Biophilic Solutions: Nature Has the Answers

Death and decay are among the most natural processes that exist. And yet, we often approach them with fear rather than recognizing them as part of the natural world.

In her new book, Carrying the Bones: Rituals for a Dying World, writer, multimedia artist, and professor Eileen Elizabeth explores the ways we mourn, not only for the people we’ve lost, but for relationships, places, ecosystems, traditions, and even the world as we know it. This beautiful book weaves together memoir, cultural analysis, poetry, and reflections on ritual and asks what we might gain if we allowed ourselves to sit more fully with death and grief rather than rushing to move forward.

In this episode, Monica and Eileen talk about the role nature has played in mourning throughout history, the ways American culture and capitalism shape our relationship to death, and what it means to grieve not only those who have died, but those who are still living and the world itself. They also talk about creating personal rituals and whether grief can become not just an experience of loss, but a way of reconnecting with the natural world, with one another, and with what we still have to carry forward.

Show Notes

• Carrying the Bones: Rituals for a Dying World by Eileen Elizabeth
• Eileen Elizabeth on Instagram 
• Boshemia Magazine
• Biophilic Solutions on Substack 

Keywords: grief, mourning, death, death rituals, mourning rituals, ecological grief, climate grief, environmental grief, nature connection, environmental crisis, ritual, spirituality, secular spirituality, Indigenous traditions, capitalism, grief and capitalism, wilderness,Carrying the Bones, Eileen Elizabeth

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

Asphalt and concrete. Not exactly the sexiest topics in the world, but think about it: pavement is everywhere we look. From roads and highways to schoolyards and massive parking lots, it’s such a ubiquitous part of our environment that we hardly even notice it anymore.

And there’s a reason for that. Pavement makes roads safer and provides ADA accessible sidewalks. But it also comes with a significant environmental cost. Dark asphalt can absorb as much as 80 to 95 percent of sunlight, contributing to the urban heat island effect and making our cities (and the people who live in them) hotter and more vulnerable as the climate warms.

That’s why we’re excited to speak with Malena Marvin, Executive Director of Depave, a Portland, Oregon-based grassroots organization that works with communities to remove underutilized pavement and replace it with permeable, living green spaces. For example, an empty parking lot can become a public gathering space filled with trees and native plants, or a place where rain can return to the soil instead of rushing into storm drains. 

Depave’s work is especially powerful because it connects environmental restoration with community health and agency, climate resilience, and environmental justice. 

Show Notes

• Depave
• The Depave Crew
• Depave Resources
• Urban Heat Islands

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

How do we continue to care for the living world when so much around us feels uncertain? On this episode of Biophilic Solutions, Monica Olsen talks with Chelsea Steinauer-Scudder, author of Mother, Creature, Kin: What We Learn from Nature’s Mothers in a Time of Unraveling.

Chelsea’s book asks us to rethink what it means to care for each other, for the places we call home, and for the more-than-human world. Her journey began with becoming a mother herself, which opened up a deeper understanding of how caring for one life can expand into caring for an entire web of life.

Monica and Chelsea explore what it might mean to think of ourselves as “mothers” of the living world, along with ideas of entanglement, sacred place, axis mundi, and the powerful sense of awe and belonging we can find in certain places. And while Chelsea doesn’t shy away from ecological loss and uncertainty, she reminds us that we still have agency. By paying closer attention to the places and creatures we love, we can find ways to care, connect, and take action, even when it feels like the world is unraveling around us. 

Show Notes

• Mother, Creature, Kin: What We Learn From Nature’s Mothers In A Time of Unraveling
• Chelsea Steinauer-Scudder
• Chelsea Steinauer-Scudder on Instagram 
• The Entwinement (Substack)

Keywords: Chelsea Steinauer-Scudder, Mother Creature Kin, Biophilic Solutions, biophilia, nature, motherhood, ecology, environmentalism, climate change, nature connection, biodiversity, ecological grief, sacred places, axis mundi, awe, entanglement, regenerative living, environmental responsibility, nature and motherhood

Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review.

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What can mushrooms teach us about becoming better humans? How can doula work, in the literal and metaphorical senses, help us navigate the uncertainty of the near future? These are just two of the compelling questions we’re exploring today alongside Madison Murphy Barney. 

Madison is a Two Spirit Shoshone sister, a doula, author, and a public-health storyteller. She holds a master’s degree from Harvard’s T. H. Chan School of Public Health and has become a sought-after voice, using storytelling as a tool for building more just and connected communities. 

In her new book, Our Ancestors Want Us to Be Mushrooms, Madison makes the case that mushrooms – and the vast, unseen networks beneath them – have much to teach us about how to live. Themes like humility, adaptability, nourishment, creativity, protection, and even mystery become guides for rethinking how we relate to ourselves, to each other, and to the planet.

In this conversation, Monica and Madison talk about mushrooms, ancestral wisdom, the power of embracing your weird, and what the natural world is trying to teach us about how to live together. 

Show Notes

• Our Ancestors Want Us To Be Mushrooms by Madison Murphy Barney
• Terracotta (Substack)
• Madison Murphy Barney Website
• Biophilic Solutions on Substack 

Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review.

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

This week on the podcast, we’re revisiting a 2022 conversation with urban policy expert Diana Lind, author of Brave New Home: Our Future in Smarter, Simpler, Happier Housing. In this episode, we explored the rise of the single-family home and the many challenges that come with it: the isolation created by large homes on expansive plots of land, outdated zoning, high energy use for relatively few people, and a built environment that makes cars a necessity. 

Almost four years to the day after its original release, these themes are as relevant as ever but the context around them has changed. More and more people seem to be recognizing the connection between urban planning, the environment, and our own wellbeing. Young creators like Luke Hillman are getting hundreds of thousands of views and likes for videos about land use, walkability, and freeing ourselves from auto-dependence. That growing public awareness of how we shape our communities, particularly among a younger audience, is incredibly encouraging.

But there’s another reason this conversation feels timely: data centers. Communities all over the country are confronting the enormous demands for the land, energy, water, and new utility infrastructure that data centers require. New transmission lines and grid expansions also put pressure on residential land, in some cases power companies are using eminent domain to acquire property. And that’s to say nothing about immense concerns over noise and air pollution.

That’s why Diana’s ideas are now more important than ever. The challenges may be evolving, but the underlying question remains the same: What kind of places do we want to build and what would it take to build them differently?

Shownotes

• Brave New Home: Our Future in Smarter, Simpler, Happier Housing by Diana Lind
• About Diana Lind
• Luke Hillman on Instagram
• Against the White Picket Fence (New York Times)
• WATCH: Five Things Diana Lind taught us about housing (Philadelphia Citizen)
• Ideas We Should Steal: Treat Homelessness as a Health Issue by Diana Lind (The Philadelphia Citizen)

Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review.

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

Research suggests we spend close to 90% of our lives indoors. While we all need more time outside, there's another part of the solution: designing the places where we live and work to better support our health and wellbeing.

In this episode, Monica Olsen sits down with two of the UK's leading voices in biophilic design: Oliver Heath, an expert in regenerative and wellbeing-led design for the built environment, and Dr. Vanessa Champion, founder of the Journal of Biophilic Design and host of the podcast of the same name.

Together, they explore how thoughtfully designed spaces can improve our physical and mental wellbeing, the formative project that first inspired Oliver to connect nature with health, why diverse minds need diverse spaces, the exciting innovations emerging in fields like biomimicry, and the growing body of evidence demonstrating the value of biophilic design.

Whether you're an architect, designer, developer, or simply curious about creating healthier places, this conversation offers an inspiring look at how nature can transform the built environment—and the people who inhabit it.

Show Notes

• Oliver Heath Design
• Journal of Biophilic Design
• Journal of Biophilic Design Podcast
• Oliver Heath Design: Case Studies
• Design a Healthy Home: 100 Ways To Transform Your Space For Physical and Mental Wellbeing by Oliver Heath

Biophilic design, regenerative design, nature-inspired design, wellbeing, healthy buildings, healthy spaces, built environment, sustainable design, architecture, interior design, biomimicry, biophilia, wellness design, environmental psychology, human-centered design, natural materials, natural light, biodiversity, placemaking, Oliver Heath, Vanessa Champion, Journal of Biophilic Design, design innovation, resilient communities, wellbeing-led design, people and planet

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

After five seasons of Biophilic Solutions, which ideas have stood the test of time?

In this special compilation episode, Monica Olsen revisits some of the most impactful conversations from the podcast to uncover the common thread connecting the most powerful solutions to today's biggest challenges. From climate scientist Tim Lenton's hopeful vision of positive tipping points to Helena Norberg-Hodge's call for localization, economist Edward B. Barbier's rethinking of nature's economic value, ecologist Douglas Tallamy's practical approach to restoring biodiversity, urban planner Jeff Speck's vision for walkable communities, environmental justice leader Jacqueline Patterson's unexpected perspective on systems change, and Tracey Osborne's insights on Indigenous stewardship, each conversation offers a different piece of a larger puzzle.

Together, they reveal that the most transformative solutions rarely solve just one problem. Like healthy ecosystems, they create ripple effects—strengthening communities, restoring nature, improving health, and building resilience all at once.

Show Notes:

• Tim Lenton on Positive Tipping Points
• Helena Norberg-Hodge on the Power of Localization
• Edward B. Barbier on Shifting to a Green Economy
• Doug Tallamy on Keystone Species and Ecosystem Restoration
• Jeff Speck on Walkable Cities
• Jacqueline Patterson on the Impact of  Environmental Injustice
• Tracey Osborne on Indigenous Leadership and Climate Justice 
• Dive deeper by visiting Biophilic Solutions on Bookshop 

Biophilia, biophilic design, nature-based solutions, positive tipping points, sustainability, climate resilience, biodiversity, conservation, regenerative communities, localization, natural capital, environmental economics, walkability, urban planning, placemaking, Indigenous stewardship, systems change, environmental justice, community resilience, ecological restoration, wellness, nature connection, climate solutions, resilience, regenerative living

Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review.

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

What can our evolutionary past teach us about living healthier, more connected lives today? In this episode, Monica sits down with Andie Edwards, creator of the popular Instagram account Ancestral Habits, to explore how hundreds of thousands of years of human evolution continue to shape our bodies, minds, and relationship with the natural world.

Together, they discuss evolutionary mismatch, our biological need for nature, the importance of honoring natural rhythms, and what it means to apply ancestral wisdom in a modern world. They also explore the responsibility of communicating science on social media and Andie's perspective on artificial intelligence. It's a fascinating conversation about using our deep history not to return to the past, but to build a healthier, more aligned future.

Show Notes

• Ancestral Habits Website
• Ancestral Habits on Instagram 
• Ancestral Habits on Substack 
• Ancestral Habits at Home (PDF)

biophilia, nature connection, human evolution, ancestral health, ancestral habits, anthropology, evolutionary mismatch, evolutionary biology, human behavior, natural rhythms, circadian rhythms, modern life, well-being, mental health, physical health, environmental psychology, science communication, social media, artificial intelligence, AI, biology, evolutionary medicine, ecology, resilience, holistic health, outdoor living, health and wellness, connection, sustainability

Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review.

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

How do the places we inhabit shape our sense of meaning, connection, and well-being?

In this episode, Monica sits down with architect, author, and placemaker Dr. Phill Tabb for a wide-ranging conversation on the relationship between place, spirituality, and human flourishing. Together, they explore how thoughtful design, biophilia, ritual, awe, and sensory experience can help create environments that support deeper connections to ourselves, to one another, and to the natural world.

The conversation also examines the role of mythology, storytelling, and creative practices in shaping our experience of place. From the symbolism embedded in communities and cities to the power of observation, sketching, and reflection, Phill shares insights drawn from decades of research and practice.

Whether you're interested in design, wellness, spirituality, or the human need for belonging, this episode offers a thoughtful exploration of how place influences the way we live, feel, and connect.

Show Notes

• Wellness Architecture and Urban Design
• Spiritual Wellness and the Built Environment
• Placemaking Through Myths, Experience and Drawing
• Thin Places, Sacred Architecture, and Biophilic Patterns with Dr. Phill Tabb
• Place Drawing as a Sacred Practice by Phillip Tabb
• As Serenbe exhibition will show, architect Phill Tabb’s art always starts with nature (ARTS ATL)

Biophilia, placemaking, spiritual wellness, thin places, architecture, wellness design, nature connection, awe, ritual, human flourishing, sense of place, mythology, storytelling, community design, biophilic design, creativity, drawing, journaling, mindfulness, well-being, environmental psychology, sacred spaces, intentional living, place attachment, connection to nature, personal growth, reflective practice, healthy communities, design for wellness, meaning and purpose

Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review.

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

In this episode, we explore a question that feels more urgent than ever: what if healing ourselves and healing the planet are deeply interconnected?

Monica is joined by author Lindsay Branham, whose book Heartwood: The Wisdom and Healing Kinship of Trees chronicles her personal journey through chronic illness and toward a deeper relationship with the natural world. Guest co-host Florence Williams, bestselling author of The Nature Fix, also brings her expertise on nature, health, and well-being to this wide-ranging conversation.

Together, they explore the story behind Heartwood and the experiences that led Lindsay from a career as a war journalist and Emmy Award–winning documentary filmmaker to an exploration of ecology, spirituality, and embodied healing. The conversation delves into interoception – sometimes called our “eighth sense” – and how tuning into the body’s internal signals may help us reconnect with ourselves and the living world around us.

From chronic illness and nervous system regulation to reciprocal healing, belonging, and even erotic ecology, this episode examines why so many of us are searching for deeper connection in an increasingly disconnected world and what nature may have to teach us about finding it. If you’re interested in the intersection of science, spirituality, and healing, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

Show Notes

• Heartwood: The Healing Wisdom & Kinship of Trees by Lindsay Branham
• Heartwood Institute
• Lindsay Branham on Substack
• Florence Williams 
• The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Florence Williams 

Key Words: biophilia, biophilic design, nature connection, healing, planetary health, human health, ecology, spirituality, interoception, nervous system regulation, forest healing, nature therapy, forest bathing, ecological connection, mindfulness, embodiment, emotional well-being, Florence Williams, Lindsay Branham, Heartwood, The Nature Fix, Biophilic Solutions, sustainability, conservation, healing through nature, wild places, environmental psychology, holistic health, connection, natural world, regenerative living, personal transformation, neuroscience, nature and well-being, eco-spirituality, environmental stewardship, intentional living

Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review.

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#NatureHasTheAnswers