Podcast appearances and mentions of green dreamer

People maybe are used to being bombarded at this point with the news of what's happening. And that's the reality. And we need to face that. I think alongside that, we need to make moments of grounding, of rootedness and remembering our real belonging to this earth. Because without that, we don't quite have the energy. I think we're really zapped of that based from stress or from what we're hearing. It is oppressive to hear what's happening and to experience it for those of us who are experiencing that and have been. I guess for me, that's really what draws me to arts-based kin making is that we have to find ways to reconnect. And that's inevitably going to shift, in my opinion, how we then act in the world and that kind of transformation is deeply important in times of crises. - annais linaresMy conversation with annais linares and Ben Finley, artists, researchers, sound makers, about their performance of Alchemizing Earthfullness a composition that explores self-rootedness, community connectedness and earth intimacy. The concert was as part of a Westben Chalk Talk Concert on November 9, 2024 on the traditional territory of the Michi Saagiig Anishinaabeg nation near what is now known as Campbellford, Ontario.This episode is bit unusual because you'll hear excerpts from the concert combined with a post-concert conversation with annais and Ben about this composition and how it addresses issues of crisis and collapse, renewal and joy. Quite a bit of joy. A reminder that you can learn more about Green Dreamer's alchemize program in e161 alchemize circle - a conversation with kamea chayne, of this podcast.  Show notes generated by Whisper Transcribe AIAction pointsExplore the themes of self-rootedness, community connectedness, and earth intimacy through the arts.Understand how the “Alchemize” program influenced the creation of original songs focused on regeneration and healing.Recognize the importance of balancing awareness of global crises with moments of grounding and reconnection.Consider how artistic expression can foster a sense of belonging and inspire action in the face of collapse.Discover the cyclical nature of creation and return, using art as a compost-like process for renewal.Story PreviewImagine a world where music heals, communities connect, and the earth feels closer. Join annais linares and Ben Finley as they share their journey of creating “Alchemizing Earthfulness,” a performance born from a desire to reconnect and find joy amidst crisis.Chapter Summary00:00 Facing Reality and Finding Grounding01:34 Introduction to Alchemizing Earthfulness02:58 The Venue and the Event04:00 Composing Alchemizing Earthfulness07:02 Themes of Connection and Healing10:16 Breathing Through Crisis12:11 Musical Reflections and CyclesFeatured Quotesannais linares : We need to make moments of, you know, of grounding, of rootedness and remembering our real belonging to this earth.annais linares : That kind of transformation is deeply important in times of crises.Ben Finley : …just being there opens something in us, too.Behind the Storyannais linares and Ben Finley, inspired by the Green Dreamer's “alchemize” program, co-composed five thematic songs exploring self-rootedness, community, connectedness, and earth intimacy. Their performance at the Westben Schoolhouse aimed to offer a space for healing and regeneration, a “breath out” from the constant barrage of crisis news. The cyclical nature of their music, beginning and ending with a similar “scaling” motif, symbolized a composting process of renewal. *END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODES Hey conscient listeners, I've been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020 on un-ceded Anishinaabe Algonquin territory (Ottawa). It's my way to give back.In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and its francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I publish a Substack newsletter called ‘a calm presence' see https://acalmpresence.substack.com. Your feedback is always welcome at claude@conscient.ca and/or on social media: Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, Threads or BlueSky. I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. Claude Schryer Latest update on June 24, 2025

What is there to question about the dominant framing of “climate crisis”? What does it mean to understand carbon not just as an element but as the flow of life? And how do we begin to recalibrate our senses of delusion or reality in a world where often up is portrayed is down and down as up?In this conversation, we are joined by Paul Hawken, a world renowned climate expert who invites us to move beyond the fixation on carbon in a reductive, objectified equation of emissions and sequestration, and to look to the roots of why the planet and its communities are experiencing distress to begin with.How do we counter the climate movement's co-optation by technological, capitalist interests? We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;subscribe to kaméa's newsletters here;and support our show through a one-time donation or through joining our paid subscriptions on Patreon or Substack.

How does sensing into our zones of stretch, comfort, and panic help us to expand our capacities for love and nonviolence — in their more radical iterations? Where might accountability come from in a world that seems to reward behaviors that are extractive, exploitative, and narcissistic?Our latest conversation features Kazu Haga, the author of Fierce Vulnerability, who invites us to shift the ways that we understand “power” and to center relational healing when addressing injustice.What does it mean for us to step into the role of becoming healers of collective trauma?We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;subscribe to kaméa's newsletters here;and support our show through a one-time donation or through joining our paid subscriptions on Patreon or Substack.

In 1999, Terence Unity Freitas, the partner of our guest today, along with two other Indigenous activists Ingrid Washinawatok El-Issa and Lahe'ena'e Gay, were murdered in Colombia after they left the U'wa territory, where they were visiting to support the Indigenous U'wa community.Now, in one of her first interviews about her new book, Truth Demands: A Memoir of Murder, Oil Wars, and the Rise of Climate Justice, Abby Reyes is here to share her story — and her journey of navigating grief and healing while fighting for truth and accountability from Big Oil.How has the U'wa community been resisting against colonial-capitalist interests? What does it mean to depart from urgency culture and to tap into the “slow work” of deep, social change? And what is the relationship between engaging in the “inner” and “outer” work of systemic transformation?We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;subscribe to kaméa's newsletters here;and support our show through a one-time donation or through joining our paid subscriptions on Patreon or Substack.

The Ecuadorian government is currently planning to auction off 8.7 million acres of the Amazon rainforest to oil interests.What is at stake — for the Indigenous communities of the Amazon, for people outside of the Amazon, and for the planet — with millions of acres of lively, intact rainforest being put on the line?What can we learn from how the Waorani people won their historic legal victory in 2019 to protect 500,000 acres of rainforest from oil drilling? And how do we go about building solidarity across communities and borders, and between Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous allies?Today, Green Dreamer's host, Kaméa, speaks with Mitch Anderson, who is, alongside Nemonte Nenquimo, the co-founder of Amazon Frontlines and co-author of We Will Be Jaguars.Join us as we question economic incentives that narrow-mindedly privilege monetary currencies above other currencies of Life, re-examine the concepts of “convenience” and “remoteness,” and more.We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;subscribe to kaméa's newsletters here;and support our show through a one-time donation or through joining our paid subscriptions on Patreon or Substack.

(By request, this is the raw, untranslated version of our interview with Nemonte Nenquimo — in which you will hear Nemonte's original responses in Spanish to Kaméa's questions presented in English.)What has been the historical relationship between missionary work and the development of the oil industry in the Ecuadorian Amazon? What does it mean to listen to the voices — both human and more-than-human — of the Amazon Rainforest?And how do the Waorani navigate tensions between their Indigenous cosmovisions and ways of life, and the outside world's growing influence on their younger generations?For our special Earth Month feature, we are honored to share our powerful conversation with Waorani leader Nemonte Nenquimo — who recently co-authored We Will Be Jaguars with her partner, Mitch Anderson.How do we recenter our perspectives of “modern” on communities who are, in this modern day, most in tune with the languages of Mother Earth — and reorient our ideals of “futuristic” towards all that enrich and affirm life?We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;subscribe to kaméa's newsletters here;and support our show through a one-time donation or through joining our paid subscriptions on Patreon or Substack.

What has been the historical relationship between missionary work and the development of the oil industry in the Ecuadorian Amazon? What does it mean to listen to the voices — both human and more-than-human — of the Amazon Rainforest?And how do the Waorani navigate tensions between their Indigenous cosmovisions and ways of life, and the outside world's growing influence on their younger generations?For our special Earth Month feature, we are honored to share our powerful conversation with Waorani leader Nemonte Nenquimo — who recently co-authored We Will Be Jaguars with her partner, Mitch Anderson.How do we recenter our perspectives of “modern” on communities who are, in this modern day, most in tune with the languages of Mother Earth — and reorient our ideals of “futuristic” towards all that enrich and affirm life?We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;subscribe to kaméa's newsletters here;and support our show through a one-time donation or through joining our paid subscriptions on Patreon or Substack.

What is at stake if we bypass the “inner” work of personal transformation while we rally forward in the “external” work of dismantling systemic injustice?What does it mean to imbue wonder, mystery, and magic within movements for collective liberation?And what if these troubled times actually require us to become strange to its often-normalized values, worldviews, and ways of be-ing?⁠In this episode, Green Dreamer's host kaméa chayne is joined by Prentis Hemphill, who curiously invites us to honor and unleash the full, weird, and majestic creatures within us.⁠Join us as we unravel the messy layers of healing our humanity in this modern world — including an interrogation of the ways that social media and AI have been distorting our very real human needs for connection.We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via Spotify or any podcast app;subscribe to kaméa's newsletters here;and support our show through a one-time donation or through joining our paid subscriptions on Patreon or Substack.

A lot of people seem to be struggling with our senses of belonging.So many people have been uprooted and forcibly displaced. Many have chosen out of free will to relocate. Many are born into places where they don't have deep ancestral roots. And many don't have the privilege of feeling like their families and communities with whom they grew up are safe spaces to call home and find healing within. But if truly holistic medicine is tied to culture, to community, place, and the land, what does it mean to nurture collective healing and rebuild community in a vastly diasporic world?In this episode, Green Dreamer's kaméa is joined by Serene Thin Elk, who gently guides us to unravel “trauma” in historic, individual, community, and environmental contexts, while beckoning us towards collective, intergenerational healing.We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;subscribe to kaméa's newsletters here;and support our show through a one-time donation or through joining our paid subscriptions on Patreon or Substack.

What does it mean to recognize that so much of the world has become “anti-microbial”? Why is it that some bacteria make us sick while others are vital to our wellbeing? And how can we understand social transformation as a form of fermentation?In this episode, we are joined by fermentation revivalist Sandor Katz, who guides us through the foundations of what fermentation is.Sink into this discussion as we explore the ways that wild fermentation invites us to deepen our relationship to place and our local environments.We welcome you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via Spotify or any podcast app;and subscribe to kaméa's newsletter here to stay posted on our latest interviews.

Note: to read this posting on a calm presence see a conscient rethink a conscient rethinkWhat needs to be said? Who needs to say it? Who wants to hear it? How does it help? February 16th, 2025, on the unceded lands of the Algonquin-Anishinaabe people.I started publishing the conscient podcast and balado conscient in May of 2020. My goal was to ‘explore art and the ecological crisis as a learning and unlearning journey'. At that time I believed that ‘the arts and culture could play a critical role in raising awareness about sustainability issues and moving people towards action.'Maybe. Maybe not. At any rate, some 300 episodes later, I felt that this first leg of my conscient journey is complete and that I owe deep gratitude to my collaborators and to you, for listening. It's now time to rethink conscient. Some of you might recall in my listen and co-create posting on a calm presence and this quote from the Intercultural Communication Handbook : Sensing, attending and being patient requires slowing down, pausing, and taking time to listen, look, feel and learn. Seeking to activate and use all our senses to relate as part of the world. This involves learning through relationships, through actions and through careful attention, not just through asking questions and talking a lot. Being patient and humble enables recognition of the myriad of messages that humans and non-human beings are always sending out.These wise words encouraged me to slow me down and inspired me to take a pause from the production of conscient during the winter of 2025 and I tried to follow this good advice.Others are also advocating for a slow down and a rethink. For example Kai writes in Dense Discovery – Issue 326 / When enough outrage is enough :We have enough information. We know where we stand. The challenge now isn't to understand more, but to act on what we already know, redirecting our energy from pointless online reaction to tangible local action. As I've said here before, we don't need more clever dunks. We need more people showing up – in our communities, in our work, in the unglamorous spaces where real change takes root.What did I do?I listened to everyday life. I stopped judging.I meditated on presence.I conversed with colleagues in the 10 week Surviving the Future : The Deeper Dive 2025 course.I shared some of my experiences in prepare, bend, sustain. I read and listened to Shaun Chamberlin's Dark Optimism, Nate Hagens' The Great Simplification and Kamea Chayne's Green Dreamer. I also shovelled snow, learned to play tennis and played shinny. Lots of shinny. I also pondered listener feedback from previous seasons of conscient. Here are a few : your guests are inspiring and the conversations are nourishing : it fills a gapwhy don't you present more diversity of voices, in particular from young people and the global south your conversations often go on too long. We're more likely to listen if you edit them downyou narrate too slowly : I. sometimes. fall. asleep. listening. to. you. drone. on.your podcast is not enough fun : why don't you try to be more uplifting and positiveintegrating soundscape compositions actually works well: it makes your podcast unique and compellingWhy not give us more practical tools to engage with the issues not just philosophical musings and doomist projectionstry to be a bit more humblebreathe more quietly and smoothlyWith this feedback in mind, I came up with a set of questions to guide my work future forward: What needs to be said?Who needs to say it?Who wants to hear it?How does it help?In other words, what is the point of all this chatter? I thought back to why I listen to podcasts in the first place and what keeps me listening?  I listen to podcasts because they help me:break me out of isolationaccept collapsefeel solidarity and connectionunlearngenerate spiritual and physical energyempathise through tone of voicenurture presence through hesitationlaugh and cryslow down and listenkeep going in spite of the oddsconscient podcast studio production spaceSo, with all of this in mind, I've decided to go ahead and produce a 6th season of conscient.You'll be able to hear three episode types:1. fifteens15 minute ‘composed' conversations with leading artists and cultural workers exploring the theme of ‘arts and culture in times of crisis, collapse, renewal' with a focus on actions. A fifteen is a coffee break of insight. 2. roundtablesLong duration, informal banter with friends and colleagues about their passions, fears and dreams, inspired by the innovative ways of the 1980's era CBC Radio's overnight talk show Brave New Waves. Participants are invited to tell a good story and to expect to be interrupted and maybe teased once in a while. A roundtable is an engaging kitchen party. 3. a calm presenceThese bonus episodes are me narrating each a calm presence Substack posting including additional commentary and soundscape compositions. It's intended for those who, like me, prefer listening over reading. I will launch season 6 at spring equinox on Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 5.01am (EDT).accesssubscribe to conscient podcast or balado conscient (free) on your favorite podcast player : Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Podchaser, Tune in, YouTubesubscribe to a calm presence (free) on Substackfollow and comment on conscient social media : Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads and BlueSky visit conscient.ca to search and listen to any individual Episodes or read episode notes and transcriptsAs always, if you like something you hear or read, please share. Feel free to reach me with questions and comments at claude@conscient.ca *END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODESHey conscient listeners, I've been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020 on un-ceded Anishinaabe Algonquin territory (Ottawa). It's my way to give back and be present.In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and it's francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I publish a Substack newsletter called ‘a calm presence' which are 'short, practical essays for those in need of a calm presence'. To subscribe (free of charge) see https://acalmpresence.substack.com. You'll also find a podcast version of each a calm presence posting on Substack or one your favorite podcast player.Also, please note that a complete transcript of most conscient podcast and balado conscient episodes from season 1 to 5 is available on the web version of this site: https://conscient-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes.Your feedback is always welcome at claude@conscient.ca and/or on conscient podcast or my social media: Facebook, X, Instagram or Linkedin. I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. Claude SchryerLatest update on February 16, 2025.

How is the Maasai community continually being displaced and disenfranchised in the name of “wildlife conservation”? What are some of the common propaganda used to justify their mass evictions? And how do the Maasai's communal land relations, rooted in nomadism and pastoralism, ultimately challenge the laws of their nation-state — revealing the subjective ethics and worldviews that define legality?In this episode, we are honored to be joined by Joseph Oleshangay, a Maasai human rights lawyer who has litigated high-profile lawsuits against their government — notably, regarding forced evictions of the Maasai community in Ngorongoro District for tourism and trophy hunting.What can we learn from the Maasai's ancestral lifeways that blur the lines between life and “wild” life — showing their food, medicine, culture, spirituality, stories, and music as inextricably woven into the plains and highlands where they call home?We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;subscribe to kaméa's newsletters here;and support our show through a one-time donation or through joining our paid subscriptions on Patreon or Substack.

In this conversation, kaméa chayne is joined by Martín Prechtel, who speaks to us from Northern New Mexico where he presently lives with his family and their Native Mesta horses.Having grown up with a Pueblo Indian upbringing and later becoming a full member of the Tzutujil Mayan community in the village of Santiago Atitlán, Guatemala, Prechtel draws on his deeply embodied knowledge of various Indigenous languages and invites us to unravel the meaning of “real culture.”What does it mean to re-member and re-learn the languages of land, plants, and place?Join us in this enriching conversation as we explore the contentious politics, practice, and (re)embodiment of Indigeneity, and what it means to become culturally indigestible for the sterilizing stomach acids of the “monster of modernity.”We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;subscribe to Kaméa's newsletters here;and support our show through a one-time donation or through joining our paid subscriptions on Patreon or Substack.

How do the biological life forms of the Amazon rainforest — from pollen grains, fungal spores, to microbes — play active roles in their regional water cycle? How might we connect chemistry, biology, physics, ecology, and other less quantifiable measures of aliveness to look at our planetary crises in much more holistic ways? And if the Earth's “systems” were ever-emergent and everchanging, then how do we know what to orient healing and restoring balance towards?In this episode, kaméa is joined by Ferris Jabr, who shares his wealth of ecological knowledge while drawing upon his book, Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life.Join us as we explore some big and larger-than-life questions pertaining to the Earth as a living body — one that gave rise to humanity, one whose living systems we contribute to shaping, and one that will continue reiterating well beyond human timescales.We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;subscribe to Kaméa's newsletters here;and support our show through a one-time donation or through joining our paid subscriptions on Patreon or Substack.

What does it mean that Hollywood and the entertainment industry are increasingly relying on AI and consumer data to make decisions about the stories that get funded and produced? How might we expand our perspectives on privilege so that the things we aspire to as being “better off” are more deeply rooted in what can truly enrich life, community, and our interconnectedness?In this episode, we are honored to welcome Nathalie Kelley, an actress of Indigenous Peruvian descent who is passionate about using her gifts as a storyteller to advocate for a variety of issues — from regenerative fashion, systemic justice for Indigenous peoples, wilderness conservation, regenerative farming and the healing power of plants and fungi.Join us in this raw and heartfelt conversation as we explore the ways that the media, films, and stories we engage with add up to shape our collective cultural values and relationships — with each other and the more-than-human world.We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;subscribe to Kaméa's newsletters here;and support our show through a one-time donation or through joining our paid subscriptions on Patreon or Substack.

How do we navigate friendships in the context of social change and increasing political divides? What does it mean to ground ourselves in concepts that are much older than us — collectively nurturing our “garden of ideas”? And how do we move away from cancel culture to lovingly call one another in — to return, re-root, and remember our shared values?In this episode, Kaméa is joined in conversation by adrienne maree brown, whose most recent book, Loving Corrections, is now available from AK Press and wherever books are sold.Join us in this nourishing discussion to learn how to move through these troubled times with deeper grounding and impact — without letting possible senses of overwhelm translate into desensitization or disengagement.We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;subscribe to Kaméa's newsletters here;and support our show through a one-time donation or through joining our paid subscriptions on Patreon or Substack.

What can we learn from marine mammals in their practices of echolocation? What is the difference between identification as a colonial tool of control and separation, versus identifying with as an invitation to expand and blur boundaries? And how do Audre Lorde's poetic dreams of survival continue to reverberate during our times — helping us to reorient the ways that we show up for ourselves, for our communities and our planet?In this episode, we are honored to welcome Alexis Pauline Gumbs, a Queer Black Feminist Love Evangelist, an aspirational cousin to all life, and the author of Undrowned and Survival is a Promise: The Eternal Life of Audre Lorde.Join us in this heartwarming conversation as we explore lessons from marine mammals, teachings from the artful life of Audre Lorde, the significance of what it means to survive, and more.We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;subscribe to Kamea's newsletters here;and support our show through a one-time donation or through joining our paid subscriptions on Patreon or Substack.

How is the common portrayal of Australia's first peoples as hunter-gatherers who lived on empty, uncultivated land misguided, and wrong? What does the word “Country” mean in Aboriginal Australian thought? And what do we need to interrogate in terms of the subjectivity of how knowledge is produced or how stories are substantiated?In this episode, we are honored to speak with Bruce Pascoe, a Yuin, Bunurong and Tasmanian man best known for his book Dark Emu: Aboriginal Australia and the Birth of Agriculture.Join us in this warm, grounding conversation as we explore Aboriginal Australian agriculture, land practices of working with fire, maintaining respect for and falling in love with Mother Earth, and more.We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;subscribe to Kamea's newsletters at kamea.substack.com;and support our show through a one-time donation or through joining our paid memberships on Patreon or Substack.

How might we listen to our hearts more and tune into this “age of loneliness”? What are some vital connections between our public health crises, the loneliness epidemic, and our eco grief and anxiety? And what are the possibilities of intergenerational longings — for things already lost and gone amiss that we may not even have personal relationships with anymore, but that we must nevertheless work to restore and regenerate?In this episode, Green Dreamer's host, kamea, speaks with Laura Marris about the heart-centered stories, learnings, and inspirations from her book, The Age of Loneliness.*****Independent media is more important than ever! Support our podcast today at Patreon.com/greendreamer.

What does it mean to expand political action beyond the voting booth? What are some ways that colonialism and imperialism persist today? And what is the relationship between building community locally and confronting issues abroad that we may be entangled in?In this honest, hard-hitting dialogue, second-time guest Nick Estes returns to invite us to think critically beyond the suffocating cycles of electoral politics.Join us as we honestly face the limitations of representational change, while looking to the peripheries for alternative sources of inspiration and guidance.We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;join us on Patreon for the extended version of this episode;and subscribe to our newsletter and latest updates here.

In this episode, Sadiah Qureshi invites us to unravel histories of science, race, and empire to understand the social dynamics that we have inherited in the present. How do we begin to heal from constructs of division and racialization that have led to real-life consequences and systemic injustices for so many?Join us as we discuss how historical contexts influence how knowledge is shaped, the presumptions underlying “conservation” and “de-extinction” projects to interrogate, and more.We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;join us on Patreon for the extended version of this episode;and subscribe to our newsletter and latest updates here.

What does it mean that the labeling of “pests” often relate to how they challenge power and order? How do the ways that “pests” are often targeted and managed further exacerbate socio-environmental injustices? And how might we learn to relate with animals deemed “out of place” beyond the subjective framing of “pests” altogether?In this episode, we are honored to discuss all things related to “pests” with Bethany Brookshire, an award-winning freelance science journalist and author of the 2022 book Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains.We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;join us on Patreon for the extended version of this episode;and subscribe to our newsletter at greendreamer.substack.com.

I really think art is one of the most important things to help tackle issues and create social change. There's that quote from Maya Angelou that goes something like ‘people will forget what you say or do, but they'll never forget how you make them feel'. The power of art is to evoke feelings that stick with people and that's often what inspires people as well.Maggie Chang is a poet, writer, and artist whose environmental journey started in first grade when she learned about deforestation of the Amazon in school. Since then, Maggie has led campus secondhand clothing sales for sustainable fashion, organized a UN Sustainable Development Goal training, and helped establish EcoSchools Canada's Youth Advisory Council, leading her to be named one of the first WWF Canada Living Planet Leaders and a Top 25 Under 25 Environmentalist in Canada. With a Bachelor of Environmental Studies, Maggie served on the Natural Resources Canada Youth Council and practiced international solidarity with fairtrade, organic coffee communities with Café Femenino, Peru. Currently she works on building an intersectional environmental movement through art and activism and as co-chair of the City of Toronto Climate Advisory Group. I first met Maggie at the Trajectories for a Just Economy event organized by Foundation for Leadership, Imagination and Place (FLIP) where she was presenting her an exhibit of portraits of her peer BIPOC environmentalists, building on the work she did at the University of Waterloo on her undergraduate thesis, where her focus was on better racial inclusivity in the environmental field. I was impressed by her vitality and by that series of striking photographs of fellow IBPOC environmentalists and so wanted to know more about her views on art and science and life as a Gen Z eco-art activist:In terms of what this generation is feeling around environmental stuff, I heard from a sustainability intersectional environmentalism influencer who kind of coined the term, ‘green girl Leah' on Instagram, she said that studies have have shown that like millennials feel sort of a climate pessimism, but Gen Z feels climate doomism so that's definitely a really big challenge.Our conversation took place in a media studio of the Toronto Public Library, which Maggie kindly set up for us. It was good to be in a shared publicly accessible media studio while we spoke about the role of art and its relationship with environmental studies and other cross-sections. We also spoke about managing eco-grief: In the last maybe year or two, I had some very interesting reflections and experiences where I realized that I had a lot of grief within myself around that rupture of connection to land due to migration. When we think about it, everybody has a rupture in connection to land. So for me, it was because of migration, but for indigenous folks, it was because of the genocidal things that the Canadian government did.I was uplifted and energized by our conversation.Maggie is very hard working and a gifted environmentalist and artist. The world needs more art and science bridge builders like Maggie. I liked the way she weaves networks and considers them as a form of biodiversity. This type of resilience and vision is critical to our collective future, which is in the hands of Maggie and her peers:It's just like biodiversity. When you have a more biodiverse ecosystem, you have more redundancy that's built into it and so even when certain aspects of it are not as strong, you have these networks that can still fill into those spaces and it's just like with our community, when we strengthen our community and we create more connections between us, even when certain parts of the community maybe have a bad season or they have to slow down for a little bit, we can still create wonderful things because we have enough connections to fill in those gaps. Just like biodiversity, right?With thanks to the Toronto Public Library for use of the studio and to Maggie for her time. Maggies recommends the following publications and accounts:Green Dreamer (podcast) Green Girl Leah (Instagram)On Canada (Instagram)Art House TO (Instagram)Climate Justice TO (Instagram) *END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODESI've been producing the conscient podcast as a learning and unlearning journey since May 2020 on un-ceded Anishinaabe Algonquin territory (Ottawa). It's my way to give back and be present.In parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and it's francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I publish a Substack newsletter called ‘a calm presence' which are 'short, practical essays about collapse acceptance, adaptation, response and art'. To subscribe (free of charge) see https://acalmpresence.substack.com. You'll also find a podcast version of each a calm presence posting on Substack or one your favorite podcast player.Also, please note that a complete transcript of conscient podcast and balado conscient episodes from season 1 to 4 is available on the web version of this site (not available on podcast apps) here: https://conscient-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes.Your feedback is always welcome at claude@conscient.ca and/or on conscient podcast social media: Facebook, X, Instagram or Linkedin. I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. Claude SchryerLatest update on July 20, 2024

What does it mean to expand our perceptions of wealth — and question what it means to build freedom and security in life? How might we re-ground our understandings of democracy in traditional ecological knowledge? And how do we embrace an all-of-the-above approach when it comes to our possibilities for systemic change?In this episode, we are honored to welcome Joseph Gazing Wolf, who offers a wealth of wisdom drawing upon his life experiences growing up in landless, abject poverty.Join us as we explore how what it means to become “uncontrollable” in the eyes of mainstream systems, what we can learn from the diverse Indigenous knowledges rooted in different places around the globe, and more.We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;join us on Patreon for the extended version of this episode;and subscribe to our newsletter and latest updates here.

What does it actually mean to build “movements” — understanding this word not as a loose terminology overarching certain causes but as a substantive call for intentionally spun and co-conspired webs of relations? How can clarifying the words we use around organizing help to prevent co-optation and dilution? And how do we navigate the paradox of needing funding from often “dirty” sources in order to get by — while simultaneously attempting to subvert the underlying structures of power themselves?In this part 2 of our conversation with Rasul A. Mowatt and Too Black of Laundering Black Rage (tap into part 1 here), we continue to sink in more deeply to unravel our entanglement in systems of exploitation.Join us as we learn about what it means to tether ourselves to “organizations” beyond feeding into the optics of collective action; how we can practice “reverse laundering” to help funnel more resources towards “illegitimate” places of need; how to disentangle movement building from cycles of electoral politics; and more.We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;join us on Patreon for the extended version of this episode;and subscribe to our newsletter and latest updates at greendreamer.substack.com

With a significant part of the global population now reliant on paved road systems for the daily functioning of our lives, it is easy to overlook the impacts they have on our human and more-than-human communities.But how did so many of us become seemingly locked into this dependence on the “normalized violence” of these networks? And what does it mean to support harm reduction in the context of built infrastructures — or even dare to lean into possibilities of regenerative road ethics?In this episode, second-time guest Ben Goldfarb of Crossings: How Road Ecology Is Shaping The Future of Our Planet (previously featured here) calls on us to confront the harmful-by-default impacts of our road systems. Join us as we uncover the various forms of highway pollution that communities of color are disproportionately subjected to; how roads impact our more-than-human communities beyond roadkill; what road decommissioning projects have entailed in practice; and more.What does it mean to alchemize change for transport systems that are quite literally being rigidified as they further expand — entrenching us deeper into these status quo ways of world-making?We invite you to…tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app;join us on Patreon for the extended version of this episode;and subscribe to our newsletter and latest updates here.

What does it mean to remember ourselves as representatives of our rivers, oceans, and other earthly bodies of water? Why is it vital to recognize the failed logic underpinning regulatory systems that take on an “innocent until proven guilty” approach to water pollution? And how can we leverage our tools as artists, storytellers, and creatives to co-create felt change?In this episode, we dialogue with Tzintzun Aguilar-Izzo and Blake Lavia of Talking Wings Collective for a synergistic conversation — where they invite us to think and dream with water.Join us as the artist-activist duo expands on how the legal frameworks surrounding pollution often exist in “grey areas”; why we need to problematize such “bureaucracies of death” as maintaining worldviews of separation between people and our waterful world; and what it means to replace extractivist modes of relating with our ecosystems that better align with the Indigenous framing of “Water is Life.”Tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app; get our show notes at greendreamer.com; and join us on Patreon for the extended version of this episode.www.patreon.com/greendreamer

In this conversation with Dr. Juanita Sundberg, we explore how our relationships with the more-than-human world are often shaped by our institutions and knowledge systems — which don't always honor the diverse cosmologies and relationalities of life. Juanita draws on her work with Indigenous communities and organizations as she highlights how our existence is determined not only by political and societal constructs of borders and boundaries, but by some of the most overlooked elements of the living world.What is the significance of unraveling colonial modes of relating? What does it mean to nuance the concept of “human exceptionalism"? And how do we collectively re-enliven and heal such senses of dissociation?Tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app, and read our episode transcript and show notes at greendreamer.com.

How do we recalibrate the metrics of mainstream politics, such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) often used to define a nation's “success” — and recenter them on our collective and planetary wellbeing? What could a truly regenerative economy encompass, and what might that mean for our immediate and long-term activism?In this episode, we welcome Amanda Janoo, who feels called to help build just and sustainable economies through goal-oriented and participatory design policies.Join us as Amanda shares about the limitations of mainstream economics; what the “Wellbeing Economy” is all about; how it relates to other models such as circular economy or degrowth economy; and more.Tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app, and get our show notes at greendreamer.com.

In this episode, Sophy Banks shares her rich wealth of knowledge, teachings, and experiences about what it means to truly support ourselves and others through both collective and personal traumas. Cultures of individualism often lead us to navigate trauma on our own— without rituals of shared and collective space holding. For some, particularly those who have been victims of oppression, colonialism, and dispossession, the rivers and oceans of grief held within are often too vast and too deep to be carried alone.Join us in this episode as Sophy offers medicine for our souls, asking vital questions about collective grief tending. How do we notice trauma? How do we disrupt ways of managing grief that possibly reinforce systems and cultures of destruction? And what does it mean to truly care for and hold one another through times of darkness and despair?Tune in and subscribe to Green Dreamer via any podcast app, and join us on Patreon for the extended version of this episode.

What do the terminologies we often use to describe plants reveal about human and human-plant relations? How is the current landscape of the plant world entangled with human histories of desire, power, and imperialism?Drawing from her experience living across various countries and continents as a third-generation migrant, Jessica J. Lee delves into the nuances of shifting attitudes towards both plant and human migration stories throughout time. Join us as we explore how terms such as “weeds,” “naturalized” or “invasive” are defined and used to describe the plant world, how we might expand our understandings of belonging through recognizing the movement, as well as rootedness, of plants, and more.Subscribe to Green Dreamer and support our show at Patreon.com/GreenDreamer.

What could it mean to heal our relationship with the dead, the decaying, and the dark in order to move towards more liveable futures? What possibilities might arise when we shift from cultural narratives of fear, discomfort, and disgust with these unseen worlds — to ones which honor the wisdoms that they may be able to offer?In this episode, Perdita Finn draws on her book Take Back the Magic to invite us to find kinship and guidance from beings that have passed.Through a renewal of ancient practices and rituals, Finn invokes the reclamation of our bodies, inner wisdom, and personal mantras that keep us whole and grounded during the troubled times of modernity.Subscribe and listen to Green Dreamer via any podcast app and read on for our episode transcript.

Joe Shopp,Chairman of the Board and Chief Production Officer at Eden Energy Solutions LLC, is a man whose life story reads like a book about human resilience and unwavering hope. From the depths of homelessness, where a young Joe found himself living in tunnels and battling the harsh realities of life on the streets, to his extraordinary rise as a driving force behind Eden Energy Solutions LLC, Joe overcame insurmountable odds. Joe shares pivotal moments of his life, including a life-altering encounter in his grandmother's house that set him on a path of purpose and the incredible leap of faith that led him to champion environmental sustainability. This episode with Joe is not just about personal triumph; it's a call to action for each of us to consider our impact on the planet and the legacy we wish to leave behind. Join us as we explore Joe Shopp's remarkable journey from tunnels to triumph, and how his vision for a cleaner, sustainable world is paving the way for future generations.Chapters:00:00:00 - Joe's Odyssey: Triumph Over Life's Toughest Battles00:01:49 - Childhood Echoes: Empathy and a Mysterious Promise00:03:57 - Against All Odds: Surviving the Shadows of Life00:07:22 - The Light in the Tunnel: Grit Leads to Grace00:10:35 - Laying Foundations: Joe's Ascent from Adversity00:14:53 - Challenges and Purpose: Building Dreams from Dust00:19:30 - Crossroads of Faith: From Trials to Transformation00:24:06 - From the Edge of Despair: A Catalyst for Change00:27:02 - Rising from Ruin: The Resurgence of a Warrior00:32:06 - Eden's Call: Pioneering a Greener Tomorrow00:36:04 - Harmony in Hardship: A Tale of Love and Destiny00:41:14 - Eden's Vision: Joe's Crusade for a Cleaner Earth00:47:07 - Blueprints for Better: The Mechanics of Hope00:52:59 - Reflections and Horizons: Joe's Enduring LegacyLinks And Resources:LinkedInEden Energy, LLCRecommended BooksHigh Growth Handbook by Elad GilStart with Why by Simon SinekThanks so much for joining us this week. Want to subscribe to Eternal Optimist? Have some feedback you'd like to share? Connect with us on iTunes and leave us a review!Mentioned in this episode:Buy Book on Amazon!!

'It's kind of like sacred medicine or sacred plant medicine in a way where it meets you where you are, based on your intentions, on your setting, your relationships and everything. Where that space in between is the most powerful piece and it's us holding the container and guiding people in certain directions. But then, here's the silence: go run with it and see what comes up for you'. - Kamea Chayne, host of the alchemize program and  the Green Dreamer podcast, March 28, 2024, conscient podcast e161This is a special episode of the conscient podcast about Green Dreamer's alchemize program, which is a ‘10-week audio-based program of daily creative prompts and imagination practices'. This episode features 4 of my fellow course participants: singer and music researcher annais linares, bass player and music researcher Ben Finley, climate educator Barbara Leckie, social innovator and educator Michelle Baldwin and myself in conversation with Kamea Chayne, host of the alchemize program and of the Green Dreamer podcast. I also want to mention that a 6th member of our alchemize circle, educator Dorina Husain, was not able to attend this recording on March 28th, 2024.Our group of 6 alchemize participants met every Saturday morning during the course to discuss what we were experiencing and check in with each other. What you're about to hear is our exchange with Kamea about our experience with alchemize and how it is, literally, transforming our lives.Now, admittedly, the alchemize program is not specifically about art and the ecological crisis, as per the mandate of this podcast, however, this series of 40 creative exercises integrates all kinds of artistic and cultural practices - storytelling, drawing, soundscape composition, poetry, and much more - and I consider alchemize as a whole, to be a work of art. A work of art that you can come in and out of. A process that invites the participant, the learner, to both grow, and let go. This 55 minute exchange concludes the way we did at every Saturday alchemize circle meeting, with a moment of gratitude and an example of what brought us joy on that day. Please see https://www.greendreamer.com/alchemize for more information on the program. Big thanks to my alchemize circle colleagues, annais, Ben, Barbara, Michelle and Dorina and also warm thanks to Kamea and her team at Green Dreamer for their brilliant, generous and spirited work.Spoiler alert: if you plan to take the alchemize program and prefer not to hear about some of the exercises then please listen to this episode AFTER you do alchemize. If, however, you want to know more about our experience with the course in order to better understand how it works, then listen to it before doing the program,.. *END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODESHere is a link for more information on season 5. Please note that, in parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and it's francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I publish a Substack newsletter called ‘a calm presence' which are 'short, practical essays for those frightened by the ecological crisis'. To subscribe (free of charge) see https://acalmpresence.substack.com. You'll also find a podcast version of each a calm presence posting on Substack or one your favorite podcast player.Also. please note that a complete transcript of conscient podcast and balado conscient episodes from season 1 to 4 is available on the web version of this site (not available on podcast apps) here: https://conscient-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes.Your feedback is always welcome at claude@conscient.ca and/or on conscient podcast social media: Facebook, X, Instagram or Linkedin. I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. Claude SchryerLatest update on April 2, 2024

This is a behind-the-scenes conversation with Gabes Torres, a contributor and the program advisor of alchemize, and Green Dreamer's team members Anisa Sima Hawley and Kamea Chayne. We explore the themes of imagination, escapism, dissociation, and discomfort when it comes to dreaming, sensing, relating, and becoming otherwise.Enroll in alchemize through January 12th, 2024: www.greendreamer.com/alchemize

In our final Solapunk column for 2023, we pull together all our Solapnk columnists for a panel. Alan, Justine Norton-Kertson, Susan Kaye Quinn, and Navarre Bartz discuss Solapunk vibes, how to improve Solarpunk world building, and bringing Solarpunk to a wider community.  Reccomendations: Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanly Robinson The Garbage Queen Unfucking the Planet Dreamforge Magazine How We Survive podcast Green Dreamer podcast Next Economy Now podcast Andrewism (Youtube) Our Changing Climate (Youtube)

i asked chatGPT what was the ‘sound of modernity' in 4 modes : normal, critical, radical and optimistic and got some feedbackTRANSCRIPTION OF EPISODE(bell and breath)On a rainy August 10th 2023, I asked Chat GPT: ‘What is the sound of modernity?' The bot responded:The sound of modernity is a symphony of electronic devices humming, the rapid clicks of keyboards, the soft hum of air conditioning, intermittent smartphone notifications, the distant whirring of cars, and the bustling energy of city life woven together into a dynamic and ever-changing background.The bit did not mention if those sounds were good or bad so I asked it to be ‘more critical': The sound of modernity can often be characterized by the cacophony of relentless notifications, the endless drone of traffic, the mechanical beeps and blips of machines, and the superficial conversations drowned out by the noise of consumerism. It's a discordant blend that sometimes drowns out genuine human connection and the natural world, leaving us more connected to our screens than to the realities around us.I then asked it to be ‘more radical':The sound of modernity reverberates with the clash of ideologies, the digital uproar of social media, the primal screams for justice, and the defiant chants of those demanding change. It's a symphony of revolution, where traditional norms are challenged, and the status quo is shaken to its core. Amid the chaos, whispers of hope and cries for a new world order crescendo, creating a radical anthem that dares to rewrite the script of society.Finally… pushing the limits, I asked it to be ‘more optimistic' :The sound of modernity carries the vibrant beats of innovation and progress, the harmony of diverse voices coming together, and the uplifting melodies of collaboration and empathy. It's a chorus of technological marvels, cultural exchanges, and global awareness that sings of a world connected like never before. In this symphony, the potential for positive change and a brighter future resonates, fueled by the belief that humanity's collective efforts can create a harmonious and thriving world for all.Here is some of the feedback I received on FaceBook about this posting :The sound of one hand clapping?Chat GPT n'a que finalement dit ce que ton esprit lui a aiguillé comme raisonnement. En fait, la machine ramasse ce qu'elle a comme infos et la réarrange en fonction de la satisfaction client. (Chat GPT only finally said what your mind told it to say. In fact, the machine picks up what information it has and rearranges it according to customer satisfaction.)Interesting experiment!WOW!!!Good Lord, I'm glad I'm not teaching any longer.Wow. I like your direction here.Ugh, way too verbose is the sound of that modernity. I fear I am not modern enough to handle it.Squeaky clean comes to mind. I hear the inordinate challenge this is for teachers on all levels. Ask students to do an essay, with a critical or sympathetic or ironic twist or whatever, and this chat GPT does it all tidy and seamless. So how can the prof know, except that it's toooo smooth and trendy sounding?! In my day we could always tell when a less gifted student suddenly wrote like a New York Times editorialist. Then we could google, or harder yet, go to the library and check their sources!! aaargh!!!! But this raises even bigger challenges. Yikes!!!!!!!!!!Or ask them to critique what AI wrote…teachers won't be able to fight this stuff so we'll just have to learn how to use it as a polemic.AI is already out of control (too few parameters on its use) but like nuclear technology we'll have to learn to manage it or risk the consequences… slowing it all down in key…I bet you are the first one, Claude, to have asked that question! I like your requests for further refinement of the answers. Great way to develop skills in questioning this ‘entity' and to listen to/process its answers! Not much ecology in this machine's constructed notion of our world.What a fascinating, extraordinary exchange! Gives me some hope, but not without apprehension, about AI in our lives.This is totally fascinating and also gives me a weird sort of sense of apprehension. (also…I can't write as well as Chat GPT and might be relegated to the heap.). But thanks. I'm going to share this…Il faut peut-être revoir les “prompt” (Maybe we may need to review the “prompt”.)Bizarre…What is the sound of modernity for you?*With thanks to all those who provided feedback. The artificial voices were generated by Elelvenlabs.io.I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this episode. (including all the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation and infrastructure that make this podcast possible).My gesture of reciprocity for this episode is to the Green Dreamer. *END NOTES FOR ALL EPISODESHere is a link for more information on season 5. Please note that, in parallel with the production of the conscient podcast and it's francophone counterpart, balado conscient, I publish a Substack newsletter called ‘a calm presence' which are 'short, practical essays for those frightened by the ecological crisis'. To subscribe (free of charge) see https://acalmpresence.substack.com. You'll also find a podcast version of each a calm presence posting on Substack or one your favorite podcast player.Also. please note that a complete transcript of conscient podcast and balado conscient episodes from season 1 to 4 is available on the web version of this site (not available on podcast apps) here: https://conscient-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes.Your feedback is always welcome at claude@conscient.ca and/or on conscient podcast social media: Facebook, X, Instagram or Linkedin. I am grateful and accountable to the earth and the human labour that provided me with the privilege of producing this podcast, including the toxic materials and extractive processes behind the computers, recorders, transportation systems and infrastructure that made this production possible. Claude SchryerLatest update on April 2, 2024

“Where is the space for a collective life? If you yell at the planet and say, ‘Why aren't you acting collectively?' You don't understand this social system. This economic system has stolen collectivity from people.” In this episode, we welcome Vijay Prashad, an Indian historian, editor, and journalist. Vijay begins by sharing about the turning points in his life that led him to focus his work on unraveling the various atrocities visited upon people in the world. With a recognition of the power of media narratives, he goes on to address how both mainstream and independent media perpetuates the limiting view that democracies are driven primarily by participation in electoral politics. Offering alternative inspirations, Vijay shines a light on examples of grassroots movements in Brazil, India, and China, where ordinary people have taken matters into their own hands to occupy unused lands to grow food and practice small gestures of community care. Rather than asserting blame for the numerous challenges everyday people face when trying to become more engaged members of society,  however, Vijay points out the various systemic factors making organized action more difficult. Ultimately, Vijay calls for reviving our collective lives through rebuilding confidence and capacity—leaving us with an empowering invitation to start creating the future, now. (The musical offering featured in this episode Don't Ask Me by RVBY MY DEAR. The episode-inspired artwork is by Luci Pina.) Green Dreamer is a community-powered podcast. Thank you for sharing and supporting our work: GreenDreamer.com/support

In this episode, we welcome writer, artist, and technologist, James Bridle. James's artworks have been commissioned by galleries and institutions and exhibited worldwide and on the internet. They are the author of New Dark Age (2018) and Ways of Being (2022), and they wrote and presented the radio series "New Ways of Seeing" for BBC Radio 4 in 2019. Join us as James investigates and complicates modernity's entanglement with contemporary technology. Ever careful not to throw the baby out with the bath water, they urge us to think critically about the impact of technological advances particularly as they are embedded within dynamics of power, systems of complexity, and definitions of “intelligence”. In breaking down the fallacy of the earth as a computational model, James places emphasis on the process of cultivating relationships which is at the heart of thinking and feeling—processes that call on us to activate technologies of relationality. (The musical offering featured in this episode Lullaby by RVBY MY DEAR. The episode-inspired artwork is by Tinuke Fagborun.) Green Dreamer is a community-supported podcast. Join our Patreon and contribute a gift of any amount today to help keep our platform alive: greendreamer.com/support

“I like thinking with viruses because they're constantly infecting us, changing our nature. Some of them are even changing our genome. We're constantly in relation with the world around us even though we can barely perceive and understand all of this complexity.” In this episode, we are joined by anthropologist Eben Kirksey, who invites us to think and feel through a new wave of viral theory through a lens of multi-species entanglement. Through his insatiable curiosity about nature-culture, Eben humbly approaches the viral world as one that reflects the limitations of fixed or reductive categorization. Ultimately, he leaves us with an invitation to explore how radically re-thinking viral systems can offer alternative ways of approaching contemporary socio-political predicaments. He asks: how can we sit with the complexities of symbiotic assemblages amongst species, and what novel relationships are imperative to uplift in an age of extinction? About the guest: Eben Kirksey is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Oxford where he teaches Medical Anthropology and Human Ecology. He earned his PhD at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and helped found one of the world's first Environmental Humanities programs at UNSW Sydney in Australia. Investigating some of the most important stories of our time—related to biotechnology, the environment, and social justice—led him to Asia, the Pacific, and the Americas. His books include Freedom in Entangled Worlds (2012) and Emergent Ecologies (2015)–plus The Multispecies Salon (2014), and The Mutant Project (2020), a book that follows some of the world's first genetically modified people. (The musical offering featured in this episode Lose My Mind by RVBY MY DEAR. The episode-inspired artwork is by Luci Pina.) Green Dreamer is a community-supported podcast. Join our Patreon and contribute a gift of any amount today to help keep our platform alive: greendreamer.com/support

"I came up with the idea of ‘Eating the Landscape' because I was thinking about our Indigenous ancestral foodways. It's not just about food. It's not just about nutrition. ‘Eating the Landscape' is about this large, interconnected matrix of our relationship to place." In this episode, Enrique Salmón, Ph.D. guides us to see Indigenous foodways as parts of an interconnected matrix of our relationship to place. Introducing the concept of “kincentric ecology,” Enrique problematizes one-size-fits-all approaches to caring for the land. He also elaborates on why many Native peoples are opposed to memory banking as a way to preserve Indigenous knowledge. Having completed his dissertation on how the bioregion of his Rarámuri people of the Sierra Madres of Chihuahua, Mexico influences their language and thought, Enrique invites us to understand the layered meanings behind the phrase “Eating the Landscape”—looking at food not just as sources of nourishment but as avenues of growing one's kinship. Ultimately, as opposed to the doom and gloom perspectives prevalent in mainstream environmentalism in regards to the role of humankind, Enrique leaves us with a calling of recognizing humans as a keystone species—where creation is not only a matter of what came before but an act of relational responsibility. About the guest: Enrique Salmón is the author of Iwígara: The Kinship of Plants and People and Eating The Landscape, a book focused on small-scale Native farmers of the Greater Southwest and their role in maintaining biocultural diversity. With a PhD. in anthropology from Arizona State University, he has been a Scholar in Residence at the Heard Museum and on the Board of Directors of the Society of Ethnobiology. Enrique has published several articles and chapters on Indigenous ethnobotany, agriculture, nutrition, and traditional ecological knowledge, and he teaches American Indian Studies in the Department of Ethnic Studies at Cal State University East Bay. also serving as their Tribal Liaison. The musical offering featured in this episode is Flute Dance by Enrique Salmón. The episode-inspired artwork is by Cherie Kwok. Green Dreamer is a community-supported podcast. Join our Patreon and contribute a gift of any amount today to help keep our platform alive: greendreamer.com/support

“What we might want to do is learn where the word desertification comes from and when it should be used and when it is ill-used, at least to move forward into a more hopeful, more informed, more generous future that I think we all want.” Why should we challenge mass tree-planting projects as being politically neutral—as something that ought to garner universal support? What is the significance of reorienting our goals towards growing trees rather than planting trees? And what could it mean to love drylands as they are, troubling perspectives that problematize their existence? In this episode, we welcome Rosetta S. Elkin, the Principle of Practice Landscape, academic director of Pratt Institute's School of Architecture Master's in Landscape Architecture (MLA) program, and an Associate of The Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University.  Rosetta's work considers living environments with a particular focus on plant life and climate change. Rosetta teaches planting design, fieldwork, and seminars that advance a theory of plant life between ecology and horticulture. She is the author of books, articles, book chapters, and monographs including Plant Life: The Entangled Politics of Afforestation. Green Dreamer is a community-supported podcast. Join our Patreon and contribute a gift of any amount today to help keep our platform alive: greendreamer.com/support // The musical offering featured in this episode Lose My Mind by RVBY MY DEAR. //  

“I use the language of entanglement rather than interdependence because entanglement implies that what's fundamental is relationships.” What are some of the limitations of human rights frameworks and the institutions that uphold them? What does it mean to go beyond recognizing our interdependence to seeing our deep entanglements with our more-than-human world? And how is the much more holistic framing of “multispecies justice” still reductive in terms of the forms of beings that they recognize? In this episode, we welcome Professor Dany Celermajer, Deputy Director of the Sydney Environment Institute at the University of Sydney who leads the Multispecies Justice project. Through the experience of living through the black summer bushfires with a multispecies community, she began writing about a new crime of our age, Omnicide and subsequently Summertime. Green Dreamer is a community-supported podcast. Join our Patreon and contribute a gift of any amount today to help keep our platform alive: greendreamer.com/support // The musical offering featured in this episode Don't Ask Me by RVBY MY DEAR. //  

“One thing that the United States got really good at doing was basically replacing all colonial products with synthetic ones—swapping technology in for territory and replacing colonies with chemistry.” How have synthetic chemistry and technology allowed the United States as an empire to cease its reliance on colonies? And what is the significance of recognizing the greater history of the empire—beyond the borders of its symbolic “logo map”? In this episode, we welcome Daniel Immerwahr, a historian and the Bergen Evans Professor in the Humanities at Northwestern University. His most recent book is How to Hide an Empire. Green Dreamer is a community-supported podcast. Join our Patreon and contribute a gift of any amount today to help keep our platform alive: greendreamer.com/support // The musical offering featured in this episode is Lullaby by RVBY MY DEAR. //  

“We often forget that Black farmers were the foundation of the civil rights movement. Actually, a lot of Black agrarian scholars and organizers, and even some policy advocates that have been doing this work for a long time, would say that there'd be no civil rights movement if it wasn't for Black farmers.” In this episode, we welcome dr. shakara tyler, a returning-generation farmer, educator and organizer who engages in Black agrarianism, agroecology, food sovereignty and environmental justice as commitments of abolition and decolonization. She serves as Board President at the Detroit Black Community Food Security Network (DBCFSN), board member of the Detroit People's Food Co-op (DPFC) and co-founder of the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund (DBFLF) and a member of the Black Dirt Farm Collective (BDFC). Green Dreamer is a community-supported podcast. Join our Patreon and contribute a gift of any amount today to help keep our platform alive: greendreamer.com/support // The musical offering featured in this episode Over It by RVBY MY DEAR. //

“What I find worth remarking upon is the fact that the vast majority of people are so alienated from the Bluefin's life world that they don't know what an extraordinary creature she is—and instead just widely see her as a foodstuff, trafficked on the global market. It's imperative for that worldview to change.” In this episode, we welcome Jennifer E. Telesca, Associate Professor of Environmental Governance in the Department of Geography, Planning, and Environment at the Nijmegen School of Management, Radboud University, the Netherlands. Her work takes a critical approach to ocean studies, spanning the interests of environmental diplomacy, ethnographies of international law in society, the human–animal relationship, political economy, the politics of extinction, and science and technology in policymaking. She conducts fieldwork at the United Nations and in treaty bodies, diplomatic missions, and other sites scaled supranationally. Red Gold: The Managed Extinction of the Giant Bluefin Tuna (University of Minnesota Press, 2020) is Telesca's first single-authored book. Its on-the-ground, first-person research has shown just how damned the lives of fishes are in the very world entrusted to care for them in ocean governance. Her second book on hydrothermal vents, tentatively titled, The Midnight Zone, invites readers to honor creatures in all their mysterious and seemingly impossible forms at sites in the deep dark sea—open to regulatory oversight—where scientists believe life on Earth began. Some of the topics we explore in this conversation include how the Giant Bluefin tuna went from being food for the poor to becoming a global delicacy symbolic of luxury, how fish have long been "an object through which global empires have been mediated," Jen's concerns with the scams and blue-washing of eco certifications in seafood, and more. (The musical offering featured in this episode Over It by RVBY MY DEAR. The episode-inspired artwork is by Mi Young.) Green Dreamer would not be possible without direct support from our listeners. Help us keep the show alive by reciprocating a gift of any amount today! GreenDreamer.com/support

In this episode, we welcome Thom van Dooren, a field philosopher and writer. Thom is Deputy Director at the Sydney Environment Institute and teaches at the University of Sydney and the University of Oslo. His current research and writing focus on some of the many philosophical, ethical, cultural, and political issues that arise in the context of species extinctions and human entanglements with threatened species and places. This research works across the disciplines of cultural studies, philosophy, science and technology studies, and related fields. He has explored these themes in depth in three books: Flight Ways: Life and Loss at the Edge of Extinction (Columbia University Press, 2014), The Wake of Crows: Living and Dying in Shared Worlds (Columbia University Press, 2019), and A World in a Shell: Snail Stories for a Time of Extinctions (MIT Press, 2022). (The musical offering featured in this episode Hummingbird by Lea Thomas. The episode-inspired artwork is by Haruka Aoki.) Green Dreamer would not be possible without direct support from our listeners. Help us keep the show alive by reciprocating a gift of any amount today! GreenDreamer.com/support

In this episode, we welcome Rebecca Giggs, an award-winning author from Perth, Australia. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, Emergence, the New York Times Magazine, Granta, and in anthologies including Best Australian Essays, and Best Australian Science Writing. Rebecca's nonfiction focuses on how people feel towards animals in a time of technological and ecological change. Rebecca's debut book is Fathoms: The World in the Whale. Some of the topics we explore include how whaling accelerated and shaped the historical process of industrialization, what impacts various industrial activities have had on whale songs and cultures, the critical role of migratory species, such as the Bogong moth, on enriching the habitats that they pass through, and more. (The musical offering featured in this episode is Eye of The Storm by Ali Dineen. The episode-inspired artwork is by Lucy Haslam.) Green Dreamer would not be possible without direct support from our listeners. Help us keep the show alive by reciprocating a gift of any amount today! GreenDreamer.com/support

“One of the introductions to Counseling Psychology teaches the Freudian concept of neutrality—when the patient's social identity, when politics leave the door and you start treatment. But if we leave out identity, if we leave out the very sources as to why my client is sick in the first place, then I don't see why this is not a cycle.” In this episode, we welcome Gabes Torres, a therapist, organizer, and artist who was born and raised in the Philippines. Her work focuses on imperialism and its vast impact our collective mental health. She has an MA in Theology & Culture, and Counseling Psychology; both graduate degrees were accomplished in Seattle, the city where she organized with abolitionist and anti-imperialist groups at a local, grassroots level. In her clinical practice, Gabes works primarily with women, femmes, and/or trans patients of the global majority, and she is a mentor to therapists, organizers, artists, and culture workers around the world. Some of the topics we explore include the lasting impacts of intergenerational trauma, the troubles of over-pathologizing and arbitrary pathologizing, dreams of a world where therapy is no longer needed, and more. (The musical offering featured in this episode is The Witness by Rowan Rain. The episode-inspired artwork is by Fernanda Peralta.) Green Dreamer would not be possible without direct support from our listeners. Help us keep the show alive by reciprocating a gift of any amount today! GreenDreamer.com/support

“Where our power comes from actually is in that space between the 'I' and the 'you'—that shared space. If we could tap into that, if we can find ways of working together, to form what I called 'shared agency,' then we can actually gain a lot of power to affect change.” In this episode, we welcome Min Hyoung Song, a Professor of English and the Director of the Asian American Studies Program at Boston College, as well as a steering committee member of Environmental Studies and an affiliated faculty member of African and African Diaspora Studies. He is the author of three books: Climate Lyricism (Duke, 2022), The Children of 1965: On Writing, and Not Writing, as an Asian American (Duke, 2013) and Strange Future: Pessimism and the 1992 Los Angeles Riots (Duke, 2005).  (The musical offering featured in this episode Power by India Blue. The episode-inspired artwork is by Mi Young.) Green Dreamer would not be possible without direct support from our listeners. Help us keep the show alive by reciprocating a gift of any amount today! GreenDreamer.com/support