The Earth Sea Love Podcast

Episode 62, ending season 5. This is a recent episode recorded by your host, Dr Sheree Mack while walking the North-East coast and taking you along with her. While filling her creative pot, Sheree shares the road ahead for the podcast with season 6 in 2024. As the Earth Sea Love Podcast diversifies its guests, while  partnering with identity on tyne with their Black Nature in Residence Programme 2:0, they also thought it might be a good idea to broaden the audience through a Youtube channel.  Here at Earth Sea Love CIC , they are just trying to tie everything in with the podcast, the zine, the website and the YouTube channel. Let's see how it goes but they're excited. In this episode, Sheree walks and talks about eating out there and giving herself the gift of time and space. Not working to any agenda and changing up perspectives so she can work within a system which is beneficial for her wholeness. 

Hello and Welcome back to a special episode of The Earth Sea Love Podcast. Your host, Dr. Sheree Mack, is recoding this episode out on location while walking The West Highland Way. A 96 mile hike from the lowlands to the highlands of Scotland, running through some of the most breathtaking, iconic and remote parts of Scotland, this is a life-changing long distance hike, which is Sheree's third attempt at completing.  During this episode, you'll hear Sheree talking through the wind and rain about: * the walk and the stages she's walking * what is happening with the podcast for the rest of the year * what is happening with the podcast in 2024 * what her dreams are concerning walking * what it's like to walk the way and what it means to Sheree * looking for diversity on the trails * collaborating with identity on tyne with their new project * the Black Nature in Residence programme   The call out details for the Black Nature in Residence programme which will see 5 creatives of the global majority in 5 Northern National Parks can be found here. The closing date for applications is 31st October 2023.  For images of the Way, please check out the Earth Sea Love website for this episode. 

Hello and Welcome Back to The Earth Sea Love Podcast. Dr Sheree Mack, your host here.  I'll not lie. The promise I made at the beginning of 2023 of dropping at least one episode each month of the podcast was in the balance this month. July. A time I love to tie up loose end, retreat and rest. Call it the teacher in me, as I'm someone from time who loves to take the summer holidays off the clock. This year is no exception, except that I've just moved house and needed a rest more than ever. So this episode has been on the back burner. Knowing it's something I wanted to do, and promised to do, didn't help the process of getting it done. But finally it is here. I needed to get out of my head and just get into my body to produce it. I needed to get out of my way and just talk from the heart about my current learning. Permaculture Design. So I started a Permaculture Design Certificate course with Liz Postlethwaite this spring. It will take me a year to complete and along the way, I'm learning a lot of new things about regenerative systems and how to apply this to my practice and creative projects. I am just about getting into it now, after a slow, tentative, reluctant start as I discuss within this episode. I've been experiencing a fair about of conflict and tension about Permaculture and Permaculture Design basically because of its roots and their acknowledgment.  So within this beginning episode of a mini series around Permaculture Design, I discuss: * the difference between Permaculture and Permaculture Design * the purpose of Permaculture Design * the ethics and principles of Permaculture Design * the creation of the terms and concepts of Permaculture Design * the indigenous roots of Permaculture Design * the roots of my conflict and tensions with Permaculture Design * what to expect in the forthcoming episodes of the mini-series.    Keep an eye out on The Earth Sea Love Zine over on substack for more thinking and discussions around the issues raised and practices learnt throughout this mini series as well as the Permaculture Design Certificate course as a whole.   

Happy June Soon the Summer Solstice will be amongst us, here in the Northern Hemisphere, so let us take this moment from The Earth Sea Love Podcast to wish you LIGHT! And thank you for coming back for a listen to our next episode.  We are so proud that we are continuing to bring you, our listeners, beautiful and thought-provoking episodes which we hope inspire and support your healing and creative journeys.  This episode your host, Dr Sheree Mack is talking with Mindy Tsonas, a maker and creator of spaces where healing and radical change are welcome.  In this episode the conversation explores: * place in nature * {BEING} is a changing thing * the magic of seeds * how we must put ourselves in the way of belonging * how we all already belong * dismantling the stories that we don't belong * taking inspiration and wisdom from nature * our interconnectedness * self care is community care * radicale and radical - the root of it all * generative practices and systems * creativity and nature * co-creation and community * giving indigenous practices and wisdom their proper respect and recognition.    Bio: Mindy Tsonas is a maker, manyeo and cultural organizer who facilitates circles of creativity, collective belonging and care. She believes in using art and alchemy as mediums for generative connection, somatic healing and radical change. As a transracial, transnational adopted person from the South Korean diaspora, this deeply informs her embodied perspective on land and lineage throughout all of her work and organizing. Links: Mindy's Website: witchcraftivism.com Instagram: @mindytsonaschoi Patreon: Community, Art and practices https://www.patreon.com/mindytsonaschoi Substack: Writing & Stories https://mindytsonaschoi.substack.com/ (should be up by the time this airs) Collective Belonging: @collectivebelonging  collectivebelonging.com  

Hey there! Hope you are well and welcome back to The Earth Sea Love Podcast. We're so happy that you've decided to spend some time with us again. We're so happy to welcome back to the podcast, Catherine Lucktaylor. Catherine was a guest back in December 2020 in episode 20, when she talked about her ceramics practice, Raku ceramics and being inspired by the wild Cornish coast. In this episode Catherine is talking with your host, Dr Sheree Mack about: * Being inspired by the sea within our art practice * Appreciating nature and the wild Cornish landscape * The project that came out of the Developing Your Creative Practice grant * A new body of work - Mothers of the Moon* A local exhibition with grief ritual ceremony, Newlands Art Gallery * Ancestral Healing of the Self * Claiming Space within the Landscape * Adinkra symbols wisdom and energies * Becoming an Ancestral Practitioner * Listening to the ancestors and what that can mean and look like * Working within the community with the youth * Future Offerings from Catherine   Bio: Catherine Lucktaylor is an artist and healer based in west Cornwall, UK. She has over 30 years' experience in art and spiritual practices. She specialises in Raku fired ceramics and creates sacred spaces for ritual and healing. Catherine incorporates her Ghanaian/West African and British/Celtic heritage within her work, combined with her love of nature and connection with nature spirits. Catherine is currently training as an Ancestral Healing Practitioner with Daniel Foor and Ancestral Medicine and will be offering Ancestral Healing sessions soon. You can sign up to the waitlist here: https://mailchi.mp/71177b699ffd/sankofaprintable and receive a beautiful Adinkra Symbol colouring page as a welcome gift.  Find out more about Catherine's Raku ceramics on her website www.lucktaylorceramics.co.uk   Here's a link to Ancestral Medicine website: https://ancestralmedicine.org Here's a link to Kesoberi CIC: https://www.kesobericic.org www.lucktaylorceramics.co.uk Facebook: @lucktaylorceramics Instagram: @lucktaylorceramics

May is here and full of the joys of Spring. Here at The Earth Sea Love Podcast, we're full of joy to bring you this conversation with the wonderful Lateisha Davine Lovelace-Hanson.  Lateisha is a Black queer feminist interdisciplinary artist and social-justice practitioner/community-healing organiser of Jamaican heritage based in London.  Within this episode with your host Dr. Sheree Mack, Lateisha talks about: * focusing on how we feel instead of what we want * water connections and healings * community land trusts  * listening and asking questions * who do you be instead of what do you do? * creating healing spaces for community * having the purpose of staying alive * trauma living in the body  * being in right relationship with ourselves and nature * revolution and liberation = community * rest and safety * grieving and nature * our ancestors' relationships to water and the land and recognising  * making spaces for joy and play in nature * how we repair and heal what colonialism has done and been doing * bringing our words into the word takes time and creative fugitivity * doing the work to unshame self * burn out can teach us many things * "we're gonna be alright!" x   Bio: Lateisha Davine Lovelace-Hanson is a Black queer feminist interdisciplinary artist and social-justice practitioner/community-healing organiser of Jamaican heritage based in London. Their writing, art-making, facilitation, consultancy and nature-work practices are tools to creatively embody knowledges that interrupt ongoing systems of colonial-imperial oppression(s), in order to activate spaces for deep healing. In their practice they meditate + dream upon what it means to be well? To connect, belong and love freely.  Their transformative lived experiences of gender, race, class, survivorship, neurodivergence and illness inform their offerings and approaches - being drawn to the revolutionary possibilities of sci-fi / eco-futurism, magic + ritual + ceremony and communal gathering-archiving as ancestral pathways and political strategies to reimagine resistance and remember revolutionary possibilities for the new world in creation.  Lateisha is currently working on their debut poetry pamphlet, ~the heart is a holding~  supported by Rotterdam residences: International Collaborative Urban art projects  / Foundation B.a.d and published by Burning Eye Books Autumn 2023. They are also developing their interdisciplinary performance - installation work s/he breathe/s,  supported by Raze Collective, Stanley Arts and Arts Council England showing in Summer 2023. You can also visit their current work Meeting At The Altar Of Us, a collaborative text and sound work offering as part of Bloom Collective's contributions to Meera Shakti Osborne's department of Unruly histories archive and exhibition at Cubitt in spring 2023.  Previous work includes An Offering // an installation of a world-building, to come- back to home…  weaving poetry-film, sound, documentary, text, and plant medicine portals. Commissioned residency and exhibition by Bethlem Gallery: An Ecology Of Mind (2022). Lateisha has written extensively through residencies and commissions, including  Camden Art Centre: The Botanical Mind, Wretched Of The Earth (BIPOC climate justice collective), [Performance space]: PSX 10, Live Art Development Agency, Artsadmin: Apocalypse Reading Room curated by Ama Josephine Budge, Chelsea Physic Garden: Queer Botany, Apples & Snakes, She Grrrowls, Dada Fest / Yewande 103 and is a Roundhouse and Hammer & Tongue Poetry Slam Finalist.  Lateisha facilitates community-healing workshops and activity-based immersive installations across art, education and community spaces. Including, Queer Youth Art Collective, Healing Justice Ldn and Colours LGBTIQIA+ youth arts as well as institutions incl. Migration museum, Barbican and Autograph. They founded TO THE RITUAL KNOWLEDGE OF REMEMBERING - that took shape as an immersive 3 day coastal retreat supported by LADA, and online public-programme as part of 12o collective's curator residency (2020-2021). You can connect with Lateisha here @lateisha_davine or pop down to Hackney City Farm where they are training as a Beekeeper

Welcome back to The Earth Sea Love Podcast. We're very happy to share with you our first conversation episode of 2023. Your host, Dr. Sheree Mack is talking to Anatalia Vallez. Anatalia is  a writer, actor, and creative alchemist from California, United States with roots in Guerrero, Mexico. Addressing everything from migration, machismo and our relationship to nature, she seeks to find intimate truths and plant seeds through art.   In this episode they talk about: * Gratitude * When Sheree and Anatalia first met * Where Anatalia is calling in from * What is Anatalia's relationship with nature * What does Anatalia do? Who do she be? * The art making process * The Most Spectacular Mistake, Anatalia's writing * What it was like to release a collection of poetry during a pandemic *The benefits of listening * Remembering our ancestors * Belonging to nature * Homies who submit - writing and publishing   Bio: Anatalia Vallez is a writer, actor, and creative alchemist from California, United States with roots in Guerrero, Mexico. Addressing everything from migration, machismo and our relationship to nature, she seeks to find intimate truths and plant seeds through art.   She is the author of the poetry collection: The Most Spectacular Mistake (FlowerSong Press, 2020) which has been featured in the LA Times, LibroMobile and KPFK Radio's Nuestra Voz. Currently completing her MFA in Television, Film and Theatre at Cal State Los Angeles this Spring, she's also working on a second collection of poetry and curating a virtual BIPOC-centered community called Homies Who Submit. Subscribe to Anatalia's newsletter:  Substack newsletter Purchase a signed copy of The Most Spectacular Mistake Follow Homies Who Submit on Instagram and Twitter  Support Anatalia on Patreon or Ko-Fi 

March and another solo episode from your host of The Earth Sea Love Podcast, Dr. Sheree Mack. Sheree continues to share her healing journey with you as she reflects on the time past already in 2023, and what to expect in the coming months with guest conversations on the podcast. In this solo episode, Sheree talks about: * Holding herself accountable and showing up * One foot in Winter/ one foot in Spring * Procrastination - and healing or not! * Taking the time for consolidation of new learning * Listening * Recent outside gigs and commitments * Unburying the MIxmoir * Accepting was is her task and what is not her task * The episodes to come for Spring    

You have just joined another solo episode with the host of The Earth Sea Love Podcast, Dr. Sheree Mack as she takes the time and energy to share with you her healing journey of 2023, so far!   This episode starts with another quote from Alex Elle, which states,   "We heal to make space, to redefine ourselves and our narratives. To expand and become better. To forgive, create new possibilities, and move forward. To build community and create bonds. We heal to release shame, manifest self-love, create autonomy, and begin again. We heal to redefine ourselves, face our fears, and develop self-trust. We heal to mend relationships and deepen connections with those around is. We heal to get free. " Alex Elle, How We Heal: Uncover Your Power and Set Yourself Free ( 2022, p.12)   Following this quote, Sheree shares about her issue around considering herself 'enough' and then continues to share her 10 reasons for wanting to heal, taken from Elle's book. Here are the sentence starters as mentioned in this episode which also appear in Alex Elle's book and can be used by you to think about what you need to heal also. Ten Reasons Why I Heal ( p.18 of How We Heal)   I am healing because I want ... I am healing because I need ... I am healing because I deserve ... I am healing because I feel ... I am healing because I see ... I am healing because I love ... I am healing because I my ... I am healing because I am ... I am healing because I can ... I am healing because I choose ...

You have just joined another solo episode with the host of The Earth Sea Love Podcast, Dr. Sheree Mack as she takes the time and energy to share with you her healing journey of 2023, so far!   This episode starts with a quote from Alex Elle, which states,     " give yourself permission to mend slowly, and sweetly, and in due time. there's no need to rush your healing, there's no need to "get over it" today - or even tomorrow. let your process lead you. make space for your grief to teach you something."   Sheree follows up this quote from Alex Ella with a discussion around: * We all need to heal * Getting her fur fix on through dog sitting * Sharing another practice of her healing process - oracle cards * The Earthcraft Oracle by Juliet Diaz and Lorriane Anderson and illustrated by Danielle Boodoo-Fortune * Pulling number 13 - Inner Healer card * Choosing to take trauma and transforming it into medicine * Shining light and confronting pain

Welcome back to another episode from your host Dr. Sheree Mack, where she is sharing her healing journey for 2023. In this episode, Sheree starts with a poem. 'When George Met Anita, Bradford 1968.' Taken from Sheree's first full collection of poetry titled, Family Album, 2011, Flambard Press, Sheree shares this poem to shed light on the love she witnessed between her mum and dad while growing up. Also in this episode, Sheree talks about: * The love between soulmates * The love of a good woman can save a life * The story of her marriage breakdown * The grieving to healing journey * The expectations of marriage * Committing to spending time alone to heal * The power of love as a healing resource * As a Blackwoman in white supremacy culture * Listening to the podcast,  Soft Where? by Ayana Zaire Cotton * To be in relationship with love and care * Testing the healing process.   " We are all worthy go love, we are all worthy of care, we are all worthy of possibilities." Ayana Zaire Cotton

It's all about healing Welcome back to another episode from the mini series with your host of The Earth Sea Love Podcast, Dr. Sheree Mack. In this episode she explores the practice of healing and how difficult it can be.   Talking about: * We are all connected so our healing is connected. * To heal, where do you start? * Paralysed with fear therefore doing nothing * Healing isn't linear, it's a life-long practice * Centring joy in the healing journey * Retraumatising self on this healing journey * More supportive practices for the healing journey. * What happens in times of uncertainty? * Anchors used through these times of uncertainty * Leaning into my breath in the moments of rest * Insight Timer - Building Healthy Habits Challenge 2023

Season 5 - Episode 050 - Welcome to The Earth Sea Love Podcast of 2023. Thank you for being here. Thank you for sticking with us.  In this solo episode, part of a mini series around healing, your host, Dr. Sheree Mack talks openly and honestly about: * The projections for 2023 for the podcast after a moment of hiatus * Our perceptions of time * Energy cycles that ebb and flow * A commitment to release an episode for the the podcast each month * Marking my healing journey of 2023 and what looks like * The Matriarch of Healing in my Lineage, taken from Alex Elle * Ancestral healing backwards and forwards * Practices that are supporting this healing journey * The Earth Sea Love Zine on Substack. 

Welcome back to The Earth Sea Love Podcast. It brings us great joy to share with you our next episode with the wise and wonderful Jackee Holder.  Jackee was a guest on the podcast back in Season 2, with a two parts series of conversations with her around trees, journaling and claiming space outside.  We had to ask her back this year because there has been so many changes in her life since. In this episode with your host Dr. Sheree Mack, Jackee talks about: * Moving to a new home * Rooting into place * Having to let go * Going through changes like nature * Learning to land where you land * The Willow Tree * Co-writing spaces * The power of women creating together in community * Rewinding with trees, writing maps * A reciprocal relationship with nature    Bio from website: Jackee is an executive leadership coach and coach trainer working across a range of sectors (further education, NHS, higher education, media, public sectors and cultural and creative industries). Her creative and intuitive approach brings learning and training alive whilst offering skilful facilitation and embodiment of coaching and personal development in real and practical ways. Jackee loves writing and is the author of ‘Soul Purpose', ‘Be Your Best Life Coach' and ‘49 Ways To Write Yourself Well' (2013) and has been a contributing writer to several books and articles. Her work has been featured in Psychologies and Red Magazines and she was part of the successful Twinings Tea Take Ten campaign (2011) in partnership with Red and Psychologies magazines. Jackee writes almost everyday and is a prolific journal writer. When Jackee is not delivering coaching in businesses or organisations she's busy running courses and retreats and writing e-books for writers and creative entrepreneurs. She supports writers of all levels in one to one coaching and mentoring. Jackee's skill as a conference host and workshop facilitator has taken her across the globe. She's delivered workshops and retreats in several US locations and the Caribbean. She recently co-chaired the Spirit Of Coaching conference featuring Sir John Whitmore at the Brahma Kumaris in London and can be booked as a facilitative host or keynote speaker for your events, conferences and seminars. On Jackee's website you'll be able to find a lot of free resources to support your journaling practice.  Jackee can also be found on Instagram, where you'll able to get in touch with her to find out more about her new deck of Inner and Outer Self-discovery cards.  

To mark the 2nd anniversary of The Earth Sea Love Podcast, we are bringing you two special episodes.    The second episode is with the lovely and wise, Dr. Geeta Ludhra. Geeta, a  Lecturer in Education at Brunel University, talks about the walking group she set up after recently moving to The Chilterns, Dadima. In this episode we also talk about: *  the privilege of living in a certain place * the meaning of the name 'Dadima' * the grandmother figure and wisdom within diverse cultures * an embodied connection with nature * being a seeker of knowledge, culture and connection * the diversity of nature connections and amplifying these stories * walking, self-care and nature * nature and creativity * the trauma baton and choosing joy * the privilege of serving community * future plans and dreams.   Bio: DR GEETA LUDHRA (A British-born South Asian woman, of Hindu religious background. She/her) Dr Geeta Ludhra lives in the Chilterns, after living in Slough, Hounslow and Nottinghamshire. She was raised within humble circumstances, as the daughter of first-generation South Asian parents who settled from India in the early 60s. Geeta's heritage, education journey and research interests bring a unique lens as a Board Member of the Chilterns Area of Natural Beauty. Geeta is passionately committed to diversity and representation in relation to natural landscapes as inclusive green spaces for all. Geeta works as a Lecturer in Education at Brunel University, where she teaches across Postgraduate programmes and engages in academic research. She is currently researching her book on ‘successful' South Asian women. Her background is rooted in primary school teaching and leadership, where she has worked across diverse London schools, specialising in English. Her working interests touch on women's studies, social inclusion in education, anti-racism, and respectful ways of working with more ‘hard-to-reach' communities. As part of her community interests, Geeta runs a registered community enterprise, where she promotes intergenerational heritage cooking and storytelling, monthly nature walks and leads a women's writing group.   Instagram: @_dadimas  Twitter: @educatinggeeta  

To mark the 2nd anniversary of The Earth Sea Love Podcast, we are bringing you two special episodes.    The first episode, 047: 'Nothing On Your Back': Freedom, Spirituality and Creativity with Marcia Ley, is such a juicy, fulfilling listen. Marcia Ley, an Artist, Cyclist, lover of nature, based in the North-East of England, shares how she is inspired by nature in her attempt to bring this awesomeness into her practice. A painter and printmaker, and a sticker, Marcia uses her artwork to say thank you to Mother Nature. In this episode, we talk about her practice, her Christianity, a Christian green movement, getting outdoors alone as well as with a group of women cycling. Outdoors can be Marcia's sanctuary, inspiration, wonder and joy. Take a listen to this episode and be inspired yourself as nature get's her own back in so many wonderful and awesome ways. Thanks for listening and enjoy.    Bio: Marcia Ley is an Artist , Cyclist , lover of nature , van lady, person of faith , collector  and walker. My work responds to all of these elements. I feel deeply connected to the natural world and I'm passionate about improving our care for it. I work in the medium of printmaking, painting and collage. My  home workshop Garden Press is a space for my personal practice ,small group and one to one tuition . Website: Marcia Ley   Instagram: @marcia.ley and @garden_press 

Season 4 is here. Episode 046 Welcome to The Earth Sea Love Podcast at our new home here @Podbean. We're bringing a mini series of solo episodes from your host, Dr. Sheree Mack as she attempts to bring you up to speed with what's been happening behind the scenes during the hiatus/ winter break.  We hope you enjoy listening. 

Season 4 is here.  Episode 045. Welcome to The Earth Sea Love Podcast at our new home here @Podbean. We're bringing a mini series of solo episodes from your host, Dr. Sheree Mack as she attempts to bring you up to speed with what's been happening behind the scenes during the hiatus/ winter break.  We hope you enjoy listening. 

The Earth Sea Love Podcast is proud to bring you the final episode in the mini series of specially commissioned episodes in conversation with people who are at the forefront of climate justice, decolonising education and writing for healing when we as black and brown bodies carry trauma and grief as well as joy. This episode, with your host Sheree Mack, is with the delightful Jordan Mullard a Teaching Fellow in the Department of Anthropology at Durham University. In this episode they talk about: Getting out into nature Living and working in the Durham bubble Seasonally diverse spaces and places Creating a sense of belonging Connecting with other women of colour Decolonising anthropology Collective decolonisation  Making known 'the other' Royal Anthropological Institute (RAI) research Getting lost in the archives Childhood experience in nature Wild swimming Stereotypes around Black people and water Being in a mixed race body in society The love of horses Charity work while doing what you love   Bio:   Dr Jordan Mullard (she/her) is a social anthropologist specialising in the anthropology of race, caste, health inequality, and identity. The current lead for decolonising anthropology in her department, she has written on the subject, offered consultancy on decolonising and anti-racism to a range of stakeholders, and has developed a new module on decolonising anthropology in her department. Her PhD awarded by the London School of Economics explored social mobility and identity-making among Dalits in rural India during a period of economic crisis. In addition to her academic research and teaching experience, Jordan has had an applied consultancy career in anti-racism, race equality, and Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) learning, development and policy where she co-designed and led large scale race equality, cross-cultural knowledge, and EDI consultancy projects across private, public and not-for-profit sectors both nationally and internationally. She has also worked as a consultant for Black-Led community development initiatives and health and social care research at the local level. Teaching Fellow in Anthropology of Health   Twitter: @JordanMullard Linked In: Jordan-m-2hb8ab85   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome back to another wonderful episode from The Earth Sea Love Podcast. With Dalbinder Kular, an imagineer and ancestral transcriber, this is another specially commissioned episode in collaboration with Northumberland National Park's Future Landscapes Festival. In this episode we‘ll be talking about how Dal is decolonising writing for healing. How Dal has created spaces where transformation is possible through language and creativity. Through exploring identity, race, memories, trauma and nature, with creative and life-based writing arts ~ poetry therapy, journaling, writing,  zine-making, Dal  is a powerful and creative. force in supporting herself and other women of colour to use their voice to take up space here, there and everywhere. Speaking with our podcast host, Sheree Mack, Dal talks about: Holding space for others Living in Sheffield Our True Nature and Field Notes  Wild Ink, the MSc. Dissertation Who Dal be? What Dal does? Grief after the loss of a mother Zine making Creative identity and wildness Changing Forms of writing inspired by Glue by Louise Wallwein The creative process Telling multilayered, complex stories The Partition of 1947 creating India and Pakistan In residence on Bardsey, the island of 20000 souls Map making to locate the Self COP26 Coalition Speaking up for Nature Childhood and Nature The forthcoming Intrinsic anthology of writing  Bio:  Dalbinder Kular Writer & Facilitator | Creative Writing for Healing. Dal is a writer, educator and mentor specialising in creative and life-based writing arts and on a mission to ignite imaginations and decolonise the writing-for-healing arts. From leaving school at 16 years old with 3 O-levels, to severe burnout, grief and loss Dal has used the power of words to write herself back home and transform her life. She loves to share everything she has learned with others. Dal is British Punjabi/Sikh heritage, born and based in Sheffield, UK – on the edge of the glorious Peak District where she's often found walking, having a cuppa and writing in her tiny camper, Muddy.     Website : Dal Kular  - where you can sign up for the really useful  ‘Field Notes' community newsletter. Instagram: dalkular Twitter: dalkular1 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today we're really excited to bring you an episode with Claire Ratinon, commissioned in conjunction with Northumberland National Park Authority's Future Landscapes Festival.  Your host, Dr. Sheree Mack, really enjoyed finally getting to talk with Claire after following her work around organic gardening and decolonising horticulture for a while now. In this episode, they talk about: Situating ourselves in the country Chickens and ruffled feathers! Change of career direction Getting closer to nature Black and brown people growing food and plants Finding our way back to the earth Decolonizing horticulture Thinking about the term 'decolonisation' and it's uses Colonisation is still happening  The history of plants have to be addressed Working with institutions to being about change Power Childhood and upbringing  The food system is broken but can be fixed The writing process Exclusive information about Claire's future endeavours! Writing our stories is necessary Checking our privileges  Bio:   Claire Ratinon is an organic food grower and writer based in East Sussex. She has worked in a range of roles from growing produce for the Ottolenghi restaurant, Rovi to delivering growing workshops and talks to audiences including East London primary schools, community centres and educational institutions - both in person and online. Claire is passionate about the act of growing plants - especially edible ones - and the potential for it to be nourishing, connecting and healing. Her work seeks to engage in dialogues that interrogate the colonial legacy that is embedded in the practices of horticulture and agriculture. The stories we've been told and language that is used around these practices influences who feels able to do the work of growing plants which is why reclaiming a relationship to land is a radical and revolutionary act for many people of colour.   Bio Claire Ratinon is an organic food grower and writer based in East Sussex. Claire has grown edible plants in a variety of roles from growing organic vegetables for the Ottolenghi restaurant, Rovi to delivering growing workshops throughout London to audiences including primary schools, community centres and corporate clients. She has been invited to share her growing journey and experiences in talks and workshops for organisations including The Garden Museum, the Royal College of Art and West Dean College as well as having presented features for Radio 4's Gardeners' Question Time. Her writing has been featured in The New Statesman, Bloom Magazine and Waitrose Magazine. She co-wrote a pamphlet entitled ‘Horticultural Appropriation' for Rough Trade with artist, Sam Ayre and her first book, ‘How To Grow Your Dinner Without Leaving The House' is out now.   Website: https://www.claireratinon.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claireratinon/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome back to another episode of The Earth Sea Love Podcast. During Season 3, we are producing a number of mini series focusing on specific issues. In this episode with the lovely Kwesia Smith-Gul, known usually as City Girl in Nature, and your host Sheree Mack will be talking about:  Catching up and checking in Name change for the future The recent trip to Kenya The return and a changed outlook on nature Swimcaps for Black people Going back to our roots, Africa Just picking one thing to focus on in this climate crisis The Quest of City Girl in Nature The Outdoor Online Series of Films Helping people through being an example to follow Volunteering to up skill Black Girls Hike UK COP26 happenings.   Bio: Kwesia X Kwesia grew up in Deptford, an inner city area of South-East London. Along with many of her friends, neighbours and peers, who all experienced a great deal of the challenges that come with living in an area, and with people, who have often been neglected, excluded and marginalised. She struggled a great deal with making sense of senseless violence and trauma, she had faced, she found herself homeless, moving from sofa to sofa, and struggling with her mental health and well-being. Her life was chaotic, often harsh, without meaning or any sense of direction or purpose. At her lowest, she received what could be regarded as a gift and a blessing. An opportunity to be part of a British Exploring Society's expedition to the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest. She spent 3 weeks in a remote part of the jungle, with no phone or contact with the outside world, & with a group of people that she barely knew. This, in many ways, was a life-changing experience for her. She experienced the beauty of nature, where there was no judgement, just life teaming with energy and opportunity. And bonds of friendship and loyalty with strangers who had to discover ways to live and work together in order to be successful. On her return she started to think about connecting with other people, particularly with young people like herself, some of whom have never had the opportunity to experience anything other than poverty and hardship. She wanted to explore if a connection with nature, could touch them in a similar way that it had with herself. This led to the start of City Girl in Nature, as a way to give back to her community. To share her love and passion for the outdoors, and belief that everybody should have the chance to be healed, to be nourished, and to life with abundance. Please do join her on my journey and keep up-to date with progress. Twitter: City Girl in Nature IG: City Girl in Nature New Outdoors Online Series   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome back to The Earth Sea Love Podcast. We are excited to bring you another mini series of specially commissioned episodes which explore climate justice and decolonisation of the environmental and conservation movement. Created and specially commissioned in collaboration with Northumberland National Park Authority's Future Landscapes Festival, which focuses on ‘Nature, People, Climate, Place', explores how England's precious landscapes serve people, nature, industry, and climate. It will include an exhibition, and a series of thought-provoking discussions and experiences designed to prompt people to think about the role landscape plays in their lives, and what they want the landscape in Northumberland National Park to look like in the future. With our podcast episodes, we aim to bring diverse and critical voices to the table of discussions an decision making. In this episode, hosted by Dr Sheree Mack in conversation with Shaira Begum, they discuss: Going at a slower pace Job hunting and finding the dream job Rest and recovery Looking to serve the community on our doorsteps Local renters' unions Community work/ community organising  Power dynamic/ distribution mapping Reconnecting with the older generation Sharing knowledge and power Social Justice COP26/ COP26 Coalition Taking positive action for change Telling the stories of Indigenous People Global Day of Action, Saturday 6 November 2021 Centring the voices of the Global South Climate Reframe COP26 Reparations      Share Begum Bio: Shaira is an environmental justice organizer, working on health and climate projects with over 10 years experience as an environmental educator, trainer and facilitator. Keen to live somewhere in the countryside one day with her own chickens, market garden , a fat poly tunnel and goats... Dreaming big! Shaira was born in Brick Lane and still lives there , grateful for her educators and  elders around who have always shown her the benefits of growing her own produce from her own motherlands, the food that they grew up on. Shaira has a background in training and facilitation with community groups, runs food growing and nature connection workshops, naturally runs inclusive participatory ways of working within community care context and bringing lived experience to the forefront. Connect  with Shairavia twitter -   @Shairaecostuff See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is the third and final episode of three where your host Dr. Sheree Mack is in conversation with Velda Thomas about her recent publication Blended - Perspectives on Belonging: A Participatory Notebook.  In these special commissioned episodes Sheree and Velda talk books, writing and the creative process, while Velda reads extracts from Blended which they go on to explore with close readings for meaning and healing. In this episode while exploring the piece called 'Mammy part 3 and 4' they talk about: Manny Part 3 and 4 Writing the difficult parts Where is Mammy in Velda today? Ellibert - connection to Great Grandmother Contrast between wild and domesticated selves Healing through nature Earthbound - a comfort and connectedness with the Earth Communion with Earth Gender fluidity -The Mammy within everybody Freedom is possible We're all connected to each other as humans Witness hatred- Unseen wounds Healing too here belongs We need to do the work with self-love Black culture flourished Celebration Ritual as a concept and a practice Bio:  Velda Thomas  Born and educated in England, UK with biracial family ancestry sourced from Africa, the Caribbean and the America's.   Healing modalities have always been of interest. Love of plants, herbal remedies, somatic and ritual experiences weave passion with grounded human experience for creativity and freedom of expression. Velda has worked as a kindergarten teacher, adult educator and birth doula. Currently a practicing massage therapist, sound practitioner and soul writer. Velda is a horsewoman, nature lover,  mover of the body and world traveler. Currently living in Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula, USA.   A note from Velda. I feel that I am truly an incredibly blessed person to have been born at a time where it is possible for me to uncover more of who I truly am and manifest it as I feel it coming through me. I am birthing myself again and again, then putting parts to rest, peeling the fine layers away, letting go again and again. I continue to find more stillness, strength and clarity as I continue to walk my soul's path and purpose. I am blessed with courage and the consciousness to face myself. If I am fortunate, I am left with something to share be it art, sound, support, presence, performance or simply the primal essence of my own human nature. I am honored to share what is here, right now, with you in this moment.   Patreon   FB Velda Thomas IG @veldathomas11 www.veldathomas.com   Blended - Perspectives on Belonging: A Participatory Notebook.    See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is the second of three episodes where your host Dr. Sheree Mack is in conversation with Velda Thomas about her recent publication Blended - Perspectives on Belonging: A Participatory Notebook.  In these special commissioned episodes Sheree and Velda talk books, writing and the creative process, while Velda reads extracts from Blended which they go on to explore with close readings for meaning and healing. In this episode while exploring the piece called 'Mammy 1 and 2' they talk about: A reading of Mammy Part 1 and Part 2 The stereotypical exploration of the term Mammy How naming is power The Body and Unresolved Trauma How we stuff our emotions down Enslavement and trauma The Process of Writing Multifaceted lives of the enslaved The Master and the Mistress of the Plantation How do we become more human? Reflective questions of the text Black Writing Joy Our Healing Journey   Bio:  Velda Thomas  Born and educated in England, UK with biracial family ancestry sourced from Africa, the Caribbean and the America's.   Healing modalities have always been of interest. Love of plants, herbal remedies, somatic and ritual experiences weave passion with grounded human experience for creativity and freedom of expression. Velda has worked as a kindergarten teacher, adult educator and birth doula. Currently a practicing massage therapist, sound practitioner and soul writer. Velda is a horsewoman, nature lover,  mover of the body and world traveler. Currently living in Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula, USA.   A note from Velda. I feel that I am truly an incredibly blessed person to have been born at a time where it is possible for me to uncover more of who I truly am and manifest it as I feel it coming through me. I am birthing myself again and again, then putting parts to rest, peeling the fine layers away, letting go again and again. I continue to find more stillness, strength and clarity as I continue to walk my soul's path and purpose. I am blessed with courage and the consciousness to face myself. If I am fortunate, I am left with something to share be it art, sound, support, presence, performance or simply the primal essence of my own human nature. I am honored to share what is here, right now, with you in this moment.   Patreon   FB Velda Thomas IG @veldathomas11 www.veldathomas.com   Blended - Perspectives on Belonging: A Participatory Notebook.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is the first of three episodes where your host Dr. Sheree Mack is in conversation with Velda Thomas about her recent publication Blended - Perspectives on Belonging: A Participatory Notebook.  In these special commissioned episodes Sheree and Velda talk books, writing and the creative process, while Velda reads extracts from Blended which they go on to explore with close readings for meaning and healing. In this episode while exploring the piece called 'In Service' they talk about:  The Launch of the pre-sales of the book Blended The sense of achievement  Writing as a Black women and becoming visible Writing = Vulnerability Falling in love with the muse Attention to detail in the writing and editing process The Creative Process Mixing genres for expression Working through trauma with writing for the Self Velda reading the piece, 'In Service' Centre self and not the other The Nap Ministry  Asking for help/ therapy Nature as a healer EMDR Eye Movement Therapy   Bio:  Velda Thomas  Born and educated in England, UK with biracial family ancestry sourced from Africa, the Caribbean and the America's.   Healing modalities have always been of interest. Love of plants, herbal remedies, somatic and ritual experiences weave passion with grounded human experience for creativity and freedom of expression. Velda has worked as a kindergarten teacher, adult educator and birth doula. Currently a practicing massage therapist, sound practitioner and soul writer. Velda is a horsewoman, nature lover,  mover of the body and world traveler. Currently living in Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula, USA.   A note from Velda. I feel that I am truly an incredibly blessed person to have been born at a time where it is possible for me to uncover more of who I truly am and manifest it as I feel it coming through me. I am birthing myself again and again, then putting parts to rest, peeling the fine layers away, letting go again and again. I continue to find more stillness, strength and clarity as I continue to walk my soul's path and purpose. I am blessed with courage and the consciousness to face myself. If I am fortunate, I am left with something to share be it art, sound, support, presence, performance or simply the primal essence of my own human nature. I am honored to share what is here, right now, with you in this moment.   Patreon   FB Velda Thomas IG @veldathomas11 www.veldathomas.com   Blended - Perspectives on Belonging: A Participatory Notebook.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Season 3, begins with a trailer, highlighting what's in store for the rest of 2021.Mini Creative Series with Velda Thomas where we discuss her forthcoming publication; Blended - Perspectives On Belonging- A Participatory Notebook Mini Conservation Series with a selection of individuals who are working to change the face of the environmental movement in the U.K. Dr. Sheree Mack's Northumberland Coastal Path adventures The Earth Sea Love Zine See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr Sheree Mack keeps her promise to deliver all of the recorded conversations so far for 2021 before the end of July, so she can go off for a well deserved rest. To see the season out she talks to Pammy Johal, an active outdoor practitioner about:   Situating ourselves in the landscape Family history and the sense of home Having those important conversations outside Body connection Ageing gracefully The Fannichs ( Mountains) and Loch Luichate Connecting with the mountains Backbone CIC People of the Global Majority and terminology Great days out in the Highlands of Scotland Relationship based connections Backbone Symposium Less Conversations More Action Repetitive Research Syndrome   Bio:  Pammy Johal, born in the 60's in inner city Coventry to a Sikh immigrant family, at  16, a school trip introduced her to the mountains where she experienced the 'WOW' moment that changed her life. A force much bigger than her took her to explore wild landscapes of the world! Not something her parents or community were keen on. “It's not what our girls do!.. what will everyone say??!!” Her drive was so strong she did it anyway at the risk of totally losing her world. She encountered many complex and painful challenges with people of all backgrounds including her own family/community. Through these emotional and physical challenges, she discovered her own core values. This was a journey of self-discovery, understanding and respecting differences and a passion for environmental protection. She has been an outdoor/environmental practioner since 1979 and in 1995 it struck her hard as she noticed the lack of Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic role models in the sector, at every level, from service users to Board level and felt very strongly this had to change. In 1995 she laid the foundation for what is now Backbone. Website: Backbone CIC Twitter: Backbone CIC Instagram: Backbone CIC Facebook: Backbone CIC   Information about the June Symposium, Changing Landscapes - Actioning Change, can be found here.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Grace Hull, from Green Soul Grace, is a wise and wonderful young woman who is working to bring an intersectional understanding to sustainability. Within this episode, with your host Sheree Mack, they discuss: Social Media pressure and hiatus Imposter syndrome Re-engaging with blogging rather than social media posting Within the process of moving Coming out of lockdown The beauty of Slow What is sustainability? What is holistic sustainability? Individual responsibility within climate crisis Joining the dots to lean into climate justice Joy and pleasure and spreading them around The narrative of struggle and pain Being a keynote speaker Green Soul Grace   Bio: Grace Hull is an environmental educator who created Green Soul Grace, a personal blog, shop and podcast to explore what conscious living really means, in the most holistic, inclusive and accessible way. She takes pleasure in encouraging and facilitating folks to begin or further their journey of holistic sustainability, and in celebrating how our cultural heritage shapes our sustainable practices.'       Website: https://greensoulgrace.org/   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greensoulgrace/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Zakiya McKenzie, one of the first writers in the forest for the Forestry Commission, talks with Sheree Mack, The Earth Sea Love Podcast's host about: Embracing sweet moments in each day The value of sleep Becoming a writer of the forest The barriers for Black and People of Colour within white establishments  An arboretum, a collection of trees  Unravelling plant history Colonialism Comparisons between Jamaican and British landscapes Forest ecologies Childhood experiences with nature Black and Green Bristol Experiences in nature for Black people Working in partnership with other organisations to provide opportunities PhD in Journalists from the Caribbean during the Windrush generation Racism within the PhD system The balance between creative and academic writing Future publications and events Bio: Zakiya McKenzie is a PhD candidate with the Leverhulme Trust-supported Caribbean Literary Heritage project at the University of Exeter researching Black British journalism in the post-war period. Zakiya is a writer and storyteller and was the 2019 writer-in-residence for Forestry England during its centenary year. In Bristol, she was 2017 Black and Green Ambassador and is a volunteer at Ujima Community Radio station. She regularly leads nature, art and writing workshops, including one on Caribbean storytelling for primary schools. Her work has featured at the Cabot Institute for the Environment at the University of Bristol, the Institute for Modern Languages Research at the University of London, the Hepworth Wakefield Gallery, the Free Word Centre, at Cheltenham Literature Festival, on BBC's Woman's Hour, Farming Today and Inside Out West. She has written for Smallwoods Magazine, the Willowherb Review and BBC Wildlife Magazine.   Website - Zakiya M Twitter - Zah - KEY- yah TESTIMONIES ON THE HISTORY OF JAMAICA VOL 1 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sheree Mack chats with Tammy Shakur in this episode about: The promise of Spring and shifting energy Taking things slow A year on from Covid-19 lockdown in the UK Going out to go in Reconnecting with ourselves through nature What does an Outdoor Experience Guide do? Barriers to connecting with nature Nature as a teacher Childhood experiences of connecting with nature Nature as a healer The value of affinity spaces   Bio:   Tammy Shakur,  an Outdoor Experience Guide and Certified Life Mindfulness Coach. Runner, Hiker, Passionate outdoor enthusiast. Tammy's passion and mission in life is helping women to connect and engage with nature to support their own personal healing and wellness journey.  She does this through guided outdoor experiences centering nature, community and healing conversations.   Tammy's goal in every interaction is that the beauty, the lessons and the seasons glimpsed OUT in nature inspire and support the journey IN for every woman she is blessed to connect with. Instagram: goingout_2_goin Meet-Up: Wander Women of GA       See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Your host Sheree Mack has an in-depth and wide ranging intimate conversation with Sarah Hussain which takes into account: The privilege of having outdoor spaces at home Being an educator Being a writer University teaching Writing to bring about change in perceptions of South Asian women Amplifying the voice of women of colour within ecological research A PhD in Ecological Degradation  The women's struggle to protect the environment  Growing up as South Asian in Britain Gaining a sense of identity through family and cultural heritage Being a positive role model for future generations Writing from lived experiences Taking opportunities to sit at the table of power ‘The Campaign to Protect Rural England' research  Barriers to accessing the countryside Risk assessment for going outside    Bio: Sarah Hussain is a Huddersfield based author and educator. Her first novel Escaped from Syria was a winner finalist in the People's Book Prize Award and her short story collection Sit up, Stand up, Speak up was released in 2017. In 2018 she won the Ms Shakespeare competition and was shortlisted in a competition run by The University of Huddersfield and her short story, You will be free one day, my dearest India, is included in the anthology Trouble, celebrating protest, published by Grist and was ‘highly commended'. Sarah uses her writing as a means of expression to enable her to use her voice to promote tolerance. She is currently completing a PhD and her research is looking at ecological degradation in the Himalayan region from a postcolonial ecofeminist perspective. She aims to use her research to amplify women's knowledge and she wants to challenge negative representations of South Asian women. Sarah carried out research into barriers to engaging with nature for people of colour as part of a participant-led project commissioned by CPRE. CPRE commissioned essay, The invisible barriers that hold people back from enjoying the countryside.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As Sheree Mack, your host, chats with Cherelle Harding from the Midlands, this episode covers: Black Girls HIke Creating Steppers UK Public backlash against Black walking groups Working with the Youth and Nature Childhood experiences for a lasting impression Coming to Nature through the arts Health and Wellbeing British Science Week and Research Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty Collaborative rather than competition Barriers to walking outside All the Elements Childhood upbringing Future plans Bio: Cherelle Harding is a youth worker from Coventry, Founder of Steppers UK & Midlands leader of Black Girls Hike. Not growing up knowing much about 'The Great Outdoors' Cherelle was inspired to connect with nature through reggae music and school residential trips. Now a full time adventurer, Cherelle is passionate about inspiring underrepresented communities to build positive relationships with the outdoors. Cherelle Harding Founder @Steppers UK GO FUND ME -  Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Challenge Instagram: @SteppersUK Twitter: @SteppersUK Facebook: Steppers UK   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sheree Mack your host really enjoyed talking to Amina Smith-Gul about her many different experiences and activities within nature and how she takes the time and energy to share her love of nature with others, particularly with the younger generation.  In this episode you'll hear them talking about: The two films that explore Black people and swimming, Blacks Can't Swim The development of the City Girl in Nature's YouTube channel All the Elements social events Living in London and green spaces Amina'a Peruvian Amazon rainforest experience Giving back to the community Inspiring others to get out into nature Website development Processing our experiences in nature Growing through traumatic experiences Childhood and travel Living off the land Planning for her next trip to Kenya   Bio: Amina Smith-Gul grew up in Deptford, an inner city area of South-East London. Along with many of her friends, neighbours and peers, who all experienced a great deal of the challenges that come with living in an area, and with people, who have often been neglected, excluded and marginalised. She struggled a great deal with making sense of senseless violence and trauma, she had faced, she found herself homeless, moving from sofa to sofa, and struggling with her mental health and well-being. Her life was chaotic, often harsh, without meaning or any sense of direction or purpose. At her lowest, she received what could be regarded as a gift and a blessing. An opportunity to be part of a British Exploring Society's expedition to the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest. She spent 3 weeks in a remote part of the jungle, with no phone or contact with the outside world, & with a group of people that she barely knew. This, in many ways, was a life-changing experience for her. She experienced the beauty of nature, where there was no judgement, just life teaming with energy and opportunity. And bonds of friendship and loyalty with strangers who had to discover ways to live and work together in order to be successful. On her return she started to think about connecting with other people, particularly with young people like herself, some of whom have never had the opportunity to experience anything other than poverty and hardship. She wanted to explore if a connection with nature, could touch them in a similar way that it had with herself. This led to the start of City Girl in Nature, as a way to give back to her community. To share her love and passion for the outdoors, and belief that everybody should have the chance to be healed, to be nourished, and to life with abundance. Please do join her on my journey and keep up-to date with progress. Website: City Girl in Nature Instagram: City Girl in Nature YouTube: City Girl in Nature Blacks Can't Swim See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Talking from a personal perspective, Dr. Sheree Mack, shares her thoughts, feelings and creative pieces around her developing connection with birds. interspersed with field recordings from her walks, Sheree shares family history, superstitions and wonder about these remarkable creatures.  Herring Gull, one of the poems Sheree reads in this episode, was published by Poetry Village, September 2020.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Soraya Abdel-Hadi is an award-winning writer, artist, and advocate for women and diversity in the UK outdoors. In this episode you get to enjoy the conversation around: Lockdown fatigue Paying attention to the seasons. All the Elements Building community to create diversity in the outdoors Creativity to bring about change Barriers to equitable access to the outdoors Fear - internal and external The dominate image of the Great Outdoors is male Operating from a place of privilege Mixed heritage backgrounds  Getting an outdoors fix with horses and climbing Working with women and sustainability through a holistic lens How the Black Live Matter movement applies to the UK  How to keep hoping and moving forward for change   Bio: Soraya Abdel-Hadi is an award-winning writer, artist, and advocate for women and diversity in the UK outdoors. She believes in taking a holistic approach to making the world a better place, and writes about sustainability, nature and adventure travel. Soraya is Lonely Planet Sustainable Storyteller 2021 and founder of the All The Elements – a community working to increase diversity in the UK outdoors. She is mixed race - white British / black Sudanese.   Personal website: www.soraya.earth Socials: @sorayaearth on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook All The Elements website (including free directory and resources): www.alltheelements.co Socials: @alltheelements_ on Twitter and Instagram   All the Elements next social will take place on 3rd June, and details can be found here. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jo is an advocate for social, environmental and global justice. She is passionate about creating change through who we are and what we embody and believes in the power of connection to heal and transform. In this episode we talk about: Getting out into local areas Exclusive spaces 'v' public land Privatised land in the UK Barriers to getting into the countryside Common land and common right to roam Childhood connection to nature Environmental and social issues connection Woofing around the world Family heritage The gaze and not being reflected Gaslighting around race and racism Peer research project with Countryside Protection for Rural England Homogenising the Black experience Politicisation of the landscape Trying to find the ways to talk about  nature, environment and race Black Girls Hike, getting Black women walking Language for diverse experiences Hope for change Self-love, joy and spirituality interconnected with nature Jo feels strongly about shifting narratives and amplifying the people, ideas and stories that work towards our collective liberation.      See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rasheeqa Ahmad, Hedge Herbs - medical herbalist in the community in Walthamstow in north east London. Rasheeqa has been practicing with plant medicine for the last 8 years after studying herbal medicine in Glasgow and London. In this episode we talk about: Going out to go into nature Doorstep explorations  Urban green spaces Plant medicine and and community  Herbal medicine within the community  Body wisdom and taking back our power Western medicine 'v' traditional medicine  Ancient healing systems Family history within medicine Radical Herbalism  Preventative medicine Knowing the names of plants The properties of yarrow The abundance of winter leaves   Bio:  Rasheeqa Ahmad, Hedge Herbs - medical herbalist in the community in Walthamstow in north east London. She has been practicing with plant medicine for the last 8 years after studying herbal medicine in Glasgow and London. Rasheeqa's path has brought her ever more in the direction of herbalism as systems change, inside and out - partly inspired by being part of the Radical Herbalism Gathering organising crew since 2013, bring the politics to herbal medicine! Since qualifying, she has been mixing clinical practice with community collaborations and the sharing and spreading of knowledge as a way to deepen their connections with the earth around them and find more fitting ways of living together in our wild home. She enjoys developing herbal healthcare projects in diverse groups, sharing skills and resources and responding to needs and imbalances they see amongst them - these are some that she's part of currently, as well as her own practice: Mobile Apothecary - street solidarity herbal medicine distribution to fellow community members including people sleeping rough, and going through the asylum system in east London (currently Bethnal Green, Hackney & Dalston) Community Apothecary - patchwork of herb gardens in north London where we are growing herbs, making medicines and offering community training in plant medicine practice and cultural exchange (Waltham Forest borough)     See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Within this episode, our first where we platform the creative works from women of colour and nature, your usual host Dr Sheree Mack shares a prose poem created a few years ago which explores her multiple visits to Iceland. Previously published with Something Other, for the first time ever, you will be able to hear and experience Sheree read this piece. We hope through sharing these creative pieces that we are expanding the growing exposure and appreciation of Black Nature Writing.  A little side note : Title quoted from a poem by Emmy Fisher. Section VII is a source of information or inspiration from: http://issuu.com/rvkgrapevine/docs/issue02_2017_lowres See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jackee Holder is an Executive and Leadership coach, coach supervisor, coach trainer, action learning set facilitator, intuitive facilitator, writer, published author, interfaith minister and creativity expert. Jackee works nationally and internationally with teams, groups and individuals. She is the author of Soul Purpose, Be Your Own Best Life Coach & 49 Ways To Write Yourself Well. In this episode we talk about: being situated on the very last road in London looking after plants during lockdown the triple pandemic what Jackee does as a day job the practice of walking to get to know a place hearing the stories from trees a childhood relationship with nature having a tree mentor having nature as a source of healing claiming Flaneuse as a Blackwoman developing a journaling practice fear and getting outside an inner and outer self-discovery card deck   To quote Jackee, “Journals are a room of your own.” Bio from website: Jackee is an executive leadership coach and coach trainer working across a range of sectors (further education, NHS, higher education, media, public sectors and cultural and creative industries). Her creative and intuitive approach brings learning and training alive whilst offering skilful facilitation and embodiment of coaching and personal development in real and practical ways. Jackee loves writing and is the author of ‘Soul Purpose', ‘Be Your Best Life Coach' and ‘49 Ways To Write Yourself Well' (2013) and has been a contributing writer to several books and articles. Her work has been featured in Psychologies and Red Magazines and she was part of the successful Twinings Tea Take Ten campaign (2011) in partnership with Red and Psychologies magazines. Jackee writes almost everyday and is a prolific journal writer. When Jackee is not delivering coaching in businesses or organisations she's busy running courses and retreats and writing e-books for writers and creative entrepreneurs. She supports writers of all levels in one to one coaching and mentoring. Jackee's skill as a conference host and workshop facilitator has taken her across the globe. She's delivered workshops and retreats in several US locations and the Caribbean. She recently co-chaired the Spirit Of Coaching conference featuring Sir John Whitmore at the Brahma Kumaris in London and can be booked as a facilitative host or keynote speaker for your events, conferences and seminars. On Jackee's website you'll be able to find a lot of free resources to support your journaling practice.  Jackee can also be found on Instagram, where you'll able to get in touch with her to find out more about her new deck of Inner and Outer Self-discovery cards.           See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This first episode of Season 2 comes to you from the host of The Earth Sea Love Podcast, Sheree Mack.   Sheree lets you in on what's been happening over the winter months with the podcast ( clue: not very much). She might set out some plans for moving forward with the podcast ( maybe, or maybe not). But Sheree will definitely share with you a few things that are happening in the virtual and real world in the next coming weeks and months. Events that Sheree mentions within this episode can be found here: The Broadside Collaboration, with Theresa Easton, Tuesday 16 March, 6.30pm GMT Honouring Our Wholeness with Olwen Wilson starting 18 April Writer in Residence in Northumberland National Park, Black Nature in Residence  Sheree continuing her personal narrative in solo episodes about her relationship with nature.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jackee Holder is an Executive and Leadership coach, coach supervisor, coach trainer, action learning set facilitator, intuitive facilitator, writer, published author, interfaith minister and creativity expert. Jackee works nationally and internationally with teams, groups and individuals. She is the author of Soul Purpose, Be Your Own Best Life Coach & 49 Ways To Write Yourself Well. In this episode we talk about: being situated on the very last road in London looking after plants during lockdown the triple pandemic what Jackee does as a day job the practice of walking to get to know a place hearing the stories from trees a childhood relationship with nature having a tree mentor having nature as a source of healing claiming Flaneuse as a Blackwoman developing a journaling practice fear and getting outside an inner and outer self-discovery card deck   To quote Jackee, “Journals are a room of your own.” Bio from website: Jackee is an executive leadership coach and coach trainer working across a range of sectors (further education, NHS, higher education, media, public sectors and cultural and creative industries). Her creative and intuitive approach brings learning and training alive whilst offering skilful facilitation and embodiment of coaching and personal development in real and practical ways. Jackee loves writing and is the author of ‘Soul Purpose', ‘Be Your Best Life Coach' and ‘49 Ways To Write Yourself Well' (2013) and has been a contributing writer to several books and articles. Her work has been featured in Psychologies and Red Magazines and she was part of the successful Twinings Tea Take Ten campaign (2011) in partnership with Red and Psychologies magazines. Jackee writes almost everyday and is a prolific journal writer. When Jackee is not delivering coaching in businesses or organisations she's busy running courses and retreats and writing e-books for writers and creative entrepreneurs. She supports writers of all levels in one to one coaching and mentoring. Jackee's skill as a conference host and workshop facilitator has taken her across the globe. She's delivered workshops and retreats in several US locations and the Caribbean. She recently co-chaired the Spirit Of Coaching conference featuring Sir John Whitmore at the Brahma Kumaris in London and can be booked as a facilitative host or keynote speaker for your events, conferences and seminars. On Jackee's website you'll be able to find a lot of free resources to support your journaling practice.  Jackee can also be found on Instagram, where you'll able to get in touch with her to find out more about her new deck of Inner and Outer Self-discovery cards.           See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Catherine Lucktaylor, using an ancient Japanese technique of Raku to create beautiful pieces of art, talks intimately about her search for home, after growing up in Liverpool being the only black child in her family and community. In this episode we explore: The seasons The process of Raku The exploration of the Cornish landscape with art Juicy descriptions of artworks touched by nature Adinkra Symbols and the Orishas Embracing wildness Moving around the UK and still being close to nature Mixed-race upbringing A fascination with the spirit of nature Travelling to West African and how heritage feed into creativity The integration of the to selves The healing powers of nature The reciprocal connection with nature Quiet Activism Moving forward Grief and love The five gates of grief as mentioned in this episode can be explored further through the book Francis Weller, The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief. Catherine Lucktaylor is passionate about creating beautiful pieces of art through clay. Completing a Foundation course in Huddersfield, supported her connection to her African roots after growing up in England with her white English mother.  She went on to complete a BA (hons) in Ceramics from Wolverhampton University. !n 1999, Catherine was awarded a Travelling Fellowship from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust to travel in west Africa & Brazil researching traditional religion and sacred art. The journey also enabled her to find her Ghanaian father and connect with her African heritage further.   After the birth of her son in 2007, she relocated to west Cornwall and made the decision to specialise in Raku fired ceramics. This is an ancient Japanese technique which basically means 'Enjoyment' and was originally used as part of traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. Raku has evolved in the West to become a vibrant and exciting technique to glaze studio ceramics with stunning and unpredictable results.     Her Raku ceramics are available through galleries in Cornwall, London and Scotland and  she hosts regular open studio events where she demonstrates the Raku firing process.   Website: Lucktaylor Ceramics IG: Lucktaylor Ceramics See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Velda Thomas, homesteader and steward of the land in Washington State, USA, is someone to sit down with and tap about her relationship to the land. The land she owns and nurtures as well as the land she grew up tending with family and in community. In this episode, we talk about: Homesteading and stewardship Black people and sovereignty  Exploitation of the land for profit Simple living Writing when the muse takes you Writing for healing trauma Healing through nature and the land Writing blended genres Grief, death and ritual Body wisdom Reclaiming a connection with the land         Velda Thomas. Born and educated in England, UK with biracial family ancestry sourced from Africa, the Caribbean and the America's.   Healing modalities have always been of interest. Love of plants, herbal remedies, somatic and ritual experiences weave passion with grounded human experience for creativity and freedom of expression. Velda has worked as a kindergarten teacher, adult educator and birth doula. Currently a practicing massage therapist, sound practitioner and soul writer. Velda is a horsewoman, nature lover,  mover of the body and world traveler. Currently living in Port Townsend on the Olympic Peninsula, USA.   A note from Velda. I feel that I am truly an incredibly blessed person to have been born at a time where it is possible for me to uncover more of who I truly am and manifest it as I feel it coming through me. I am birthing myself again and again, then putting parts to rest, peeling the fine layers away, letting go again and again. I continue to find more stillness, strength and clarity as I continue to walk my soul's path and purpose. I am blessed with courage and the consciousness to face myself. If I am fortunate, I am left with something to share be it art, sound, support, presence, performance or simply the primal essence of my own human nature. I am honored to share what is here, right now, with you in this moment.   Patreon   FB Velda Thomas IG @veldathomas11 www.veldathomas.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this super deluxe episode, we touch on so many issues and topics which are vital to moving through this world in our bodies. Out stories as women of colour, are no longer going unheard as we share our voices here. We hope if you're listening and enjoying what you Hera that you are sharing these episodes far and wide. Thank you. In this episode you'll hear us talking about: Feeling all the emotions Working as a Body Worker Conscious wellness Working with touch during lockdown Connecting to our bodies Cold water swimming Bring nature into body work Childhood connection to nature Nature as a commodity Wild, wilder, wilderness Becoming an elder, a Crone Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) Zero Balancing Working in healthcare as an elite The weathering of Black women's bodies Making a difference in healthcare Non-linear body movement   Avni Trivedi is an experienced and intuitive practitioner using touch and movement to help people to connect with their bodily wisdom. She is a Women's Health and Paediatric Osteopath, Birth Doula, Zero Balancer and Non-Linear Movement Teacher. Her podcast, Speak From the Body' explores themes such as embodiment, stress, trauma, hormones and pleasure.   Speak From the Body podcast  Website: Avni Touch IG:  Avni Touch Twitter: Avni Touch    Black Ballad is a UK based lifestyle platform that seeks to tell the human experience through eyes of black British women.   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

158901158901Jessica J. Lee is an author and environmental historian who talking opening about her heritage and relationship with nature in this next episode from our podcast.   In this episode we talk about: The lockdown Connecting with nature on our doorsteps Urban green spaces Cold water swimming Nature writing Limnology, the study of inland water ecosystems Language and place Childhood with nature  The state of diversity in nature writing  Future plans   Jessica J. Lee is a British-Canadian-Taiwanese author and environmental historian, and winner of the 2020 Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction and the 2019 RBC Taylor Prize Emerging Writer Award. She is the author of two books of nature writing: Turning (2017) and Two Trees Make a Forest (2019). She has a PhD in Environmental History and Aesthetics and was Writer-in-Residence at the Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology in Berlin from 2017–2018. Jessica is the founding editor of The Willowherb Review and a researcher at the University of Cambridge. She lives in London. Website: Jessica J. Lee Writes IG: JESSICA J LEE See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We are so happy to be releasing this episode with Shaira Begum now. Shaira is doing some great work in horticultural therapy as this is used to support women on their road to recovery from domestic abuse.    In this episode we talk about: Cultivating small spaces like a balcony how plants are our friends Green Care for domestic abuse sufferers making life choices to follow our dreams Outdoor learning such as city farms Sharing our heritage and green knowledge across generations changing the narrative in the environmental movement finding our tribe in climate justice  gathering with people who look like us how representation is important for instilling dreams in the individual  the power of lived experience   Shaira Begum is an environmental justice organizer, working on health and climate projects with over 10 years experience as an environmental educator, trainer and facilitator. Keen to live somewhere in the countryside one day with her own chickens, market garden , a fat poly tunnel and goats... Dreaming big! Shaira was born in Brick Lane and still lives here , grateful for her educators and  elders around who have always shown her  the benefits of growing our own produce from our own motherlands, the food that we grew up on. Shaira has a background in training and facilitation with community groups, runs food growing and nature connection workshops, naturally runs inclusive participatory ways of working within community care context and bringing lived experience to the forefront.  Connect  with Shaira via twitter -   @Shairaecostuff Organisations mentioned within this episode inside The Wretched of the Earth, Wild in the City, and Women's Environmental Network. For further reading about White Supremacy Culture we recommend this from Showing Up For Racial Justice.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jola Olafimihan is a young woman who came to England to study and has experience many hardships and difficulties during her time here. This episode split into two parts explores what it's like to be a black women alone in a new and strange country and how Jola found a safe space at The Angelou Centre.  "The Angelou Centre offers a range of holistic women-only* services for black and minoritised women across the North East. The organisation remains unique as one of the few remaining black-led women's organisations in the north east of England, providing specialist support for black and minoritised women and children, locally, regionally and nationally." In this second instalment you will hear us talking about: Fred and Jola's cancer treatment Treatment for Black women within the NHS and agency Nature as a healing source and resource Herbal and medicinal walks the barriers Black women face in getting out there Leading groups of black women out into the countryside See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jola Olafimihan is a young woman who came to England to study and has experience many hardships and difficulties during her time here. This episode split into two parts explores what it's like to be a black women alone in a new and strange country and how Jola found a safe space at The Angelou Centre.  "The Angelou Centre offers a range of holistic women-only* services for black and minoritised women across the North East. The organisation remains unique as one of the few remaining black-led women's organisations in the north east of England, providing specialist support for black and minoritised women and children, locally, regionally and nationally." In this first instalment you will hear us talking about: Plant love during this time of lockdown Urban green spaces The Angelou Centre Women with no recourse to public funds Nigeria and gender and outdoors The contrast between Nigeria and the U.K  Living and studying in County Durham Racism Cancer, NHS and treatment and Fred   Jola is a young black African writer, speaker and activist. She loves working and supporting people. She believes in speaking out on abuse of power and control. She loves nature, and would love for us to reconnect with the earth more. She is also one of Earth Sea Love's young women expedition leaders, hoping to take black women out into nature.   *** Trigger warning this episode does explore racism and trauma See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dr. Niveem Kassem is a PhD holder, tutorial assistant,  trained mentor,  editor,  innovative and successful interpreter/translator.  Currently Assistant Teaching Fellow in the School of Modern Languages and Cultures and a member of the Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at Durham University, her research spreads  across interdisciplinary strands, including cultural studies and heritage, memory, identity and trauma. As part of this, she tries to understand how the past shapes the collective and individual identity in the present. Niveen has also worked with Newcastle University as part of a research program introducing the North East's Syriac community to the World Heritage site of memory, The Gertrude Bell Archive.   Niveen finds in the vast and elegant landscapes a home for her inspiration where some of her best creations are developed/ born or even fermented while being out and about exploring the mysterious giant universe. More importantly, the natural world opens up her imagination and inspires her to translate her observations and feelings into creative narratives, writing lyrical prose and short stories. Although she trained and works as an academic, she's a life-long learner in this rollercoaster of life. In this episode we talk about: Covid-19 and lockdown Urban green spaces Dr. Kassem's working life and teaching Hidden histories and bringing them to light The Middle East, particularly Syria's landscape Childhood relationship with nature Being a Black write in residence in nature The internal landscape reflected in the external landscape Seeking solace and support in nature Writing on leaves   See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this final episode of the month of October 2020, Sheree shares with you her recent sea swim as well as part of her hair story. She shares the plans going forward for the podcast as season one draws to a close in December and how we have more amazing women of colour signed up for season two in 2021. If you're listening and a woman colour with some kind of relationship with nature, then please get in touch and be part of The Earth Sea Love Podcast. Contact us through the email: sheshemack(@)gmail(.) com Website: https://earthsealove.com Instagram: @earthsealove Twitter: @earthsealove1 See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.