Reskillience

Do not listen to this unless you want to reawaken your dormant farming desires and throw yourself into a life on the land. I tell a story about being a grub, before having an animated chat with rural woman of the year Katie Finlay about staunching the loss of small farms in Australia and supporting emerging growers to step up – even and especially if they don't own land. (What even is land ownership?)

It's colder than a penguin's big toe here in Djaara Country, so we're cosying up by the fire for a yarn with Gareth Devenish. I call Gareth the Snoop Dogg of permaculture, he calls himself a sovereign man walking in Country, subject to natural lore, seeking a connection with the cosmos. Call off your obligations for the next hour because Gareth's crackling mix of irreverence and truth telling is something really special.

I tell a story about making bugger all money but feeling filthy rich, before being joined by the incredible Linda Cockburn (pronounced “Co'burn” cos it's Scottish) who explains why Capitalism is a death cult, and ways to crowd it out with reciprocity. Ample brain fodder and fiery inspiration here, folks! We cover:

Hello! I have been away in the bush for three days and three nights with just a tarp, sleeping bag and water to my name. No tent, no pillow, no torch, NO BREAKFAST. Off the back of this deeply moving ritual (which I'll tell you about soon), I wanted to release this equally as moving and foresty interview with Tessa Campisi.Tessa is a writer, poet, audio visual artist, activist and radio host who speaks with the timbre of an old growth tree and tells stories that will rustle your leaves. In this chat:

Me ranting about Couple Power and the Urban Nanna being brilliant. May all the single, neurospicy permies find ample inspiration in today's interview with Anna Matilda! Teacher of traditional skills, crafts and non-judgey sustainability. Anna is a breath of fresh air in the stale bedchamber of the status quo, sharing openly about how she does permaculture solo, in the city, in a rental property, with limited energy and Captain Anxiety occasionally taking the wheel.Mistakes as teachersOut ya come, Captain AnxietyFeeling out of step with the whole worldThe stress and physical fallout of maskingPersonal energy that can be budgetedThe Fuck It WaveFYI: You don't need a compost toilet or a goatGuide Beside learning (Nanna education)Is permaculture uniquely attractive to people on the spectrum?For the single women renters!Spoon TheoryBuilding community with a capital CGiving and receivingBanking energy and goodwill in people, in communityCommunity as forestSkills as securityMudhuts TheoryRevelling in knowing nothingCan we change?Swedish wisdom ~ lagom & mysigJapanese wisdom ~ kintsugi & shishiko embroidery

Today we're exploding the sanctity of heirloom seeds and exploring the world of adaptive gardening! Gregg Mueller is here to tell us how (and why) to breed wacky new varieties of veggies like red snow peas, rainbow carrots and miniature melons in the name of climate-proof food. We also talk about seed monopolies and sovereignty, open source seeds, permaculture pitfalls aaaaaand sad and depressed garlic with no sex drive.

It's Permaculture Week, friends and phascogales! And what better way to celebrate than a big old heart to heart with permie elder Linda Woodrow. Linda is the author of 470, The Permaculture Home Garden, and the Witches Kitchen blog which is now in its 17th year. She is humble and extraordinary, and I think you'll dig what she has to say about finding our niches, neighbours, purpose and freedom in the throes of collapse.

A story about a free bottle of French perfume and whether sensitivity makes us more or less resilient. With esteemed and ever-so-lucid naturopath, herbalist & author Anthia Koullouros of Apothēca Organic Teas & Apothecary.* What's making us all so sick?* How to untangle complex & confounding health crises* Polyvagal theory & nervous system truths* Practitioner perspectives: holding space for uncertainty* What a regulated nervous system isn't* Resisting business growth & hustle cultureLINKY POOS

One of today's guests spent seven years spinning a dress from stinging nettles and the other spent five years documenting the process. The result was the incredibly moving documentary The Nettle Dress — which I have now seen twice — co-created by Dylan Howitt and Allan Brown. It's a love letter to old skills, hand crafts and everything that cannot be hurried; to fibersheds, foraged threads, gentle stories, and the magic of following your heart.Dylan Howitt is a BAFTA nominated filmmaker whose roll call includes BBC, Netflix and Discovery. Allan Brown is a textile artist and subject of the film whose steady commitment to disrupting consumer culture is contagious.It's hard to sing The Nettle Dress's praises highly enough without shattering a window, but I truly hope you're moved to watch it after this conversation, perhaps with a posse of pals and a cauldron of nettle soup.

Today's subject matter is so slippery and mysterious that even my guest, Dr Maya Ward, finds it hard to describe, though she's swimming in it. It concerns the aliveness of rivers and the rivers inside us; the nature of reality and realms invisible yet objectively real. It's about catching the whispers and shouts of the world with pen and paper. It's shamanic, ecstatic and emphatically esoteric. It's bloody wild – and I suggest bringing your passport because the places this convo will take you are far out. But also, deep within. If you love all things complex, paradoxical and perspective-shifting, I dedicate this episode to you

Real good fun with this one! Join me and Formidable Vegetable's kind and charismatic frontman Charlie McGee for a swashbuckling convo about pirate bananas, working the edges, growing up in Arnhem Land, dumpster diving to feed your art, staying in your integrity (while saying yes to flying), the deep discomfort of home ownership and remembering your interconnectedness.

I tell a story about how Jord and I narrowly avoided getting shot before introducing Tanya Loos – local treasure and legendary naturalist – for a deep and meaningful chat about wild life, and all life. We cover: How to be a nature positive pet owner Are cats evil? How to save a bunch of lives Gardens as habitat The housing crisis facing possums (and other critters) How to recklessly pursue your passion and make it your profession GETTING THE ANIMALS ON THE ARK How to avoid roadkill (even frogs) Bee feelings + monogamous lizards The intersection between conservation, permaculture & animal welfare Patreon Qs 24/7 nature connection Beetle PaceLINKY POOS

It's the season three finale with me and my man Jordan Osmond!We're cranking the content couple cringe in this convo which covers our individual intentions for 2025, and chatting them through like a pair of old codgers.Jordan is one half of Happen Films, sharing stories for a more beautiful world, and precisely one year ago we recorded a Reskillience interview which was later to become our first date.Back with new eps in three weeks or less

The episode that nearly didn't happen for reasons almost too embarrassing to share… but what else is the intro for?

After countless requests I present to you: Kat Lavers

Are bees a mammal in many bodies?Why do conventional beehives leave bees cold, stressed and defensive?How can beekeepers deal with varroa mite without any chemicals?Do European honeybees even belong in Australia?What is Australia's best honey and where to get it?All this and more in today's GLORIOUS conversation with leading natural beekeeper Adrian Iodice. Such a special one folks

If you prefer nature to people, birdsong to screeching tyres and secretly want to crash the economy via mass workplace dropout due to a bird language contagion, you will go absolutely crackers for this convo.Andrew Turbill aka. THE BIRD GUY is here to share his epic and somewhat perilous birding quests for 2025, from stalking Logrunners to sidestepping fascists and recording a full blown predator attack in the sky.F****** fabulous listening for anyone under the spell of birds. Andrew's 2025 to-do list find out where our local superb lyrebirds (well, at least 1 lyrebird anyway) nest and get an audio recording of the young bird begging or alarm calls get a decent photo of a logrunner build an elevated sit spot platform in the forest spend more time in the forest socialising with songbirds and less time doom-scrolling about the callous and cruel manifestations of psychopaths, narcissists and fascists record audio of a full-sequence aerial predator attack keep my bird baths full 365 days of the year devise a way to dissuade catbirds and fairy-wrens from mercilessly pummeling my windows at dawn throughout spring and summer find someone desperate enough to make some walking-around money to enter 30 years of my naturalist seasonal field observations into a data base or excel spreadsheet so i make some effing sense of them take on a bird language apprentice visit my mum more oftenLINKY POOS

If you're sick of ham sandwiches and Love Actually, why not bring spear throwing and possum skinning to Chrissy lunch? Eva and Will of Wild Beings have some cracking ideas for rewilding family gatherings -- and every other facet of modern existence, for that matter.These two intrepid humans lead a radically connected life on/in/with the land, and inspire others to do the same. Tracking, hunting, foraging, tanning, weaving, bush medicine and bird language... this conversation harks back to the OG roots of Reskillience; re-membering that old, wise body of ecological knowledge and running with it... into the shrubbery.

Things to know about this episode:

FOR ONCE IT'S NOT A PERMIE

This episode was recorded while sitting on Artist As Family's living room floor, glowing embers in the belly of the fire, cups of hawthorn and artichoke tea on the coffee table, and Meg's famous ferments watching over us from the shelves. You'll hear us accidentally knocking the microphones, some quality heavy breathing and Zero the dog dreaming and yipping away on the couch. And it's our first audio quartet! Meg, Patrick and twelve-year-old Woody offer their list of ten permaculture neopeasant provocations as a whole family; a huge highlight was hearing Woody share wisdoms from his unconventional upbringing complete with knives and chainsaws and flames and the freedom to learn lessons the hard way. LINKY POOS

You already know today's guest. You've admired her art, chortled at her pithy permaculture puns and perhaps even listened to her rhyme along with Formidable Vegetable, those eco-funk, full of beans, electro-radish rockers. It's the perennially brilliant Brenna Quinlan! Illustrator and educator who brandishes her watercolour brushes at the world's gnarliest problems, and paints beautiful alternatives.In this convo:

Don't you love it when science geeks get spiritual? I do, because when highly rational folks admit that the world is far more mysterious than it is predictable, it's intensely validating for us intuitive hippies who've believed in magic all along.This is one of those beautiful and surprising conversations with one of my farming idols Charlie Showers from Black Barn Farm that'll have you rethinking everything. And/or thinking you want to get into apple growing. DO IT.Charlie is a geological engineer, agricultural researcher, bushfire and natural disaster expert, fruit tree grafting jedi, permaculture ninja, dad, husband, unapologetically ritualistic bloke and bloody legend.We traverse:

*Recorded outdoors under a passionfruit vine with wind in the banana leaves*This is one of those conversations that'll shake you up, rattle your cage and light a fire under your butt to make change – because today's guest reckons we need to upskill, now! It might just be the greatest pep talk in Reskillience history, from one of the most passionate permies in the movement. It's Brett Cooper from Limestone Permaculture.Brett, his wife Nici and fam live on Worimi Country, mid-coast NSW. Not too long ago their one acre block was just grass and hoofprints in a sleepy little rural town. Now there are over 550 fruit and nut trees, 80-140 chooks, ducks and turkeys, veggies galore, herbs, medicines, outdoor classrooms, 4.4 million litres of stored water and one legendary pizza oven. Oh, and some bangin' community resilience.Over three million viewers have devoured Brett + Nici's farm tours on YouTube, pointing to more than just a fetish for gardening content but a deep yearning for the health, abundance and connection that overflows at Limestone Permaculture.

The first time I saw Anisa Rogers (who was basking on the grass reading a book) I thought: this person looks hekkin relaxed, has a tan consistent with living in reality, and the brightest blue eyes I've ever seen.We got talking and I learned that Anisa is involved in all kinds of system-disrupting mischief in Naarm, Melbourne, as part of the Degrowth Network – and so many social justice, environmental, guerrilla gardening and new economy groups.The reason Anisa can lead a rich life in community is that they've whittled their living costs down to such an extent that they're free to be of service to their passions and values. Kudos!

My guest today is Joel Meadows, a phenomenal human who happens to be a permaculture teacher, rocket oven engineer, energy geek, green tech sceptic, sculptor, illustrator, musician and composting ninja.This is one epic episode that encompasses:

An interview with the intrepid author of my favourite book in recent years, Robyn Mundy!(Word nerds, snow bunnies, penguin enthusiasts and fans of the freezing cold, this one's for you.)Robyn is a Tasmanian author and adventurer, Arctic guide, Antarctic research assistant, and lifelong lover of snow and ice.I picked up her book Cold Coast in the library on a whim, because it had a cute Arctic fox on the cover and came recommended by library staff.It tells the true story of Vanny Voldstad, the first female trapper in Svalbard, who defied 1930s gender norms to claim her place in the perilous and male dominated world of polar bear and fox hunting.Robyn's sensitivity, intelligence, and reverence for wild nature shines on the page — and I suspected she'd be a wealth of Reskillient wisdom. (Correct.)Even if you haven't heard of Robyn or read her books, there are so many gems in this conversation — strong rewilding themes, advice for aspiring storytellers and the unmistakable call to adventure that might just have you booking a ticket on the next ship to Antarctica.Robyn Mundy ~ Cold CoastRobyn Mundy ~ Wild LightRobyn Mundy ~ The Nature of IceRobyn on InstagramRobbie Arnott ~ FlamesFavel Parret ~ Past the ShallowsMaatsuyker islandThe mighty OspreyArctic fox Sound credit: klankbeeld on Freesound.org***Join the not-culty-at-all Reskillience community on Patreon***

Sit down and whip out your preferred pen* because Dylan Graves is doing back-of-the-envelope calculations to show you how to access land within three to five years.I know, sounds weirdly left-brained for our whimsical podcast, but fear not, this conversation with an inspiring and intensely honest permaculture teacher will have you dreaming and doing in tandem.In the deep south of Aotearoa New Zealand, Dylan and his partner Evita are living and breathing Reskillience. Dylan is a permaculture teacher, biochar educator, farmer and frank-as-anything about financial pathways that lead to both personal freedom and a low-resource lifestyle that respects nature's limits. He also covers these tantalising topics:Should permaculture courses be cheaper?Should we all earn radically less?Jobs no-one is doing in permaculture.So many options for low-cost living.Insights as a Workaway host.Total weekly income.Living on 10k per year.Educational holidays.Accepting financial gifts from friends.Money taboos.Small livelihoods.Anger as a driver.Forced to farm!Permaculture sheep farming.Introverted permaculture teacher lyfe.Biochar conspiracies.*The hierarchy of pens is: Quill + ink > any Japanese pen > old school fountain pen > Artline 220 Series Superfine Point Black 0.2mm > all other pens.LINKY POOS

What's the story with free birthing, wild birthing, orgasmic births and births that don't go to plan?Here to deliver answers to all our laborious questions is the wise and erudite Eleanor Young, researcher, permaculturalist, writer and midwife.Even if you're not some born-again birthing evangelist, you'll find lots to love in this gentle and soulful exploration of human propagation. Because there is so much overlap between how we treat birth and how we treat the earth; between reclaiming our mammalian birthing blueprint and remembering how to live within nature's lore and loamy bosom. I love that Eleanor integrates permaculture principles and midwifery. I love that she walks between worlds, the clinical and the feral. And you'll love this episode if you're yearning to learn about undisturbed birth, the current state of midwifery, polyvagal theory, healing birth trauma and why permaculture principles and birthing are natural bedfellows. LINKY POOS

Would you pick up a schoolkid's half eaten apple and eat it?Annie Raser-Rowland would, while shining a lopsided smile to passersby.Annie is the radical wordsmith behind the bestselling The Art Of Frugal Hedonism and The Weed Forager's Handbook, co-authored with the equally-and-proudly-as-stingy Adam Grubb.This is one helluva conversation that covers:

Many of you have requested interviews with folks who are making beautiful nests in less-than-perfect contexts, like the city. Who haven't flown off to Planet Permaculture but are sticking with modern civilisation. You've asked to explore the personal terrain of chronic pain, limited energy and neurodivergence; highlighting radical self compassion as the necessary first step in the radical reimagining of everything.And so I reached out to Koren Helbig, a restful role model for our times.If you don't know Koren, she's a digital marketing strategist and journalist based in Tarntanya/Adelaide. She shares stories of gardening and climate positive futures for publications like the ABC and the guardian, and top quality fluffy poultry content over on instagram.I've been watching Koren's work from afar for ages, half envious and wholly admiring of her ability to weave permaculture principles throughout her entire life, from how she grows food, connects with neighbours, pays the mortgage and runs her business to — as I discovered in this conversation — deliberately building rest and reflection and fallowing into her schedule. Best of all, Koren is a real and warm human who exudes a quiet brilliance. I loved spending time with her, and know you will too.Koren's home on the webKoren on InstagramThe Art of Frugal Hedonism ~ Annie Raser-Rowland & Adam GrubbShe Makes Magic podcastThe Food ForestHolistic Decision Making with Dan PalmerKirstin Neff ~ Self CompassionBeyond Climate Grief ~ Jonica Newby***Support Reskillience on Patreon***

Did you know that women represent less than one third of artists in the music industry? And just 12.6% of songwriters? I'm quoting my guests here, Lauren and Oberon Carter of Spiral Garden and, lately, Suffragette Records in Hobart, Lutruwita.Suffragette Records stocks music made by women only, not for the sake of exclusion but to rebalance the scales. Because who and what we listen to patterns our thinking, beliefs, communities and civilization. When women aren't part of our cultural soundscape, we miss out on stories and messages and melodic teachings from a whole portion of the population.I was delighted to unpack Lauren + Oberon's new-ish adventures in vinyl, how the've embedded permaculture ethics into their business, the day to day experience of running a record shop as a family of five, and the heartfelt chats they're having with old dudes about music, climate change, the matriarchy and everything in between. Lauren + Oberon's home on the web ~ Spiral Garden Lauren + Oberon's record store ~ Suffragette Records Spiral Garden's Substack Suffragette Records on the gram Julia Jacklin ~ Don't Let The Kids Win Joni Mitchell ~ Court + Spark Vandana Shiva ***Support Reskillience on Patreon***

Scarcity mindsets + scrofulous zombies are no match for nature's weedy abundance! So says Diego Bonetto, wild food advocate and forager with a heart of greenish-gold. Diego calls Wiradjuri Country, NSW, home and leads foraging workshops, seasonal edible adventures, community art projects, wild storytelling events, makes more weedy media appearances than I can list here and is the author of the excellent Eat Weeds: A Field Guide to Foraging. I'm utterly enamoured of Diego's teachings and this conversation, filled with the language of plants, the wisdom of place, forest communions, not-quite-closed loops, ecological hypocrisy and pretty good reasons to never ever ever mow your lawn.Find links to Diego's wonderful work listed below.Diego's home on the webDiego's book ~ Eat WeedsDiego on InstagramDiego on the Futuresteading podcastMarnee Fox***Support Reskillience on Patreon!***

Couldn't find your way out of a cardigan? Get into natural navigation with Tristan Gooley, award winning and bestselling author, expedition leader, and nicknamed “The Sherlock Holmes of Nature” by the BBC.What I love about Tristan is that he is first and foremost a practitioner of fun, about how great it feels to notice nature's signs and clues, about the fizzy thrill of uncorking our ancestral problem solving skills. If you, like me, long to read the landscape and find your way through nature, Tristan's books and courses will be your faithful guides.I particularly loved his podcast The Pursuit of Outdoor Clues, which, in just six episodes, soothed my jangled nerves and taught me so much about nature's whispers. I'll leave you to explore Tristan's back catalogue if you haven't already – and maybe we'll run into each other in his online Natural Navigation course?Tristan's home on the webTristan's booksTristan's Natural Navigator coursesTristan's podcast ~ The Pursuit of Outdoor CluesGet on Tristan's mailing list!Thinking Fast & Slow ~ Daniel KahnemannKathy Holowko ~ Artist + supporter

Elisa Rathje lives on a small farm, on a small island, telling microscopic stories of resilience. She's an artist, writer, filmmaker, podcaster, unschooler, grower, permaculturalist, goatherd and goose mistress whose work has fed me, and so many others, for years.From Appleturnover Farm on Salt Spring Island (in the Strait of Georgia between mainland British Columbia, Vancouver Island and Canada), Elisa documents slow, simple approaches to skilling up and rooting down, normalising the pursuit of tiny joys.This conversation roams between life as art, the illusion of security, community sufficiency, how to call on your inner grandma, decolonising the mind and becoming a propagator of small, ancient patterns of regeneration.I hope you find much to savour in this sweet, soulful audio morsel. Check out + support Elisa's work!Appleturnover online!Elisa Rathje/Appleturnover on InstagramAppleturnover on PatreonPermaculture PrinciplesElisa on The Accidental Gods podcastJoseph BeauysThe Inner MentorTara Mohr ~ Playing BigKen Page on the Simplify PodcastSu Dennett ~ Do With SuJoanna MacyDavid Holmgren

Jade Miles is a very special mate of mine. I turned up on her doorstep as a WWOOFer in 2018 and we got on like asparagus and eggs, which is what we had for dinner that night if I recall correctly. You probs know Jade as the host of the Futuresteading podcast, keeper of Black Barn Farm and writer of the most personal and compelling instagram captions in all the land. I love that Jade is consciously bridging the personal/professional schism, exploring ways to bring her whole, complex self to her roles as CEO, farmer, speaker, writer, facilitator, mother, friend and bush rat. In this conversation, Jade gets more personal than ever — which is saying something because we love a juicy yarn. From her approach to podcasting, the creation of household rituals, how seasonal imperatives shape her schedule and why she is the way she is, this is one intimate Reskillience experience. Jade has a new book on the cook called Huddle, coming next year, and if you don't already have the Futuresteading handbook in your hot little hands I can highly recommend it.Black Barn Farm on InstaBlack Barn Farm's home on the webThe Futuresteading PodcastThe Futuresteading book!Beau Miles ~ Get Over YourselfAnthony James ~ The RegenNarrationTyson Yunkaporta on FuturesteadingCasper ter KuileCecilia MacaulayClaire Dunn ~ Rewilding the Urban SoulRichard Powers ~ The OverstoryIndira Naidoo ~ The Space Between the StarsHUDDLE is out Autumn 2025

I just polished off my last jar of blackberry jam and it's only April, which is why I need today's guest to assist me in the finer arts of sustainable homesteading. It's Mara Ripani of Village Dreaming and Orto cooking school, a force of and for nature with a passion for greening cities, growing food, permaculture, preserving food, baking bread and sowing seeds. Mara is about as earthed as its possible to be while still having a social media presence, propagating skills of from-scratch cooking, foraging, fermenting, soap making and seasonal attunement from her breathtaking solar passive farmhouse here in Central Victoria. In this conversation, you'll hear Mara's alarm go off a couple of times telling her she needs to tend the bread, and you might too hear us chewing on dried plums, sipping on fragrant bay leaf tea that Mara poured for me on arrival. This chat feels really apt as we move towards the colder months, one last hurrah of abundance and colour and harvest before we drop all our leaves, exposed and ensconced for winter.Mara's home on the web ~ Village DreamingMara's upcoming workshopsFloral syrup recipes (including Mugolio ~ pine cone syrup)Take a tour of Village DreamingTanya Loos ~ Daylesford Nature DiaryWintering ~ Katherine MayMara's Futuresteading interview

Are you keen to join the dots between parenting and activism? Want to grow a beautiful parallel paradigm in and through and with the yoof? I'm not a parent, but I am someone who believes that our “impact” starts at home; that the work of our times begins with ourselves and the beings in our orbit. So I reached out to one of the greatest women I know who also happens to be a parenthood black belt. Her name is Devon Harris and she's here to school us in Aware Parenting, which is a thrillingly disruptive alternative to parenting-as-usual. Devon is a parenting coach, consultant and mother who helps just as many kiddos as she does adult people, because the Aware Parenting approach is relevant to everybody – especially, as I discovered, to our petulant civilisation that's stuck somewhere been the terrible twos and teenage angst. We talk about compassion and non-punitive discipline, power reversal games and listening partners, community childcare and schools as feedlots. I loved this conversation and feel great about bringing it to Reskillience – and grateful to Devon for being such a wise and hilarious guest. Syd, Devon's kid, was also hanging out as we recorded so you'll have the pleasure of hearing from him too. So, without further ado, here's Devon Harris to show us just how radically rewarding raising children can be.Devon's home on the webContact the marvellous DevonTyson YunkaportaThe Continuum Concept ~ Jean LeidloffHand in Hand parentingDaylesford Dharma School

Leaves and loam, feather and bone, it's Patrick Jones from Artist as Family! Patrick is Meg Magpie Ulman's partner in permaculture neopeasantry, father of Blackwood and Zephyr, creature of Tree Elbow, songsmith, wordsmith, goatherd, grower, speaker, radical homemaker and reverential rubbish collector, most often seen on two wheels towing a load of scrap wood as one might bear a royal being, carried in a scared procession. In this conversation Patrick shares a really special story about how he came to be Blue Wren as well as tales of anger, renewal, goddesses and content creation. It's a gentle and beautiful thing which I'm really excited to share with you.Artist as Family's home on the webArtist as Family's blog (READ IT)Artist as Family on YouTube (YOUTUBE SUX)Happen Films ~ Creatures of PlaceMartín Prechtel ~ Long life, honey in the heartCastlemaine Rites of PassageNatural Beekeeping with Adrian IodiceVandana ShivaPaul Cudenec on SubstackW.D. James on SubstackG.K Chesterton

It's all very well to forage weeds and track wombats, weave baskets from willow and walk barefoot cross country... but how do you stay wild in the city? With kids? With a face-sucking phone in your pocket?Claire Dunn is a good person to ask about these things, being a key figure in Australia's rewilding movement and uncommonly balanced advocate for undomestication. If you don't know Claire, she's a writer, speaker, barefoot explorer, rewilding facilitator and founder of Nature's Apprentice -- and, as hands down one of my favourite people, it was a joy to wander with Claire around the conversational compass from her personal mythology, wild motherhood to what's up with introverts? to making peace with the concrete jungle.Claire's Books:My Year Without MatchesRewilding the Urban SoulClaire's home on the web:Nature's ApprenticeNBLT ~ Nature Based Leadership TrainingJoanna Macy ~ The Work That ReconnectsJon YoungPaul Hawken ~ Blessed UnrestThe Tourist Test ~ Kamana Wilderness Awareness School

Dr. Yin Paradies is a loving tearer downerer of teetering assumptions, a recalibrator of compasses, an Aboriginal-Asian-Anglo Australian conducting deep research on racism, anti-racism, Indigenous knowledges and decolonisation. Despite inhabiting a comfortable burrow in academia as the Chair of Race Relations at Deakin University, he's also an anarchist, an animist, a trickster, a disruptor and a sage voice on so many topics that Reskillience is interested in. This is one of those convos that creeps up on you, that builds in energy and quietly blows shit apart. We discuss the aliveness of everything, the possibility in passivity, the nature of prayer, the perils of intentional communities and how Yin and his kin at Anam Cara are doing things differently. We talk about karma yoga, eldering, sociocracy and little bits of carrot floating in the soup of consciousness. I loved my time with Yin, and welcome you intto this quietly radical conversation.The Everything Seed ~ Carole MatignaccoIn the Time of White Raven: Activism and Animism talk ~ March 3rd 2024Carol Sandford – Indirect WorkNBLT – Nature Based Leadership TrainingAnam Cara websiteFindhorn Foundation Merlin Sheldrake David AbramKarma YogaSophie StrandSpell of the Sensuous ~ David AbramThe Wild Edge of Sorrow ~ Francis WellerTrickster Makes This World ~ Lewis Hyde

Have you considered the backstory of your leather shoes? Are you curious about the process that transforms raw hides into luxurious handbags? Do you wonder how tanning relates to personal and collective resilience? Ever thought about nature connection through the lens of Attachment Theory? If so, my guest today is sure to massage your mind. It's Josh McLean, a social worker and Bush Adventure Therapy Facilitator who also happens to be an expert in the lost art of hide tanning. You might know him as the guy from The Bush Tannery, but he's increasingly bringing his wicked set of ancestral skills to bear on modern mental health practice. I first met Josh at a rabbit tanning workshop he was leading in the middle of the city, and I was really honoured that he was made the time to reconnect and join me on the podcast to share his fascinating perspective on life, death, the past, the future, changemaking, bridge building and the pale blue dot we call home. So, please enjoy this ye olde skills edition of Reskillience with Josh McLean.The Bush TanneryJosh's tanning workshops at CERESOutdoor Health AustraliaGet in touch with Josh ~ thebushtannery@gmail.comCarl Sagan's Pale Blue DotAttachment TheoryBook ~ Attached by Dr. Amir Levine & Rachel S.F. Heller M.AScreen Based LivingAttention Restoration Theory

David Holmgren is the co-originator of Permaculture, self-aware contrarian and contemplator of everything. I'm lucky enough to be part of his extended household, so rather than shooting the breeze about the state of the world while sowing parsnips I figured I better bloody well get him on the podcast. We dig into David's own internal landscape as well as the contours of his life at Melliodora, and I was especially eager to quiz him about land sharing and housing alternatives; prime listening for those in the debt-avoidant club. Listen out for our new Reskillience segment: Word Association – which sees me peppering David with all kinds of words and phrases to see what he'll volley back. Such fun. And David said it's unlike any interview he's done before, which I'm taking as a good thing.Maya WardPermaculture principle #8 – Integrate rather than segregateBill MollisonEdges talk given by David in LisbonPermaculture principle #11 – Use edges and value the marginalDavid Holmgren's collected essaysEssay ~ Pandemic broodingEssay ~ Crash on Demand Essay ~ The ApologyBook ~ The Golden Calm by M.M. KayeMelliodora propertyEcoBurbiaIvan IllichGerman Permaculture AcademyCall of the Reed Warbler ~ Charles MasseyRetroSuburbia Chapter #25: Changing Habits for Self-Reliance + ResilienceBook ~ RetroSuburbia: The Downshifter's Guide to a Resilient Future ~ David HolmgreneBook ~ Trees on the Treeless Plains ~ David HolmgrenPermaculture events + workshops

Today's yakkity yak is with one of the most radical women in permaculture -- and you know how wild those permies can be. It's Su Dennett! Life partner of David Holmgren and unspoken ruler of the roost at Melliodora. Su is a seventy seven year old inspiration, a permaculture matriarch and precious repository of ye old skillz. I sat down with her in the teahouse, a few moons ago now, and record this conversation. (This was actually the first interview I ever recorded for Reskillience, so don't be alarmed by the references to winter, the bushfire season ahead and fabricated listener questions.) What is totally timeless is Su's take on food, the gut, kids and parenting, eating animals, talking to animals, household roles, wealth, community, and small town gossip. Get into it.Online course ~ Do with SuCute zine ~ Do with SuCome to the Do with Su online launch with Costa!Holmgren Design onlineThe Holmgren bookshopThe RetroSuburbia community on FacebookRetroSuburbia ~ The Downshifter's Guide to a Resilient Future

I'm not a doctor – though I wish I was because who wouldn't want to take their petrified child to see Dr Payne? However, I did study herbal medicine and practice as a naturopath, which could be why so many folks still get in touch with me about plant medicine. So! To all those green appreciators out there – wannabe witches, budding shamans, dandelion disciples, mullein maestros, burdock rockers, sage mages… this episode with Taj Scicluna is for you. You might know Taj as The Perma Pixie, but she's currently in a rebranding chrysalis and will be emerging soon as something new and beautiful. She's a Botanical Educator, Grassroots & Bioregional Herbalist, Writer, Forager, Awe-seeker and Animist – and I'll add: a clear, calm voice in the wilderness. There's so much to love in this long, awakening convo. May it scratch the botanical itch while soothing the herbal soul.Taj Scicluna's home on the webTaj on InstagramTaj's PatreonTaj's courses, workshops, retreats and offerings (so many starting in Feb!)Feb ~ The Herbal ApprenticeMar ~ Ritual Herbalism (waitlist!)Weed witch ~ Susun WeedLocal herb nerd ~ Willow Herb NerdForaging aficionado ~ The Urban NannaAn excellent field guide ~ The Weed Forager's HandbookNature's Apprentice ~ Claire DunnImaginary tee-shirts:Capitalism: I didn't consent to thisInterrogate Capitalism!Obliterate Capitalism!Be the weeds!You don't have to fight for rebellion.

Throw a chicken bone in the cogs of the never-say-die machine with this week's convo about DEATHHHHH. Not going to coat this one in plum sauce and call it “spare ribs” – today Beck Lowe and I go the whole hog on keeping animals, killing animals, and why to hone that skill if you LOVE animals. Get around it.Beck Lowe's home on the webBook ~ Our Street by Beck Lowe + David HolmgrenPodcast ~ Poetry UnboundPodcast ~ Big Things. Little Things.Podcast ~ OlogiesBook ~ RetroSuburbiaFor the seekers ~ Do a Permaculture Design Certificate!Live Online PDC with Beck + David ~ FebruaryRocklyn Ashram PDC with Beck + David ~ MarchPermaculture property ~ MelliodoraLittle known gardening program ~ Gardening Australia

Oh happy day, it's Jordan Osmond from Happen Films! Happen Films is one of the most powerful portals of inspiration in the sustainability space; not just trotting out the same old green living tropes but laying new turf, sharing fringe ideas about how to care for land, be in community, and live the change. I was stoked to sit down with Jordan now that he's back in Australia and quiz him about filmmaking, changemaking and finances – and like good little optimists, we only mentioned civilisational collapse once.Visit Happen Films on the webFollow Happen Films on YouTubeSupport Happen Films on PatreonPodcast ~ Accidental GodsDocumentary ~ Fahrenheit 9/11Documentary ~ Food Inc.Professor dude ~ Samuel Alexander Podcast ~ Possibility Now! with Ethan HughesNamaste Foundation/Biome TrustPermie Neopeasants ~ Artist as FamilyBook ~ Artist as Family's The Art of Free TravelPermie place ~ MelliodoraAlain de BottonDavid HolmgrenNicole FossHelena Norberg-HodgePodcast ~ The Great SimplificationCharles Eisenstein ~ The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is PossibleHappen Films referencedA Simpler WayFools & DreamersBen & bEarthaLiving the ChangeLiving Simply in an Off Grid Tiny HouseCreatures of Place An Invitation for Wildness

Can rocks be your besties? Are the shadows safer? How does Deer Medicine help women avoid becoming prey? Get into this conversation with adventurer, wilderness guide and creature of place Suzy Muir – who, alongside her intrepid husband Jon Muir – live a radically simple off grid existence in the Grampians. I was lucky enough to meet Suzy in her natural habitat, purely by chance, and have considered her a friend and mentor ever since. Her stories and wisdom and wildness may just have the same effect on you; something to hear with your bones as well as your ears, singing to ancient and latent parts of the soul. Enjoy this whole conversation.Suzy + Jon's home on the web ~ Grampians Nature ProgramsSuzy + Jon's accommodation ~ A Boat in the GrampiansSuzy + Jon's books + DVDsWatch Alone Across AustraliaWatch Suzy & The Simple ManMary Oliver's poem ~ Wild Geese

Can we tempt you sell your car, compost your shit and embrace a life of joyful frugality? You don't have to answer right away. Listen to this conversation with Meg Ulman of Artist as Family to hear what a radically connected lifeway is all about. We cover a lot of ground in this episode from growing up Jewish and getting intentional about time, to forest names, bush kids, menopause and grief. GOOD LINKSMeg + Artist as Family's home on the webArtist as Family's YouTubeArtist as Family's humanure compost workshopThe Humanure Handbook ~ Joseph JenkinsNew Menopausal Years The Wise Woman Way ~ Susan S. WeedBeyond Bitchy ~ Mastering the Art of Boundaries podcastDr. Mindy Pelz on YouTubeThe Wild Edge of Sorrow ~ Francis Weller