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Solve For Nature

Solve For Nature
Author: Verdant Growth
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© Verdant Growth
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Solve For Nature brings you real conversations with the people reshaping our world for a sustainable future — uncovering ideas, inspiration, and simple steps to help you live healthier, happier, and more connected.
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82 Episodes
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Elspeth Hay is a writer and food systems thinker who’s inviting us to radically rethink how we grow our food. In her book Feed Us with Trees, she uncovers a forgotten story—one in which humans once thrived by cultivating staple foods like acorns, chestnuts, and hazelnuts in forest gardens rather than plowed fields. Through conversations with Indigenous knowledge-keepers, scientists, nut growers, and food professionals, Hay reveals how these perennial tree crops not only nourish us but also heal the land. Her work is a hopeful, eye-opening look at our ecological role as humans and a compelling call to imagine a more abundant, resilient, and sustainable food future.Find Elspeth Hay and Feed Us with Trees online:Elspeth Hay - HomepageElspeth Hay - InstagramElspeth Hay Book - Feed Us with Trees: Nuts and the Future of FoodFind me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/verdantgrowth.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kelly Wendorf is a leadership teacher, coach, and author of Flying Lead Change: 56 Million Years of Wisdom for Leading and Living. Drawing on indigenous teachings, neuroscience, and the wisdom of horses, she offers a nature-based approach to leadership that fosters connection, care, and resilience. Wendorf guides leaders—whether in workplaces, families, or communities—to “lead from behind,” creating safety, presence, and harmony while embracing our wild, authentic selves. Her work inspires a profound reimagining of how we live, love, and lead in a rapidly changing world.Interested in learning leadership from Kelly firsthand?Her transformative leadership course will guide you through practical tools to lead with authenticity, connection, and courage.LIMITED TIME OFFER - DISCOUNT CODEFind the course at equusinspired.com/how-to-lead-a-transformative-life🎟 Use the code EQUUS100KW at checkout to unlock the course completely free - BUT ACT FAST, IT ONLY WORKS FOR THE NEXT WORKSHOP: 9/27/25 and 10/4/25 10am-12pm MTFind Kelly Wendorf Book and Flying Lead Change online:Kelly Wendorf - HomepageEQUUS - FacebookEQUUS - InstagramKelly Wendorf - LinkedInKelly Wendorf Book - Flying Lead Change: 56 Million Years of Wisdom for Leading and Living.Find me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/verdantgrowth.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Bridget A. Lyons is a writer, artist, and explorer whose new book Entwined: Dispatches from the Intersection of Species takes readers on a journey into the wisdom of the more-than-human world. Blending memoir, science, and travelogue, Lyons explores what octopuses, owls, kelp, stingrays, and countless other beings can teach us about resilience, relationships, and living in harmony with our planet. From the beaches of Santa Cruz to the mountains of Switzerland, she invites us to see inherent value in all living things and to reflect on what it truly means to share the Earth.Find Bridget A. Lyons and Entwined online:Bridget A. Lyons - HomepageBridget A. Lyons - FacebookBridget A. Lyons - InstagramBridget A. Lyons - LinkedInBridget A. Lyons Book - Entwined: Dispatches from the Intersection of SpeciesFind me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/verdantgrowth.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kelly Ramsey is a former wildland firefighter and debut author of Wildfire Days, a gripping memoir about her time as the only woman on an elite hotshot crew battling megafires in California. With raw honesty, she shares the physical, emotional, and cultural toll of life on the fireline—and what it reveals about a West increasingly shaped by climate-fueled disaster.Find Kelly Ramsey and Wildfire Days online:Kelly Ramsey - HomepageKelly Ramsey - InstagramKelly Ramsey Book - Wildfire DaysFind me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/verdantgrowth.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Kelsey Timmerman is a New York Times bestselling author and globe-trotting journalist who brings big global issues down to a human scale. In his latest book, Regenerating Earth, he dives into the world of regenerative agriculture—traveling from Indiana cornfields to the Amazon rainforest—to explore how farmers and Indigenous communities are healing the planet by working with nature, not against it.Find Kelsey Timmerman and Regenerating Earth online:Kelsey Timmerman Book - Regenerating EarthKelsey Timmerman - HomepageKelsey Timmerman - LinkedInKelsey Timmerman - InstagramFind me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/verdantgrowth.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Danae Wolfe is an award-winning conservation photographer, writer, educator, and the founder behind the @chasingbugs social media handle, focused on fostering appreciation and stewardship of backyard bugs and wildlife. Ever the pragmatic, she believes that everyone has the power to make a difference in combatting climate change and biodiversity loss. Danae was the 2022 recipient of the Garden Communicators International Emergent Communicator award, and her work has been featured in various outlets including CNN, The American Gardener magazine, and Nature Conservancy magazine. Through her community conservation initiative, Chasing Bugs, she has reached global audiences with science-based education about the importance of gardening for biodiversity and has inspired gardeners to appreciate the beauty of our natural world and embrace their role in its protection.Find Danae Wolfe and Chasing Bugs online: Danae Wolfe - Chasing Bugs HomepageChasing Bugs with Danae Wolfe - FacebookChasing Bugs - TiktokDanae Wolfe Book - Grass Isn’t GreenerFind me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/verdantgrowth.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What if education wasn’t just about knowledge, but about resilience and real-world impact? Dr. Pavel Cenkl, Academic Dean at Prescott College and Founder of the Regenerative Learning Network, is rethinking how we learn, integrating regenerative design, global collaboration, and sustainability. Pavel is a leader in transformative education. He’s also an endurance athlete, using Arctic expeditions to document climate resilience. Get ready for a thought-provoking conversation that challenges the future of learning!Find Pavel Cenkl online: Pavel Cenkl's HomepageThe Regenerative Learning NetworkPrescott College's YouTube ChannelFind me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/verdantgrowth.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Paula Whyman is the author of the new memoir Bad Naturalist and the award-winning short story collection You May See a Stranger. Her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The American Scholar, and numerous literary journals. In Bad Naturalist, Paula shares her often humorous and deeply honest journey of ecological restoration on 200 wild acres in the Virginia mountains — a place that challenged her assumptions, tested her patience, and taught her that nature doesn’t always follow a plan. With warmth and wit, she explores what it means to take on a monumental task before you know what you're doing — and why it’s still worth doing anyway.Find Paula Whyman and Bad Naturalist online: Paula Whyman's HomepageBad Naturalist: One Woman's Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia MountaintopFind me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/verdantgrowth.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tamara Dean is an award-winning essayist whose work explores the intersection of nature, community, and resilience. In Shelter and Storm: At Home in the Driftless (University of Minnesota Press, April 22, 2025), she reflects on her move to a Wisconsin farm and the lessons learned through living close to the land. Through twelve vivid essays, Dean blends science, history, and personal narrative to ask how we care for the earth, remember those who came before us, and build a future rooted in connection.Find Tamara Dean and Shelter and Storm online: Tamara Dean's HomepageShelter and Storm OnlineFind me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/verdantgrowth.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Leah Rampy is a teacher, leadership consultant, and author of Earth & Soul: Reconnecting Amid Climate Chaos, who combines spirituality, ecology, and storytelling to guide individuals toward a deeper connection with the natural world and a sustainable way of living.Find Leah Rampy and Earth & Soul online: Leah Rampy's LinkedIn ProfileLeah Rampy's Facebook ProfileLeah Rampy's Instagram ProfileReweaving Earth & Soul - Leah Rampy's HomepageEarth and Soul: Reconnecting Amid Climate Chaos - The BookFind me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/verdantgrowth.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Barrett Klein investigates mysteries of sleep in societies of insects, creates entomo-art, and is ever on the search for curious connections that bind our lives with our six-legged allies. Barrett studied entomology at Cornell University and the University of Arizona, fabricated natural history exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History, worked with honeybees for his PhD at the University of Texas at Austin, and spearheaded the Pupating Lab at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. He celebrates biodiversity and the intersection of science and art and believes fully that embracing the beauty of insects can transform our lives and our world.Find Barrett Klein and The Insects Epiphany online: Barrett Klein's LinkedIn ProfileBarrett Klein's Facebook ProfileBarrett Klein's Instagram ProfileThe Insects Epiphany - Barrett Klein's HomepageThe Insect Epiphany - The BookFind me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/verdantgrowth.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Maddie Hamann is the Co-Founder and Director of Marketing at PACHA Bread, where she applies her extensive scientific background to drive the company’s mission of promoting regenerative agriculture and sustainability. Maddie holds a PhD from Scripps Institution of Oceanography, but she transitioned from the field of Earth Science to marketing in order to make a direct impact on climate change through business. Her dedication to environmental sustainability is at the heart of PACHA’s marketing strategies, ensuring that the company’s values are reflected in every aspect of the brand.Find Maddie Haman and Pacha Bread online:Maddie Hamann LinkedIn ProfilePACHA WebsitePACHA Facebook PagePACHA Instagram PagePACHA TiktokFind me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/verdantgrowth.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Frank Forencich isn’t just another voice in the conversation about health and activism—he’s a visionary thinker with the ability to inspire and motivate your audience. His deep understanding of human evolution, combined with his passion for health and activism, makes him an exceptional guest who can spark meaningful, transformative conversations. His latest book, Activism Is Medicine, Frank redefines activism as a powerful tool for building resilience, purpose, and health. His innovative approach encourages individuals to see activism not as a burden but as a pathway to personal and societal growth.Find Frank Forencich and Activism Is Medicine online:Solution for the Human Animal - Frank Forencich's Homepage Activism Is Medicine - The BookFind me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/verdantgrowth.bsky.socialFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
UrbisEco Home was founded to address the surprising fact that indoor air is often 2-5 times more polluted than outdoor air, even in cities. This realization drove the founder, L. Christina Cobb, a sustainable living expert with a background in furniture, to spend over 10,000 hours researching the health and environmental impacts of home furnishings and earning certifications from the Sustainable Furnishings Council and the International WELL Building Institute. After identifying harmful materials and greenwashing in the industry, they created a comprehensive online guide and curated safe, stylish, and eco-friendly furniture for a family. UrbisEco Home now makes it easy for everyone to find truly sustainable, nontoxic, and beautiful furniture that aligns with their values.Find Christina Cobb and UrbisEco Home online:https://www.urbisecohome.com/https://www.lchristinacobb.com/https://www.instagram.com/urbisecohome/Find me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthTwitter: https://twitter.com/VerdantGrowthFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's time to see how George and Amber-Rose Knight's challenges went! For those of you who didn't listen to the first episode with George and Amber-Rose, George Knight is a rewilder and, along with his wife, a co-founder of Beyond Domestication, a UK-based company specializing in nature retreats and rewilding walks. They guide people to learn about the Seven Practices through foraging, airbathing, barefoot movement, wild swimming and other natural practices. He is also a passionate trainer, connecting with individuals from various organizations across the UK and beyond.Find George and Amber-Rose Knight and Beyond Domestication online:Beyond Domestication on Instagramwww.beyond-domestication.comFind me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthTwitter: https://twitter.com/VerdantGrowthFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Teralyn Pilgrim had no idea the environmental and economic impact of food waste, or that she could save $100 a month by living waste-free. But when a story of hungry children filled her with unbearable guilt, she decided to change the way her family approached mealtime.In her new book, No Scrap Left Behind: My Life Without Food Waste, she tells the story of her quest to end her family’s food waste — and all the blunders that came with it. Despite finicky kids and a skeptical husband, Pilgrim turned her feelings of guilt into action and created a zero-food-waste kitchen. In No Scrap Left Behind: My Life Without Food Waste, Teralyn Pilgrim shares clever ways to upcycle leftovers, repurpose table scraps and ultimately trim the grocery bill — all while tackling the global impact of our massive food waste problem.Find Teralyn Pilgrim and No Scrap Left Behind online:No Scrap Left BehindTeralyn Pilgrim on InstagramFind me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthTwitter: https://twitter.com/VerdantGrowthFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
John J Berger, Ph.D. is a Senior Research Fellow at The Pacific Institute and author of Solving the Climate Crisis: Frontline Reports from the Race to Save the Earth. Solving the Climate Crisis has many stories of colorful, charismatic characters, smart, cutting-edge science, new technology, brilliant engineering, clever, profitable business strategies, and it provides a roadmap to a brighter future for people and the planet. The book also describes innovative new laws and policies relevant to federal and state climate legislative agendas and offers new financing strategies to facilitate the clean-energy transformation. In addition, the book underscores the necessity of protecting democracy to ensure we retain the ability to protect the climate. .Find John. J. Berger and Solving the Climate Crisis online:John J. Berger's HomepageSolving the Climate Crisis on Amazon.comFind me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthTwitter: https://twitter.com/VerdantGrowthFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Lisa Baril is a science writer who has written about natural resources and science for national parks across the southwestern United States. She holds a master’s degree from Montana State University and is a member of the National Association of Science Writers, Society of Environmental Journalists, and the Outdoor Writers Association of America. In THE AGE OF MELT, she explores the shifting view that humans have long held of glaciers—from fear, to awe, to conquest. A unique form of science, ice-patch archeology, arose from the current climate crisis, as such discoveries could only be made at the cost of the world’s ice formations. THE AGE OF MELT takes the reader on a world tour of ice, exploring the conflicting belief systems around ice and its integral relationship to people. Melting ice has revealed so much about human culture, the environment, the past, and most importantly, our future.Find Lisa Baril and The Age of Melt online:https://www.lisabaril.com/The Age of Melt: What Glaciers, Ice Mummies, and Ancient Artifacts Teach Us about Climate, Culture, and a Future without IceFind me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthTwitter: https://twitter.com/VerdantGrowthFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Daniel Jaconetti is the National Sustainable Design Leader at HED, one of the oldest and largest integrated architecture and engineering design firms in the United States, with 400+ employees and annual revenues of over $100M. With nearly 20 years of experience, Daniel is committed to transforming the practice of architecture to achieve zero-carbon, resilient, healthy, and equitably built environments. He leads a team of 6 regional sustainable design leaders developing high-performance designs.Under Daniel’s leadership, HED signed onto key climate initiatives like the 1.5°C COP26 Communiqué and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) 2030 Commitment. In 2023 he was appointed to AIA’s National Committee on the Environment (COTE) Leadership Group.Find Daniel Jaconetti and HED online:https://living-future.org/https://www.hed.design/Find me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthTwitter: https://twitter.com/VerdantGrowthFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, we dive deep into the environmental impact of our food systems with Mark Easter, a leading expert on the intersection of agriculture and climate change. His upcoming book, The Blue Plate: A Food Lover’s Guide to Climate Chaos, presents groundbreaking insights on the hidden carbon footprint embedded in the way we grow, transport, and consume our food. Join us as we uncover how a shift in agriculture could be key to addressing climate change and building a regenerative future.Find Mark Easter's book online:https://www.patagonia.com/product/the-blue-plate-a-food-lovers-guide-to-climate-chaos/BK910.html?dwvar_BK910_color=000https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Plate-Lovers-Guide-Climate/dp/1952338204Find me online:This Sustainable Life: Solve For Nature Podcast: https://shows.acast.com/solvefornatureBlog: https://verdantgrowth.blog/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/verdantgrowthTwitter: https://twitter.com/VerdantGrowthFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/realverdantgrowthInstagram: http://instagram.com/verdant.growth or http://instagram.com/verdantgrowthofficial Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.