Mother Nature Podcast

Looby Macnamara is the creator of the Design Web, which is used into our new Mothers as Natural Leaders book to weave the threads of the book togther into a useful design for your own leadership path. Looby shares about some of her own designs and how you can build your familiarity with the Design Web, so that it becomes a useful resource in your life. Sign up to the Mother Nature newsletter to get a FREE download of the book https://mothernatureproject.org/home To find out more about the Design Web and Looby's books, CEED deck and courses visit https://cultural-emergence.com/the-design-web/ Disclaimer:The Mother Nature Project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Looby Macnamara shares about her journey of weaving her personal culture during menopause. She reads extracts from the book as well as sharing her stories about honouring her menopause journey and how you might do that yourself. Sign up to our Mother Nature newsletter for the free PDF download of our new book Mothers as Natural Leaders. www.mothernatureproject.org Looby Macnamara is a permaculture teacher and author. She lives and runs courses at Applewood Permaculture Centre, Herefordshire, UK. She is co-founder of the Cultural Emergence project with Jon Young. She has been part of the Mother Nature project since it began in 2017. Her books are People & Permaculture, Cultural Emergence, 7 Ways to Think Differently and Strands of Infinity. You can find out more and get signed copies from her direct on https://cultural-emergence.com/shop/ Details of the Menopause ceremony day with Looby and Ruth Cato https://www.ruthcato.com/menopauseceremony Disclaimer:The Mother Nature Project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Managing time for our own self care as mothers is an ongoing challenge. Here Looby shares some ideas about how we can do that more easily in our everyday lives. She also shares a song related to this, and an activity using the Design Web from the process of creating our own leadership design which features in our forthcoming book - Mothers as Natural Leaders. For a free PDF download of our book sign up to our newsletter at www.mothernatureproject.org You can find out more about the Design Web here https://cultural-emergence.com/the-design-web/ and get my books People & Permaculture and Cultural Emergence - both of which feature the Design Web which I created here https://cultural-emergence.com/shop/ The song I shared is Feel Better by Pacia Platzek on Lisa Littlebird's song list -boots on the ground, skin on the line. I highly recommend getting hold of the whole playlist. https://thebirdsings.com/boots/

Nature connection specialist Jon Young joins Looby Macnamara, to talk about how we can encourage nature connection with our children. Looby reads an extract from the forthcoming 'Mothers as Natural Leaders' book. And then Jon and Looby share some wisdom and experience about finding 'motivating' species, the value of aunties and uncles, and how to motivate ourselves and the big question about how to motivate our teenagers with nature connection. Sign up to our Mother Nature newsletter www.mothernatureproject.org See website for details of our free Mother Nature workshop 14th November in Hereford, UK. Looby & Jon Young have collaborated for years on the Cultural Emergence project, with plenty of more information about becoming more nature connected. There is also more activities in the Mother Nature guidebook. To buy the Mother Nature guidebook and first card deck and Looby's books see https://cultural-emergence.com/shop/ Artwork by Eszter Laszlo Disclaimer:The Mother Nature Project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

The concept of circles of concern and influence was introduced by Steven Covey in his book 7 habits of highly effective people. It feels highly relevant and useful in these times of global turmoil. Looby shares some more extracts from the forthcoming book "Mothers as Natural Leaders". Looby first wrote about this in her book People & Permaculture. Please sign up for our newsletter to be the first to get our free book. www.mothernatureproject.org To buy the Mother Nature guidebook and first card deck and Looby's books see https://cultural-emergence.com/shop/ Artwork by Eszter Laszlo from the new Mother Nature leadership deck. Disclaimer:The Mother Nature Project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Looby reads some extracts from the forthcoming Mothers as Natural Leaders book. Looby shares about the power of stories, the belief cycle, owning our leadership stories and family stories. There is also an activity that is part of the design for our leadership paths using the Design Web which was created by Looby. Join our newsletter for the free PDF download of the book. www.mothernatureproject.org For Looby's books People and Permaculture and Cultural Emergence which explore more about storytelling, storycatching and the Design Web see https://cultural-emergence.com/shop/ Join our FREE online and in person Mother Nature workshops to meet Looby and Emma and find out more about our project and all the amazing things we have been doing. Online - 27th Oct 10-12am BST In person 14th November 10-3pm Hereford, UK. For more details and to register https://mothernatureproject.org/home Artwork by Eszter Laszlo from the Mother Nature Journey card deck. Disclaimer:The Mother Nature Project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Take some time out to relax and enjoy Looby's poetry from her book Strands of Infinity. Looby guides us through a deep relaxation and into some poetry to empower us and restore our spirits. Looby Macnamara is a permaculture and Cultural Emergence teacher and author, as well as mother and poet. Her books, including her poetry book Strands of Infinity are available direct from her at https://cultural-emergence.com/shop/⁠ Sign up to the Mother Nature newsletter for latest podcast episodes and to be informed of the release of our forthcoming book - Mothers As Natural Leaders https://mothernatureproject.org/home We are hosting 2 free Mother Nature workshops in October - one in person in Hereford, UK on 24th Oct, and one online 26th Oct. To find out more and register see www.mothernatureproject.org Disclaimer:The Mother Nature Project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Napping comes naturally to me, but to many it doesn't at all. After many friends said to me - 'it's a skill I wish I had', I have thought more about how to nap well and in this episode share some tips for doing that. The Mother Nature principle -'it's good to do nothing' is our main guidance for this episode. We are hosting 2 free Mother Nature workshops in October - one in person in Hereford, UK on 24th Oct, and one online 26th Oct. To find out more and register see www.mothernatureproject.org The Mother Nature project is kindly funded by Erasmus+ Disclaimer:The Mother Nature Project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

In this episode I share an activity from our forthcoming book "Mothers as Natural Leaders". This activity supports us to have quick routes to bring us back into a place of personal peace using the elements. Enjoy this bite size episode. The poem at the end is called Molecules and is from my book Strands of Infinity available direct from me here https://cultural-emergence.com/shop/ Join our Mother Nature mailing list for latest podcasts and to be notified when we release our new book. https://mothernatureproject.org/ Beautiful cover art by Eszter Laszlo from our forthcoming card deck. Gratitude to our funder Erasmus Plus. Disclaimer:The Mother Nature Project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Welcome to Season 3 of the Mother Nature podcast with a new style of pocket podcasts - easy to find the time to listen, bite size inspirations for us all. In this episode Looby Macnamara (your host for the season) shares some of the thinking in our forthcoming book - Mothers as Natural Leaders. Why do we shy away from the term leadership, and how we can turn that around and embrace ourselves as regenerative feminine leadership. To sign up to our newsletter for the latest episodes and to be the first to know when we release our free book, and for in person and online courses visit www.mothernatureproject.org Disclaimer:The Mother Nature Project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Emma Gorbutt from the Mother Nature Team turns the tables and interviews Looby Macnamara our regular podcast host. They have been friends and co-workers for nearly 20 years and in this interesting and thought provoking conversation they explore our cultures of leadership and mothering. How recognising as mothers, we are already 'Natural Leaders' who bring a different style, which can support Humanity to grow up! Their conversations also touch on how we support the next generation to surface their gifts and tackle the challenges of our time and come into their own leadership. Looby shares about her journey creating the Cultural Emergence toolkit and bringing intentional design into all areas of our lives using the Design Web and how we can use it to create the world and cultures we want for ourselves and our children to live in. They explore Looby's own leadership journey including her Song Leader Training and they sing a song together.  They also share about the FREE Leading Mother Nature Circles Training available online and the power and magic of these circles. About Looby Macnamara Looby Macnamara is mother, author, facilitator, designer, gardener and song leader. She is author of Cultural Emergence, People and Permaculture, 7 Ways to Think Differently and Strands of Infinity. People and Permaculture Is the first book globally to translate the use of permaculture principles and design for people based systems. She is creator of the Design Web, a holistic design framework that has been used thousands of times globally for all sorts of personal and social designs. Looby has co-developed the Cultural Emergence toolkit with Jon Young to support personal and global shifts towards a regenerative culture. She has been part of the Mother Nature Project Team since 2018 and Looby lives on a 20 acre smallholding in Herefordshire, where she runs an education and demonstration centre - Applewood Permaculture Centre. She is a mother of 2 wonderful daughters, loves to sing and makes amazing apple crumble! Looby's Websites Cultural Emergence https://cultural-emergence.com https://loobymacnamara.com Applewood Permaculture Centre https://applewoodcourses.com Song “Put Your Roots Down” by Molly Hartwell.  DESIGN WEB - https://cultural-emergence.com/the-design-web/ FREE Online Leading Mother Nature Circles Course https://mothernatureproject.org/leading-mother-nature-circles-online-course CEED - Online Cultural Emergence Effective Design Course  Other online and in person courses from Looby https://cultural-emergence.com/courses-overview/ Find out more about Looby's books People and Permaculture, Cultural Emergence, 7 Ways To Think Differently and Strands of Infinity and buy signed copies direct from her here Newsletters Sign up to Cultural Emergence Newsletter  Sign up to Mother Nature Newsletter  Disclaimer: The Mother Nature Project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

You are in for a treat with songs and conversation from Heather Houston in California. I did a 6 month song leader training with Heather  online  and it was  such a wonderful experience that I wanted to share some of her magic with the Mother Nature community. Today we have 6 songs that Heather shared - 5 of them are her original songs. Amongst the singing we talk about the sacred process of catching, crafting and sharing songs. the joys of circles, shadows that can come up when we step into leadership, and some advice for anyone who thinks they can’t sing. Together these songs weave a magical medicine pouch for our mothering journey. Enjoy and do sing along and please share this with others. About Heather Houston  Heather is passionate about uplifting hearts, freeing voices, transforming lives and building strong loving communities through the power of singing. She spreads her magic through 20+ years of international song circle leading, private vocal coaching and her online offerings - The art of mindful singing S.H.E. Sings, Singing as Sanctuary, and Sisters in Harmony Song and Chant Leader Training. You can now join her every Monday night on Zoom for a  Sisters in Harmony Global community song circle with guests Heather recently released her second solo album, Sisters of the Moon, which features the ethereal voices of her 40-voice women’s choir Yala Lati. Her first solo album, Prayers for the Water is a ZMR Top 10 album. You can find Heather’s music and her acappella group SIRENZ on all of the streaming platforms and for download on her website. Heather is one of the featured song circle leaders at the annual Singing on the Edge retreat at the Esalen Institute, Song Village, SongFest in Los Angeles and Sacred Sound Meets Sacred Nature retreat at Pema Osei Ling. She leads women's singing retreats in the Santa Cruz mountains. Links Heather's website and newsletter and song leader training https://heatherhoustonmusic.com/ Information call about her training on Thursday 15th Dec 2022 1pm Pacific, 9pm GMT Register here  Looby's permaculture teacher training here Looby's design for her song leader training www.loobymacnamara.com Songs Heather shared (including the parts) The energy of love by Heather Houston I am enough by Heather Houston Here in this place by Margaret Ross You don't know till you know by Heather Houston Tending the spark by Heather Houston Be gentle by Heather Houston You will find many more songs in her song library The Mother Nature project is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

We continue our conversation with Shore Charnoe, and move into the topics of menopause, ceremonies and cultural appropriation. To end Shore sings us a beautiful Ojibway lullaby.  Do sign up to our newsletter to be notified of all the latest episodes. https://mothernatureproject.org/ About Shore Charnoe Shore Charnoe has had a private counseling  practice since 1994.  As a traditional counselor, helper, and social  worker, she has directed several community clinics and many  highly-effective community helping programs. These programs have focused  on at-risk youth and have included suicide prevention, apprehension  prevention, parenting skills, lifeskills, adoption facilitation and  short- and long-term foster care.  She has helped foster, raise and  mentor over 100 children.  She is a mother of eleven adopted and  biological children and a grandmother of six.  A number of her adoptive  children were born with fetal alcohol syndrome and came from abusive  homes where they were victims of severe abuse, neglect, and trauma. She  has been a consultant for child welfare organizations. She credits much of her effectiveness  to the lessons she has learned from over 20 Indigenous Elders. To name  just a few specifically: She studied for 10 years under the Odawa Medewin Elder Eddie King. Shore’s husband and partner, Richard Szponarski, was a student of Eddie King for over 30 years. She  took her degree in Indigenous Social Work through First Nations  Technical Institute under the direction of Banakonda Kennedy-Kish  (Bell) , an Anishinaabe (Ojibway) Elder; Katsitsiase, also known as  Betty Maracle, a Bear Clan Grandmother of the Mohawk Nation, Elder and  Wisdom Keeper, and Ben Carniol, who was a Holocaust Survivor, social  activist and author. Shore also studied language and traditional stories with Basil Johnson, an Anishinaabe (Ojibwa) Elder. Shore’s unique gift and skill is her  ability to make the lessons she learned from these and many other Elders  accessible to others. She has a deep gratitude and love for all the  Elders and their teachings. https://www.thecircleforchange.com/ Mother Nature is a project funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

In this episode Looby talks to Shore Charnoe an indigenous mother and grandmother. We know each other though our mutual friend Jon Young  and it was a delight to bask in her wisdom in this podcast.  We dive deep into gratitude, ceremonies and how to change perspectives and so much more. In fact this conversation with Shore was so rich it will be shared in 2 parts.  Do sign up to our newsletter to be notified of all the latest episodes. https://mothernatureproject.org/ About Shore Charnoe Shore Charnoe has had a private counseling  practice since 1994.  As a traditional counselor, helper, and social  worker, she has directed several community clinics and many  highly-effective community helping programs. These programs have focused  on at-risk youth and have included suicide prevention, apprehension  prevention, parenting skills, lifeskills, adoption facilitation and  short- and long-term foster care.  She has helped foster, raise and  mentor over 100 children.  She is a mother of eleven adopted and  biological children and a grandmother of six.  A number of her adoptive  children were born with fetal alcohol syndrome and came from abusive  homes where they were victims of severe abuse, neglect, and trauma. She  has been a consultant for child welfare organizations. She credits much of her effectiveness  to the lessons she has learned from over 20 Indigenous Elders. To name  just a few specifically: She studied for 10 years under the Odawa Medewin Elder Eddie King. Shore’s husband and partner, Richard Szponarski, was a student of Eddie King for over 30 years. She  took her degree in Indigenous Social Work through First Nations  Technical Institute under the direction of Banakonda Kennedy-Kish  (Bell) , an Anishinaabe (Ojibway) Elder; Katsitsiase, also known as  Betty Maracle, a Bear Clan Grandmother of the Mohawk Nation, Elder and  Wisdom Keeper, and Ben Carniol, who was a Holocaust Survivor, social  activist and author. Shore also studied language and traditional stories with Basil Johnson, an Anishinaabe (Ojibwa) Elder. Shore’s unique gift and skill is her  ability to make the lessons she learned from these and many other Elders  accessible to others. She has a deep gratitude and love for all the  Elders and their teachings. https://www.thecircleforchange.com/ Mother Nature is a project funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

This first episode of season 2 is a wonderful conversation with Lily Sequoia and me, Looby Macnamara one of the Mother Nature Podcast Hosts. We talk about the power of circle and how she finds time for her creativity. Lily shares some of her deep poetry reflecting on motherhood and we cover many wide ranging topics such as leadership, eco-anxiety, balancing the needs of our family and how we connect to people through our creativity. Lily and I have been friends for years and she was part of the first Mother Nature project and has been involved every since, and it is lovely to reconnect with her. LILY'S BIOGRAPHY Lily is a poet, birthworker, mother nature journey facilitator, film maker and mother of two. She brought the first community production of The Vagina Monologues to the UK in 2001. Since then, she has had a passion for creating spaces for women's voices to be heard, from  performance through to the birth room. In 2016 she co-wrote produced and directed award-winning ecological documentary "wetheuncivilised: A Life Story"which asks: How can our actions honour future generations? Lily believes that creating supportive spaces for mothers has a positive ripple effect for ourselves and our children, and therefore the world around us. LINKS FOR TODAY'S SHOW @lilyredwoodpoet www.lilyredwood.co.uk www.wetheuncivilised.org @wetheuncivilised www.givebirth.co.uk www.vday.org https://www.womensaid.org.uk/ Heather Houston - her song The Earth Holds Me can be found here, and her online choirs and other resources can be found here. Mother Nature is a project funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

We are at the end of our first season of the Mother Nature podcast. Here the team celebrate and share news about season two. We also share one of our favourite songs - Bella Mama. Mother Nature is a project funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

In this episode Looby is joined by Ruth Cato, who shares her understanding of shadow work and how being in a circle with other women can support us to grow and heal. She shares her ongoing journey from finding her feet with facilitation to being rooted in her leadership and how nature connection supports her mothering and leadership. YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: Breaking intergenerational patterns positive responses to being triggered by others connecting with nature’s grief ABOUT RUTH CATO Ruth is a shamanic practitioner working with bringing back the ancient wisdom of the land we walk upon. Focusing on empowerment and healing so we can find and use our gifts in the world. She works with groups of women and 1:1 clients both in person and online. Her Year Long Shamanic Initiation is extremely popular being named one of the top 5 healing retreats in the world by Kindred Spirit Magazine this year. Ruth works from the borders between Shropshire & Herefordshire on the English & Welsh border. The liminal space between places is a place she feels most vibrant. RESOURCES: Ruth Cato website  Mother Nature is a project funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

In this episode Jana meets Franka Kohler, a start-up consultant with special focus on female empowerment and supporting mothers in re-orienting professionally. They talk about why it is especially important as a mother to have a meaningful job and the challenges and opportunities that re-entering professional work after having become a mother brings about. In their conversation Jana and Franka explore why it is often harder for women to "go for it" and how to find clarity and a new calling. YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: How to gain clarity on your inner obstacles, needs and dreams How to create "micro islands" in motherhood and get back in touch with yourself How a nature walk can help you gain clarity and the importance of tuning in with all the qualities that the (female) cycle brings forth RESOURCES: Franka Kohler website  Pioneers of change ABOUT FRANKA KOHLER Franka is a start-up consultant and coach with special focus on female empowerment and supporting mothers in re-orienting professionally. She is also a nature-based process facilitator and mother of a two-year old son. Franka has worked as head of a training for social entrepreneurship "pioneers of change" in Vienna and has developed and facilitated numerous regional and international seminars on vision and strategy development. She currently lives and works in Germany. To continue the conversation join us on Facebook and Instagram. Mother Nature is a project funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

In this episode Cecilia holds a profound conversation with Amy Taylor Kabbaz. YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: What is matrescence and how it encompasses all of your being Matrescence: the word that describes a world Postnatal depletion and the connection to matrescence Sacred activism: the bear has been woken Rethinking the system: work as if you are not a mother and mother as if you don’t work Love, light and compassion to our ongoing identity shift as a mother RESOURCES Amy Taylor-Kabbaz website  Matrescence by Aurélie Athan Ph.D.  The mother care project by Dr. Oscar Serralach ABOUT AMY TAYLOR-KABBAZ Amy Taylor-Kabbaz is a Best-Selling Author, Speaker, Journalist, Matrescence Activist and Mama of three. After more than a decade covering breaking news and current affairs for the ABC around Australia, her 'traditional' career took an unexpected turn when she found herself lost, overwhelmed and diagnosed with a thyroid condition after the birth of her first daughter. 14 years - and two more babies - later, she is now the best-selling Hay House author of Mama Rising, the host of the ‘The Happy Mama Movement’ podcast (with more than 400,000 downloads), an internationally awarded Life Coach, runs numerous online programs for mothers all over the world, expert contributor to media outlets around the globe, and the creator of the #1 itunes meditations for children with more than 18 million downloads ‘Bedtime Explorers’. In 2019, she launched her world first Matrescence Facilitator Training - Mama Rising - sharing her unique formula of coaching and support into mother’s transition through matrescence. In 2022, Mama Rising was recognised by the ICF and currently has more than 180 accredited Mama Rising coaches globally. Mother Nature is a project funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

In this episode Looby and Valentina, both members of the Mother Nature team, talk about discovering and using your own voice to truly enjoy singing alone, with your children and with others. Join the singing. Discover a quick and easy song to learn that we recorded together in April 2022 surrounded by a forest in Hungary. YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT: Discover and train your voice The power of singing in group Overcoming limiting beliefs on singing Finding our literal voice, and finding our metaphorical voice and contribution in the world Singing for our children - our unique voice is what they want to hear Creating music vs consuming music RESOURCES Heather Houston  Looby’s song circles  A Breath of song podcast to enrich your repertoire with new songs Listen to the previous episode Giving Gratitude with Leona Johnson LYRICS I’m gonna sing sing sing I’m gonna dance dance dance I’m gonna sing I’m gonna dance Let’s get loose When the gates are opened wide I’ll be standing by your side I’m gonna sing I’m gonna dance Let’s get loose ABOUT LOOBY MACNAMARA Looby Macnamara is a pioneering author and permaculture teacher. She believes in the capacity for all of us to grow and change and knows that singing can support us to find our voices and contributions to the world. Looby is author of People & Permaculture, Cultural Emergence, 7 Ways To Think Differently and Strands of Infinity. She has been teaching permaculture for 20 years and has co-founded the Cultural Emergence project — developing a toolkit for individual and collective transformation. Looby brings song into all of her Cultural Emergence courses to enhance community building. Looby is one of the partners of the Mother Nature project — empowering mothers as natural leaders. Singing can be a great source of nourishment for mothers and children, so songs are included in our Mother Nature courses and podcasts. She runs courses and singing circles at her home Applewood Permaculture Centre. ABOUT VALENTINA CIFARELLI In 2005 Valentina started her journey designing, managing and facilitating international projects for children,  young adults, and adults. Since then, she has been researching and developing ways to support and guide people "in transition" to become aware of their talents and potential so as to be able to take part authentically and freely in a world rich of challenges and opportunities. To coach and empower people Valentina loves to use non formal education for mutual and dynamic learning and permaculture to grow social, environmental and economic resilience. Singing in group is another important tool she uses to build community, personal and group trust and confidence. She is mother of 2 and since 2017 she is a member of the Mother Nature project supporting motherhood as one of the most profound "transitions” in life. She lives with her precious family in a lush valley in the south of Tuscany, Italy. Mother Nature is a project funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.