“Everyone working in the space [conservation] needs to think about what are the limitations and the challenges the conservation sector has, and definitely, in my opinion, the timelines of many of the projects are very problematic. In a conservation setting where you have to work through, where you want to work through community leadership, you don't build trust in three, four years with locally embedded [structures and systems], be it forest block committees or farmers associations. Essentially farmers or local people who have been living in the landscape and interacting with the landscape already for a couple of generations and definitely for many generations to come...”

I’m excited to bring you the first episode of Grounded! (originally recorded in Malawi in March 2024). Our guest: Ruben Foquet. A passionate environmentalist and conservationist.

When I sat down with Ruben to have this conversation, I didn’t think I’d leave the conversation thinking more critically about projects and initiatives centered on conservation and what we can say truly encompasses conservation leadership. I was curious about his career path and what initially led him into this journey, and as I came to discover, it was a journey that started with an opportunity, and that opportunity became a journey that has spanned four African countries.

At the time of recording this conversation, Ruben was serving as the Country Director for Malawi for WeForest, a Belgian non-profit organisation that we speak more about in the episode. He has since transitioned out of the organisation but continues to be engaged in conservation through other work. Given that this episode was also recorded in a forest (on the slopes of Zomba Plateau), you may hear birds chirping in the background or the wind slightly blowing against the leaves, but that said, I hope you enjoy it!

Have a listen and let me know what you think in the comment section!

* Follow Ruben’s adventures on his Instagram page, @adventuruben.

* Or find out more about his work through his website, Ruben Foquet.

Thanks for tuning in! To make sure you don’t miss any future episodes, subscribe below. You can also listen and follow ‘Grounded’ on Spotify and Apple Podcast.

Happy Earth Day!

I couldn’t think of a better day to bring this to life than today, Earth Day! I’ve been sitting on the idea of ‘Grounded’ for a while now and I’m excited to share more about it and what’s to come.

I’ll see you soon!

Subscribe so you don’t miss any upcoming episodes that’ll be featured on ‘Grounded’!

A longer transcript of the podcast.

Over the past couple of years, I've had the immense pleasure and opportunity to come across individuals who are deeply passionate about the world around them and are either working towards shifting mindsets, and attitudes or just bringing up conversations on why we need to start thinking more critically and engaging more actively into taking better care of this planet.

One of the things that has come out of it is that often we have these conversations in person, one-to-one, or small groups, but never really have the opportunity to engage or hear from these people directly. You see, back in 2021, I'd started a podcast that was mainly on sustainable fashion. It came about due to working at a leading textile company in Mauritius. I was able to speak to different guests who are working actively within the world of sustainable fashion. And while I eventually took a long hiatus from that space (the podcast), these past few years have also been a time for me to really think more critically about the spaces that I want to be engaging in. I’ve been inspired tremendously through the work I’ve done and projects I’ve worked on situated in Uganda, in Kenya, in Zambia and have also met experts (working with the soil & on global platforms) who are fiercely and fearlessly devoted to bettering this world.

On top of all this, I also went back to school to feed the sense of curiosity I'd developed within the world of sustainability, conservation, climate change, and everything in the environmental space. And as I continue to navigate through these different spaces, I've been thinking about what it would look like to bring the conversations I have had (and keep on having) onto a platform where people engage and have crucial conversations. And more than anything, a platform where we can cultivate an external understanding of this world and the environment, whilst developing our internal senses of curiosity into the kinds of action we can take.

So here's Grounded!

Grounded will be that space. It's a space where I hope to engage with passionate individuals who are working towards bettering their world and who are also taking action in their own big or small way; from the soil to the global spaces. It's also a space where, as mentioned, I hope to cultivate and nurture that sense of curiosity and interest in what lies around us and also, within us.

Grounded is not just about our external landscapes - it's also about the internal landscapes that form us, and how we think and perceive the world around us.

With that said, I hope you'll join me on this journey and I truly look forward to a beautiful unraveling along the way.

Welcome to the Grounded!

Subscribe and I’ll see you on our first conversation - soon!