Sustainable World Radio

Episode 33: Albizia julibrissin is one of my new favorite trees. Commonly called The Tree of Happiness, Persian Silk Tree, and Mimosa, Albizia is native to Asia and a member of the Fabaceae family. I love its pink puffball flowers, gorgeous fragrance, whimsical nature, and potent medicine. To learn about Albizia, I spoke with Community Herbalist and Traditional Food Ways Educator Lindsay Kolasa. Lindsay and I start the interview by acknowledging that in some areas, Albizia julibrissin can be a weedy invasive plant. Albizia is self seeding, thrives in disturbed soil, and has very viable seeds. So please be mindful of planting it- especially if you live in a place where it can easily spread and outcompete native plants. We don’t want to see Albizia out-competing native plants. With this in mind, Lindsay and I talk about invasive plant medicine and why it’s important to learn the traditional uses of these plants. We then dive into Albizia’s long history of medicinal use. Mentioned in the Shen Nong Ben Cao Materia Medica in the 700’s, Albizia julibrissin was highly valued in traditional Chinese Medicine.  Albizia’s flowers and bark are useful in treating insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Albizia is a “calming spirit” herb and promotes feelings of well being, peace, and (you guessed it!) happiness. Lindsay tells how to sustainably harvest both bark and flowers and prepare them for teas, infusions, and tinctures. Lindsay Kolasa is originally from New Orleans and Mississippi. She has taught at large conferences, such as the Southeast Women’s Herb Conference and for small groups, such as feisty garden clubs. Lindsay also ran an apothecary in the red, clay hills of eastern Mississippi, where her family stretches back six generations. To learn more about Lindsay, visit her website at LindsayKolasa.com. You can read Lindsay’s article about Albizia here. The post The Happiness Tree: Albizia julibrissin first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.

Episode 32: Meet the broad and beautiful Amaranth family in this episode with farmer and seed saver Andrew McMillion. Andrew shares his experiences propagating and growing Amaranth and tells us about his favorite members in this low maintenance and resilient family including: Orach (Atriplex hortensis), Caucasian Mountain Spinach (Hablitzia tamnoides), Syrian Medieval Chard, and Strawberry Spinach (Blitum capitatum). We touch on the fascinating history of this plant, why Andrew believes it’s important to “sow your weeds”, and how Amaranth provides him with food nine months of the year. If you’re interested in learning how to save seeds, Andrew says Amaranth is a great family for apprentice seed savers to build a relationship with. There’s an Amaranth for every climate- just be aware that they are self seeding and some members of the family can become invasive. Andrew McMillion works on his small farm in Norway where he stewards a large and growing collection of plants. Andrew is a Board Member and guild leader for several guilds in the Norwegian Seed Savers. Learn more here: Email: Andrew(at)NorwegianSeedSavers.no Norwegian Seed Savers Listen to a previous interview that I did with Andrew: Earth Care- How Connecting to Nature Can Change Your LifeThe post The Amazing Amaranth Family first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.

Learn how your clothing choices can change the world in this episode with writer Elizabeth Segran. Elizabeth tells us the grim news first. Did you know that the fashion industry is responsible for 8% of global greenhouse gases? That’s more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. About 100 billion articles of clothing are manufactured yearly. Clothes that don’t sell are often thrown in a landfill or burned at the end of a season. This massive overproduction has a detrimental effect on land, waterways, and workers. With styles changing rapidly, the fashion industry must persuade fashion-conscious consumers to purchase the latest trends. Elizabeth shares some of her favorite ways to resist this push including maintaining a lean closet, thrift store shopping, renting clothes, and supporting companies that manufacture clothes responsibly. We also talk about why Elizabeth believes that the fashion industry should be regulated and how countries should follow the example of France and have a “Minister of Fashion”! Whether you’re a fashion follower or a thrift store shopper, you’ll learn a lot about the fashion industry’s impact on the environment and how we can change our shopping habits. Elizabeth Segran, PHD., is a senior staff writer at Fast Company. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Her work has been published in The Atlantic, The New Republic, Foreign Policy, Foreign Affairs and The Nation. You can learn more about Elizabeth at her website: ElizabethSegran.comThe post Clothes and Climate: The Environmental Cost of Fast Fashion first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.

Episode 154: When medicinal at risk plants need help, United Plant Savers (UPS) comes to the rescue! Known as the “consciousness of the herbal products industry” because of their work with at risk medicinals, UPS staff and members have their feet on the ground and their hands in the soil protecting and growing these healing plants.  The former site of a contour mine, the 379 acre UPS Botanical Sanctuary in South East Ohio is now home to nearly 400 plant species. In this interview with John Stock, Outreach Coordinator and Sanctuary Manager for United Plant Savers, we learn why we should be concerned about where our herbal medicine comes from, how medicinal plants are being affected by the $8 billion a year herbal products industry, and how we can get involved with UPS by becoming a member or a grower in their Botanical Sanctuary or Sacred Seeds Networks. There are over 140 botanical sanctuaries across the US and Canada and there’s still room for more!  John and I discuss why medicinal plants need our attention and conservation efforts right now, some of the twenty plants that UPS has earmarked as being at risk, and what the biggest impacts on these plants are- think habitat loss, growing demand, over-harvesting, and little accountability in the herbal products supply chain. We learn what we can do to support the continued health and abundance of medicinal plants and how preserving them has the added benefit of increasing biodiversity and sustaining healthy forests.  You can learn more about UPS here: United Plant Savers.org. Take a look at their Species At Risk and To Watch List here.  Become a member by clicking here: I Want to be a Member! Thanks for listening! The post Saving Medicinal Plants with United Plant Savers first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.

Episode 153: Put down that shovel and start a no-till perennial garden! In this fun and informative interview, Permaculture Designer and Teacher Morag Gamble shares her tips about how to create an abundant and thriving organic oasis. Morag’s garden in Queensland, Australia has more than 200 plants. In this episode she shares some of her favorites with us including Sweet Potato and Pumpkin. Did you know that you can eat the leaves of both? We focus on soil health and how to build soil fertility through feeding the soil, why multifunctional perennial plants are a good choice for any garden, how to grow living mulches, and why it’s important to eat root to shoot. We delve into Morag’s in situ composting methods that enliven the soil onsite and learn how to brew Comfrey Tea that is beneficial for plants and a potent soil activator. We also talk about what makes plants “Permaculture plants” and why they  are good bets for your new or existing garden. Working with the principles found in nature, you can start and maintain a beautiful and healthy organic garden that benefits not only you and your family, but also the wildlife in your yard. More about Morag: Morag Gamble is the founding director of the Permaculture Education Institute. You can watch her videos online at her YouTube Channel and read her articles at Our Permaculture Life. Morag offers many courses, including a Permaculture Gardening Course called The Incredible Edible Garden. Morag lives at Crystal Waters. You can learn more about this award-winning eco village here. Note: Our interview was recorded before the devastating fires in Australia. I spoke with Morag recently about the fires and will be posting that conversation as an episode soon. Until then, here’s a link to the Ethos Foundation that will support communities in need, by offering free permaculture education once the fires settle. Through the program, participants will work on connecting with their community, creating collective projects like community gardens and focus on regenerating and rebuilding – creating resilient food gardens and wildlife gardens, creating bushfire-safe landscapes and homes with a permaculture design approach. They will also activate teams to help build ga

Episode 152:  Famed cinematographer Louie Schwartzberg talks about his new film Fantastic Fungi that highlights the fascinating and often hidden world of the fungi beneath our feet. Renowned for his time lapse work with flowers, Louie has now turned his lens toward the fungal kingdom with astonishing and beautiful results. In this episode, we do a deep dive into Fungi and the many solutions that they offer us at this critical time, including: Carbon sequestration: Fungi are a climate change solution. Mycoremediation: Fungi are the grand decomposers of nature and can be used to clean up environmental toxins, including oil spills. Health: Medicinal mushrooms support our health and boost our immunity. Water filtration: Fungi can clean contaminated water. Therapy: Psilocybin mushrooms are being used therapeutically and mindfully to for consciousness raising. Example of Sharing Economy: Fungi are a model and metaphor of a successful sharing economy, based on cooperation, that allows ecosystems to flourish. Louie also talks about what he’s learned from his forty years of filming flowers, how pollination is the love story that feeds the earth, and why it’s time to change our narrative about nature-  from survival and competition to partnership, cooperation, and interconnectedness. Louie Schwartzberg is a voice for nature, plants, animals, and now fungi. An award winning cinematographer, director, and producer, Louie is the only filmmaker to be inducted into the American Association for the Advancement of Science. A visual artist who tells stories that celebrate life and reveal the mysteries and wisdom of nature, Louie Schwartzberg is a true environmental advocate. Learn about Louie’s new film Fantastic Fungi at FantasticFungi.com and look for a showing near you here. Visit Louie’s website at MovingArt.com.The post Fantastic Fungi: An Interview with Louie Schwartzberg first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.

Episode 31: Journey into the world of Quercus, the amazing Oak.  Horticulturalist Byron Joel is an avid Oak fan and shares his knowledge about Oaks from tiny acorn to robust tree. You’ll learn about what Oaks need to grow well, the beauty of Oak as a perennial staple crop, the three “fruits” of Oak, and some of the many uses of this iconic tree. Byron also talks about the Dehesa, the semi-domesticated Oak savannah and its high quality yields. We also discuss specific species of Oak, including lower tannin varieties. Byron Joel is a Permaculture teacher and designer who is an avid Oak fan. Owner of Oak Tree Designs in Margaret River, Australia, Byron works internationally as both educator and consultant in Holistic Management, Natural Sequence Farming, Bio-dynamics, Natural Farming, the Regrarians Platform, and Restoration Agriculture. You can read about Byron’s new project Dehesa Australis here. In this epsiode, Byron mentions research about implementing the Dehesa system in California. Here is a link: Mediterranean Oak Woodland Working Landscapes: Dehesas of Spain and Ranchlands of California. Byron mentions two books: Oak: The Frame of Civilization by William Bryant Logan and The Woodland Way by Ben Law.The post The Mighty Oak first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.

Episode 151: What if we could heal broken ecosystems, toxic landscapes, and poisoned water? My guest today is Dr. John Todd, ecological designer and author of the new book, Healing Earth- An Ecologist’s Journey of Innovation and Environmental Stewardship. John Todd boldly travels to places that others try to avoid: toxic waste sites, oil spills, leaking landfills, and damaged waterways. Using the tools of nature to remediate these areas, John and his colleagues do good things in bad places. An expert in the design and construction of wastewater treatment systems, Eco-Machines, and living technologies, John’s projects pair ecological knowledge with biological allies, like bacteria, fungi, and plants. An internationally renowned inventor and visionary, John’s new book offers us a map of how to heal the Earth’s damaged places, and in so doing, find the great work of our time. Learn more from John at ToddEcological.com and OceanArksInt.org.The post Healing Earth: A Diversity of Solutions first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.

Episode 150: Join us for a mind and heart expanding conversation with Dr. Monica Gagliano about her research in plant cognition and her direct experiences with the botanical world. A pioneer in the field of Plant BioAcoustics, Monica’s peer-reviewed work has furthered the concept of plant sentience. Monica’s experiences with plants have altered her life, her research, and are the subject of her new book, Thus Spoke the Plant. In this interview, Monica talks about her experiments with plants- including her groundbreaking studies with Peas, which provided evidence that plants, at least Peas, are capable of associative learning. Monica  tells us about the invitation that she received from the Vegetal World to delve more deeply into direct contact with plants and how her decision to say yes to that invitation changed her life. Monica also explains how listening is key to establishing a relationship with plants and what listeners can do to connect with the plants in their lives. To hear more about Monica’s earlier scientific research, listen to our first podcast together: Learning, Memory, and Decision Making in Plants. To get her new book, Thus Spoke the Plant, visit: NorthAtlanticBooks.com/shop/thus-spoke-the-plant/. Dr. Monica Gagliano’s research aims at expanding our perception of animals, plants and Nature. She is a Research Associate Professor in Evolutionary Ecology and Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia, Research Affiliate at the Sydney Environment Institute, University of Sydney and a Senior Research Fellow at the Biological Intelligence (BI) Lab, University of Sydney. Monica’s website is: MonicaGagliano.com.The post Plant Speak- A Conversation with Dr. Monica Gagliano first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.

Episode 30: If you’ve ever wandered into a patch of Nettle, you probably remember its ferocious sting! But, did you know that Nettle is a nutritional powerhouse and herbal medicine rock star? Renowned for its tiny hairs and formic acid bite, Nettle is a plant with many medicinal benefits. Nettle contains protein, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, chlorophyll, and Vitamins A, C, D, and B! To learn about this medicinal herb that “bites’, I speak with Western Clinical Herbalist Cheryl Fromholzer, owner and founder of of Gathering Thyme, a community herb shop, clinic, and education center in San Rafael, CA. I saw Cheryl speak at the Santa Barbara Plant Food Medicine Conference last year and was impressed by her knowledge of Nettle. Cheryl fills us in on the many benefits of this tonic herb. Nettle has an alkalizing effect on tissue. It can reduce allergy symptoms, alleviate fatigue, and help with skin problems like eczema. Cheryl tells us how and when to harvest Nettle and what parts of the plant to use. We also discuss Cheryl’s favorite recipes, including Nettle Infusion, Vinegar, and Pesto. Nettle can also be used as a potent soil amendment and as farm yard fodder. You can catch up with Cheryl at GatheringThyme.com.  In this interview, I mentioned that I would share a recipe for Nettle Beer, if our beer turned out. I’m happy to report that it did! We let it ferment longer than the recipe suggested, which resulted in a tastier beverage- that is, if you like the flavor of a woodsy, earthy Nettle Beer! The recipe that we based our Nettle Beer on is found on Homestead Honey. We did change a few things. We ran out of fresh Nettle (it doesn’t weigh a lot!!) and ended up using about half dried Nettle. We also kept ours in our fermentation bucket for over a week before bottling it up. Once bottled, we let it sit out for another week or so.   the-plant-reportThe post Nettle: The Prickly Medicinal Herb first appeared on Sustainable World Radio.