Hear from high profile and grass-roots leaders everywhere, enabling the regeneration of life on this planet. They're changing the stories we live by, and the systems we create in their mould. Hosted by Anthony James, award-winning facilitator and educator, widely published writer, Honorary Research Associate at the University of Western Australia, and Warm Data Lab Host Certified by the International Bateson Institute. The RegenNarration (formerly Rescope Radio) is an independent production made ad-free and freely available, thanks to you - our generous listeners, supporters and partners.
This is our customary sign-off episode for the year – a package of highlights from our brilliant array of guests throughout 2022, accompanied by some of the music and sounds of Country you heard along the way. Here's the ‘track list': 1. Jess Beckerling (ep 105) 2. To A Forests Dream, by Cloudjumper (sourced from the Free Music Archive) – podcast intro 3. To The System, by The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra, then ... 4. Flamenco Rhythm, by Sunsearcher (sourced from the Free Music Archive) – Petrine McCrohan (ep 106) 5. Di Haggerty (ep 107), including ... 6. To Rockin' in the 80s, by Dr Sparkles (sourced from the Free Music Archive) 7. To Regeneration, by Amelia Barden - Damon Gameau (ep 108), Clinton Walker (ep 109) 8. Kate Chaney (ep 110) 9. To Stones & Bones, by Owls of the Swamp - Kate Chaney (ep 110), David Pollock (ep 111) 10. David Pollock 11. Natalie Davey (ep 112), including ... 12. To You Shine, by the kids with Tura Music 13. María Inés Cuj & Rony Lec (ep 113) 14. To Faraway Castle, by Rae Howell & Sunwrae – Cathy McGowan (ep 114), Tanya Massy (ep 115) 15. Tanya Massy 16. Louise O'Neill (ep 116) 17. Eugene Eades including his song – Looking Back to Yesterday Again, performed with Bruce Anthony (ep 117) 18. Agostino Petroni (ep 118) 19. To Temporary, by Yen Nguyen – Kim Paul Nguyen (ep 119) 20. Tony Rinaudo (ep 120) 21. Kate Chaney MP (ep 121) 22. Ode to Kate, by your podcast host (ep 121 Extra) 23. Damon Gameau, at a screening of Regenerating Australia (ep 122) 24. Fred Provenza (ep 123) 25. To Stones & Bones, by Owls of the Swamp – Jane Slattery (ep 124), Paul Cleary (ep 125) 26. Serenity Hill with Kirsten Larsen (ep 126) 27. To a tune by Jeremiah Johnson – Ian Congdon & Courtney Young near Rutherglen, Victoria (ep 127), Jade Miles near Stanley, Victoria (ep 128) 28. To Cycles, by Simon Edwards – the late Hazel Henderson (ep 129), Valerie Brown at home in Canberra (ep 130) 29. Kate Fenech at a screening of Regenerating Australia in Busselton WA (ep 131) 30. Kristy Stewart at the family farm in the Otways, Victoria (ep 132) 31. Jodie Jackson (ep 133) 32. Amanda Cahill at home in Brisbane (ep 134) 33. Ross O'Reilly at High Valley Dawn, Yeppoon, Central Queensland (ep 135) 34. Terry & Pam McCosker at home in Yeppoon (ep 136) 35. Robert Pekin at the Food Connect Shed in Brisbane (ep 137) 36. Matthew Evans by the Swan River / Derbal Yerrigan (ep 138) 37. Douglas Rushkoff (ep 139) 38. Bruce Pascoe live at the Quantum Words Festival on Schools Day in Walyalup / Fremantle (ep 140) 39. Oral McGuire, Greg Mullins & Lesley Head live at the Quantum Words Festival in Boorloo / Perth (ep 141) 40. Ian & Di Haggerty live in their shearing shed (ep 142) 41. Heidi Mippy later in that shed(ep 143) 42. To The Deep Ocean is Calling, composed by Eva Holm Foosnæs with lyrics by T Aarskog and Karen O'Brien – Karen O'Brien (ep 144) 43. To Wildflower Meadow, by The Eternal Page (featuring Karen O'Brien's son Jens Stokke) – Paul Hawken (ep 145), the late Frank Fisher (ep 145 Extra) 44. To Regeneration - best wishes for the new year! 45. Closing the year with the end of our old theme song, The System, by The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra. Title image: the Martuwarra / Fitzroy River, at Natalie Davey's place (ep 112) (Anthony James). With thanks to all the wonderful musicians who generously granted permission for their music to be heard here. Find more: To access the full catalogue of episodes, head to our website https://www.regennarration.com or wherever you get your podcasts. The RegenNarration is an independent, ad-free, freely available podcast, thanks to the generous support of listeners. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by becoming a podcast patron, donor or partner at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for listening, have a wonderful festive season and see you again in 2023!
NOTE: the global launch we talk about is now on 7 / 8 December (details in the links below - & more to come) I hope you enjoy this little tribute episode. It's the 10th anniversary of the passing of my old mate and mentor, Professor Frank Fisher. He'd be 79 today. The honours list of guests on these anniversary editions now includes Hazel Henderson, Allan Savory and Charlie Massy. This year, it's Paul Hawken, the multiple best-selling author of Regeneration: Ending the climate crisis in one generation. This is the rest of the conversation Paul and I shared last week – featuring some fun personal exchanges, and even some out-takes (for those who listen right through), to close out the year. We start with Paul's take on the US mid-terms. Then we get the early running on what's coming down the line with Project Regeneration. And there is plenty, including a global launch of a short film with an all-star cast, now on December 7 / 8 (details below). After that, we got talking about some of Paul's favourite episodes on The RegenNarration. I have a brief update on the podcast on the other side of this conversation too. Including ... I'm shifting host platform for the podcast. It's been a long time coming really. SoundCloud has been my host platform till now, and it really isn't set up for podcasts anymore. The change shouldn't affect your listening in any way. It'll still be available where you listen to podcasts, and on The RegenNarration website. But if you do experience any glitches, this might be why, and will hopefully be short lived. If you're following the podcast on SoundCloud, it'll still be available there too I believe, just not hosted there. Again, just let me know if you notice anything go wrong. And otherwise, I hope you find a better experience in the change too – with clearer show notes, website player and other benefits. Title slide image: from the Project Regeneration website portal Nexus. Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Stones and Bones, by Owls of the Swamp. Find more: Tune into the main episode, ‘Paul Hawken on Regeneration – A Year On (there are a few links in the show notes there too) - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/145-paul-hawken And join the global live stream launch of the 'What is Regeneration?' short film - now on Dec 8, 2022 at 1:00 to 2:00 AM, GMT - https://theregenerators.org/what-is-regeneration/ That is: AEDT: Thursday 8 December at 12pm; PST: Wednesday 7 December at 5pm; EST: Wednesday 7 December at 8pm; AMST: Wednesday 7 December at 10pm Thanks as always to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making it possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by becoming a patron or donor to the podcast, by heading to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for helping to keep the show going.
Paul Hawken won't need an introduction for many of you. But for those unfamiliar, Paul is a multiple best-selling author, entrepreneur, and advisor to heads of state and CEOs on climatic, economic and ecological regeneration. Paul and I last spoke for the podcast a bit over a year ago, on release of his latest best-selling book, Regeneration: Ending the climate crisis in one generation. That's now the most listened to episode on this podcast. It also marked the launch of Project Regeneration, what's billed as the world's largest, most complete listing and network of solutions to the climate crisis. This week, we got together again, to talk about some of the big shifts underway, and some acute edges at play right now – both on a very personal level, and globally. We start in a very personal mode, on matters of living in the world today (including Paul's next book!). Then we move through the extractive paradigm's inevitable slide towards ever greater geo-engineering, on to more extraordinary stories of regeneration. This includes a focus on gender, place, healing from trauma, and other keystone aspects of regeneration. Along with examining contentious areas like offsets, carbon, methane, so-called green ammonia and the like, and how we might turn those into more holistic win-win-win approaches. This conversation was recorded online with Paul at home is California on 15 November 2022, Australian time. Title slide image: Paul Hawken (supplied). Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Stay tuned for a special extra to this episode, out next week. Read a transcript of our conversation and see a few photos on the episode web page – https://www.regennarration.com/ Project Regeneration - https://regeneration.org/ More on Paul Hawken, including his full catalogue of books, on his personal website - https://paulhawken.com/ Tune into last year's conversation with Paul on episode 96, ‘Regeneration: Ending the climate crisis in one generation' - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/096-regeneration Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to the Patreon page at - https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration Maybe even wave the flag by picking up something from The RegenNarration shop - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for your support!
Professor Karen O'Brien is a globally renowned thought leader on climate change impacts and social transformation. She has been heavily involved in the work of the IPCC, and shared in its 2007 Nobel Peace Prize. She's also been on the scientific advisory board for Project Drawdown, and is the co-founder of cCHANGE, an Oslo-based company that has become a beacon in the space of social transformation. And a few months ago, cCHANGE launched Karen's new book, called You Matter More Than You Think: Quantum social change for a thriving world. The by-line reads: have we been underestimating our collective capacity for social change? Spoiler alert – big time! Friend and best-selling author of Regeneration: Ending the climate crisis in one generation, Paul Hawken, says: “You Matter More Than You Think is more than just a book. It is an awakening, a how-to manual showing a new path to social and ecological regeneration.” It feels like we hear the themes of this conversation in so many other conversations on this podcast, right up to the last couple of weeks. This also feels like chapter 2 to the previous conversation Karen and I shared a few years ago. That's where you'll hear more about her fascinating background, and what led to her current passions - along with early ruminations on what's become the new book. Here, we pick up the thread. This conversation was recorded online with Karen at home is Oslo, Norway, on 7 November 2022. Title slide image: Karen O'Brien (pic: from the book). Music: Wildflower Meadow, by The Eternal Page (featuring Karen's son Jens Stokke) The Deep Ocean is Calling, composed by Eva Holm Foosnæs with lyrics by T Aarskog and Karen O'Brien - https://www.dropbox.com/s/2c9xrrj496vxqa0/202205%20The%20Deep%20Ocean%20is%20Calling-KSS-music%20by%20Eva%20Holm%20Foosn%C3%A6s%20and%20lyrics%20by%20T%20Aarskog%20and%20K%20O%27Brien.wav?dl=0 Find more: Read a transcript of our conversation on the episode web page – https://www.regennarration.com/ On Karen and her book ‘You Matter More Than You Think: Quantum social change for a thriving world' - https://www.youmattermorethanyouthink.com/ A 6-minute film of the book launch - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4Vc-f6z6Fo Transformative leadership course - https://transformational-leadership.no/ Tune into our previous conversation on episode 42, ‘The Most Powerful Solution to Climate Change: Karen O'Brien on how people, systems and consciousness transform' - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/042-the-most-powerful-solution-to-climate-change Artist Tone Bjordam - https://www.tonebjordam.com/ Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to the Patreon page at - https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration Maybe even wave the flag by picking up something from The RegenNarration shop - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for your support!
This week's episode is something extraordinary. Last week featured a conversation with Di and Ian Haggerty, in a shearing shed filled by 170 people from right around the country. You might remember it ended with Di's passing reference to some amazing insight that Noongar woman Heidi Mippy had shared. Heidi is an author, senior staffer with the Noongar Land Enterprise Group, and so much more. She had been personally invited to this event by Di, in anticipation of further growing the relationships they'd been treasuring with First Nations people. But no one could have anticipated what ended up unfolding while this event was taking place. Ian and I were told of what Di already knew at that point, after the conversation between Di, Ian and I ended. Later in the day, after a farm tour, there was to be a panel conversation. It was to bring Di and Ian together with co-founder of natural intelligence farming, Jane Slattery, and long-time collaborator and organiser of this event, the CEO of Nutrisoil Nakala Maddock. Given the amazing story unfolding in the background, and that we'd ended the morning session talking about the richness on offer for landholders in inviting First Nations people in, I suggested acting on that here and now. Heidi was subsequently invited to join that afternoon dialogue, and thankfully accepted the invitation. This is part of what ensued. This conversation was recorded live at the Haggerty farm in the WA wheatbelt on 24 October 2022. Title slide image: an aerial image of Wagyl (SmartSoil Media). See the episode web page for more photos. Music: Stones and Bones, by Owls of the Swamp. Find more: Read a transcript of our conversation and see a few photos on the episode web page – https://www.regennarration.com/ Tune in to last week's episode 142: ‘Dianne & Ian Haggerty on Tapping into Natural Intelligence, with live audience on the farm' (you'll find more links, some photos and transcript on the episode web page too) - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/142-dianne-ian-haggerty Heidi Mippy on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/heidi-mippy/ And Heidi speaking with Di, Damon Gameau and Anthony at the premiere screening of Regenerating Australia at Leederville for ep 122 - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/122-regenerating-australia-live Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to the Patreon page at - https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration Maybe even wave the flag by picking up something from The RegenNarration shop - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for your support!
Longer term listeners to this podcast will feel increasingly familiar with Ian and Di Haggerty, creators of what Charles Massy has called their world breakthrough regenerative farming operation. But you won't quite have heard them like this. Just last Monday, a capacity audience of 170 people from every state in Australia (and even a few continents) flocked to the shearing shed on one of the Haggerty farms in the WA wheatbelt, for a special day out. Years in the making, this was to be an exploration of what they call Natural Intelligence farming – what it means, how it works, and how they got here - in a way they'd never done before. With the need and appetite growing for what they're offering, there's a feeling among a growing number of people that it's time to share more of ourselves and put it all on the line. So in that spirit of generosity, Di offered a 45 minute presentation, before Ian joined us on stage. This conversation was recorded live at the Haggerty farm in the WA wheatbelt on 24 October 2022. Title slide image: gathering round Di and Ian on a tour of the farm (pic: Anthony James). You'll find more photos on the episode web page. Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Di Haggerty on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/di-haggerty-07248b34/ Read a transcript of our conversation and see a few photos on the episode web page – https://www.regennarration.com/ Tune in to episode 68 for a tour around the farm with Di and Ian, produced over the first weekend I spent there in 2020 - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/068-natural-intelligence-farming And to episode 124 with co-founder of Natural Intelligence farming, Jane Slattery - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/124-natural-intelligence-jane-slattery Nutrisoil, the organisers of this event, and long-term collaborators with the Haggerty's - https://nutrisoil.com.au/ Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to the Patreon page at - https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration Maybe even wave the flag by picking up something from The RegenNarration shop - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for your support!
Well known ABC radio presenter Natasha Mitchell called this an “unbelievably powerful session ‘On Fire!'” Ballardong Noongar leader and regenerative landholder, Oral McGuire, was alongside Greg Mullins, the former NSW Fire Commissioner who became a major national figure in the Black Summer bushfires, and Professor Lesley Head, co-author of the latest book in the incredible First Knowledges series (the first book in that series, Songlines, was featured in episodes 92 and 93, and they're still among the top 5 most played episodes on this podcast). This conversation was part of the Quantum Words Festival here in Perth last month. This time, the day after Schools Day, with the adults, and again in pin-drop attentive silence. The event billing read: It's a fundamental tool, but also one of our greatest fears. Join former NSW Fire Commissioner Greg Mullins, Indigenous fire expert Oral McGuire, and cultural geographer Lesley Head, as they talk with Anthony James about our relationship with fire as the planet warms. This conversation was recorded live at the Quantum Words Festival in the WA State Library in Boorloo / Perth on 17 September 2022. Title slide image: Anthony, Greg, Lesley and Oral in conversation (pic: from a Twitter post by Natasha Mitchell). Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Read a transcript of our conversation on the episode web page – https://www.regennarration.com/ Greg's book ‘Firestorm' - https://www.penguin.com.au/books/firestorm-9781761040917 Lesley's book ‘Hope & Grief in the Anthropocene' - https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315739335/hope-grief-anthropocene-lesley-head And Lesley's latest co-authored book ‘Plants: Past, Present & Future', part of the First Knowledges series - https://thamesandhudson.com.au/product/plants-past-present-and-future/ To hear more from Oral (and Heidi Mippy), tune into ep 122, Regenerating Australia Live in Leederville - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/122-regenerating-australia-live Quantum Words Festival, Perth – https://qwp.writingwa.org/ Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to the Patreon page at - https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration Maybe even wave the flag by picking up something from The RegenNarration shop - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for your support!
Bruce Pascoe in an Aboriginal Australian man, award-winning writer, and farmer. Last month I was fortunate to host Bruce in conversation at the brilliant Quantum Words Festival here in Perth. This was Schools Day, so there were about 150 people, mostly students, in the theatre. The session's touchstone was Bruce's extraordinary book Young Dark Emu. In keeping with its themes, we travelled deep and wide here, and in pin-drop attentive silence. The event billing read: In Young Dark Emu - A Truer History, Bruce Pascoe uses the accounts of early European explorers, colonists and farmers, to argue for an understanding of Australia prior to the arrival of Europeans as a land of cultivated farming areas, productive fisheries, permanent homes, and thriving villages. Bruce discusses his work with Anthony James. This conversation was recorded live at the Quantum Words Festival in Walyalup / Fremantle on 16 September 2022. Title slide image: live audience for this event at John Curtin College of the Arts. Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Read a transcript of our conversation on the episode web page – https://www.regennarration.com/ You can also watch our conversation here (starting at 2.06.30) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeTKMC6A6C8 Black Duck Foods - https://blackduckfoods.org/ Young Dark Emu (and so much more at Magabala Books in Broome) - https://www.magabala.com/products/young-dark-emu Quantum Words Perth – https://qwp.writingwa.org/ Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to the Patreon page at - https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration Maybe even wave the flag by picking up something from The RegenNarration shop - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for your support!
Here's a little over 20 additional minutes of ‘offcuts' from my conversation with Douglas Rushkoff. It features a few of our more personal exchanges. The first seven or eight minutes delves further into the dangerous appeal Douglas is seeing in the thinking of some prominent people. Which leads to exploring some recent experiences of the over-culture in our respective countries, with community-based election successes. Then we share a few instructive thoughts about respective older mentors, in life and death. And we go out with Douglas offering one of the wisest articulations I've heard on being a father in these times. Title slide image: Douglas Rushkoff. 0.00 Introductions 2.00 The danger in the appeal of Daniel Schmachtenberger, Ray Kurzweil and the like 6.15 The value or otherwise of aspiring for exponential change 9.40 Experiencing the over-culture in our respective countries, with community-based election success stories and the ‘consumption thing' wearing thin 15.15 Some personal exchanges on our respective older mentors 17.00 The universal need for dignity and how it can lead to fascism, or better places 19.00 Being a father in these times – back to polyvagal theory Music: Stones and Bones, by Owls of the Swamp. Find more: Tune into the main episode: ‘Douglas Rushkoff on surviving the tech billionaire mindset and embodying the over-culture', with a few links in the show notes too, and a transcript, on the episode web page – https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/139-douglas-rushkoff Thanks as always to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making it possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by becoming a patron or donor to the podcast, by heading to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for helping to keep the show going.
Douglas Rushkoff is the Professor of Media Theory and Digital Economics who MIT named one of the “world's ten most influential intellectuals.” He also hosts the podcast I listen to most, called Team Human. And he's the best-selling author of 20 books, including the new one, Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires. The publisher's blurb reads: ‘We always knew but now we *know*. The tech elite mean to leave us all behind. In Survival of the Richest, Rushkoff traces the origins of The Mindset in science and technology through its current expression in missions to Mars, island bunkers, and the Metaverse.' A big early influence on me, Frances Moore Lappé, said: “Beyond eye-opening, this book is eye-popping. A master story-teller, Rushkoff brings to life perhaps the greatest challenge of our time, The Mindset that drives so much destructive behaviour, and blinds us to solutions beyond new technology and consumption. A must read.” This is a profound and fun journey, firstly into the Mindset, then back out again. For Douglas' book is no dead end, but an opening. Where the billionaire preppers and trans-humanists are ultimately dead ending, the current of life is flowing in a different direction. 0.00 Introduction 3.30 The Mindset! 19.30 Origins of The Mindset 33.00 Getting caught up in The Mindset while trying to ‘fix it' (while exploring family stories and the wonders of epigenetics) 42.30 Douglas' encounter with the Maori and our respective exchanges with Tyson Yunkaporta 53.30 ‘Human' economies and platforms 61.00 If we're the over-culture now … 66.00 A transformative tale in Douglas' life before choosing to start a family 73.00 Music ... This conversation was recorded online, with Douglas at home in New York City on 27 September 2022 (Australian time). Title slide image: Douglas Rushkoff. Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Stay tuned for a special ‘offcuts' extra to this episode, out next week. Read a transcript of our conversation on the episode web page, out shortly – https://www.regennarration.com/ Douglas' website, where you can also pick up the book Survival of the Richest (and others) - https://rushkoff.com/ The Team Human podcast - https://www.teamhuman.fm/ Hear my previous conversation with Douglas on episode 41: ‘Playing for Team Human' - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/041-playing-for-team-human Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to the Patreon page at - https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration Maybe even wave the flag by picking up something from The RegenNarration shop - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for your support!
Matthew Evans is a chef, farmer, host of the popular TV series Gourmet Farmer, and most recently the author of ‘Soil: The incredible story of what keeps the earth, and us, healthy.' And what an incredible story. Prepare for perhaps the most mind-blowing hour on this podcast (and that feels like it's saying something). Matthew's framed it as a story of bombs, of civilisations falling, of gods and pestilence, and redemption. Author and journalist Gabrielle Chan wrote, ‘This book is an urgent and passionate plea to take soil seriously, not just for farmers, gardeners and cooks, but for anyone who eats.' In fact, Matthew was partly motivated to write this book due to the polarisation around the topic of his last book, On Eating Meat. Perhaps the topic of soil could be more universalising. And of course, it needs to be. I do feel this personally, too, as Matthew's research affirms our growing understanding of soil (and our treatment of it) as being at the heart of our mental, physical and even spiritual health – in profound ways. Due to Covid, and living over the other side of the country in Tasmania, Matthew had become something of a digital friend. So we resolved to wait to talk about this book till we could do it in person. And you'll hear that we weren't the only creatures celebrating that during our conversation. As often happens, the timing ended up perfect, allowing us to weave in some of the key happenings in the world right now. This conversation was recorded by Derbal Yerrigan / Swan River in Boorloo / Perth on 17 August 2022. Title slide image: Matthew Evans just before this conversation, dodging storms and sitting on tarps (pic: Anthony James). Click on the photos below for full view, and hover over them for descriptions (pics by Anthony James). Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Read a transcript of our conversation and see a few photos on the episode web page – https://www.regennarration.com/ On the book ‘Soil: The incredible story of what keeps the earth, and us, healthy' - https://fatpig.farm/product/soil/ Fat Pig Farm – https://fatpig.farm/ Hear my previous conversation with Matthew on episode 60 ‘On Eating Meat' - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/060-on-eating-meat Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to the Patreon page at - https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration Maybe even wave the flag by picking up something from The RegenNarration shop - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for your support!
Robert Pekin is the CEO & co-founder of Food Connect, the self-described ‘systems enterprise' in Brisbane. You might remember Rob from episode 28 with his brilliant partner Emma-Kate Rose, when we talked at length about their back-story and their soon to be successful $2m equity crowd fund. And from episode 88 last year, with Kungalu and Birri-Gubba Woman Gaala Watson, on an imminent native grains - and milling - breakthrough, and a transformation in governance led by First Nations. Well, when I was in Brisbane for Convergence recently, I dropped in. Rob walked me around this old industrial property as it further transforms into Australia's first multi-function Food Hub, now hosting over 40 enterprises - each outstanding stories in their own right. This was just a quick visit. I'd just recorded with mutual friend Amanda Cahill for what became episode 134, and cycled up to the Shed for a look and some lunch together. I wasn't going to record this either, but as I was being blown away all over again by Rob, alongside Chair of the Food Connect Foundation, Wiradjuri man from Dubbo NSW, Uncle Kel O'Neil, I had to pull out the recorder and share it with you. I've recorded this spatially too, so you'll hear Rob & Kel as they were standing around me. Hope you enjoy that effect. So join us at the Shed, for the conclusion to our Queensland series, and more beginnings for Food Connect. This conversation was recorded at the Food Connect Shed on 14 July 2022. Title slide image: Rob Pekin (bottom) and Uncle Kel O'Neill (top) against the backdrop of the Food Connect Shed (pics sourced from their websites). You can see more photos on the episode web page. Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Food Connect Shed - https://www.foodconnectshed.com.au/ Food Connect Foundation - http://foodconnectfoundation.org.au/ Hear my previous conversations with Rob, with Emma-Kate Rose in episode 28, and Gaala Watson here in episode 88 - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/088-a-native-grains-native-mills-resurgence-part1 Read a transcript of our conversation including time stamps on the episode web page – ttps://www.regennarration.com/episodes/137-a-transforming-military-industrial-complex And you can now gain access to all of the presentation recordings at Convergence, including Rob with Gaala Watson, via RCS Australia for $150 - https://www.rcsaustralia.com.au/the-rcs-story/rcs-convergence-conference/ Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to the Patreon page at - https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration Maybe even wave the flag by picking up something from The RegenNarration shop - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for your support!
Dr Terry McCosker OAM is the legendary co-founder of RCS Australia. Charles Massy credits RCS as being behind the greatest regenerative agriculture movement in Australia. And throughout its pioneering decades, Pam McCosker has been the unheralded lynch pin. Terry makes no secret of it. Nor did Charles when he wrote in his best-selling Call of the Reed Warbler: “When I look back over the rise of regenerative agriculture in Australia, I see at the forefront Terry and Pam McCosker and their RCS organisation. Today it remains a world leader in the field.” But almost incredibly, this is the first time Pam has ever appeared in media. Well, on the cusp of their 50th wedding anniversary next year, and with the zeitgeist coming in a rush to meet their trailblazing work, now seemed like a good time to speak with them together. This conversation was recorded at their home in Yeppoon, Central Queensland, soon after sharing in the extraordinary Convergence event in Brisbane that marked the 30th anniversary of RCS. We debrief on that here, including on some of the major flashpoints emerging right now, and contemplate what might come next. All interspersed in this intimate, at times heart-breaking, and often downright entertaining journey into their life together – their personal convergence. A life forged through unfathomable loss, ultimate successes, and a still deepening call towards the heart of it all. This is the story behind the story of the greatest regen ag movement in Australia. Here's a rough timeline of our conversation: 4m – on home, Convergence, and an intimate, incredibly heart felt and very entertaining chat about their life together, family, the organisation and broader movement 29m - back to Convergence 36m – on Terry's session at Convergence 46m – some of the big breakthroughs coming on, and what Terry's role might be from here 58m – their spiritual journey 68m - where to from here? This conversation was recorded on 3 August 2022. Title slide image: Terry and Pam at home just after this conversation (pic: Anthony James). You can see more photos on the episode web page. There'll be more from the Convergence event on Patreon for subscribing patrons. Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: RCS Australia – https://www.rcsaustralia.com.au/ Watch a 3-minute highlight video of the recent Convergence event, produced by Farmers Footprint Australia (which also launched at that event) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeP9zFAcBAw And you can now gain access to all presentations from Convergence at RCS Australia for $150 - https://www.rcsaustralia.com.au/the-rcs-story/rcs-convergence-conference/ Hear Terry and Anthony in conversation back in 2020 for episode 67: ‘Behind the Greatest Regenerative Agriculture Movement in Australia: Dr Terry McCosker on life, death and learning true power' - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/067-behind-the-greatest-regenerative-agriculture-movement-in-australia Read a transcript of our conversation (disclaimer, the transcripts aren't perfect, but hopefully good enough to provide greater access to these conversations for those who need or like that) – https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/136-convergence Join me at the Quantum Words Festival in Perth 16-18 September 2022 - https://www.regennarration.com/events/quantum-words-festival-parth-2022 Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to the Patreon page at - https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration Thanks for your support!
Ross O'Reilly is a former champion regional rugby league coach, real estate agent and restauranteur, all on the way to founding his ultimate vision in 2016 – High Valley Dawn. It carries the label ‘permaculture farm', but somehow feels like so much more. Think incredible market garden and food forest, deeply restorative work place and learning centre, grazing animals and thriving community, with all sorts of layers on that. And it's still just getting started. I first learned about Ross when Terry McCosker made particular mention of him when he was in WA late last year. Terry's the legendary founder of RCS Australia who featured on episode 67, and will feature again next week, this time with wife Pam, to talk about the recent Convergence event in Brisbane, among other things. It was after that Convergence event that I drifted back to Yeppoon in central Queensland with the RCS crew, and made tracks for Ross's place. The High Valley Dawn journey began for Ross when a passion for wellness and sustainable development collided with a desire to serve fresh, local, organically grown produce in his nearby restaurant Beaches in Rosslyn Bay. His intention to one day create a self-sustaining community that would fulfil these desires, and help inspire future generations to get back to working in harmony with Mother Nature was set. In 2016, the stars aligned. But really, this story goes way further back. This conversation was recorded at High Valley Dawn, just outside of Yeppoon, Queensland, on 2 August 2022. Title slide image: Ross O'Reilly at the farm, just before this conversation (pic: Anthony James). You can see more photos on the episode web page - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/135-high-valley-dawn Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: High Valley Dawn - https://www.highvalleydawn.com.au/ New Dawn Gathering on 24 September 2022 - https://events.humanitix.com/new-dawn-gathering Transcript of our conversation (disclaimer, the transcripts aren't perfect, but hopefully good enough to provide greater access to these conversations for those who need or like that) – https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/135-high-valley-dawn Quantum Words Festival in Perth 16-18 September 2022 - https://www.regennarration.com/events/quantum-words-festival-parth-2022 Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to my Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration I've added an offering in The RegenNarration shop too - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
Dr Amanda Cahill is the CEO of The Next Economy. I feel like I've already introduced Amanda to you, given how often she's come up in conversations here. And you might even recognise her from Damon Gameau's film 2040, or more recently on the ABC's Q&A program. Amanda's work at The Next Economy supports communities, government, industry and others to develop a more resilient, just and regenerative economy. Most of this work results from being increasingly invited into regional communities around Australia. These are often major coal-producing communities at the centre of energy transition debates in this country. Tensions are often high, and polarisation rife, which has made us all subject to political exploitation at times. And we all lose from that. But Amanda's work with these communities is creating a different trajectory. And now it's not just communities inviting in The Next Economy - but governments, industry and media (even globally). I first met Amanda back in 2016, at the outset of the New Economy Network of Australia. We got to know each other a little at panel conversations and the like, as recognition of her work grew. But when we last caught up at her place in late 2018, it seemed like The Next Economy was going to end before it had even really begun. How things have changed. Soon after came the first transformative shift. And in the last year alone, the organisation has grown eight-fold. Transformative change is gaining momentum – across multiple inter-related systems. But Amanda's still feeling concerned. The next three years are vital, she says. And all largely pending how well we can be really present with each other, deeply listen, and support communities in the transitions underway everywhere. This conversation was recorded at Amanda's place in Brisbane, on 14 July 2022. Title slide image: Amanda Cahill at home, just before this conversation (pic: Anthony James). Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: The Next Economy - https://nexteconomy.com.au/ Transcript of our conversation (disclaimer: the transcripts aren't perfect, but hopefully good enough to provide greater access to these conversations for those who need or like that) - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/134-the-next-economy Quantum Words Festival in Perth 16-18 September 2022 - https://www.regennarration.com/events/quantum-words-festival-parth-2022 Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to my Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration I've added an offering in The RegenNarration shop too - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
Jodie Jackson is an author, yoga practitioner and media campaigner. Her first book is titled ‘You Are What You Read: why changing your media diet can change the world'. “Information is to the mind, what food is to the body”, she says. And after becoming a mother, and seeing the news affect even her small children, she wrote the children's book ‘Little Ruffle and The World Beyond'. All this stemmed from years of looking deeply into the psychological impact of the news. Yes, she discovered no shortage of negative impacts from the barrage of negativity and misinformation. But she also discovered plenty of evidence of the beneficial effects of more constructive news on our wellbeing and society. Not ‘feel good' puff pieces - more rigorous, whole-picture reporting. And there began Jodie's at times deeply challenging journey of writing the books, speaking regularly, and just last week, launching a global News Literacy Network. The by-line for the network is ‘empowering a more accurate worldview'. It says on its website: ‘We must develop the necessary skills to stand guard at the doors of our own mind. Our personal wellbeing, and wellbeing of the world depends on it.' I first came across Jodie in the terrific news outlet Reasons to be Cheerful a couple of years ago, via a profoundly consequential piece about the responsibilities of media during pandemics and other major disease outbreaks. In it she alluded to the book she'd just written. So I reached out. And after a few twists of fate, we just happened to get together for this conversation the day after the new Network launched. This conversation was recorded online with Jodie at home in London, on 16 August 2022. Title slide image: Jodie Jackson. Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Jodie's website - https://jodiejackson.com/ News Literacy Network - www.newsliteracynetwork.org Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to my Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration I've added an offering in The RegenNarration shop too - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
Welcome to this special extra with Kristy Stewart, featuring 20 additional minutes or so from our conversation. We went on here to talk about innovative enterprise development and next generation opportunities, and working with government and communities to help open these up. On the one hand, we talked changes to zoning and other regulations that inhibit young people and others joining in with value-add enterprises. And beyond that, Kristy's been part of her community coming together in an influential local process reminiscent of what's powered the community independents movement currently transforming politics in Australia. And we look at some of the incredible impacts of the education programs Kristy is co-developing at the farm. Title slide image: Kristy Stewart at the native flowers garden, by one of the regenerated dams at the farm (holding a picture of just how badly degraded it had become) (pic: Anthony James). Music: Stones and Bones, by Owls of the Swamp. Find more: You can hear the rest of Kristy and I in conversation in the main episode: ‘An Agroforestry Revolution: Kristy Stewart on family, community and spiritual transformation'. You'll find a few links in the show notes too, along with some photos and a couple of videos on the episode web page – https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/132-an-agroforestry-revolution Thanks as always to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making it possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by becoming a patron or donor to the podcast, by heading to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for helping to keep the show going.
Kristy Stewart is a regenerative farmer, free-diver, and next generation community leader. Kristy is already impressing audiences, students and other farmers around the country. And in a sense, it's no surprise, given her pioneering family stock. Her father is Andrew Stewart, award-winning co-founder with Rowan Reid, in 1993, of the world-renowned Otway Agroforestry Network, in the south-east of Australia. Charles Massy describes it as the flagship of not only a revolution in agroforestry, but in peer-led transformative learning. And the Stewart's 575-acre farm, Yan Yan Gurt West, is an extraordinary exemplar of what's possible, in its astounding regeneration of landscape, productivity and community. Now Kristy's own transformative journey is shaping the next generation of far-reaching possibilities. Kristy talks here with such raw openness about a major transformation in her life, stemming from a journey to South America, and how she's attempting to live that out. When Kristy subsequently found herself part of a panel conversation with Di Haggerty, she was compelled to spend time with Di at her place. And that's when I got a call from Di, mid-last year while we were based at Ningaloo Reef, telling me of this impressive couple of sisters at her place, and that one of them was heading our way next – would we be up for meeting? Suffice to say, Kristy made an impression on us too. And a bit under a year later, we were fortunate enough to be visiting the Stewart family farm. So the first half of our conversation is on some of the incredible story of this family, the regeneration of a landscape, and the broader revolution in their region and beyond. Ground breaking enough. Then the second half of our chat is on Kristy's transformation, a deepening family story, and how all that's shaping her taking up the mantle with the next generation. This conversation was recorded at Yan Yan Gurt West farm in the Otways of Victoria, on 18 April 2022. Title slide image: Kristy Stewart at home on the farm (supplied). You can see more photos on the episode web page. Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Stay tuned for a special extra to this episode, out later today. Otway Agroforestry Network - https://www.oan.org.au/ Australian Agroforestry Foundation - https://agroforestry.org.au/ An invitation to Yan Yan Gurt West farm - https://www.visitmyfarm.com.au/yan-yan-gurt-west A 5-minute video by the Bob Hawke Award organisers featuring Andrew Stewart, who ended up the award winner - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3KXLsj2qLw&t=13s And an older 5-minute video on Yan Yan Gurt West featuring Kristy and the broader family too, from 2016 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4b26zrkwIPU Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to my Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration I've added an offering in The RegenNarration shop too - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
Kate Fenech is a 15 year old student who's found herself part of the extraordinary SS4C movement (the School Strikes for Climate), with growing passions for marine science and regenerative farming. I met her when we were both late conscripts to a premiere screening of Regenerating Australia in Busselton, WA, that ended up becoming a unique post-film dialogue. The film's director, Damon Gameau, was a late withdrawal, as was young activist and author, Bella Burgemeister. So Kate and I stepped into the breach, and that seemed to set up a vibe among the 75 or so people present of, ‘well I guess it's just us!' And to tell you the truth, for a while, I wondered if the whole thing was going to bomb. I've never hosted an event with an audience that was so pin-drop quiet. But that silence turned out to be more a measure of how much people were listening and contemplating, as just about everybody stayed, and we even drifted over time a little, for what became a frank, vital and ultimately wonderful community conversation. 3.45m - A short welcome from me 5.20m - A pre-recorded introduction to the film by Damon. (Damon actually came to feel that this was the most impactful part of the film tour, more than the film itself.) You can find the image Damon is talking to, on the episode webpage – that link's in the show notes 10.35m - In conversation with Kate Fenech 22.15m - Our all-in dialogue starts This conversation was recorded in the week leading up to Australia's recent transformative federal election, at Orana Cinema in Busselton WA, on 16 May 2022. Title slide image: Anthony James and Kate Fenech at the Orana Cinema in Busselton, WA (pic: Jennifer Seccull). You can see more photos on the episode web page, including the image Damon talks to in introducing the film - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/131-a-narrative-of-possibility Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the film Regenerating Australia - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: School Strike 4 Climate Australia - https://www.schoolstrike4climate.com/ Regenerating Australia is available for community screenings now (and grant applications, requests for materials etc.) - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Community Independents Project - https://www.communityindependentsproject.org/ You can hear my conversation with Jess Beckerling on the cessation of native logging in WA in episode 105 - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/105-the-first-state-to-end-native-forest-logging Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to my Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration I've added an offering in The RegenNarration shop too - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
Dr Valerie Brown is a Visiting Professor at the renowned Fenner School of Environment and Society at the Australian National University, and an international figure in the field of collective thinking, with a list of awards and accolades as long as your leg. But what brought me to her door was hearing doyen of regenerative agriculture, Charlie Massy, defer to her over the years. Charles was among her first students in the pioneering Human Ecology course in 1974 (a course the university establishment tried to have shut down). And when he returned to do the PhD that became the best-selling book Call of the Reed Warbler, Valerie was his supervisor. She's “one of Australia's greats”, he says. So after visiting the Massy farm earlier this year, Valerie was kind enough to welcome me to her place, up in the road in Canberra, for this conversation. Incidentally, my guest from episode 85, Cathy McGowan, was also a student of Val's – and features here in a great story. But there was another milestone on my way to Val's place too, that also goes back to the 70s. My old mate and mentor Professor Frank Fisher used to talk of the Fenner crew, and gifted me one of the many trailblazing books Val co-wrote, called Tackling Wicked Problems, published back in 2010. Though here, Valerie talks of how her work has progressed far beyond that, drawing on her considerable impact globally, including hundreds of workshops on collective learning as a tool for transformational change. This conversation was recorded in Canberra, 5 April 2022 (a month and a bit before the transformative federal election that resulted in so many more female independent MPs). Title slide image: In the backyard with Valerie Brown, at home in Canberra (pic: Anthony James). Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: The ABC Australian Story episode on Charles Massy features Valerie - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58G9htz0hTk Valerie's extended bio, on her Collective Thinking website - http://www.collectivethinking.com.au/valerie-a-brown/ And at the Fenner School - https://fennerschool.anu.edu.au/people/visiting/honorary-associate-professor-val-brown Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to my Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration I've added an offering in The RegenNarration shop too - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
Today's episode features the legendary author, advisor and media producer, Hazel Henderson. Hazel has had such a big impact on so many, including yours truly. In my case, it has stemmed from over two decades following her work, and two hours of unhurried conversation for this podcast back in 2019. At the end of that conversation, Hazel invited me to visit if ever I was in Florida. And though I haven't travelled overseas for 15 years, with emissions and other things in mind, I couldn't help but wonder if one day that might be possible. Two months ago, however, the sad news arrived that Hazel had passed away, at the age of 89. So this episode is a tribute to Hazel, drawn from our 2-part conversation almost three years ago – essentially, it's the first 25 minutes or so of part 1 and the last 20 minutes or so of part 2. So it starts at the start, giving you my full introduction to Hazel, and the priceless, unassuming nature of how our conversation began – with a personal exchange on how we were going about life, media, connection and learning. Then it's over to her beginnings, for what became a much-loved, pioneering and globally recognised life. And it culminates with some profound poignance that blew me away when listening back to it now. Title slide image: Hazel Henderson at the outset, and towards the end (with EF Schumacher in the photo on the wall), of her public life (photos supplied – the latter taken by Vicki Robin). Music: The System, by the Public Opinion Afro Orchestra. The acoustic interlude about half way through is Cycles, by Simon Edwards (guitarist from the Public Opinion Afro Orchestra). The tune accompanying the outro is by Jeremiah Johnson. What If? (Impact: the Musical), by Jacqueline Emerson & co. – see the film clip at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oiWn1AXXk0 Find more: A tribute to Hazel - https://www.forevermissed.com/hazelhenderson/about Donate in honour of Hazel, and to assist with the collating of her life's work, here (all Hazel's books are also available electronically on this page, in exchange for that donation) - https://www.ethicalmarkets.com/books/ If you'd like to hear the full 2-part conversation I shared with Hazel back in 2019 (and follow some additional links), head to episodes 49 and 50 - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/049-changing-paradigms Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to my Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration I've added an offering in The RegenNarration shop too - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
Jade Miles is an author, podcaster, farmer, organiser, speaker, and a few other things besides. I first came across Jade's podcast, Futuresteading, back when it started. Then last year, the visual extravaganza of Futuresteading the book came along - sub-titled ‘live like tomorrow matters: practical skills, recipes and rituals for a simpler life'. It draws on Jade's family life at Black Barn Farm – which features an incredible orchard of around 100 varieties of heritage fruit and berries, along with nursery, and workshop space in the Black Barn. Jade has also more recently become the CEO of Sustainable Table – so we get the inside story here of that transformative work and Fund we've heard a bit about in recent episodes. Jade is one terrific communicator and connector. And here there is also some pretty raw, honest and grounded reflections. We start with the fascinating and at times funny back story of their journey to becoming farmers, before exploring that inside story of Sustainable Table. Then standby for our chat about her book and podcast, particularly the one episode that shook her for days - with Tyson Yunkaporta. There's a bit of us two podcasters examining deeply what the point of doing such a thing might be, in light of her experience. And that's our take off point for exploring her profound experiments with ritual at home, deeply felt mother's dilemma on education and rites of passage, and her emotional connection with her music selection – one that comes full circle to her life's beginnings. In some ways, Jade's one of a growing number of folk who, with her family, is just doing what they're spotting up needs to be done – whether by them, or helping others, wherever they call home. This glimpse into the art of how they're trying to make it work, financially, health-wise, family-wise, and with investors and philanthropists in the regeneration movement at large, offers plenty of evolving insights. This conversation was recorded at Black Barn Farm in Stanley, Victoria, on 29 March 2022. Title slide image: Jade Miles during our raspberry walk at the farm (pic: Anthony James). You can see more photos on the episode web page. Click on the photos below for full view, and hover over them for descriptions (pics by Anthony James). Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Black Barn Farm - https://www.blackbarnfarm.com.au/ Futuresteading, the book – https://www.futuresteading.com.au/book/ Futuresteading, the podcast (where btw, you can hear more of Jade and I in conversation, on episode 5 of series 5, 4 July 2022 – though it was recorded after our visit to Black Barn) - https://www.futuresteading.com.au/podcast/ Sustainable Table Fund - https://sustainabletable.org.au/fund/ And if you'd like to hear the conversation I had with Jake Claro from Vermont, that's episode 51, ‘Farm to Plate: Regenerating a state's economy through food, land and culture' - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/051-farm-to-plate Eye in the Sky, by the Alan Parsons Project – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QU-8lJtvVA4 Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to my Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration I've added an offering in The RegenNarration shop too - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
You might remember Ian Congdon and Courtney Young from one of the great stories we heard about last year, on how this young family is changing the face of farming - and milling - in Australia. That's through their incredibly delicious enterprise Woodstock Flour, and Courtney's spectacular art. As it happens, our conversation last year took place on the day they finished building the first Australian mill in who knows how long. And coincidentally, it was also settlement day for the purchase of their own farm. So after we visited Serenity and Kirsten for the last episode, we dropped in to meet Ian and Courtney in person. And again, while just intending to say hi, another riveting chat over dinner compelled us to sit down and put something on record for you all to hear. What we found was another uplifting sighter of a brilliant couple continuing to manifest transformative visions. We start here with the first item of huge news – their major grant success from the Sustainable Table Fund. That's the ground-breaking Fund we heard about in the last episode, and from Tanya Massy earlier this year. This represents a big step towards creating a local regenerative grains economy in their region. Then we delve into their attempt at an innovative renewable energy set up, their artistic and practical explorations of what it means to be land-owners now in the context of Aboriginal dispossession, and the many opportunities for others to join in these regenerative efforts. We also talk briefly about the changes in farming they're observing with rapidly escalating input costs, some profound and entertaining experiments milling native grains from Black Duck Foods, and let's just say a unique music selection on Ian's part. This conversation was recorded on their farm near Rutherglen, Victoria, on 31 March 2022. Title slide image: Sunset at the Woodstock Flour farm near Rutherglen, Victoria (pic: Anthony James). You can find more photos on the episode web page, and a further selection of pics on the page of our first conversation together last year, on episode 89 (link below). Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Woodstock Flour - https://www.woodstockflour.com.au/ Courtney's art - https://www.courtneyyoung.com.au/about You can hear more of Courtney, Ian and I in conversation in episode 89: ‘A Native Grains and Native Mills Resurgence (Part 2): On making mills and the art of regeneration' - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/089-a-native-grains-native-mills-resurgence-part2 Sustainable Table Fund - https://sustainabletable.org.au/fund/ Convergence, the RCS international conference in Brisbane on 16-17 July - https://rcsc2022.com.au/ Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to the Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration I've added an offering in The RegenNarration shop too - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
This is a profound personal and collective story right at the heart of systemic and cultural change. Serenity Hill and Kirsten Larsen are regenerative farmers and co-founders of the Open Food Network. You might remember my conversation with Kirsten online two years ago, as Covid took hold, and Open Food Network took off. At that stage, they'd experienced a tenfold increase in both people signing up to the platform and in turnover, while spanning over a dozen countries. A lot has happened since, too, with the Network, with the trailblazing land ownership and succession model we touched on last time, and on a transformative personal level. So when our family visited theirs recently, we had to pull up a pew on the front porch together, and press record. Our conversation starts with a very frank and vital conversation about land, ownership and money, and how investment can work best for those doing the actual work of regeneration. From there we delve into other ways to enable more of that work, including more values-based supply networks. And that leads us to where this pioneering couple is currently exploring further layers of personal transformation. Oh, and how over a decade ago, Serenity foresaw the independents movement that has just transformed Australia's parliament. More on the Open Food Network: it's a not-for-profit, global collaboration building food distribution systems that are fair, local and transparent. The Network's flagship open source platform enables new, ethical supply chains. And in the wake of COVID-19 has gone to a whole new level, as producers look for alternative ways to sell quality produce, and eaters look for alternative ways to access it. This conversation was recorded in Violet Town, Victoria, on 29 March 2022. Title slide image: Serenity and Kirsten (L-R), just before pressing record on this conversation (Anthony's foot just makes it into this slide – the full photo can be viewed on the episode web page, along with a couple of photos on the farm) (pic: Olivia Cheng). Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Open Food Network - https://openfoodnetwork.org.au/ And the farm, Pukawidgee - https://openfoodnetwork.org.au/warrenbayne-farm-collective/shop#/home The pivotal survey being run currently by the Network - https://airtable.com/shrtECWZBFNtiiYLj Sustainable Table Fund - https://sustainabletable.org.au/fund/ Convergence, the RCS international conference in Brisbane on 16-17 July - https://rcsc2022.com.au/ You can hear more of Kirsten and I in conversation from 2020, in episode 63: ‘Food Unincorporated: How a grass-roots system went global' - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/063-food-unincorporated Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to my Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration I've added an offering in The RegenNarration shop too - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
Paul Cleary is a best-selling author and journalist who's just written an incredible book – certainly a must read for any Aussie, and every West Aussie, with implications that arguably extend far beyond. It's called ‘Title Fight: How the Yindjibarndi battled and defeated a mining giant'. The back cover bills it as ‘a David and Goliath story set in the ancient landscape of the Pilbara'. That's in the north-west, here in WA. And the mining giant is Fortescue Metals Group (or FMG), led by billionaire Chairman Andrew Forrest. In the face of that company's staggering array of unscrupulous tactics, intimidation and exploitation, the Yindjibarndi people and their leader Michael Woodley, prevailed through to the highest court in the land. And this story is far from done at the closing of that back cover. The implications of this extraordinary triumph continue to be enormous, for the Yindjibarndi, for Forrest and FMG, and for communities, economies and landscapes everywhere. For the Yindjibarndi have not just won a pivotal legal battle, they are demonstrating a model of holistic development that feels instructive for us all. And all based on deciding for themselves what sort of culture, community and commerce they want to create. This story is so relevant to not just how to stop Forrest and FMG (and anyone else) from such ongoing disregard for Australian and Aboriginal culture, heritage and law. But for what this might mean for the renewable energy transition and other laudable initiatives that Forrest and his Foundation are engaged with, and for the nearby flashpoint of Woodside's Scarborough Gas proposal (and others), among the greatest rock art site in the world. This conversation was recorded by in Russell Square, Northbridge, in inner city Perth, on Whadjuk Noongar Country, 20 June 2022. Title slide image: Paul Cleary, just before pressing record on this conversation (pic: Anthony James). You can also see the transcendent image of Ned Cheedy, aged 106, with Michael Woodley's grandson, from the back cover of Paul's book, on the episode web page. Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: ‘Title Fight: How the Yindjibarndi Battled and Defeated a Mining Giant' - https://www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/title-fight Paul Cleary on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-cleary-4b56213/ The Great Native Title Swindle short video mentioned in the conversation, featuring the notorious 2011 meeting in Roebourne - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w_fB7e0WCY Ngaarda Media is an independent community broadcaster and media training hub with a vision to unite and broadcast the voices of the Pilbara - https://www.ngaardamedia.com.au/ Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to my Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration I've added an offering in The RegenNarration shop too - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
Jane Slattery is the co-founder, with Diane and Ian Haggerty, of natural intelligence farming – underpinning what Charles Massy has called their ‘world breakthrough' operation. And to hear Di an Ian defer to Jane in many ways, had me so looking forward to meeting her. Then, earlier this year, I happened to be near Jane's neck of the woods in South Australia, hosting one of the Planet Talks at WOMAD. Thankfully, she was up for coming into Adelaide for a chat. And more by fate than design, she follows the episode with the legend Fred Provenza. In some ways, Jane sings off a similar song sheet. But where Fred was led by science to soul, you could say Jane has come at it from soul first - while still utterly grounded in our embodied experience of a wondrous world. This is a very special and rare conversation. Jane is only now feeling like speaking publicly about her work in media like this. You'll hear some of why. After running a successful family business around Australia, she gave it all up to follow a compelling sense of what she felt she needed to be doing. And, along with the Haggerty's, she has gone on to guide and inspire an increasing number of brilliant regenerative outcomes around the country. This conversation was recorded by the River Torrens in Adelaide, on the land of the Kaurna people, on 15 March 2022. Title slide image: Jane Slattery (pic: Anthony James). Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Jane Slattery – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-slattery-59829035/ You can meet Jane at the upcoming RCS Australia conference in Brisbane in July - https://www.regennarration.com/events/convergence-international-conference-2020 And if you'd like to hear from Di and Ian Haggerty out on their farm - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/068-natural-intelligence-farming Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to my Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration I've added an offering in The RegenNarration shop too - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
This special extra to episode 123, with the legendary Fred Provenza, delves into more of the metaphysical context of everything we spoke about in the main episode. We traverse the spectra of collapse and regeneration, and how we can live well in all that, here and now. There are some profound stories of personal transformation here – and an ultimate convergence of mythology and mysticism with his life's work on the wisdom body. This part of our conversation led up to the ‘music question' that closed the main episode, so it'll also give a bit more context to Fred's moving response there. Title slide image: the cover to Fred's book Nourishment (linked in the main episode). Music: Stones & Bones, by Owls of the Swamp. Find more: You can hear the rest of my conversation with Fred Provenza in the main episode: ‘The Wisdom Body: Fred Provenza on a paradigm change in animal, human and planetary health'. You'll find a few links in the show notes there too - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/123-the-wisdom-body-fred-provenza Thanks as always to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making it possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by becoming a subscriber or donor to the podcast, by heading to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for helping to keep the show going!
Professor Fred Provenza is the legendary behavioural ecologist and author who has revolutionised how we understand the nature of animal health and intelligence, and its connection to our human health and intelligence. This includes the regenerative role of livestock, in all sorts of ways. And through his own deep personal trials and transformations, Fred has come to embody this knowledge in ways that shine a light not only on the extraordinary regenerative capacities of nature, including humans, but how regenerating all human systems stems from the wisdom of our bodies. Fred's published a few books on all this, culminating a few years ago in his master work, ‘Nourishment: What Animals Can Teach Us About Rediscovering Our Nutritional Wisdom'. It's been called a ‘paradigm-changing exploration' with ‘implications that could vastly improve our health through a simple change in the way we view our relationships with the plants and animals we eat'. Montana Public Radio said: “Nourishment is a conversation between science, culture, and a greater spiritual or cosmological umbrella.” Indeed, you might describe this conversation the same way. More on Fred: As professor emeritus of Behavioral Ecology in the Department of Wildland Resources at Utah State University, Provenza directed an award-winning research group focused on how learning influences foraging behavior and how behavior links soils and plants with herbivores and humans. In addition to penning a book, he is one of the founders of BEHAVE, an international network of scientists and land managers. This conversation was recorded online, with Fred at home in Montana USA, on 8 June 2022. Title slide image: Fred Provenza. Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Tune into the special extra to this episode with Fred, ‘A Cosmic Voyager with Amnesia' - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/123-extra-a-cosmic-voyager-with-amnesia-fred-provenza/id1236423380?i=1000566207121 Fred's book Nourishment: What Animals Can Teach Us about Rediscovering Our Nutritional Wisdom - https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/nourishment/ The BEHAVE international network Fred co-founded - http://behave.net/ Fred will be a keynote speaker (online) at the upcoming RCS Australia conference in Brisbane in July - https://www.regennarration.com/events/convergence-international-conference-2020 A reminder that Regenerating Australia will be screened at the Beverley Town Hall, in the wheatbelt of WA, on 17 June, with panel conversation featuring Oral McGuire, Di Haggerty, Grant Revell & Damon Gameau (online), hosted by Anthony James - https://www.regennarration.com/events/regenerating-australia-beverley Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to my Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration I've added an offering in The RegenNarration shop too - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
Damon Gameau, the award-winning director of That Sugar Film and 2040, toured his new film Regenerating Australia around Western Australia's south a few weeks ago. Joining him on the panel in Leederville was highly regarded First Nations woman Heidi Mippy, Natural Intelligence Farming co-founder Dianne Haggerty, and me. Ballardong Noongar man, Oral McGuire, who you'll have heard mentioned a bit on this podcast (like in eps 87 and 105), granted us the privilege of his powerful Welcome to Country. And as you'll hear, in some ways, proceedings on this night presaged the transformative federal election that was to come two days later (see ep 121 for more on that). Incidentally, I'll release the inspiring panel conversations from Margaret River and Fremantle for subscribers to the podcast on Patreon – so do jump on there if you haven't yet! And I ended up hosting the Busselton event, where a very distinct conversation took place – I'll have that out for you all to hear soon. For now, it's over to Leederville, where 300 people came along for this final west coast screening, the penultimate event of Damon's national tour. Oral's Welcome – 3.00m Damon's entry at the end of the film & panel exchange – 9.00m Questions from the audience – 21.45m This panel conversation was recorded at Luna Cinema in Leederville, Perth, on 19 May 2022. Title slide image: the Regenerating Australia tour image (supplied). Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Regenerating Australia is available for community screenings now (and grant applications, requests for materials etc.) - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ It'll also screen at the Beverley Town Hall, in the wheatbelt of WA, on 17 June, with panel conversation featuring Oral McGuire, Di Haggerty, Grant Revell & Damon Gameau (online), hosted by Anthony James - https://www.regennarration.com/events/regenerating-australia-beverley And for more on the RCS Australia conference - https://www.regennarration.com/events/convergence-international-conference-2020 Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to my Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration I've added an offering in The RegenNarration shop too - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
This special extra to episode 121 follows how election day unfolded with Kate Chaney, in the now independent seat of Curtin. You'll hear the growing atmosphere on the day, culminating in an extraordinary night, with powerful words from Kate that give great insight into the building of a community, and a campaign. We start at the local polling booth, and hear from Kate early on. Then it's on to the Claremont Showgrounds for what was certainly our first election night candidate celebration – and we weren't alone in that. You'll hear a special Welcome to Country from Carol Innes AO. Then campaign manager, Sarah Silbert, introduces Kate. And if you last through to the end of it, you might hear a certain podcast host rock out a little Ode to Kate to close the evening celebration. Stage host, and another prominent campaign contributor, was James Lush. This was recorded on election day, 21 May 2022. Title slide image: the bicycle powered billboards mentioned in the main episode, sitting outside the Scarborough Primary School polling station on election day. Music: Ode to Kate, by Anthony James. Stones & Bones, by Owls of the Swamp. Find more: You can hear my conversation with Kate Chaney six days later, after she was confirmed as having won the seat, in the main episode: ‘A Political Paradigm Shift: Kate Chaney on becoming the 7th new female independent MP in Australia'. You'll find a few links in the show notes there too, and some photos - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/121-a-political-paradigm-shift Thanks as always to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making it possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by becoming a subscriber or donor to the podcast, by heading to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for helping to keep the show going!
Kate Chaney has become the first female independent MP from Western Australia to be elected to the Australian parliament – along with a whopping eleven other independents. A year ago to the day on this podcast, Cathy McGowan – Australia's first female independent MP in 2013 – talked of the potential to transform politics in this country by 2030. Merely a year on, and that transformation is well underway. This story isn't limited to Australia either. But more on that another day. This Australian story is now global news. The BBC and Time Magazine were among many beaming into Kate Chaney's election night event. I'll put out a special extra to this episode next, following how election day unfolded with Kate in the now independent seat of Curtin. For now, join Kate and I the day after her win was confirmed, as the sun set on Cottlesloe Beach. This conversation was recorded among Friday evening revelers at Cottesloe Beach, on the day after the seat of Curtin was won by Kate Chaney, 27 May 2022. Title slide image: Kate Chaney speaking at her election night event (credit: #MilesTweediePhotography). You can find more photos on the episode webpage (see below). Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Tune into the special extra to this episode ‘How Election Day Unfolded, with Kate Chaney in the now independent seat of Curtin' - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/121-extra-how-election-day-unfolded You can hear my conversation with Kate at the start of her campaign in February, accompanied by some photos and links (with a link, also, to the episode with Cathy McGowan a year ago) at https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/110-independents-day Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to my Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration I've added an offering in The RegenNarration shop too - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
Tony Rinaudo instigated what's been called “probably the largest positive environmental transformation in the Sahel and perhaps in all of Africa." They call him The Forest Maker, but Tony will tell you the transformation was really in the people, starting with himself. I had this conversation with Tony back in 2020, and have never forgotten it. It's one of those stories you wish everyone knew. So when Tony reached out to me recently to let me know he'd just finished his autobiography, and given there are so many more of you listening to this podcast today than there were two years ago, it seemed fitting to re-release this excerpt of our conversation. The new book is called The Forest Underground: Hope for a Planet in Crisis. It follows Tony's journey from Australia to Niger, and tells the miraculous story of how his discovery revolutionised reforestation in Africa, restoring over 18 million hectares of degraded land across 27 countries, without planting trees - and all led by the people who live there. But really, that's not the half of this story. As a metaphor, it's a revelation of the sheer scale of possibility if we focus on tending and harvesting what's already within us, as people and planet. This conversation culminates in some of the most extraordinary, moving and instructive stories I've ever heard. “I'm often called The Forest Maker, or Tree Whisperer. Don't believe a word of it. 95% of my time is spent re-greening mindscapes. If we win that battle, the rest is relatively easy.” – Tony Rinaudo, at his virtual book launch on 22 April 2022. “For years I have longed to see this biography written. And it lives up to my every hope.” - Tim Costello, CEO World Vision Australia 2004–2016. This conversation was recorded online with Tony at home in Melbourne, in June 2020. Title slide image: Tony Rinaudo in the field (supplied). Music: The System, by the Public Opinion Afro Orchestra. Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, available for community screenings now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: If you're in Australia or NZ, you can buy ‘The Forest Underground: Hope for a Planet in Crisis' on the publisher's website at iscast.org/tfu Or you can get it on Amazon, Book depository, or wherever you get your books. If you're in or near Melbourne on 31 May 2022, you can register for the book launch at St Paul's Cathedral (featuring Tony, Tim Costello and others) - https://iscast.org/events/book-launch-the-forest-underground-by-tony-rinaudo/ If you'd like to hear more of Tony's background, go back to episode 64 and listen to the first 15 minutes or so. That's in The Forest Maker: And the largest positive environmental transformation in Africa, with Tony Rinaudo AM - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/064-the-forest-maker Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to my Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration I've added an offering in The RegenNarration shop too - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or rating or reviewing the podcast. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
Kim Paul Nguyen is a multimedia journalist and filmmaker. He recently produced a documentary film called ‘Conversations with Coal Miners about Climate Change', funded by the Walkley Foundation and distributed by VICE. And what a film. Damon Gameau, the award-winning filmmaker of 2040, That Sugar Film, and most recently Regenerating Australia, calls it a ‘must-watch'. In many ways, there is no more important a story. And Kim navigates it beautifully. Though not without hitting up against the challenges that make this work so vital. Out of the story's dramatic and moving turns so much is revealed, including how coal miners, and the rest of us, are too often used as political pawns. And how we can get out of that trap, to have a chance at achieving more of the bigger picture outcomes just about all of us want. Kim's is a heck of a life story to date, and this provides the backdrop to the film. As a young person deeply concerned about climate change, he became a committed activist. In 2009 he cycled from Australia to Denmark to promote action on climate change, and was nominated for Young Australian of the Year. But it started to dawn on him that what he was doing wasn't working. It wasn't changing things the way he'd hoped. So he headed north, camera in hand, to dig deeper into what might. Kim has also written for The Guardian, Al Jazeera, VICE and the Big Issue. This conversation was recorded online with Kim at home in Sydney, on 11 May 2022. Title slide image: Kim setting up in Clermont, Queensland (supplied). Music: Temporary, by Yen Nguyen. Find more of Yen's tunes at https://znap.link/mechanicalpterodactyl Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, on tour around Western Australia this week - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Kim's website - https://www.kimpaulnguyen.com/ Kim's film ‘Conversations With Coal Miners About Climate Change' (37 minutes, freely available) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGCYrK9ZC7k Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them to help keep the podcast going. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support If you'd like to become a subscriber to the podcast, connect with other listeners and receive other benefits, head to my Patreon page at https://www.patreon.com/RegenNarration I've added an offering in The RegenNarration shop too - https://www.regennarration.com/shop You can also support the podcast by sharing an episode with a friend or colleague. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
Agostino Petroni is a journalist, author, economist, gastronome, and 2021 Pulitzer Center Reporting Fellow. His work appears in National Geographic, BBC, The Atlantic and many more. I first came across it in Reasons to be Cheerful, the terrific news outlet founded by one of my all-time favourite musicians and producers, David Byrne. That outlet is part of a growing movement sometimes called ‘solutions journalism'. Though you might just call it good journalism. And Agostino's article that first caught my eye is a great example of that – outlining a terrific success story so relevant to some of the pioneering efforts – and vital needs - we've heard about in this podcast. One of the most fascinating and popular stories on the podcast was featured in the 100th episode under the title Wanted Land Doctors. I've had many interesting exchanges in the wake of that episode, including with a listener in the eastern states who shared stories of goats being used by public agencies to reduce fire fuel loads after the horrific Black Summer fires here in Australia. It turns out that the Mediterranean region has created some great models in this mould, that are successfully getting people back on Country, with communities and their livelihoods reinvigorated, and trajectories of mega-fire, extinction and polarised politics reversed. In the first half of this episode, we talk about Agostino's unexpected personal journey into the work he does, his formative film-making journey to Latin America, and this phenomenon of so-called ‘solutions journalism'. In the back half, we delve into some of the incredible stories he's found, principally that piece from Reasons to be Cheerful, and the patterns we've observed. This conversation was recorded online with Agostino at home in Puglia, Italy, on 3 May 2022. Title slide image: Agostino Petroni at TEDx Barletta (sourced at https://tedxbarletta.it/2019.html#) Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, screening around the country now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: The article from Reasons to be Cheerful ‘Grazing Livestock Among the Trees Is Helping to Prevent Wildfires' - https://reasonstobecheerful.world/grazing-animals-in-forests-prevent-wildfires/ Some of Agostino's broader work - https://apetroni.contently.com/ Including ‘How to Save the Sea: Lessons from an Italian Fishing Community' in the legendary Yes Magazine - https://www.yesmagazine.org/environment/2020/08/24/how-to-save-the-ocean-fishing-community-lessons Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by heading to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
A lost and angry childhood spawned a champion boxer, and out of this, a community leader. And fifteen years ago, Eugene Eades became the backbone of the incredible restoration of Country at Nowanup - inland of Bremer Bay in the south of Western Australia. This is a particularly privileged conversation on Country at Nowanup, with this legendary Aboriginal elder. Eugene might move a little slower than those championship days, but his sharp eyes, wry humour, and rock solid presence resonate as powerfully as ever. Nowanup is a 750ha property that is part of the broader 1,000km stretch of restoration happening through the Gondwana Link network (featured on episode 79). The Healing People/Healing Country initiative at Nowanup has been unique and transforming for both People and Country over 16 years now. Eugene has led cultural and educational camps for communities, schools and universities, youth at risk and justice intervention programs, eco-art projects, music festivals, cultural heritage assessments and much more. Importantly, Nowanup has formed an important place of respite for local Noongar people to recharge and continue to care for each other. The more than 16,000 visitors to Nowanup have also included other Indigenous people from all over Australia, and non-indigenous people from all over the world. And since the Nowanup ranger programs were established, a string of Ranger groups has been formed across the region. Join us with a little audience around the fire in one of the thatched meeting places at Nowanup, for a treasured yarn, and a special tune from Eugene. This conversation was recorded on Country at Nowanup on 24 January 2022. Title slide image: Eugene Eades showing us around Nowanup (pic: Anthony James). You can see a few other photos of the beautiful Country at Nowanup on the episode web page. Music: Looking Back To Yesterday Again, by Eugene Eades, performed with Bruce Anthony Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, screening around the country now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Nowanup website - https://nowanup.ieagles.com.au/ A direct link to the beautiful 10 minute short film mentioned - https://vimeo.com/user106126840?embedded=false&source=owner_name&owner=106126840 You can donate or get involved to support the work at Nowanup via Gondwana Link - https://gondwanalink.org/gond_projects/nowanup-welcome-to-noongar-boodja/ Hear Gondwana Link's CEO Keith Bradby talk about the Nowanup story and what it means to him on episode 79 – https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/79-gondwana-link And to view some outstanding footage of Eugene as a 5-time State Champion boxer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGVy2P4AeFo Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by heading to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
Louise O'Neill is a British-born holistic health professional and farmer. She met husband Warren as a backpacker, and now with their two sons, they've embarked on a gutsy, vivid and transformative journey. The O'Neills were farmers in the wheatbelt of Western Australia, but reached a point where the tribulations and toxicity of that life were literally hitting them in the face. When a tractor breakdown prompted personal breakdown, they picked up and moved south, took courses in regenerative agriculture, and started to turn their new farm's fortunes around. And out of all this, Louise began to expand her passion and enterprise for helping to improve the health of regional families across the country. When we returned south from the Kimberley late last year, we had earmarked some time south in the new year with Tanya Massy and her partner Kris, near Denmark in Western Australia (that story features in the previous episode). With Tanya just setting up her place, Louise and Warren reached out to welcome us to their home. And as we got to know each other a little, I was struck again by the gutsy transformations being negotiated in people's lives everywhere. This was another brilliant and moving story of regeneration. And again, with an invitation to others to explore the abundant opportunities with them. Post script: Soon after this was recorded, Louise was named a finalist in the AgriFutures Rural Women's Award. A week later, she was declared the winner. She now goes into the mix for the national award. This conversation was recorded in the dappled shade by the creek at Mt Romance farm on 28 January 2022. Title slide pic: the entry to Mt Romance farm (pic: Olivia Cheng). You can see a few photos from Mt Romance on the episode web page too. Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, screening around the country now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Farm Life Fitness - https://farmlifefitness.com.au/ Visit Mt Romance farm (their farm-stay business) – http://www.mtromancefarm.com.au/ Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by heading to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
Part 2 of this episode with Tanya Massy was recorded in two locations. The first half was recorded back at the farm in Western Australia, on that hay bale. We delved further into Tanya's deep personal journey of leaving Severn Park and starting up a new farming enterprise on the other side of the country. That was recorded back in January, as that enterprise was just going to market. Then came heartbreak. Soon after we left, Tanya and Kris had to pull the plug on it all and return to the Massy farm at Severn Park. As fate would have it, come late March, Tanya and Kris had just arrived back at Severn Park when we were in northern Victoria visiting Ian and Courtney (my guests from episode 89). So we followed the Murray River for a while, wound our way through the Snowy Mountains, and reconnected with Tanya back at Severn Park for the second half of this episode. We talk about what happened, how they're recovering, how the land is thriving, and what they're starting up now. This conversation was recorded on-location at Severn Park in New South Wales, on 3 April 2022. Title slide image: The ‘treehouse' – Charlie Massy's office, inside which this conversation was recorded, at Severn Park farm (pic: Anthony James). See the episode web page for a selection of photos from Severn Park, including some spectacular 'before and after' shots. Music: Stones and Bones, by Owls of the Swamp. Find more: You can hear the rest of Tanya and I in conversation in the main episode: ‘Farming Wonder: Tanya Massy on growing up, starting up and scaling up regeneration'. You'll find a few links in the show notes, and a few more photos on that episode web page too - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/115-farming-wonder-tanya-massy And if you're interested, you can hear the WOMAD event I hosted with Charlie Massy, along with Anika Molesworth and Bruce Pascoe, on the WOMAD podcast - https://womadelaide.podbean.com/e/climate-fighting-farming-the-planet-talks-womadelaide-2022/ Thanks as always to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making it possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by becoming a patron or donor to the podcast, by heading to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for helping to keep the show going.
Tanya Massy is one of three brilliant daughters of regenerative agriculture legend, Charles Massy. Though she'll tell you she's been equally inspired by the strength and spirit of her mother Fiona. Great lineage aside, Tanya is forging her own pivotal path as a regenerative farmer, award-winning writer, and highly respected researcher. A couple of recent reports, in particular, are making a big impact, exploring the barriers to regeneration, and breakthrough opportunities, with communities around Australia and the world. Stemming from that, she's helping to create more of those breakthrough opportunities in some significant ways. Meanwhile, she continues to chart her own farming journey, starting up a new enterprise far from home. This is where we meet for this conversation - at the new farm, Wildewood, near the town of Denmark in the south of Western Australia. I'd last seen Tanya there in late 2020, just as they were settling on the land purchase. A little over a year later, and we're one of their first customers at the local farmers market. But none of this story follows a straight line. This conversation was recorded at Wildewood Farm on 23 January 2022. Title slide pic: Tanya in the foreground, with little companion Nullaki at her feet, partner Kris to her right, and Olivia to her left (pic: Anthony James). Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, screening around the country now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Stay tuned for a special extra to this episode, out next week. Wildewood Farm website (in development) - https://www.wildewoodfarm.com.au/ And on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wildewood.farm/ Changing Face of Farming magazine, with Tanya on the cover - https://www.youngfarmersconnect.com/ Sustainable Table Fund - https://sustainabletable.org.au/fund/ Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by heading to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for helping to keep the podcast going!
I had this conversation with Cathy McGowan in the middle of last year, just as the community minded independents movement in Australia was really picking up. Since then, it's been astronomical – the number of ‘voices for' groups has exploded around the country, followed by an array of quality candidates that have responded to their communities' calls to contest the next federal election. And many of them are genuine contenders. So with the election now due next month, it seemed a good time to re-release this pragmatic and inspired last 20 minutes or so of my conversation with Cathy. The community Cathy represented in the seat of Indi changed the trajectory of politics in this country, and may just be about to see it transform altogether. I've just spent some time visiting people around Indi, and seen posters of Helen Haines, Cathy's brilliant successor, in town after town. And why wouldn't they be? Perhaps this little excerpt can help spur us along towards what Cathy envisages as the transformation of politics in this country by 2030. We pick things up with a powerful sequence from Cathy, and an insight into what's bubbling up around the country in the lead up to the next federal election. We then go into how things worked for her, as the first female independent MP to sit on the Australian parliamentary crossbench, and other increasingly successful independents, on the ground – the practical realities, the value set, and the networks of support that make it all possible. We close with more of the vision, strategy and supportive infrastructure being developed, to get more community-minded independents elected. Oh, and an express request from Cathy to share this podcast. Title slide pic: Just one of the many Helen Haines billboards all around Indi right now. Music: Faraway Castle, by Rae Howell & Sunwrae. Find more: You can hear the rest of our conversation in episode 85, ‘Politics That Works: A proven way becoming a powerful movement' - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/085-politics-that-works And my conversation with our local independent candidate, Kate Chaney, is in episode 110, ‘Independents Day: Kate Chaney on contesting a key seat & transforming politics' - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/110-independents-day There are a series of links on each of those episode web pages too. Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by heading to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for helping to keep the show going! And thanks for listening.
This is a Spanish version of episode 113. Esta es una versión en español del episodio 113. Aqui, por supuesto, Inés habla por sí misma, y Rony traduce mis palabras. Desafortunadamente, no incluye las partes del episodio principal donde Rony y yo hablamos en inglés, cuando me dirigía a él directamente. Pero incluye una platica divertida extraoficial donde hablamos entre nosotros tres en español. Retomamos nuestra conversación al principio. El Instituto Mesoamericano de Permacultura (IMAP) es una cooperativa sin fines de lucro que comenzó en el año 2000 en San Lucas Tolimán, a orillas del espectacular Lago de Atitlán en las tierras altas Mayas de Guatemala. Fue creado por un grupo de Kakchiquel Mayas con el deseo de usar semillas nativas, permacultura, conocimientos indígenas tradicionales y educación, para crear recuperación social después de 36 años de conflicto armado que eliminó a cientos de comunidades y desplazó a millones de sus tierras. Recuerdo haberme inspirado con el IMAP en sus primeros años, cuando vivía en Guatemala. Y a finales del año pasado, los organizadores de un importante premio mundial me contactaron para informarme de que IMAP era uno de sus ganadores. Puedes escuchar la versión en inglés de Inés, Rony y yo en conversación en el episodio principal: 'Transformations with Mayan Culture and Permaculture'. También encontrarás algunas fotos allí - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/113-transformations-with-mayan-culture-and-permaculture Foto principal: Lago de Atitlán. Música: Stones & Bones, por Owls of the Swamp Gracias, como siempre, a los generosos seguidores de este podcast, por hacerlo posible. Si usted también valora lo que escucha, considere unirse a ellos convirtiéndose en patrocinador o donante del podcast, dirigiéndose al sitio web en https://www.regennarration.com/support. ¡Gracias por ayudar a mantener el espectáculo en marcha! Y gracias por escuchar.
El Instituto Mesoamericano de Permacultura (IMAP) - the Mesoamerican Permaculture Institute - is a not-for-profit coop that started in 2000 in San Lucas Tolimán, on the shores of the spectacular Lake Atitlán in the Mayan highlands of Guatemala. It was created by a group of Maya Kakchiquel with the desire to use native seeds, permaculture, traditional Indigenous knowledge and education, to create social healing after 36 years of armed conflict that wiped out hundreds of communities and displaced millions from their land. I remember being inspired by IMAP in its early years, when I was living in Guatemala. And late last year, I was contacted by the organisers of a major global award advising that IMAP was one of its winners. I had arranged to speak with IMAP coordinator Inés Cuj, only to find twice the privilege when founding director Rony Lec joined us as a translator. Rony is one of the world's leading experts in permaculture and Mayan ancestral knowledge. Rony's father was killed by the army during the war, and he has recently moved to Canada to secure the safety of his family. And, he says, to get his hands back in the soil. Inés succeeded Rony in the lead role, and Rony credits her with bringing so much of what IMAP needed to take its vital next steps. From empowering women and youth, to developing the viability of IMAP itself, along with that of the many farmers and communities with whom they work. With thanks to Clare Carlile and team at the legendary Ethical Consumer magazine in the UK for setting up this conversation. Turns out they'd been inspired by the podcast and wondered if I'd be interested in becoming a media partner of a major global award they'd helped create with Lush Cosmetics a few years prior. It's called the Lush Spring Prize, and it offers a £200,000 fund and other support for regenerative projects around the world. This time they had over 400 applications, a 60% jump on last time, from inspiring projects spanning 81 different countries on every continent except Antarctica. In her initial email to me, Clare cited two award winners, just to give me a sense of it. And as fate would have it, IMAP was one of them. This conversation was recorded online on 1 March 2022, Australian time, with Inés in Guatemala and Rony in Canada. Title slide image: María Inés Cuj (sourced from her social media). You can see a few more photos on the website. Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, screening around the country now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Find more: Stay tuned for a Spanish version of this episode soon (including some off-record chat) IMAP website (including an English version) - https://imapermacultura.org/ Lush Spring Prize 2021 - https://springprize.org/ The Spring Prize web page on IMAP - https://springprize.org/shortlisted/instituto-mesoamericano-de-permacultura-imap/ Ethical Consumer magazine / website - https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ And the page dedicated to the Lush Spring Prize - https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalcampaigns/lush-spring-prize You can watch the award sessions again in six different languages - https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1VH3wolIx7gf_qJe-gjqqdEP9pQ1hdF6V Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by heading to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for helping to keep the show going! And thanks for listening.
This special extra to episode 112 features the rest of my conversation with Traditional Custodian of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River, Natalie Davey. We pick up our conversation with a couple minutes more of Natalie's description of the kinship systems of her Indigenous community. Then we delve into the brilliant story of how Nat and her old man ended up hosting a show on the local First Nations radio station – and some of the enormous benefits stemming from it. And we go on to what Natalie thinks is needed most right now, some of her fascinating family histories, and why she feels so positive about people. You can hear more of Natalie and I in conversation in the main episode: ‘We All Need to Connect: Natalie Davey on protecting the Martuwarra Fitzroy River - and everything else'. You'll find a bunch of links and photos in the show notes there too - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/112-we-all-need-to-connect Title slide pic: Anthony and Natalie in conversation for this episode, at Nat's place on the banks of the Martuwarra (pic: Olivia Cheng). Music: Stones & Bones, by Owls of the Swamp You Shine, by the kids with Tura (see the main episode for details). Thanks as always to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making it possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by becoming a patron or donor to the podcast, by heading to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for helping to keep the show going! And thanks for listening.
Our final episode recorded in the Kimberley last year features Natalie Davey, a Bunuba-Walmajarri woman, Traditional Custodian of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River, first Indigenous Chair of Environs Kimberley, broadcaster, artist, educator and so much more. What a privilege it was to be welcomed to her home and Country, on the banks of the River just outside Fitzroy Crossing. The Martuwarra is one of the last wild rivers in the world and, as you may have heard in previous episodes, it's at the heart of another flashpoint right now. Extractive colonial narratives of ‘advancing the north' persist. One of Australia's outstanding audio documentary makers, Kirsti Melville, entitled her recent 2-part ABC podcast on this place: ‘First they came for the land, now they come for the water'. But then, Nat recalls how her own Indigenous grandmother was afraid of Native Title, fearing it might mean she had to return to a tough life on Country. So if anyone can speak to where we go from here, it's Nat. This is a very special conversation by the Martuwarra, a deep insight into the Kimberley, its extraordinary Country and rich cultures, how we can avert the threats to it all, and be part of the brilliant and growing regenerative collaborations and economies everywhere. We talked for nearly two hours, having given this the time it needed. So there'll be a special extra to this episode released next week too, with this natural, wise and generous guide to the Martuwarra. This conversation was recorded on Natalie's Country by the Martuwarra Fitzroy River, just outside of Fitzroy Crossing in the Kimberley region in the far north of Western Australia, on 24 September 2021. Title slide image: The view of the Martuwarra Fitzroy River from Nat's place (pic: Anthony James). You'll see some more pics on the website too (link below). Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, screening around the country now - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ You Shine, by Tura Music - https://www.tura.com.au/ Discover more: Stay tuned for the special extra to this episode next week. Environs Kimberley (where Nat is now Chair) - https://www.environskimberley.org.au/ Indigenous Literacy Foundation shop - https://shop.ilf.org.au/ The Guardian article featuring Natalie and her short clip in the award-winning documentary series, Voices of the River - https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/sep/06/fitzroy-river-the-push-to-prevent-a-repeat-of-the-murray-darling-basin-disaster Kirsti Melville's ABC audio documentary mentioned in the intro - https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/earshot/martuwarra-fitzroy-river/13419878 Wangki Yupurnanupurru Radio - http://www.wangki.org.au/ And the radio show Nat now hosts with her father (more on this in Part 2 next week) - https://omny.fm/shows/wangki-radio/danggujarra-language-program-s5e59 Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by heading to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for helping to keep the show going! And thanks for listening.
David Pollock is one of Australia's most prominent regenerative pastoralists. He and wife Frances have featured a few times on the award-winning ABC TV series Australian Story. But I'm more fond of telling people these days they've featured a few times on this podcast! David's also known for his brilliant book, ‘The Wooleen Way: Renewing an Australian Resource'. That was aptly described as ‘The astonishing story of reviving the oldest land on Earth'. When the book was published a few years ago, the Western Australian State Minister for Regional Development, Agriculture and Food (& now Hydrogen) paid David and Frances a visit to talk about it. A few years on, just last week, the Minister returned with a big announcement. This was going to be a shorter episode about just that – that was big enough. But when David and I were talking about that, we ended up talking about some other big changes – in himself. So you'll find the first half hour of our conversation is on the significant array of developments afoot right now. And the rest, the personal transformations at the heart of them all. This conversation was recorded online on Thursday 3 March 2022. Title slide image: Minister Alannah MacTiernan, David Pollock & Debbie Dowden, Chairperson of the Southern Rangelands Pastoral Alliance, at Wooleen Station for the big announcement last week (sourced from the Ministers ‘social media' post). Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, launching this week - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Discover more: Wooleen Station – https://wooleen.com.au David's book ‘The Wooleen Way: Renewing an Australian Resource' - https://scribepublications.com.au/books-authors/books/the-wooleen-way The Minister's media statement on the Southern Rangelands Revitalisation Pilot - https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2022/02/Southern-Rangelands-Revitalisation-Pilot-kicks-off.aspx Landholders for Dingoes - https://landholdersfordingoes.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/landholdersfordingoes You can hear more of David and I in conversation, out at Wooleen Station, for episode 66 - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/066-wooleen-a-year-on You can hear the detailed conversation David and I shared on the release of his book ‘The Wooleen Way' in episode 44 – https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/044-the-wooleen-way You can also hear David and his wife Frances in a live panel event conversation with Charles Massy and I in episode 16 ‘Grassroots Revolution' – https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/016-grassroots-revolution And my conversation with Frances back at Wooleen Station in episode 9 ‘Regenerating Land & Food Systems' – https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/009-regenerating-land-food-systems Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by heading to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for helping to keep the show going! And thanks for listening.
Kate Chaney is another of the growing number of independent candidates being announced around the country who might have a big say in the next pivotal federal election here in May. Kate is being described by many media outlets as Liberal Party royalty. That's the nominally conservative party in Australia – or at least it has been, prior to this incoherent incarnation currently in government. Kate's uncle, Fred Chaney, was a prominent Liberal Party parliamentarian, and her grandfather too. But three weeks ago at her campaign launch, Fred endorsed Kate as the independent candidate for the federal seat of Curtin, given the dire need for systemic change. Curtin is reportedly the fifth safest Liberal Party seat in the country. But it's not feeling like that now. Notwithstanding those media headlines, Kate's been on her own path with politics, and everything else. And on the back of that, she came across the radar of Curtin Independent, the community group formed in Curtin to do what so many other communities are doing – seeking and nominating independent candidates; candidates not after a political career or power for its own sake, but to represent their communities. Imagine. And she's standing to win. This conversation was recorded at Galup / Lake Monger, in the inner north-west of the city of Perth, Western Australia, on Tuesday 22 February 2022. Title slide image: Kate Chaney (from her website). You can see a few more photos on the website, including of the campaign launch we talked about. Music: Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia, launching this week - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Discover more: Kate's website - https://www.katechaney.com.au/ Kate's first video ‘campaign diary' entry from the shores of Lake Monger / Galup, where our conversation was recorded - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlZ95pUhPdw Curtin Independent, the community group from which Kate was asked to stand - https://curtinindependent.com/ The national Community Independents Project, steered by Cathy McGowan and team - https://communityindependents.com.au/ If you'd like to hear my conversation with Cathy McGowan from last year, as this independents movement was gathering momentum, head to episode 85 - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/085-politics-that-works Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by heading to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for helping to keep the show going! And thanks for listening.
Clinton Walker is a Traditional Custodian of the incredible Murujuga (or Burrup Peninsula), on the north-west coast of Australia. You might recall my conversations with archaeologist Peter Veth and the co-authors of Songlines, Lynne Kelly and Margo Neale, last year. They all related back to this place – where the Songlines start, as Clinton puts it. So at the end of last year, as my family and I headed south from the Kimberley, Clinton and I met up to record a yarn for the Clean State podcast, the spin-off series from The RegenNarration specific to my home state of Western Australia. Some of you may have had a listen. It's a shorter snappier format. But on this particular hot summer morning, with so much at stake here right now, and so much to appreciate about what he's up to, Clinton and I settled in for an extended chat. So here's the rest of what we recorded together. I've patched in my intro from the Clean State podcast here first, to help set the scene for you: Murujuga houses the largest rock art collection in the world – around one million petroglyphs, some dating back about 40,000 years. The World Heritage nomination for this place is a shoe-in, unless it's jeopardised by current industry expansion plans – most notoriously, the Scarborough Gas Field proposal, currently being challenged in court and elsewhere, with the stakes running far beyond this incredible ancient place. But there are better ways to go about things here. And Traditional Custodian Clinton Walker is uniquely placed to say. He was a highly paid technician with one of the mining companies here, but he ultimately couldn't bear the harm it was causing his Country. He now runs an extremely successful tour operation called Ngurrangga Tours, and is living the message that sustainable industries such as Indigenous cultural tourism are enormously beneficial - economically, for Country, and for bringing our cultures together. So join us, as Clinton sits us down on a very special part of his Country for that yarn. This conversation was recorded on Country at the Murujuga National Park, on 13 December 2021. Note: The Cultural Heritage Reform Bill has since passed the WA State Parliament, without alteration. Title slide image: Clinton Walker (supplied). You can see more photos on The RegenNarration website (link below). Music: Stones & Bones, by Owls of the Swamp Regeneration, composed by Amelia Barden, from the soundtrack of the new film Regenerating Australia (featured in the previous episode) - https://theregenerators.co/regenerating-australia/ Discover more: To hear the rest of my conversation with Clinton, tune in to episode 9 of the Clean State podcast, a spin-off series from The RegenNarration specific to Western Australia – https://www.cleanstate.org.au/podcast Ngurrangga Tours - https://www.ngurrangga.com.au/ If you'd like to hear my conversations with the co-authors of Songlines: The Power & the Promise, Lynne Kelly and Margo Neale, tune into episodes 92 and 93 – https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/092-songlines-lynne-kelly and https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/093-songlines-margo-neale And for more on the sophisticated migration of First Nations peoples to and across these lands, and the extraordinary natural-cultural value of Murujuga – and more on how to resolve the current planning issues too – tune into my chat with Peter Veth for episode 83 - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/083-regenerating-in-deep-time Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by heading to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for helping to keep the show going! And thanks for listening.
Damon Gameau has been a wonderful presence in so many of our lives for a couple of decades now - from his prominent acting career, to his transformation into an award-winning film-maker. There's his timeless Tropfest winner Animal Beatbox, through to his legendary documentary features That Sugar Film and 2040. Now there's a new film about to launch, with the vision honed towards 2030. This vital decade. It's another master work – a short film with a big story. It's called Regenerating Australia. Along with the film, there'll be another huge outreach effort, a community projects funding program, and more. This time, Damon draws on visions expressed by communities around Australia, uniting on key themes across political and other divides. This is our take off point, and from there our conversation weaves through some of the many layers of the film, our country, and our respective personal paths. From what Regeneration means, and how to protect it, to the practicalities of how the film will roll out in the lead up to a pivotal and promising federal election. The community independents movement continues to gather momentum, along with so many other aspects of regeneration. Though I wondered, given Damon's focus on these stories of regeneration, how we might hold the darker aspects. And how his friendship with the late great Aboriginal performer David Gulpilil shaped his understanding of story, from the perspective of this Country's first story-tellers. You'll also hear a sneak preview of the beautiful soundtrack to the new film. This conversation was recorded online on 11 February 2022. Title slide image: Damon Gameau (supplied). Music: Regeneration (from the Regenerating Australia soundtrack), composed by Amelia Barden Discover more: Regenerating Australia - https://www.regeneratingaustralia.com/ If you'd like to hear my conversation with Cathy McGowan that Damon referred to, head to episode 85 - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/085-politics-that-works And you'll find the Songlines book we talk about here - https://www.booktopia.com.au/songlines-margo-neale/book/9781760761189.html Hear more of Amelia Barden, composer of the Regenerating Australia film soundtrack - http://www.ameliabarden.com/ You can also hear my previous conversations with Damon on the podcast for episodes 30 (just as 2040 was being finished), 38 (when it premiered in Perth) and 77 (when 2021 began) - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by heading to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for helping to keep the show going! And thanks for listening.
Dianne Haggerty probably doesn't need an introduction these days. When last on the podcast for episode 68 around 18 months ago, I'd come to visit Di and husband Ian to learn about their world breakthrough regenerative farming operation. You'll have heard them mentioned in a number of episodes since (and featured on ABC TV and elsewhere). Their natural intelligence ethos, fierce grace and incredible story of regeneration ignite the imagination. And their episode remains among the top 6 most listened to on this podcast. So when we were heading south from the Kimberley late last year, we dropped in. Join us under the stars on a warm December evening, for a quick catch up on some of the brilliant and challenging aspects of their year. Their regeneration of country continues apace, but there's a clarion call here too. And fittingly it has echoes of Petrine McCrohan in the previous episode, noting that one was recorded in the region of the Haggerty's old haunt and their transformation. This conversation was recorded on 23 December 2021. Title slide image: Dianne and Ian Haggerty, showing our young fella the ropes on one of the repaired headers (pic: Anthony James). You can see a few other pics on the website. Music: The System, by The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra Stones & Bones, by Owls of the Swamp Rockin' in the 80s, by Dr Sparkles (sourced from the Free Music Archive) - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Dr_Sparkles/rockin-in-the-80s/rockin-in-the-80s Get more: To hear my extended conversation with Di and Ian back on the farm in 2020, and see a range of links and photos, head to episode 68 - https://www.regennarration.com/episodes/068-natural-intelligence-farming The influential Textile Exchange Report, hot off the press, that the Haggerty's were engaged extensively in: ‘Regenerative Agriculture Landscape Analysis' – https://textileexchange.org/regenerative-agriculture-landscape-analysis/ And my young fella did his own podcast episode with Di, so of course I'm including that link here too! ‘How do you harvest all this (and can I drive the harvesting machine)?' - https://anchor.fm/yeshe-james Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by becoming a donor or patron of the podcast. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support, and follow the prompts. Thanks for helping to keep the show going! And thanks for listening.
Petrine McCrohan is the founder of Bridging the Landscapes – our inner and outer landscapes. This has emerged from spending the best part of the last 20 years in the Kimberley, engaged in empowering processes and skilled therapeutic interventions. She's been doing much of this work as a group facilitator and direct mentor to Aboriginal communities and social enterprise developers. And in the process, she's observed and assisted a transformation in how initiatives and enterprises are being designed. The focus is increasingly on healing inter-generational trauma. And the economies that this shift is successfully restoring and creating constitute a model not just for other Aboriginal communities, but for us all. Petrine's journey to the Kimberley stemmed from her own experiences of trauma and transformation. She left an established life in Victoria when in her 40s, pulled and guided by ‘invisible threads' and formative encounters. And she's come to believe and witness that healing from trauma is the window through which purposeful, healthy and prosperous lives and societies are forged. We exchange notes on a few fascinating corroborating cases and experiences too, that suggest she's not alone Join us at sunset beside the spectacular Bandilngan (Windjana Gorge), a 35O million year old Devonian Reef, ancient home to the Bunuba people, cornerstone to the story of Bunuba warrior Jandamarra, drawcard on the famed Gibb River Road, and an area pivotal to Petrine's journey. And right on topic, you'll hear how the conversation sub-consciously rolls with the shifting light and sound around us. This conversation was recorded at Bandilngan (Windjana Gorge) in the West Kimberley on 6 September 2021. Title slide image: Anthony James and Petrine McCrohan with the Martuwarra Fitzroy River in the background, just outside of Fitzroy Crossing (pic: Olivia Cheng). See the website for more photos from this spectacular Country. Music: The System, by The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra Stones & Bones, by Owls of the Swamp Flamenco Rhythm, by Sunsearcher (sourced from the Free Music Archive) – https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Sunsearcher/Sunsearcher_Spirit/05_-_Flamenco_Rhythm Get more: Petrine's LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/petrine-mccrohan-3b800453/?originalSubdomain=au Yiriman Women On-Country Enterprises - https://www.yirimanwomen.org/ Dillon Andrews' Bungoolee Tours - https://www.bungoolee.com.au/ Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by becoming a donor or patron of the podcast. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support, and follow the prompts. Thanks for helping to keep the show going! And thanks for listening.
Jess Beckerling is Campaign Director of the West Australian Forest Alliance (WAFA), and much more besides. She's a highly respected figure here in the southern reaches of Western Australia, by both those who would traditionally have prioritised conservation, and those who might not have. I spoke with Jess back in July last year for the Clean State podcast, a spin-off series from The RegenNarration specific to WA. At the time, WAFA was seizing the opportunity it sensed to finally end native forest logging in WA. With the comprehensive and poetically conceived Forests for Life Plan in hand, WAFA has been showing how we can stop bleeding finances, forests, farmlands and communities, and back in the growing suite of ecologically and economically beneficial industries. Come September, the WA government agreed – and in an Australian first announced the end of native forest logging in this state. So we kick off the podcast for the new year with this massive story. You'll hear the last 15 minutes or so of my conversation with Jess, which closes with a few bonus minutes that just couldn't fit in Clean State's cut. Then I've patched in Jess's media statement from Parliament House on the dramatic day of the government's announcement (a few minutes long), along with some of her comments to the journo's present. More on Jess: Jess lives in the forests on the South Coast of WA and is involved with a number of regional environmental issues, particularly related to climate, water and sustainable agriculture. She first became involved in forest conservation in 1997 when she joined the Giblett forest blockade near Pemberton. Jess lived in forest blockade camps for 3 years, winning the State Government's Youth Leadership Award in recognition of her commitment to the maintenance of nonviolence in the camps. As well as forest conservation Jess has played an important role in local conservation issues around Denmark and Walpole. She has been the convener of WAFA since 2011 and was awarded the Conservation Council's Bessie Rischbieth award in 2015 for her commitment over many years to the protection of the environment. Late last year, she was recognised as the Environmentalist of the Year by the Bob Brown Foundation. This conversation was recorded online with Jess speaking from her office in the south coast town of Denmark on 13 July 2021 (Australian time). The media statement was recorded outside Parliament House in Perth by Clean State WA on 8 September 2021. Title slide image: Jess Beckerling (supplied). Music: A Forests Dream, by Cloudjumper, sourced from the Free Music Archive - https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Cloudjumper/PUSH_IT_-_Live_EP/Cloudjumper_-_PUSH_IT_-_Live_EP_-_05_A_forests_Dream Get more: To hear the rest of my conversation with Jess, tune in to episode 8 of the Clean State podcast, a spin-off series from The RegenNarration specific to Western Australia - https://www.cleanstate.org.au/podcast_episode_8_forests_for_life The plan and campaign website - https://forestsforlife.org.au/ WA Forest Alliance website - https://wafa.org.au/ A 2 minute short film from Gondwana Link featuring Jess talking about the decades-long movement to protect the forests - https://vimeo.com/482458677?embedded=false&source=vimeo_logo&owner=106126840 A 2-minute film by Luke Sweet featuring beekeeper Mikey Cernotta making the case for the Plan - https://vimeo.com/490559704 Thanks very much to the generous supporters of this podcast, for making this episode possible. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by becoming a donor or patron of the podcast. Just head to the website at https://www.regennarration.com/support, and follow the prompts. Thanks for helping to keep the show going! And thanks for listening.
This is our customary sign-off episode for the year – a package of highlights from our brilliant array of guests throughout 2021, accompanied by some of the music and sounds of Country you heard along the way. Here's the 'track list': • To our podcast theme song The System, by The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra - Damon Gameau (ep 77), Jeff Pow & Michelle McManus (ep 78) • To the sounds of Country at one of the magnificent restoration sites at Twin Creeks - Keith Bradby (ep 79) • To River Feeling by Kalaji - Nicol Ragland (ep 80), Tim Winton (ep 81), Geoff Bastyan (ep 82), Peter Veth (ep 83) & Anne Poelina (ep 84) • To Faraway Castle, by Rae Howell & Sunwrae - Cathy McGowan (ep 85), Stephen Jenkinson (ep 86), Willem Ferwerda (ep 87), Gaala Watson & Rob Pekin (ep 88), Courtney Young & Ian Congdon (ep 89), Robert Kennedy, Kate Raworth & Marieke van Doorninck (ep 90) • Lynne Kelly (ep 92) • To Stones & Bones, by Owls of the Swamp - Margo Neale (ep 93), Mark Jones (ep 94), Leon Khan & Owen James (ep 95), Paul Hawken (ep 96) • We Can Change the World (The Regeneration Song) by AY Young and Jonathan Russell of The Head & The Heart • To Liyan by Kalaji – Alessandro Pelizzon (ep 97) & Anne Poelina (ep 98) • To Jeremiah Johnson – Katherine Trebeck & Mike Salvaris (ep 99), Chris Henggeler (ep 100), Eva Orner (ep 101) • To the sounds of Nyul Nyul Country - Bruno Dann & partner Marion (ep 102) • To Beethoven's Piano Sonata no.15 in D major op.28 "Pastoral" - I. Allegro, by Karine Gilanyan (sourced from the Free Music Archive) - Charles Massy (ep 103) • Fate, in full, by Stephen Jenkinson (from ep 86) • Closing the year with the close of our theme song, The System, by The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra. Title pic: Regenerating creeks, wetlands and groundcover at Kachana Station in the Kimberley (Anthony James). With thanks to all the wonderful musicians who generously granted permission for their music to be heard here. Get more: To access the full catalogue of episodes, head to our website https://www.regennarration.com or wherever you get your podcasts. The RegenNarration is an independent, ad-free, freely available podcast, thanks to the generous support of listeners. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them by becoming a podcast patron, donor or partner at https://www.regennarration.com/support. Thanks for listening, have a wonderful festive season and see you again in 2022!