithmetic, of being a quantitative statistic, not a human soul. So we still found a way to care, love, and create - isn't that art? I teach people to decipher the art that they’re already doing, recognize the artistry and the everyday miracles of life around them, and create from that place.” This week we immerse ourselves in the aforementioned call to recognize the myriad of creations all around us from guest ALOK, who guides us in an ever-expansive dialogue around spiritual wellbeing, the importance of creative literacy, and the tremendous freedom that awaits us when we make gender unknowable. We begin our conversation by foregrounding the importance of moving out of the paradigm of understanding trans and queer as something that is exclusive to the body. Instead, ALOK shares how challenging the gender binary is not only in service to our collective wellbeing but is a reverential offering in acknowledging our true celestial expansiveness that has been dimmed under binarism, heteronormativity, and colonialism. ALOK is a gender non-conforming writer and performance artist. Their distinctive style and poetic challenge to the gender binary have been internationally renowned. As a mixed-media artist Alok uses poetry, prose, comedy, performance, fashion design, and portraiture to explore themes of gender, race, trauma, belonging, and the human condition. They are the author of Femme in Public (2017) and Beyond the Gender Binary (2020).Music by Soda Lite, Rising Appalachia, and Lady Moon & The Eclipse. Visit our website at forthewild.world for the full episode description, references, and action points.Support the show

“There's no magical return. We're not all going to return to an unblemished time in history, and if we know that...what do we have to do? Who needs to have conversation with whom? Who needs to heal what relationship? Who needs to ask for what permission? Who needs to offer something back?” This week on the podcast, Prentis Hemphill offers us these questions in conversation about how we can be in relationship with each other at this very moment in time. In recognition of the tremendous intricacies of our experiences when it comes to our collective histories, forced severances, and the manipulation of trauma in our society, Prentis shares how embodiment is a resource that allows us to connect with the Earth, recognize grief as an entry point, and shape the impossible into possible. Prentis Hemphill is a movement facilitator, Somatics teacher, and practitioner, working at the convergence of healing, collective transformation, and political organizing. At present, Prentis is the founder and leader of The Embodiment Institute and The Black Embodiment Initiative as well as host of the Finding Our Way Podcast.Music by Tan Cologne, This Flame I Carry, and The Breath.Visit our website at forthewild.world for the full episode description, references, and action points.Support the show

This week on the podcast we begin our conversation with Dr. Michael Lujan Bevacqua by discussing Guåhan’s incredibly layered history, as well as the CHamoru history that predates any colonial narrative by thousands of years. With an understanding of how Guåhan (Guam) ended up as a “territory” of the United States, Michael shares the current efforts to decolonize Guåhan and instill strong self-governance. Within this conversation, we turn our attention towards the importance of self-governance and sovereignty amidst climate change, considering that so many U.S. territories are often left to navigate the aftermath of climate emergencies with zero support from the same government that seeks to endlessly exploit their resources. Michael Lujan Bevacqua, Ph.D. taught Guam History and Chamoru language at the University of Guam for 10 years and helped found its Chamorro Studies Program, the only one of its kind in the world. With his brother Jack, they run a creative collective called The Guam Bus which publishes Chamoru language books, comics, and learning materials. He is the co-chair for the community group Independent Guåhan, which is dedicated to educating the island of Guam on the possibilities should it decolonize and become a sovereign, independent country. He is a member of the Kabesa and Bittot clans on Guam.Music by Fabian Almazan Trio, Dumpster Full of Dragons, and I Goodfriend. Visit our website at forthewild.world for the full episode description, references, and action points.Support the show

We begin this week with reverence for sharks as kin that have inhabited Earth’s waters for 450 million years, an existence that even predates trees. These apex predators embody a deep resilience and commitment to their place in this world, however, like many of the ocean’s inhabitants, sharks cannot handle commercial exploitation at the scale of which global capitalism demands. A demand which is vastly different from subsistence fishing. In conversation with guest Stefanie Brendl, we learn how sharks regulate the ocean’s ecosystem, the ramification of dwindling shark populations, and the many reasons that the market for shark, ray, and skate meat has more than doubled since the early 1990s; ranging from the depletion of other fish stocks to the burgeoning pet food, cosmetic, and wellness industries. Additionally, we explore the United State’s complicity as the 7th largest shark-fishing country in the world and the significance of understanding our own Fisheries Act in context to multilateral treaties like the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna. Stefanie Brendl is an advocate for sharks, and a creative and social entrepreneur that leads campaigns and projects in all corners of this planet. As founder and executive director of Shark Allies and team member of various NGO coalitions, she has dedicated her last two decades to bringing greater protection to sharks.Music by Bird by Snow, Handmade Moments, and Left Vessel. Visit our website at forthewild.world for the full episode description, references, and action points.Support the show

This week we are rebroadcasting our interview with Pádraig Ó Tuama, originally aired in September of 2019. The Isle of Éire (Ireland) is rich with stories held by the land, both ancient and modern, laden with both fierce culture and colonial violence. Pádraig Ó Tuama perceives these complex layers of history with acute insights into the lingering impacts of imperialism and sectarianism that have divided Ireland. By acknowledging deeply rooted cultural pain, Pádraig calls for Irish, English, and the rest of us to heal by reckoning with the past and embracing the creative potential held within our differences. Enter a poetic journey where the land awaits us beyond the divide of borders, history, and suffering. Ayana and Pádraig explore the language of uncommon belonging; how we must learn from our shame, the life cycle of violence, and how to confront the inheritance of privilege. Poet and theologian, Pádraig Ó Tuama’s work centers around themes of language, power, conflict, and religion. Pádraig presents Poetry Unbound with On Being Studios and in late 2019 was named Theologian in Residence for On Being, innovating in bringing art and theology into public and civic life. From 2014-2019 he was the leader of the Corrymeela Community, Ireland’s oldest peace and reconciliation community. Music by Peia.Visit our website at forthewild.world for the full episode description, references, and action points.Support the show

British Columbia’s government has claimed that over 20% of “their” forests still contain old-growth, but a recent independent study found only 2.7% could truly be classified as such. Despite the reality that such little of this ancient ecosystem remains, B.C. government and corporations continue to log across unceded forests. For this reason, in August of 2020, when it was revealed that Teal-Jones Group would begin road construction to log within the Fairy Creek Watershed, forest defenders quickly mobilized to halt logging operations throughout unceded Pacheedaht and Ditidaht territories. This week on For The Wild podcast we bring you an on the ground interview between Maia Wikler and xʷ is xʷ čaa (Kati George-Jim) that goes beyond old-growth logging and big tree activism to explore Indigenous sovereignty, the responsibility of bearing witness, the importance of distinguishing between short term actions and a long term movement-building, and the connections between land desecration and linguistic colonization. xʷ is xʷ čaa is Tsuk and W̱SÁNEĆ, “of the land, not the band nation”. The niece of Pacheedaht elder, Bill Jones, Kati has been leading the movement with Rainforest Flying Squad blockading attempts by Teal-Jones to log some of the last remaining intact ancient temperate rainforests on southern Vancouver Island within Pacheedaht territory. Maia Wikler is PhD student, climate justice organizer, and writer. Her research focuses on memory as a tool of resistance and resilience in the face of corporate abuse, specifically related to deforestation and the climate crisis.Music by Lake Mary, Forest Veil, The Range of Light Wilderness, and Ali Dineen.Visit our website at forthewild.world for the full episode description, references, and action points.Support the show

So often fungi are pitched as being at the forefront of innovation, whether being used to create vegan leather, pharmaceuticals, or being incorporated into various biotechnology products, but this fixation on innovation can obscure our ancestral relationship to fungi and the wisdom they can share with us about decomposition. This week, we slow down to acknowledge the beauty and power of fungal decomposition with guest Giuliana Furci who shares a lesson in divine time, the transformation of energy, and the necessity of decomposition. Take a moment this week to learn about fungi’s profound interspecies companionship and the simple reality that the world cannot regenerate itself without fungi. Additionally, to learn even more about these topics, look into supporting Fungi Foundation by joining them for their Fungi Foundation Virtual Speaker Event and Fundraiser on June 26th via their profile and webpage. Giuliana Furci is foundress and CEO of the Fungi Foundation, the first international non-profit dedicated to fungi and founded in Chile. She is also the first female mycologist in Chile. For more information about her work visit www.ffungi.org.Music by Roma Ransom, Rajna Swaminathan, and Julio Kinto.Visit our website at forthewild.world for the full episode description, references, and action points.Support the show

This year approximately 42 million people will experience food insecurity in the United States, a perverse number when put in context to the surplus of food many of us have access to. In this week’s episode, we look at the work of Virginia Free Farm with guest Amyrose Foll. By providing free produce, plants, seeds, chicken, and ducks Virginia Free Farm is addressing the quality of food offered to their community, while also working to strengthen their local foodshed by getting more folks involved in gardening and small-scale farming. Amyrose continues to create a powerful example of how we can make meaningful interventions within the existing food system while also working on building an alternative model where everyone's health and wellbeing is prioritized. Amyrose is an enrolled tribal member of the Abenaki, a veteran of the U.S. Army, and alumni of both Cornell University's College of Agriculture and Life Science, and S.C. Johnson Graduate School Of Management. A passion for agriculture and deep concerns about community food security led her to become a stakeholder in the Virginia Dept. of Agriculture Equitable Food Oriented Distribution Taskforce and founder of Virginia Free Farms. Music by Ian George and Edie. Visit our website at forthewild.world for the full episode description, references, and action points.Support the show

If we need the Earth, does the Earth need us? This week on the podcast we dive deep into the relationship amongst ourselves and the Earth with guest Tiokasin Ghosthorse. We begin our conversation by talking about the savior mentality that can arise when we act to address the many issues that threaten Earth and kin at this moment. Recognizing the trickiness of interrogating this mentality that is often intertwined with emotions of loss, love, and protection, Tiokasin offers that perhaps rather than being guided by solutions and salvation, we acknowledge where we are at in this consciousness and how we can challenge ourselves to give back to the Earth without intrusion. Tiokasin Ghosthorse is a member of the Cheyenne River Lakota Nation of South Dakota and has a long history with Indigenous activism and advocacy. Tiokasin is the Founder, Host, and Executive Producer of “First Voices Radio'' for the last 28 years. In 2016 he received a Nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.Music by Harrison Foster, Peia, and Lizabett Russo.Visit our website at forthewild.world for the full episode description, references, and action points.Support the show

Through the support of ever-growing subsidies, trade deals, and taxes global corporations have ballooned, creating a highly violent, exploitative, and absurd global trade system. So absurd, that often we fixate on the hypocrisy of how it became possible that food packaged and processed on the other side of the world is somehow “cheaper” than that which is grown by our neighbors. In this week’s episode, we learn about what continues to strengthen and uphold the wastefulness of our global trade system and how global corporations decimate diversity in terms of species, livelihoods, and identities with guest Helena Norberg-Hodge. Helena Norberg-Hodge is an innovator of the new economy movement. She is author of the inspirational classic Ancient Futures, and Local is Our Future. Helena is the founder and director of Local Futures and The International Alliance for Localisation, and a founding member of the International Commission on the Future of Food and Agriculture, the International Forum on Globalization and the Global Ecovillage Network.Music by Dana Anastasia and Chloe Levaillant.Visit our website at forthewild.world for the full episode description, references, and action points.Support the show

Struggling to change actual conditions, many have settled for changing the perceptions of the world around us. On this week’s episode, guest Tyson Yunkaporta begins by sharing the connections between perception, the branding of our identities, and the many forms of capital that become available and valuable in a perception-obsessed society. As we welcome the call to change our conditions and participate in the great “thousand-year clean-up”, we explore hybridized insight, the ramifications of clinging to dichotomous identities, and how genuine diversity is tangible preparedness and emotional resilience in motion. With this in mind, it becomes our task to figure out how we can sustain genuine diversity in our lives so we may work alongside folks with different capacities, worldviews, solutions, and thought processes in devotion to dismantling a system that necessitates abuse. Tyson Yunkaporta is an academic, an arts critic, and a researcher who belongs to the Apalech Clan in far north Queensland. He carves traditional tools and weapons and also works as a senior lecturer in Indigenous Knowledges at Deakin University in Melbourne.Music by 40 Million Feet, Marty O’Reilly & the Old Soul Orchestra, and Violet Bell. Visit our website at forthewild.world for the full episode description, references, and action points.Support the show

On this week’s episode, we observe the impacts of common narratives of escape and place and how those narratives underscore exploitative tourism. Bani Amor guides us through an exploration of how travel can be viewed as an extension of the colonial project and how travel media is largely a product of the patriarchal gaze. We’re invited to critically examine how places and experiences are marketed and sold particularly for white consumption, and how we can resist, while thinking deeply about the disparate dynamics between the “visitor” and “the visited.” Bani discusses the fetishization of land and lifeways and how exploitative tourism facilitates ongoing cycles of domination creating unstable economies, and rendering local communities vulnerable to abuse. Urging us to ask questions that aren’t really encouraged in the travel space, Bani asks us to ask ourselves: how can we have a connection to place that isn’t based on escapism and dominion?Music by Juan Torregoza, Peals, and Fabian Almazan Trio. Visit our website at forthewild.world for the full episode description, references, and action points.Support the show

This week’s encore episode, originally broadcast in October of 2017, invites insight into renewed relational understanding of home, sacred rage, and protecting the breathing spaces of public lands. Terry Tempest Williams guides us to explore acts of the imagination as we shift into consciousness and expand our sense of family to both human and wild. As so many of us grapple with the omnipresent question of “what do we do?”, Terry provides us with salve through stories of the beauty and power of our gifts, and the living histories of the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau. Terry Tempest Williams has been called "a citizen writer," a writer who speaks and speaks out eloquently on behalf of an ethical stance toward life. A naturalist and fierce advocate for freedom of speech, she has consistently shown us how environmental issues are social issues that ultimately become matters of justice. Terry Tempest Williams is the author of the environmental literature classic, Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place; An Unspoken Hunger: Stories from the Field; Desert Quartet; Leap; Red: Patience and Passion in the Desert; and The Open Space of Democracy. Her most recent book is The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America’s National Parks Music by Buffalo Rose, Kendra Swanson, and Aviva le Fey. Visit our website at forthewild.world for the full episode description, references, and action points.Support the show