This week on Biophilic Solutions, we’re bringing you something a little different (yet very close to home). While Serenbe isn’t the main focus of this podcast, it is where Monica lives and works, and it’s one of the most vibrant examples of biophilic community in action.

In anticipation of his forthcoming book, Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where We Live with Radical Common Sense, Serenbe founder Steve Nygren sat down with Vanessa Champion for the Journal of Biophilic Design podcast. Together, they explore how to apply biophilic principles in real and meaningful ways to transform our neighborhoods, towns, and cities.

We’re thrilled to share that conversation with you here. Along the way, Steve reflects on Serenbe’s beginnings, why traditional labels never quite fit, and how discovering the idea of “biophilic cities” helped frame his vision. Vanessa brings her own thoughtful perspective as a writer, photographer, and advocate for design that nurtures both people and the planet.

And be sure to stay tuned until the very end! We’re giving you a sneak peek of Steve’s brand new podcast, also called Start In Your Own Backyard, featuring stories, expert voices, and practical inspiration from the book.

Show Notes

• Pre-Order Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Steve Nygren
• Listen to the Start In Your Own Backyard Podcast
• Steve Nygren on Substack
• The Journal of Biophilic Design
• Learn More about Serenbe

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

This week, we’re joined by Amy Martin, host of the Peabody Award-winning podcast Threshold, for a conversation that spans everything from the hidden harms of noise pollution and ecological grief to imagining a future free from the looming threat of climate change. Amy brings a thoughtful, poetic lens to the climate conversation, reminding us of the urgency of the moment, the profound beauty of the world we’re trying to protect, and the importance of storytelling.

Each season of Threshold dives deep into a single, complex environmental story, whether it’s the return of the American bison, oil drilling in the Arctic, or what it truly means to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. Now in its fifth season, Hark, Amy explores the fascinating and often overlooked world of non-human sound.

Under Amy’s leadership, Threshold has earned numerous accolades, including a Peabody Award, a national Edward R. Murrow Award, and recognition from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Overseas Press Club, and the Montana Broadcasters Association. Beyond Threshold, Amy has produced stories for NPR’s All Things Considered, PRI’s The World, Reveal, Here & Now, and other national outlets.

Show Notes

• Threshold
• About Amy
• Nature’s secret soundscape: Listen with me to the world’s quietest creatures by Amy Martin (Guardian)
• What Is Ecological Thinking? (Letters to Earthlings)
• Dear Earthlings of 3025 (Letters to Earthlings)

Halfway Through the Decisive Decade (Letters to Earthlings)

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

What if we told you that simple, meaningful action starting today can help protect the world’s oceans?

In this hopeful and eye-opening episode, Monica sits down with Katie Day, Senior Manager of Science and Policy at the Surfrider Foundation, to talk about the practical steps we can all take to safeguard our oceans and coral reefs. Katie breaks down how interconnected threats—like plastic pollution and harmful sunscreen ingredients—are affecting marine ecosystems, and why our individual choices matter more than we think.

Together, they explore how to stay engaged in the face of setbacks, and how small actions, multiplied by many, can lead to real change. Whether you live near the coast or thousands of miles from it, the ocean impacts you—and your choices can help make it more resilient for generations to come.

Show Notes

• Action Alert: Protect Our Coasts From Offshore Oil Drilling
• About Katie Day
• Surfrider Foundation
• Reef Friendly Sunscreen Guide
• Haereticus Labs

Key Words: ocean, climate change, pollution, plastic, coral reefs, sustainability, marine life, environmental advocacy, Surfrider, awareness, policy, sunscreen, sunscreen chemicals, plastic, plastic pollution, microplastics, nature, nature based solutions, biophilia, biophilic design, coastal, coastal communities 

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

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

Over the past few years, we've had the privilege of sitting down with visionaries, scientists, designers, farmers, poets, and policymakers. Each conversation has expanded our perspective, encouraging us to see the world through a broader, greener lens.

For our 100th episode, we’re hitting pause to reflect on this amazing journey so far. We’ve sifted through the highlights to spotlight the themes and ideas that continue to rise to the surface – insights that feel less like podcast takeaways and more like a blueprint for a saner, more biophilic future.

Tune in to learn more and hear from some familiar voices along the way.

Show Notes

• Sister Seasons | Regenerate Yourself and the Planet at the Same Time
• Planetary Health: Protecting Nature to Protect Ourselves edited by Samuel Myers and Howard Frumkin
• Local Futures
• Positive Tipping Points (University of Exeter)
• The Climate Optimist Handbook: How to Shift the Narrative on Climate Change and Find the Courage to Change by Anne Therese Gennari 
• Prioritizing Human Wellness in Architectural Design (Living Architecture Monitor)
• Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America One Step at a Time by Jeff Speck
• Nina-Marie Lister
• Team Human by Douglas Rushkoff
• The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Florence Williams

Keywords: nature, nature based solutions, biophilia, biophilic design, seasons, seasonality, natural cycles, wellness, climate, climate change, climate solutions, architecture, built environment, habitat, human habitat, walkability, walkable, biodiversity, pollinator, pollinator garden, community 

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

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

Today, we’re diving into one of the most urgent and complex challenges of our time: how to truly and equitably mitigate climate change, starting in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. This conversation spans a web of critical themes: climate finance, cutting-edge technologies, and most importantly, putting Indigenous communities at the forefront of protecting and restoring the planet’s most vital ecosystems.

Joining us is the brilliant Dr. Tracey Osborne, a professor at UC Merced and the Founding Director of the UC Center for Climate Justice. Tracey is also the visionary behind the Climate Justice Standard, a bold new framework that ensures climate solutions aren’t just environmentally sound, but also socially just and community-led.

Together, we unpack the Amazon’s pivotal role in global climate stability, explore the promises and pitfalls of carbon markets, and hear how Tracey’s firsthand work in the rainforest has reshaped her understanding of justice, resilience, and what it really means to live in balance with nature.

Show Notes

• The Climate Justice Standard
• UC Center for Climate Justice
• About the Kawsay Nampi Project 
• About Dr. Tracey Osborne
• Tragedy of the commons
• Dr. Elinor Ostrom

Keywords: climate change, indigenous communities, carbon markets, climate justice, Amazon rainforest, deforestation, environmental integrity, community-led projects, technology in climate solutions, youth engagement

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

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

Time and again, we've examined how the challenges we face – poverty, inequality, environmental degradation, and more – are deeply intertwined. Understandably, it can start to feel pretty overwhelming. But here’s the encouraging part: the solutions are just as interconnected. 

In this episode of Biophilic Solutions, we speak with Helena Norberg-Hodge, founder and director of Local Futures, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring ecological and social well-being by revitalizing local communities and economies. Helena envisions a world where food is grown by nearby farmers, money circulates within communities, local businesses thrive, and meaningful work is accessible to all.

She argues that many of today’s crises stem from an overly globalized economic system and that the path forward lies in a broad shift toward localization. Helena advocates for a more informed and intentional public that values local economies and deeper connections with nature. In our conversation, we explore the power of local food systems, the importance of community and ecological bonds, and the role vulnerability plays in healing. Drawing on lessons from indigenous cultures, Helena makes a compelling case for localization as a path toward greater social cohesion and environmental resilience.

Show Notes

• About Helena
• Planet Local Summit | September 3-7 | Ladakh
• Local Futures
• Ancient Futures: Learning From Ladakh by Helena Norberg Hodge
• Local Is Our Future: Steps to an Economics of Happiness by Helena Norberg Hodge
• To Heal the Planet We Must First Heal Ourselves (Urth Magazine)

Key Words: local, localism, economy, economics, local economy, community, indigenous community, indigenous wisdom, Local Futures, farmers market, global economy, globalism, capitalism, nature, nature based solutions, biophilia, biophilic design, Helena Norberg-Hodge

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

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

Let’s face it. Our waste habits are, well, pretty wasteful. Every single day, more than 27,000 trees are cut down just to make toilet paper. Meanwhile, the average disposable diaper takes over 500 years to decompose in a landfill, all while leaching harmful plastics and chemicals into the environment. And that’s not even counting other single-use sanitary products like tampons, pads, and wipes. Put simply, our throwaway culture is a serious environmental problem.

Enter today’s guest: Miki Agrawal. A bold entrepreneur and creative disruptor, Miki has built a career out of challenging the status quo. She’s the founder of groundbreaking companies like Thinx (revolutionary period underwear), TUSHY (modern bidets), and her latest venture, Hiro Diapers, a game-changing product designed to break down in landfills using fungi-powered decomposition technology. Hiro represents a major step forward in the battle against plastic waste, starting with a natural end-of-life solution for one of the most essential (and wasteful) products in parenting.

In this conversation, we explore the hidden environmental costs of traditional diapers, the importance of slowing down to meet the moment, and why nature (hello, mushrooms!) holds the key to designing smarter, bolder everyday essentials.

Show Notes

• Hiro Diapers
• TUSHY Bidets
• About Miki Agrawal
• Four Sigmatic
• Pacha’s Pajamas: A Story Written By Nature
• Do Cool Shit: Quit Your Day Job, Start Your Own Business, and Live Happily Ever After by Miki Agrawal
• Disrupt-Her: A Manifesto for the Modern Woman by Miki Agrawal

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

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

On today’s episode, we’re delving into the growing epidemic of loneliness, examining its root causes, far-reaching impacts, and what it will take to rebuild our social fabric. For this important and timely conversation, we were thrilled to be joined by Radha Agrawal, author of the bestselling book Belong: Find Your People, Create Community & Live a More Connected Life. Radha is also the Co-founder, CEO, and Chief Community Architect of Daybreaker, a global wellness movement that brings nearly half a million people together globally through early-morning, sober dance parties. In addition, Radha leads the Belong Institute and the Belong Center, two groundbreaking initiatives dedicated to addressing loneliness through community-building and laying the foundation for a wider culture of belonging.

Throughout this conversation, we explore the essential human need for connection, the dangers of hyper-individualism, and how modern life, including our increasing disconnection from nature, has contributed to widespread feelings of alienation. Radha shares powerful insights on how rebuilding community and reestablishing our relationship with the natural world can help us reclaim joy, purpose, and a true sense of belonging. This is a conversation filled with practical tools and deep inspiration for anyone seeking to reconnect: with others, with nature, and with themselves.

Shownotes

• Belong: Find Your People, Create Community & Live a More Connected Life by Radha Agrawal
• Radha Agrawal Website
• Daybreaker | Wake Up & Dance
• Belong Center
• Belong Institute
• Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad
• The Power of Belonging: How Ending Loneliness Will Save Our Planet (SXSW)
• Biophilic Solutions Website
• Biophilic Solutions on Instagram

Keywords: loneliness, loneliness epidemic, community, connection, community building, Radha Agrawal, nature, biophilia, biophilic, disconnection, climate, climate change, Daybreaker, belonging

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

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

For many people, work simply isn’t working anymore. Wages have stagnated while the cost of living continues to rise. Endless hours in front of a screen leave us burnt out. More often than not, the labor we do feels disconnected from any real purpose. But what if there was another way? Imagine a future where small communities live in harmony with the land, and the work we do is rooted in care for each other, for the earth, and for ourselves. It may sound idealistic and overly simplistic, but isn’t there something undeniably appealing about that vision?

Today, we’re thrilled to be speaking with Megan Leatherman, founder of A Wild New Work, a career development agency with a refreshing twist. Megan helps her clients uncover their passions and craft more fulfilling professional lives, while also guiding them to reconnect with nature, align with the rhythms of the seasons, and trust their own inner wisdom.

In this conversation, we explore what’s broken about our current work culture, how we arrived here, and how we might begin to cultivate meaningful, grounded lives in a world shaped by capitalism and social media.

Show Notes

• A Wild New Work
• A Wild New Work: The Podcast
• Follow A Wild New Work on Instagram
• Caliban and the Witch: Women, The Body, and Primitive Accumulation by Silvia Federici
• Composting Capitalism
• Rise Up Rooted
• Biophilic Solutions 
• We’d love to hear from you!

Keywords: work, capitalism, history, nature, ancestors, modern work, change, feudalism, community, sustainability, organized labor, socialism, community, adulthood, land connection, cultural shifts, personal growth, nature, aliveness, uncertainty

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

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#NatureHasTheAnswers

Today, we’re exploring the landscapes of the future with Stacy Passmore and Diane Lipovsky, co-founders of the award-winning landscape architecture studio, Superbloom. Stacy and Diane are redefining the role of landscape architecture by designing spaces that foster meaningful connections between people and the land. From transforming schoolyards and government buildings to rewilding a 50-acre golf course and planning solar parks, their work centers on creating climate-resilient, ecologically vibrant spaces.

Community engagement is at the heart of Superbloom’s mission. Stacy and Diane believe that when local communities understand the vital role of biodiversity, native habitats, and sustainable practices, they become the land’s most powerful stewards. 

Join us as we delve into the evolving world of landscape architecture, the role of storytelling in inspiring action, and the innovative projects Stacy and Diane are most excited to bring to life.

Show Notes

• Superbloom
• Superbloom | Field Notes
• Superbloom’s Stacy Passmore and Diane Lipovsky on Resilient and Culturally Enriching Environments (Madame Architect)
• Boulder County Taps Superbloom to Create First-of-its-Kind Toolkit to Integrate Nature into Urban Planning 
• Superbloom on Instagram 
• The Well-Placed Weed: The Bountiful Life of Ryan Gainey (Vimeo)

Keywords: landscape architecture, biophilic design, sustainability, community engagement, water resilience, education, cultural perspectives, design firm, ecological design, urban planning, community engagement, water restoration, stream restoration, municipal collaboration, landscape design, biodiversity, native plants, environmental education, project management, sustainability

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

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#NatureHasTheAnswers