By the Seed of Our Plants

By the Seed of Our Plants is back! Ben, Ben, and Victoria talk with herbalist Kat Maier of Sacred Plant Traditions Center for Herbal Studies about the history, politics, and ecology of herbalism. Check out Kat’s book Energetic Herbalism. Here’s the article about the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation current that Ben mentioned in the show.

Ben and Ben talk with landscape architect Grant Poznick about perceiving complexity in the botanical landscape. Desert sounds, invisible plants, caring about water, and most other subjects.

Ben and Ben and returning guest Victoria Moyer stick our heads up the downspout of the internet, in which we find the life and times of sociologist Bruno Latour, the Great Chain of Being, the Four Sacred Animals, forbidden technologies, a ferocious Belgian accent, and disputed Connecticut tree monsters.

Ben and Ben are joined by Denise Low, PhD., former poet laureate of Kansas and author of Wing, Melange Block, The Turtle’s Beating Heart, and many others, to talk about wildfires, the Flint Hills, surviving genocide, writing poetry about landscapes, and being useful in trying circumstances. Check out Denise’s work and order books at her website: deniselow.net

Ben interviews Dustin Wolkis of the Juliet Rice Wichman Botanical Research Center and the National Tropical Botanical Garden about Hawai'ian native plants, and the tragedies and triumphs of working against extinction. Dustin mentioned a bunch of cool programs throughout the interview.  Check the full show notes on our website.

Ben and Ben talk to ecosomatic therapist Victoria Maria Moyer about meaningful connection with plants and other nonhuman beings, the language of interspecies communication, and living well in place. Learn more about Victoria’s work at: bodymettaspore.com

Ben is joined by gardener and ecological activist Grace Tuttle to talk companion planting, rural land ethics, habitat connectivity, and collective organizing for the wellbeing of the earth. Learn more about environmental advocacy organization Wild Virginia: wildvirginia.org Check out Grace’s beautiful garden: @handlinglettuce

Ben and Ben discuss vegetative symbolism, the evolution of the English language, Celtic history, and classic King Arthur cinema in the various versions of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Charlie, Ben, and Ben hang out with educator Kate Kogge to talk about teaching science in and out of the classroom.  Also dream learning, the life-changing magic of tidying up, and turning garbage into mushrooms and national parks.

Ben and Ben are joined by horticulturalist and nursery keeper extraordinaire Kiyah Fisher for a very focused conversation about the care and feeding of little plants, eating dirt, rural gentrification, and mushroom hair products.  

How is a species and why can I find one?  Ben and Ben talk taxonomy, slip ‘n slide down the “extinction vortex”, and wax on beautiful science rube Alfred Russel Wallace, who touched some moths and then picked a fight with a flat-earther and totally won.

Charlie and Ben and Ben reflect on the recent blizzard and listen to some crazy sounds of trees being destroyed by heavy snow.  When a tree falls in the forest and nobody’s around with a contact mic, is it bioturbation or cryoturbation?

Leah and Ben and Ben tell stories about numinous encounters in nature. Ghost birds, mystery fish, the linguistics of color, and postmodern spiritualism.

Welcome back to By the Seed of Our Plants! Ben and Ben and Charlie talk about ecological succession, where soil comes from, beaver situations, and our mutual love for mullein.

Ben and Charlie and Ben talk to Willoughby Arevalo, author of DIY Mushroom Cultivation, about mushroom sounds, getting to know your mycelial neighbors, homegrown oysters, and deathcaps for cuties. Stay tuned for Part II!