Constant Wonder

Hugo Tagholm describes the transcendent connection between a storm at sea and a surfer sitting, many hours later, on a board. Using surfing as a metaphor for life, Tagholm urges us to show up for each other—and for the Earth—as our best-prepared selves. His is a message of hope for all of us on "Planet Ocean."

Guests:

Hugo Tagholm, Executive Director of Oceana UK

Katherine May, author of "Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age"

Photo Credit: Nick Pumphrey

CHAPTERS

(0:00) Introduction

(4:55) Hugo's childhood

(9:39) Surfers Against sewage

(17:36) The wonder of surfing

(25:32) Conserving the oceans

(35:05) Katherine May's quest for enchantment and wonder

Emmett Hoops was seven when he decided to save the nearly-extinct American chestnut tree. He's 66 now, but little else has changed since then. Together with a chorus of other chestnut-lovers, the people who grew up under those leaves and relied on those nutritious nuts tell the story of how a tree shaped generations.

Guests:

Emmett Hoops, Director for District 5 and Vice President for Outreach, New York Chapter of the American Chestnut Foundation (at time of recording)

Andy Newhouse, Director of American Chestnut Project at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (at time of recording)

Want to get involved with Chestnut restoration? Visit the American Chestnut Foundation online to learn more about their mission! https://www.americanchestnut.org/

Special thanks to Bethany N. Baxter for archival interviews from Appalachia conducted in 2008.

Originally aired: March 20, 2024

Businesswoman Françoise Malby-Anthony traveled the world for work, until a chance encounter in the metro changed her life. Within a year, she'd quit Paris for South Africa, where she and her partner, Lawrence, established a wildlife preserve for troubled and orphaned elephants and rhinos. When Lawrence passed away suddenly, the responsibility for these animals fell to Françoise. Join us in this tale of love, loss, and connection beyond the grave.

Guest: Françoise Malby-Anthony, owner of Thula Thula Private Game Reserve and author of "The Elephants of Thula Thula"

Learn more about Françoise and the Thula Thula reserve on their website: https://thulathula.com/our-story/

Thula Baba traditional lullaby accessed on the Soweto Gospel Choir YouTube channel.

Originally aired on March 27, 2024

The "Bear Man of India" is best known for his work rescuing sloth bears from inhumane conditions, but Kartick Satyanarayan knew he wanted to help animals from a young age. It all began with full-moon nights spent high in a jungle tree, watching a procession of wild animals visit a nearby watering hole. In the intervening 30 years, he's braved the "timber mafia" and even gunshots in a tireless crusade to protect wildlife.

Guest: Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS

Originally aired May 29, 2024

A small-town mortician savors life. Find out why "the internet's favorite mortician" encourages people not to skip out on funerals. And why he also advises listeners not to worry about "being an inconvenience" in either life or death.

Guest: Victor M. Sweeney, author of "Now Departing: A Small-Town Mortician on Death, Life, and the Moments in Between"

https://www.instagram.com/victor.m.sweeney/?hl=en

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ktLen9cVM

Tara Roberts comes to find joy in learning about her ancestors—even though history once seemed too traumatic to face.

Guest: Tara Roberts, author of "Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging"

Fiona Robertson has had a lifelong fascination with the ancient standing stones that dot the British Isles. As her own life filled with storms, these megaliths became examples of endurance, able to survive millenniums of weathering. Join us as we follow Fiona through the stone lands to explore how these mysterious sites connect us to the past, redefine our present, and give us hope for the future.

Fiona Robertson is a writer, editor and megalith enthusiast who takes her family across the British Isles in search of standing stones. She is passionate about archaeology, history and folklore.

Visit her online to learn more about her work:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stone_lands/?hl=en

Anne Fadiman has an infectious curiosity. In this episode. she'll introduce us to ice-bound explorers who turn to theater, art, and journalism to stave off boredom and madness. Then we travel across the globe to a matchless night beneath Halley's Comet. We'll also meet a indomitable young student who lived by the motto "Yes to everything!"

Guest: Anne Fadiman, author of "Frog and Other Essays" and "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" https://us.macmillan.com/author/annefadiman

By promoting swimming, hiking, climbing, skiing, hunting, and many more recreational activities, Outdoor Afro reconnects Black people to nature. Founder Rue Mapp reminds us of the historical connections Black people have to the Earth, and she encourages people to look to nature for healing, hope, and fun!

Guest: Rue Mapp, founder of Outdoor Afro and National Geographic Fellow https://ruemapp.com

Chapters:

(0:00) Introduction

(5:27) Out of the Comfort Zone

(9:17) Black Relationships With Nature

(26:24) Reconnection

(35:45) Outdoor Afro's Healing Hikes

(45:56) Spiritual Transformation

A love story for all time: Eleanor of Castile died in 1290, but her story still resonates today, thanks to the depths of her husband's devotion. You might know King Edward I as the fierce Edward Longshanks, but discover him in this episode as a besotted and grieving husband.

Guests:

Alice Loxton, author of "Eleanor: A 200-Mile Walk in Search of England's Lost Queen" https://aliceloxton.com;

John Hibbs, tour guide at St. Mary's, Conwy, Wales https://caruconwy.com/our-churches/st-marys-conwy/;

Kam Caddell of Kam Tours https://www.kamtours.com;

Penny Griffin, reader and lector at St. Mary Magdalene, Geddington, England https://www.geddingtonweekleychurch.org.uk/;

Luke McDonnell, muralist https://www.chibacreative.com/mural;

Patricia Yiga, London commuter

CHAPTERS

(0:00) Introduction

(4:43) Meet Eleanor

(20:14) 12 Crosses, 200 Miles

(29:15) Eleanor Watches Over Me (Geddington)

(39:18) In Death We Cannot Cease to Love (Mural)

(49:31) Everyone Plays Their Part (London Tube)

(54:00) A Message from Grandfather