Mothering Earth Podcast

We may be familiar with mushrooms as a food. Other familiar forms of fungi are yeasts which are used to make bread rise, to ferment alcohol and to make certain cheeses and other fermented foods. Those uses are just one part of the amazingly complex and varied world of fungi. In this program, you’ll hear about how fungi can help plants grow, can clean up contaminants and may even be able to eat plastics.

Bioregionalism emphasizes the interconnected nature of people and the environment where they live. People who feel a connection to the land, the water, and other local natural features and resources are likely to value those resources and to want to care for and protect them. The community attachment to the local environment creates a desire to live in a sustainable way rather than exploiting or depleting the natural resources of the place. In this program, I explore the concept with Kiran Topiwala, an advocate for bioregionalism from the Central Texas area.

It’s not often you hear about someone who rejects their livelihood on moral grounds and builds a new life in opposition to that industry. That is the story of Renee King-Sonnen, who, along with her husband, was a Texas cattle rancher until she developed a relationship with a calf she had named Rowdy Girl. Now King-Sonnen and her husband are animal activists and vegans and they run a sanctuary for animals. She has written a book about her transformation titled Rowdy Girl: Confessions of a Vegan Cattle Rancher, and in this Mothering Earth program, you will hear her remarkable story.

Mothering Earth-144-Animal Agriculture & Public Health by Dr. Salwa Khan

While many bird populations are facing serious declines, other birds are flourishing thanks to the work of bird conservationists all around the world. Ornithologist and author Scott Weidensaul has a new book, "Return of the Oystercatcher: Saving Birds to Save the Planet", in which he introduces us to the people and groups that are restoring and preserving bird habitat and who are studying bird habits and health. Weidensaul is also an active field researcher whose work focuses on bird migration. In this edition of Mothering Earth, Weidensaul shares great stories from his book, which give us hope for a better world.