Future Ecologies

Mendel here with an exciting announcement:I'm producing a new video podcast for a local environmental advocacy organization: the False Creek Friends Society.False Creek, as the name suggests, is not a creek. It's a tidal slough, and it's one of the most visible waterways here in Vancouver, where I live. It's right next to downtown, and it's always bustling with life. It also has a reputation for being highly polluted, thanks to bygone industry and present day civic infrastructure. Despite that, a recent bioblitz survey revealed that it's home to more than 500 different species.The goal of the False Creek Friends Society is to see this waterway become a focal point of healing the intersection of ecology and urban society, and have it serve as a living lab for us to better understand our relationship with these waters. More specifically, the proposal is for False Creek to be designated as Canada's first Urban Marine Park, with Indigenous co-governance, under the 30 x 30 conservation goals.Of course, getting there is going to take work, and a lot of learning — lessons which I think will be relevant not just for me and my neighbours, but anybody living near water. The story of False Creek's future is about public health, climate resilience, Indigenous reconciliation, more-than-human beings, and environmental justice. Because after all, we're all waterbodies. If you're as excited about this project as I am, you can learn more and get involved at falsecreekfriends.orgWaterbodies is recorded on location on False Creek. The first episodes will arrive this September, but the trailer is out now. So I hope you'll get subscribed to the Waterbodies feed anywhere — YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etcetera. Here's the video trailer.(Just in case you were wondering, Future Ecologies is not going away. But it's also still not sustainable as a full time job for me or anyone else. If you want, you can help us out at Patreon.com/futureecologies, but in the meantime I think this makes for a pretty cool balance.)

We're excited to introduce our brand new spin-off format: Hyphaedelity (which will ironically be somewhat lower-fi than our usual output).Here's the deal: Hyphaedelity is our experiment in chatcasting, but with a twist. On each episode, we're inviting a past guest from Future Ecologies to conduct their own interview, and bring us all along to sit in on their conversation.We wanted to see what would happen if we chased some of threads outwards from the dense tangle of ideas usually on display in our main episodes, and to be a little looser with it — not having to worry about pesky things like narrative clarity, or scoring, or sound design.This inaugural episode brings together Sarah Jim (of Scales of Change, Chapter 6) and Lucas Glenn, to discuss Lucas's ecologically engaged art practice as the former artist-in-residence for the city of Kelowna.Let us know what you think about this new format! We've got a wide array of conversations heading your way, and we hope you enjoy going a little off-trail with us.Works mentioned:Seed Bomb Recipe and 9 StatementsPepaken HautwM.A.S.S.I.V.E.Compost Cycles for Island XThe Wild RideWant to catch Hyphaedelity (and all episodes of Future Ecologies) early? futureecologies.net/join

When is it ethical to kill one thing to save another? Lethal intervention is a common practice in the field of wildlife management, especially when the survival of a species hangs in the balanceFor as long as we've existed, human beings have employed killing as one of our primary responses to adversity. We seem to believe at some deep level that if we have a problem, killing the manifestation of that problem might just make it go away. This is the logic of political assassinations, revenge plots, and the endings of most Hollywood blockbusters. But when we actually apply this logic to the more-than-human world, what does it mean for the species and ecosystems we're impacting? And what does it mean for us?In this episode, we're facing this essential moral dilemma as we learn a way to navigate the tension between collective and individual well-being.— — —Find credits, a transcript, and citations at futureecologies.net/listen/fe-6-4-humane-beingFuture Ecologies is completely independent and listener supported. Help us keep making this show, and get all the perks* at futureecologies.net/join*including early episode releases, bonus content, discord access (now w/ book club), swag, your name on our website, and our eternal thanks

Today, it's our pleasure to bring you an episode from our friends at Bioneers, who have just released a 6-part series called Nature's Genius.Follow Bioneers wherever you get podcasts, or listen to the rest of the series at bioneers.org/natures-genius/This is episode 1 — The Universe Beneath Our Feet: Mapping the Mycelial Web of LifeImagine an underground web of mind-boggling complexity, a bustling cosmopolis beneath your feet. Quadrillions of miles of tiny threads in the soil pulsate with real-time messages, trade vital nutrients, and form life-giving symbiotic partnerships. This is the mysterious realm of fungi. Acclaimed visionary biologists Toby Kiers and Merlin Sheldrake guide us through the intricate wonders of the mycorrhizal fungal networks that make life on Earth possible.

In this very special donkumentary, we're headed to the Mojave Desert — to Death Valley, in particular — where we find one animal at the centre of a heated debate in land management: the hardy wild burro (AKA donkey, ass, or Equus asinus).These feral burros, beloved by some and reviled by others, are an introduced species in the desert southwest, but are uniquely entangled in its human history. Since before the establishment of Death Valley as a national monument, they have been widely regarded as overpopulated on the Mojave landscape. In recent years, rising costs, public controversy, and some conflicting legislation have brought the sustainability of conventional burro management into crisis.But not everyone is convinced that they're harmful. Could this crisis be avoided altogether if we looked at burros under a different light?Are they crowding out the native and endangered fauna? Or are they filling an ancient ecosystem niche? Join us as we meet the land managers, ecologists, and donkey racers all trying to do right by the desert.Find photos, credits, a transcript, and citations at futureecologies.net/listen/fe-6-3-get-yer-ass-outta-here— — —We rely on listener support to stay independent, ad free, and making the best podcast we can make.Help us keep the lights on at patreon.com/futureecologies — and get perks like early episode releases, bonus audio content, stickers, patches, a cozy hat, access to our community discord server, and your name on our websiteGet new episodes in your email: join our mailing listYou can also find us on Bluesky, Instagram, Mastodon, & iNaturalist

We're unlocking one of the conversations from our bonus feed.In this interview, building on episode FE6.2, Mendel speaks with Skye Augustine, a leading voice uplifting the science, history, and culture of Sea Gardens. In a time where so much of the future feels uncertain, the resiliency of Sea Gardens over millennia is (at least to us) a source of deep comfort and inspiration.What's more, if you're as inspired as we are, and you want to learn how your community could build a clam garden, we've got you covered. Don't miss our conversation with Joseph Williams, Community Shellfish Liaison for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, who constructed the first Clam Garden of the modern era — available for free on our Patreon.— — —The Future Ecologies bonus feed is where we release exclusive bits of audio to all of our supporters. There's a whole back catalogue of silly mini episodes, long-form extended interviews with guests from the main feed, and a bunch of entirely new, fascinating conversations you won't hear anywhere else. It's one of the ways we say thanks for helping us make the show — we really can't do it without you.You can get access to the bonus feed (on your podcast app of choice) and more, for less than the price of a cup of coffee at patreon.com/futureecologies or subscribe directly within Apple Podcasts.

We're borrowing an episode from one of our all-time favourite shows: Threshold, a Peabody Award-winning documentary podcast about our place in the natural world.Now in their 5th Season, "Hark", Threshold producer Amy Martin is exploring sound itself: investigating what it means to listen to the nonhuman voices on our planet — and the cost if we don't. With mounting social and ecological crises, what happens when we tune into the life all around us?Other episodes from Hark cover the sounds of the primordial microbial ooze, of insects, of fish, and of plants. Today, we're featuring episode 3: on the sounds of coral reefs, and how listening to them may help them survive a warming world.Find Threshold (and the rest of Hark) wherever you get podcasts, or at thresholdpodcast.org

Food security, climate adaptation, and vibrant biodiversity all in one place — welcome to the ancient and diverse technologies of Sea Gardening.These widespread (but often overlooked) monumental rock features are proof positive of thriving Indigenous maricultural systems all around the Pacific Rim, since time immemorial. These spaces are not only simply stunningly beautiful spots to hang out, they're also a powerful symbol of ecocultural restoration; of Indigenous sovereignty, self-determination, and internationalism; of relationship building; and of the kind of future that is possible as we adapt to a changing climate and rising sea levels. We hope you find them as inspiring as we do.Join us as we visit a sea garden, learn about how they work, and meet a few of the people bringing them back to life.— — —Visit futureecologies.net/listen/fe-6-2-sea-garden for full credits, links, citations, photos, a transcript, and more.Support the making of this independent, ad-free podcast at futureecologies.net/join for as little as $1 each month, and get early episode releases and exclusive bonus content. Chip in a little more and we'll send you stickers, an embroidered patch, and a cozy hat.

Season 6 kicks off in the deep dark woods: the simplified, post-industrial forests of the world — the only forests that many of us have ever known.Join us as we meet foresters in British Columbia, Vermont, and Scotland, all working to embrace the messy art of ecological forestry. Because if we want our forests to be old growth-ier, we might not be able to just wait and leave them alone. It might mean challenging some assumptions and getting out of our comfort zone, but that's what it'll take to see the forest for the trees.— — —With the voices of Ethan Tapper, Brian Duff, Keith Erickson, and Herb HammondMusic by Thumbug, Spencer W Stuart, Nathan Shubert, and Sunfish Moon LightSee also:FE3.4 - Dama DramaGaliano Conservancy AssociationNNRG's "A Forest of Your Own"FernGully: The Last RainforestFor photos from our time in the ancient old growth, citations, a transcript, and more, click here.– – –

Hey y'all. Did you miss us? We're back!Well, almost. Check your podcast feed tomorrow for the first episode of Season 6.Or, if you're one of our dear supporters on Patreon or Apple podcasts (or if you'd like to become one at futureecologies.net/join), you can find episode 6.1 already waiting for you on the bonus feed.

As is tradition, we're releasing all the original music we composed for the latest season of Future Ecologies as a set of soundtracks. For the first time ever, they are also available on all major music streaming services. Enjoy!Auditory Compost by Sunfish Moon LightBandcamp, Spotify, Apple MusicConvergence by ThumbugBandcamp, Spotify (Side A | Side B), Apple Music (Side A | Side B)– – –Find all of our seasonal soundtracks at futureecologies.net/albumsAnd get free download codes on our Patreon ✨

We're excited to share another beautiful guest episode with you today.In this piece, originally broadcast in 2 parts on The Wind (one of our favourite podcasts), producer Eleanor Qull is taking us on a pilgrimage in honour of, and in tribute to that most collective monarch — the monarch butterfly. Through those lepidopteran migrants, it's a story of scale, agency, and spiritual offering in a changing world.Eleanor cooked up a special ~1 hour version just for us. It's spacious, equal parts silly and deadpan, with a big scoop of mono no aware.If you'd like to see pictures of the pilgrimage offerings from each stop, you can find them at thewind.org/episodes/the-merry-monarchs, along with complete list of citations, plus the original unabridged 2-part version — where the tour makes an additional stop (in space).

Future Ecologies presents "The Right to Feel," a two episode mini-series on the emotional realities of the climate crisis.The second and final episode, “Eulogies,” is based on fictional writing from the class. Students imagine and eulogize something that could be harmed by the climate emergency, and then imagine a speculative future in which action was taken to mitigate that harm.Over a two-year period, associate professor of climate justice and co-director of the UBC Centre for Climate Justice Naomi Klein taught a small graduate seminar designed to help young scholars put the emotions of the climate and extinction crises into words. The students came from a range of disciplines, ranging from zoology to political science, and they wrote eulogies for predators and pollinators, alongside love letters to paddling and destroyed docks. Across these diverse methods of scholarship, the students uncovered layers of emotion far too often left out of scholarly approaches to the climate emergency. They put these emotions into words, both personal reflections and fictional stories.“The Right to Feel” was produced on the unceded and asserted territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples.Find a transcript, citations, credits, and more at www.futureecologies.net/listen/the-right-to-feel— — —Part 2: Eulogies02:15 – Clione by Annika Ord12:49 –The Abundance Will Be Forever by Judith Burr24:03 – A Eulogy for Wolves by Niki33:33 – Return of the Hidden Worlds by Sadie Rittman44:59 — Eulogy for the Bees by Rhonda Thygesen

Future Ecologies presents "The Right to Feel," a two episode mini-series on the emotional realities of the climate crisis.This first episode, “Climate Feelings,” is a collection of students' non-fiction essays and reflections on their personal realities of living with and researching the climate crisis. The first episode opens with an introductory conversation between Naomi Klein and series producer Judee Burr that contextualizes how this class was structured and the writings it evoked.Over a two-year period, associate professor of climate justice and co-director of the UBC Centre for Climate Justice Naomi Klein taught a small graduate seminar designed to help young scholars put the emotions of the climate and extinction crises into words. The students came from a range of disciplines, ranging from zoology to political science, and they wrote eulogies for predators and pollinators, alongside love letters to paddling and destroyed docks. Across these diverse methods of scholarship, the students uncovered layers of emotion far too often left out of scholarly approaches to the climate emergency. They put these emotions into words, both personal reflections and fictional stories.“The Right to Feel” was produced on the unceded and asserted territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples.Find a transcript, citations, credits, and more at www.futureecologies.net/listen/the-right-to-feel— — —Part 1: Climate Feelings2:38 — Introduction by Judee Burr and Naomi Klein19:05 — Connection to Jericho Willows by Ali Tafreshi22:27 — Connection to the Water by Foster Salpeter27:06 — Connection to Family and Land by Sara Savino31:01 — Scientists and Feelings by Annika Ord36:00 — Biking away from the Smoke by Ruth Moore39:32 — Climate Sensitivity on the Bus by Nina Robertson43:13 — Grief and Climate Change Economics by Felix Giroux46:36 — The Age of Sanctuary by Melissa Plisic52:04 — Age of Tehom by Maggie O'Donnell

Vision without eyes? Intelligence without a brain? Are plants more akin to us than we have been prepared to acknowledge? Or are they different in ways we will forever strain to imagine? One way or another, a vine with some unusual abilities is shaking the field of botany to its foundations.On this episode: Zoë Schlanger (author of the newly-released, New York Times bestselling book The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth) takes us to the misty rainforests of Chile and back to report on what might just be the world's most extraordinary plant — hidden in plain sight.— — —With music by Modern Biology, Mort Garson, Hotspring, Thumbug, and Sunfish Moon Light.For credits, citations, transcript, and more, visit futureecologies.net/listen/fe-5-10-everything-will-be-vine— — —

In this conclusion to our trilogy, we're looking at a proposal to move beyond the concept of "rangelands" through the rewilding of the American west — meaning, the return of forgotten landscapes, species, and ecologies not commonly seen in generations (not to mention improved water and carbon storage). But at least one thing isn't compatible with this vision: grazing cattle on public lands.Catch up with Part 1 and Part 2And find citations, a transcript, and credits on our website— — —This ad-free podcast is supported by listeners just like you! Join our Patreon to get early episode releases, bonus content, merch, discord server access, and now toques! Head to futureecologies.net/join and choose whatever option works best for you.

Our series on cows and rangelands continues in the weeds and in the thorns, looking at a specific piece of public land where livestock are being employed to give some endangered species a new lease on life.In this 3-part series, we're hearing from impassioned scientists and land managers with diametrically opposed opinions on the concept of "rangelands" — by some estimates, accounting for 50-70% of the earth's surface. Missed Part 1? Catch up here— — —Find credits, citations, a transcript and more at futureecologies.net/listen/fe-5-8-home-on-the-rangelands-part-2This ad-free podcast is supported by listeners just like you! Join our Patreon to get early episode releases, bonus content, merch, discord server access, and more. Head to futureecologies.net/join and choose whatever option works best for you.

The introduction of cattle to western North America has undeniably contributed to massive ecosystem change. But could cows be as much a part of the solutions as they are the problem?In this 3-part series, we're hearing from all sides of this issue: impassioned scientists and land managers with diametrically opposed opinions on the concept of "rangelands" — by some estimates, accounting for 50-70% of the earth's surface.Part 1 kicks things off with a look at the special case of California, and a challenge to the conventional environmentalist perspective that cattle are always a destructive force for biodiversity and ecosystem health.— — —Find credits, citations, a transcript and more at futureecologies.net/listen/fe-5-7-home-on-the-rangelands-part-1This ad-free podcast is supported by listeners just like you! Join our Patreon to get early episode releases, bonus content, merch, discord server access, and more. Head to futureecologies.net/join to meet everyone who makes this podcast possible.

Future Ecologies is an independent podcast about the living world and its interrelations. The show varies in format, but this is a taste of what you can expect.New to the show? Find our whole back catalogue and subscribe for new episodes — right here in your podcast app, or at futureecologies.netBeen with us for a while? Send this trailer with someone who shares the planet with you.— — —Wondering where we've been? We were delayed by a computer malfunction, but episode FE5.7 is out now on our for our Patreon & Apple podcast subscribers (and arrives February 9th for the rest of you).

We're slowing down for the holidays, and we hope you are too.But we didn't want to leave you without something great to listen to, so we're borrowing an episode from one of our favourite podcasters: Ashley Ahearn is the independent science and environmental journalist behind several series covering life in the rural American West. If you haven't already listened to Grouse, on sage grouse, or Mustang (her latest), on wild horses, you're missing out.The episode we picked for you today is kind of a teaser for our own next series. It's a look at livestock, the regenerative ranching movement, and the women who are leading it.From Ashley Ahearn, Boise State Public Radio, and the Mountain West News Bureau, this is Women's Work, Episode 5: Keep them Doggies Rollin'Go find the rest of Women's Work wherever you get your podcasts. And while you're at it, go find Grouse and Mustang too.You'll be hearing from us soon. ‘Til next year — happy holidays, and take care.

How do we account for nature? We can build on it and we can take from it, but what is its intrinsic value — in and of itself?On this episode: Adam Davis (of Ecosystem Investment Partners), and a cultural transformation happening right now — reshaping the intersection of environmentalism and capitalism. Welcome to the restoration economy.— — —Music: Thumbug, Local Artist, Yu Su, SFMLCover art: Alé SilvaThanks: Ian Wyatt, Ava Stanley, Aila Takenaka, Alex JanzTranscript, Citations, etc: https://www.futureecologies.net/listen/fe-5-6-making-a-living— — —Help us keep making this show. Our supporters get access to early episode releases, a community discord server, discounted merch, and exclusive bonus content: for example, a follow-up Q&A session with Adam Davis.Did this episode leave you with questions? Join our community and ask for yourself (by Dec. 12)

Meet the Fire Watchers of Skeetchestn: the people keeping their community safe during nearby wildfires, and working to bring good fire back to the land. Join us for this conclusion to our visit to Secwépemc territories as we discuss a way to bring different knowledge systems together: a synthesis of western science and Indigenous understanding.This is the 5th instalment in our series of indeterminate length, "On Fire". While you don't need to listen to them in order, you may want to at least catch up Part 4 (Under Water) before diving into this one.– – –Links, citations, photos, episode transcript and more– – –

What happens after the smoke clears? What does recovery look like when the disasters never end?In this episode, we're visiting the sites of some of BC's biggest burns of 2017 and 2021 – making the link between the mega-fires and the floods and landslides that followed. We'll hear about how the land is (and isn't) recovering, and the factors that spell the difference.This is the 4th instalment in our series of indeterminate length, "On Fire", but don't feel obliged to listen to parts 1-3 beforehand.– – –Links, citations, photos, episode transcript and more– – –

Inherited is a climate storytelling podcast by, for, and about young people. We're bringing you Season 3, Episode 1: "Mama's House", a personal story of family loss, structural resilience, and survival in an era of climate change.Find all of Season 3, including behind-the-scenes interviews with each of the 8 storytellers, wherever you get your podcasts, or at yr.media/inherited/–––September 15-17 will hold climate marches and demonstrations around the world (many starting RIGHT NOW). Join the fight to end fossil fuels, and find the action near you: fossilfueltreaty.good.do/global-march/map/

Our 2-part epic on biodiversity and music is returning to Lobe Spatial Sound Studio for an encore.Join us at Lobe (713 E. Hastings St., Vancouver BC) next Thursday September 14th: showtimes are 6:30pm and 8:30pm, both including a Q+A with Mendel.Tickets are available at eventbrite.ca/e/lobe-artist-residency-series-spiders-song-by-future-ecologies-tickets-695016291437With grids of omni-directional speakers both on the ceiling and under the floor, a large subwoofer, and vibro-acoustic panels built directly into the floor itself, Lobe provides an unbelievably immersive listening environment. It's currently the only 4DSOUND spatial audio system in North America.(If you're not near Vancouver, you can always hear Spiders Song in stereo, but please wear headphones)

Adam catches up with Fern Yip (guest producer on FE2.3) about her recent close call with wildfire, with lots of practical advice for those living on forested lands.For photos and a transcript of this conversation, see futureecologies.net/listen/earthkins-trial-by-fireLearn more about Fern at earthkin.ca— — —Find Earthkin's September workshops in Vancouver: earthkin.ca/rewilddaysand a 10-weekend course September 2023 through June 2024 at Anderson Lake: earthkin.ca/waysofthewild— — —VANCOUVER: Spiders Song will return to Lobe Studio on Thursday, September 14th!Join us for this exploration of the music of evolution, presented in 4DSOUND spatial audio.2 showtimes: 6:30pm and 8:30pm, both including a Q&A with Mendel.Tickets available on a sliding scale: eventbrite.ca/e/lobe-artist-residency-series-spiders-song-by-future-ecologies-tickets-695016291437Get yours soon! Capacity is limited and both of the last shows sold out.— — —

How do our dreams shape our reality? Tonight, with the help of scientists, artists, philosophers, and historians, we're sprinkling a little stardust on our understanding of the more-than-human — from fish, to demons and gods.This episode features the words and voices of Lucia Pietroiusti, Filipa Ramos, Alex Jordan, Sophie Lunn-Rockliffe, Rain Wu, Nahum Mantra, Onome Ekeh, Federico Campagna, Yussef Agbo-Ola, and Hatis Noit, recorded at The Shape of a Circle in the Dream of a Fish — a recurrent festival exploring ideas of consciousness, language and the mind across non-human species and beings, initiated in 2018 by the Serpentine Galleries and held in 2022 in partnership with the Galeria Municipal do Porto.With music by Yussef Agbo-Ola, Hatis Noit, Thumbug, and Any-Angled Light.Big thanks to Adam's Electric Sheep Radio co-hosts, Ryder Thomas White & Samantha Ruth, to Kostas Stasinopoulos, and to Arda Studios.— — —Love and strength to everyone affected by wildfires, floods, hurricanes, or other disasters right now. We're feeling... not great about planetary stability, and we'd bet you're in the same boat.This episode doesn't directly address the climate breakdown, but we hope it can at least be a reprieve — or even offer some ways to reframe a shared nightmare.Our next episode (on fire) is in the works. For now, we're wishing you safety, preparedness, and many moments of joy in all the life around you. Get to know your neighbours, and take care of each other. Maybe have a chat about holding climate criminals accountable.— — —Our supporters on Patreon get early episode releases, a lovely discord server, and other bonus content, including some of the unabridged presentations that went into this episode.Join our community at https://www.patreon.com/futureecologies— — —VANCOUVER: Spiders Song will return to Lobe Studio on Thursday, September 14th!Join us for this exploration of the music of evolution, presented in 4DSOUND spatial audio.2 showtimes: 6:30pm and 8:30pm, both including a Q&A with Mendel.Tickets available on a sliding scale:

Get to know our friends and collaborators, Miriam Quick and Duncan Geere — the hosts of Loud Numbers, a data sonification podcast.How do data visualization and sonification differ? What are the possibilities and pitfalls? And how can you incorporate the practice into your life?— — —Hear the entire conversation wherever you get podcasts — join our community at patreon.com/futureecologies— — —Haven't heard our own data sonification yet? That's in Spiders Song (Part 2)

Spiders Song is a story about a quest to hear the greatest symphony on Earth: the music of evolution. Along the way, we get to know some of nature's most surprising musicians — the paradise jumping spiders.Part 2 is the SongHeadphones advised.— — —For credits and much more, visit futureecologies.net/listen/fe-5-1-spiders-songMissed Part 1? You can find it wherever you get your podcasts, or at futureecologies.net— — —But there's more to this story than just a couple podcast episodes!We're also releasing an open-source system which may be used to hear evolutionary patterns as music.As you'll hear in Part 2, data sonification, the sonic equivalent of data visualization, has found applications in many scientific fields, but never before in phylogenetics: the study of evolutionary relationships.This sonification system is intended as an experimental platform for evolutionary biologists to explore and communicate their data through sound, and for musicians to take inspiration from biodiversity. It is built in Max/MSP, and released under a GNU-GPLv3 license for customization and further development. Find a lovingly illustrated explanation of our sonification at futureecologies.net/listen/fe-5-1-spiders-song#explanation Listen to / download the full length sonification on its ownGet the source code and a detailed technical explanation, andWatch a video of the patch in action— — —Funding for this series was provided by the Canada Council for the Arts.But ongoing support for this podcast comes from listeners just like you. To keep this show going and growing, join our community at patreon.com/futureecologiesOur patrons get early episode releases, exclusive bonus audio content, access to a fantastic discord server, 50% discounts on all merch, and more (eg. a livestream tour of the sonification system that we built).

Spiders Song is a story about a quest to hear the greatest symphony on Earth: the music of evolution. Along the way, we get to know some of nature's most surprising musicians — the paradise jumping spiders.Part 1 is the Spiders.Headphones advised.— — —For credits and much more, visit futureecologies.net/listen/fe-5-1-spiders-songYou can listen to Part 2 right now — find it wherever you get your podcasts, or at futureecologies.net— — —Funding for this series was provided by the Canada Council for the Arts.But ongoing support for this podcast comes from listeners just like you. To keep this show going and growing, join our community at patreon.com/futureecologiesOur patrons get early episode releases, exclusive bonus audio content, access to a fantastic discord server, 50% discounts on all merch, and more

On July 7th and 8th, we're celebrating the start of Season 5 with a live premiere, hosted by Lobe Spatial Sound Studio in Vancouver, BC. We've mixed a special version of the upcoming episode in 4DSOUND.Lobe Studio is truly a unique listening environment. Not only is there a completely immersive speaker array (the only one of its kind in North America) there are also vibrotransducers built directly into the floor. In short, it sounds amazing.We'll be presenting a 90 minute episode, plus a Q+A, because we expect you might have a few questions.Show times will be 7:30pm on Friday July 7th, and 3:30pm on Saturday July 8th.Space is limited, tickets are by donation. Get yours here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/lobe-artist-residency-series-spiders-song-by-future-ecologies-tickets-649188910507More about Lobe: https://lobestudio.ca/—————To catch FE5.1 before anyone else (early access on July 1), advance notice on other events, our wonderful discord server, and other exclusive content, join our community of supporting listeners at https://www.patreon.com/futureecologiesMeet everyone who supports the show at https://www.futureecologies.net/patrons

From Love and Radio:Adam Zaretsky is a bioartist who explores the manipulation of DNA, the fringes of genetic modification, and butts up against the ethical boundaries of science and beyond.— — —Future Ecologies season 5 arrives July 7. Listen early at patreon.com/futureecologies

We're trying out a new format of bonus content over on our Patreon feed: casual, conversational interviews that go behind the scenes of some of the content on the main feed.In this first edition, our guest is Jonathan Kawchuk: composer, sound artist, and volunteer paleontologist. Jonathan's work is in both FE4.10 Geopoetics and the Emergence Magazine piece we recently featured When the Earth Started to Sing — music in the former, and paleo-soundscapes in the latter.We discuss Jonathan's technical and creative process — assembling reconstructed choruses of ancient soundmakers (Parasaurolophus and Permostridulus), and creating music in conversation with the Rocky Mountains — as we nerd out on sound production and paleo art.To hear the 47 minute conversation in its entirety (and get access to all our other bonus content, discord server, merch, and more) join our community at patreon.com/futureecologies

At the heart of the Salish Sea lies the Fraser River Estuary: home to over half of the population of the Province of British Columbia, thousands of endemic species, and one world-famous pod of orcas. But as the human population of the region has grown, wildlife populations — including salmonids, orcas, and over 100 species at risk — have been plummeting.As economic imperatives press up against ecological thresholds, a mega-project that has been in development for over a decade is poised to further alter the character of the estuary, with massive implications for the health of Salish Sea and its many residents.In this episode, we ask: can we find ways to hear each other through all the noise?This episode was originally published in March 2022. We've added a brief update about some recent developments in 2023. Read more about the news here– – –This episode features Janie Wray, Misty MacDuffee, Steven Slə́qsit Stark, Marko Dekovic, and Stephanie Kwetásel'wet WoodWith music by Ruby Singh (with Dawn Pemberton, Inuksuk MacKay, Russell Wallace, Shamik Bilgi, Tiffany Ayalik, and Tiffany Moses), Thumbug, and Sunfish Moon Light.This episode was produced by Mendel Skulski and Adam Huggins, with help from Megan Hockin Bennet and Lili Li.A full list of citations and a transcript can be found at our website: futureecologies.net/listen/fe-4-2-terminal

Dams remain one of the ultimate demonstrations of human power over nature. Wild rivers can be tamed to deliver energy for industry, lakes for recreation, and water for agriculture. But severing the link between land and sea has come with grave ecological costs. The impact of dams on salmon populations has been especially obvious and painful.This is part one of a two-part series on dam removals. In this episode, we go to the Klamath river to examine the fierce conflict (and unlikely partnerships) in pursuit of the deconstruction of 4 major dams. Part 2 is here.This episode was originally published in November 2018. We've added a brief update about some recent developments in 2022. Read more about the news here– – –This episode features Ryan Hilperts, Erica Terrence, Bill Tripp, and Senator Jeff Merkley.Music for this episode was produced by Brian D. Tripp, Loam Zoku, Kieran Fearing, Sour Gout, the Western Family String Band, the Clan Stewart Pipe Band, and Sunfish Moonlight.A full list of citations and a transcript can be found at our website: futureecologies.net/listen/fe1-9-swimming-upstream

When the Earth Started to SingProduced by Emergence Magazine, this sonic journey written and narrated by David G. Haskell brings us to the beginning of sound and song on planet Earth.The experience is made entirely of tiny trembling waves in air, the fugitive, ephemeral energy that we call sound. Spoken words combined with terrestrial sounds invite our senses and imaginations to go outward into an experience of the living Earth and its history. How did the vast and varied chorus of modern sounds — from forest to oceans to human music — emerge from life's community? When did the living Earth first start to sing? We invite you on a journey into deep time and deep sound that will open your ears and your imagination.Find many more stories exploring the intersection between ecology, culture and spirituality at emergencemagazine.org/David Haskell's new book: Sounds Wild and Broken: Sonic Marvels, Evolution's Creativity, and the Crisis of Sensory ExtinctionCover artwork by Daniel Liévano

We're sharing an episode from our friends over at Drilled. Four years ago, the Drilled podcast asked a question that changed how people thought about climate stories: What if we stopped acting like the climate crisis was inevitable and instead treated it like it truly is...the crime of the century? Now, the original true crime podcast about climate change is back with a new season all about the opportunistic oil industry.The season is packed with high stakes court cases, intrepid journalists, and a whole lot of intrigue, set in the world's largest oil boom town.We're dropping you straight into the action with Episode 4. Get all the background, and follow the rest of the story at https://link.chtbl.com/futureecologiesdrilled

We work hard to make sure our music doesn't just complement our voices, but actually tells a story all of its own. Now that our 4th Season is complete, as per usual, we've compiled all the original music that went into it, and we're releasing it as an album. This year, that album takes the form of two companion volumes.Volume 1: Electrical Storms by Sunfish Moon LightVolume 2: Sympoiesis by thumbugOf course we're not responsible for all the music you hear on our show. We've borrowed tunes from so many truly great artists, often connected thematically or geographically to the content of that specific episode. You can discover each of them, and support their work at futureecologies.net/music— — —We want to hear from you — take our brief listener survey and help make Season 5 the best yet.

“We need geopoetics because geopolitics necessitate other ways of being… Proposing alternate narratives to the hegemonic ones we are caught in is the work and play of geopoetics.”– Erin Robinsong, Geopoetics in the Mess/MeshEnclosed is the last episode of our 4th season: a sympoietic stream of consciousness; on language, art making, and more-than-human interconnection.Find a transcript, full credits, and citations here– – –We want to hear from you! Please take our brief listener surveySupport our 5th season: Join our community on Patreon– – –The feet are the linkBetween earth and the body. Begin there.The lungs are the link between body and air.The hands, these uprooted feet, are the meansOf our shaping and grasping. Clasp them.The eyes are the hands of the head;its feet are the ears. – Robert Bringhurst– – –With the voices and words of Michael Datura, Astrida Neimanis, Cosmo Sheldrake, Rex Weyler, Robert Bringhurst, Jan Zwicky, David Abram, Megan Gnanasihamany, Stephen Collis, Eric Magrane, Hari Alluri, Nadia Chaney, Kaitlyn Purcell, Khari McClelland, Rita Wong, Jessica Bebenek, Vicki Kelly, Mark Fettes, Marjorie Wonham, and Cecily NicholsonMusic by Cosmo Sheldrake, Anne Bourne, Meredith Buck (as arranged by Vanessa Richards), Jonathan Kawchuk, the Time Zone Research Lab, Emily Millard, Khari McClelland, Ruby Singh, and Nathan Shubert, with field recordings by Julian Fisher.

From a distance, mountain landscapes may appear timeless and immutable. Take a closer look, however, and montane ecologies reveal themselves to be laboratories of radical transformation: rocks weather and fall; ecosystems burst into life for brief intervals; tree-lines shift; and wildfires rage. Even the very peaks themselves inch inexorably upwards or downwards with the flow of time.Amidst all the constant, unyielding change that animates the Earth's high places, people have long sought a vantage from which to survey this shifting terrain. Who can resist the romance of a breathtaking, mountaintop view? Or then to imagine what generations past might have seen from the same spot?In the mid 1990s, a small group of scientists in western Canada grew dissatisfied with mere imagining — they wanted to see that change for themselves. And in a forgotten corner of a national archive, they found some very heavy boxes that held a rare promise: an opportunity to look back in time at a landscape scale.– – –For musical credits, select photos, citations, links, and more, click here.Support the show and join our Patreon community– – –Learn more about the Mountain Legacy Project: mountainlegacy.caExplore all the photos and data: explore.mountainlegacy.caMore on land cover classification | Webinar | Deep Dive

In this episode, Anja and Matthias go on an underground safari through the hidden jungle of the soil. We hear from Diana Wall about a tiny worm that is so tough it survives in Antarctica. Richard Bardgett introduces us to collembola, also known as springtails. Stefan Scheu and Maddy Thakur reveal which animals are considered the “wolves of the soil”, and Kate Scow delves into bacterial communities. How do all these organisms work together as a system?Find more episodes of Life in the Soil wherever you get your podcasts, or at rilliglab.org/podcast/For some incredible soil microfauna photography, see Andy Murray's Chaos of DelightCatch up on our own treatment on soil carbon sequestration and regenerative agriculture: on FE4.8 — Ground Truthing

Our latest episode — on soil carbon and regenerative agriculture — could never have fit everything that needs to be said on the topic. So, we're leaning on a couple of other podcasts that we think you'll love. First up, we're running an episode from Hot Farm, from our friends at the Food and Environment Reporting Network. It's all about what farmers are doing (or could be doing) to take on the climate emergency. In this episode you'll hear about a novel grain that farmers are starting to grow, and that could be part of the solution. This is Hot Farm part 3: "Is Kernza the Grain of the Future?" Find more episodes of Hot Farm wherever you get your podcasts, or at https://thefern.org/podcasts/hot-farm/ Catch up on our own treatment on soil carbon sequestration and regenerative agriculture: on FE4.8 — Ground Truthing https://www.futureecologies.net/listen/fe-4-8-ground-truthing

Can we sequester our carbon and eat it too? For the first time in 4 seasons, we're discussing natural climate solutions, and in particular, regenerative agriculture. Joining us is agrologist and fellow podcaster, Scott Gillespie (of https://www.plantsdigsoil.com/ (Plants Dig Soil)) to get into the nitty gritty of farming for soil carbon — its promise, possibility and feasibility. ——— Support Future Ecologies (pay what you can >$1/month) @ https://www.futureecologies.net/patrons (futureecologies.net/patrons)

We Walk the Earth is a podcast that explores creativity, curiosity, and cultural evolution through personal conversations, and the occasional sonic journey. In this episode, Mendel and Sergio discuss podcasting, art, music, hope, and lots more besides. We hope you enjoy this peek behind the curtain into the making of Future Ecologies, and Mendel's unfiltered inner monologue. — — — Subscribe to We Walk The Earth wherever you find podcasts, or get in touch at http://wewalktheearth.org/ (wewalktheearth.org) Catch the upcoming Future Ecologies release right now on our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/futureecologies (patreon.com/futureecologies)

On Friday October 21st, https://lobestudio.ca/ (Lobe Spatial Sound Studio) in Vancouver will present an immersive re-arrangement of our most recent episode, FE4.7 — Phase Change. You may have heard the episode before, but we guarantee that you haven't heard it like this. Lobe Studio is one of only three of its kind in the world, featuring a holographic 4DSOUND engine — this room goes well beyond surround sound. Doors @ 7:00pm Episode @ 7:15pm Q&A w/ Mendel @ 8:30pm Tickets (pay what you can) and more info: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/future-ecologies-phase-change-in-4dsound-tickets-431292386137 (https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/future-ecologies-phase-change-in-4dsound-tickets-431292386137)

A story of memory, ghosting, and phase change: how we can change the place we call home, and how it too can change around us. Another version of this story, along with many other works of art, can be found in the pages of https://fireseason.org/ (Fire Season II) – – –

What does it mean to live on an island? Is it to be independent from, or inexorably dependent on the rest of the world? And when the ecosystem's physical limitations are so clearly circumscribed, do people behave more "environmentally"? In this episode, we visit Adam's home island of Galiano, and find out just how big its ecological footprint really is. – – – https://galianoconservancy.ca/oneisland/ (Explore the full One Island, One Earth report) (and interactive map)

Listening to The Disintegration Loops during wildfire season — a review of William Basinski's seminal album as a meditation on looping thoughts, physical disintegration, and fire. – – – Subscribe to The Wind wherever you get your podcasts, and visit https://www.thewind.org (thewind.org) You can find a transcript of this episode at https://the-wind.simplecast.com/episodes/the-disintegration-loops/transcript (https://the-wind.simplecast.com/episodes/the-disintegration-loops/transcript)

The North American Model is just one story of how wildlife conservation can be practiced. In part 2 of this mini-series we tell another: of restorative human–predator relationships and local self-determination. We're bringing you a success story from the Great Bear Rainforest, and another articulation of how we can relate to wildlife — complete with its own set of guiding principles, naturally. https://www.futureecologies.net/listen/fe-4-5-model-citizens-pt2 (For musical credits, citations, and more, click here.) https://www.futureecologies.net/listen/fe-4-4-model-citizens-pt1 (Click here for Part 1) – — – — – — Just over 200 people are making Future Ecologies possible on Patreon! Meet them all at https://www.futureecologies.net/patrons (futureecologies.net/patrons) You too can join our community and help the show to grow @ https://www.patreon.com/futureecologies (patreon.com/futureecologies)

North America abounds in wildlife — but why? At the turn of the last century, many observers believed that species that we take for granted today would disappear forever. In this episode, we share a story about the way that wildlife conservation came to be practiced, the lives that it privileged, and the lives that it left out. But despite any controversy, one aspect of the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation (or "the NAM" for our purposes) is indisputable: its principles explain the landscape of laws and institutions in which North Americans enjoy nature today. – – – https://www.futureecologies.net/listen/fe-4-4-model-citizens-pt1 (For musical credits, citations, and more, click here.) – – – Future Ecologies is only possible with the support of you, our listeners! Our patrons get early episode releases + other bonus content, a community discord server (which runs the gamut from meme trading, recipes and fermentation, nature sightings, media suggestions, to discussions on environmental restoration), plus stickers, patches, and more! We are an independent and unaffiliated podcast. Listener contributions make it possible for us to keep producing stories that matter, make them sound great, and keep them ad-free. https://www.patreon.com/futureecologies (Join our community of supporting listeners on Patreon for as little as $1/month)

What can a brand new patch of nature tell us about Europe's ancient history? In this episode, we touch down in the Netherlands, where an unconventional experiment (the Oostvaardersplassen) has shaken up both the field of ecology and Dutch society. What started as a bird watcher's obsession with thousands of trekking geese, led to a criticism of one of the central tenets in ecology: ecosystem succession. Enter a counter-theory that would return the rarest of birds, butterflies, and a once-extinct mega mammal to one of the most densely populated countries on earth. For photos, transcripts, citations, and musical credits, head to https://www.futureecologies.net/listen/fe-4-3-a-tiny-wilderness (www.futureecologies.net/listen/fe-4-3-a-tiny-wilderness) – – – Future Ecologies is independent and ad-free. This podcast is possible thanks to our https://www.futureecologies.net/patrons (supporters on Patreon) Join our community of supporting listeners (for as little as $1 per month) for access to early releases, a rad discord server, and more: ✨https://www.patreon.com/futureecologies (https://www.patreon.com/futureecologies) ✨ If you'd prefer to support the show with a one-time donation, you can do so at https://www.futureecologies.net/donate (https://www.futureecologies.net/donate) And if you can't support the show financially, you can always leave us a nice rating (or even a review) wherever you listen. We post our favourites at https://www.futureecologies.net/#reviews (https://www.futureecologies.net/#reviews)