Today it's one of my favorite topics -- the benefits of humans starting to embrace our animality and kinship with other animals, instead of falsely repressing our animality and continuing to think of ourselves as exceptional and above all animal life. We’ll talk about how we human animals can productively change our self narrative to be more honest with author and environmental philosopher Melanie Challenger who wrote the fascinating book “How to be animal: A New History of What it Means to be Human.” As she phrases is, “It's an invitation to refresh in our minds the loveliness of being animal.” You can find out more at her website https://www.melaniechallenger.com/ 

In this half hour "In Tune to Nature" radio podcast, host Carrie Freeman talks with award-winning author Melanie Challenger about:

• what drew her to the conclusion that the fundamental issue of humanity is that we don’t want to admit we are an animal, but should;

"In Tune to Nature" is a weekly radio show airing Wednesdays at 6:30pm Eastern Time on 89.3FM-Atlanta radio and streaming worldwide on wrfg.org (Radio Free Georgia, a nonprofit indie station). Hosted by Carrie Freeman or Melody Paris. The show's website and action items can be found at https://www.facebook.com/InTunetoNature  Please support indie media like Radio Free Georgia at https://wrfg.org/  

Take care of yourself and others, including human and nonhuman animals.

We focus on the creative process of several artists in the road ecology movement who have promoted safe passageways for wildlife to cross over and under human highways, via song, children’s literature, and documentary film. Our guests are writer Frances Figart of Asheville, NC and filmmaker Ted Grudowski of Seattle, WA, interviewed in this 30-minute podcast by host Carrie Freeman.

Our discussion explores creative ways these artists have inspired humans to more safely and fairly share land with free-living nonhuman animals, specifically to promote the design and build of wildlife road crossings to enable safe passage for animals across human highways --  like Highway I-40, North of Asheville NC near the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, where there are lots of bears, elk, deer, and other animals needing to migrate to feed and mate, and that highway is a dangerous barrier to their livelihood, causing vehicle collisions. You can find out more about that ongoing safe passage project and its coalition of conservation supporters at the Smokies Safe Passage website: https://smokiessafepassage.org/

In this podcast, Frances Figart tells us about her children's book (for ages 7 - 13) "A Search for Safe Passage" (illustrated by Emma Dufort) about a council of 19 animal species who work together to find an underpass that allows them to safely get to the other side of a scary and loud human road in their mountain forest. That also inspired her song "Safe Passage: Animals Need a Hand." You can see and share a cool music video of this song by Asheville band The Fates in a celtic/bluegrass style on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLbyQB5mqtU (we play a portion of this song in the podcast).

Filmmaker and photographer Ted Grudowski also tells us about "Cascade Crossroads" the award-winning half-hour documentary he co-produced that chronicles the amazing story of seemingly opposite interests out West joining forces to restore a critical wildlife corridor while improving Washington State’s vital transportation corridor over the Cascade Mountains -- a documentary that is actually encouraging in these polarizing times. You can watch it to inspire similar problem-solving in your own town, at Ted's website https://www.tedgrudowski.com/cascade-crossroads-documentary-film  The nonprofit Conservation Northwest also has a lot of resources on reconnecting habitats. 

"In Tune to Nature" is a weekly radio show airing Wednesdays at 6:30pm Eastern Time on 89.3FM-Atlanta radio and streaming worldwide on wrfg.org (Radio Free Georgia, a nonprofit indie station). Hosted by Carrie Freeman or Melody Paris. The show's website and action items can be found at https://www.facebook.com/InTunetoNature  Please support indie media like Radio Free Georgia at https://wrfg.org/  

Take care of yourself and others, including other species -- like wildlife who need to get where they are going safely (with road underpasses and overpasses and more roadless areas to live).

We enjoy the poetry and photography in a new book Wild Atlanta: Greenspaces and Nature Preserves of “The City in the Forest” with the book author and poet Stephen Wing and the book’s photographer Luz Wright. Their 98-page full color poetic photo book is an artistic tribute to several dozen of Atlanta’s gorgeous public forests and parks for humans and wildlife to share. 

In this 26-minute interview (airing in December 2023), I have Stephen read a few of his poems that ingeniously weave in the climate crisis, wild animals like hawks, and protecting natural areas like Intrenchment Creek Park from development (from becoming 'Cop City' and/or a movie studio lot). And Luz explains a collection of photos she took of trees, crickets, streams, leaves, and butterflies at Heritage Trail Park. You can see it's a great creative connection between Luz and Stephen to bring each wild space alive through an intriguing and unique visual and written conversation.

The book's website is https://wildatlanta.net/ and it lists the local independent bookstores where you can obtain a copy and where the authors sometimes come do a reading.

"In Tune to Nature" is a weekly radio show airing Wednesdays at 6:30pm Eastern Time on 89.3FM-Atlanta radio and streaming worldwide on wrfg.org (Radio Free Georgia, a nonprofit indie station). Hosted by Carrie Freeman or Melody Paris. The show's website and action items can be found at https://www.facebook.com/InTunetoNature  Please support indie media like Radio Free Georgia at https://wrfg.org/  

Take care of yourself and others, including other species and wild spaces.

To have a more meaningful holiday season and avoid buying a bunch of stuff, this is a replay of my 28-minute annual green gift giving show -- this time focusing not on eco-friendly products but more on eco-friendly experiences in order to avoid cluttering up our lives with more stuff that lands in our homes permanently. So the emphasis is on gift-giving ideas for vegan food/meals or experiences (travel, parks, spas, etc.) or lending a helping hand (dog-sitting, babysitting/tutoring, lawncare, home organization), and savings/investing. It is an Atlanta focused show. It also highlights the So Kind Registry that allows you to let your friends and family know what is meaningful and fun for you (registering for that as gifts) instead of more "stuff" to buy. https://www.sokindregistry.org/ 

"In Tune to Nature" is a weekly radio show airing Wednesdays at 6:30pm Eastern Time on 89.3FM-Atlanta radio and streaming worldwide on wrfg.org (Radio Free Georgia, a nonprofit indie station). Hosted by Carrie Freeman or Melody Paris. The show's website and action items can be found at https://www.facebook.com/InTunetoNature  Please support indie media like Radio Free Georgia at https://wrfg.org/  

Take care of yourself and others, including other species.

Did you know one third of North America's birds have vanished over the last 50 years -- on our watch? That's 3 Billion fewer birds in our ecosystems, skies, trees, farms, and backyards! In their book "A Wing and a Prayer: The Race to Save our Vanishing Birds," journalists and bird lovers Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal went on an adventure to sound the alarm and help us discover why birds aren't thriving anymore (after tens of millions of years on this planet) and to profile the many unique and innovate ways that scientists and outdoor enthusiasts are helping to preserve species and habitats. In this 28-minute podcast, where host Carrie Freeman interviews Anders Gyllenhaal, we also discuss the need for the general public to invest in wildlife conservation (at least $1 billion a year is needed) to prevent bird losses, not just rely on taxing hunters and guns, nor wait and try to save those species who are on the brink of extinction (a much more costly and less effective solution than prevention now). Reinvigorating the U.S. Fish & Wildlife agency and passing the bipartisan 'Restore America's Wildlife Act' are part of what is needed. You can find out more about the book and what birds are teaching us at their website https://flyinglessons.us/ There you will also find suggestions on how you can be part of the solution to save birds and their habitats, which we discuss at the end of the podcast.

"In Tune to Nature" is a weekly radio show airing Wednesdays at 6:30pm Eastern Time on 89.3FM-Atlanta radio and streaming worldwide on wrfg.org (Radio Free Georgia, a nonprofit indie station). Hosted by Carrie Freeman or Melody Paris. The show's website and action items can be found at https://www.facebook.com/InTunetoNature  Please support indie media like Radio Free Georgia at https://wrfg.org/  In fact, Anders supplied a signed hardcopy of the book as a fundraising incentive, and I can send it to anyone who donates $50 or more at wrfg.org (just message me at the facebook page to let me know).

Take care of yourself and others, including other species, like our vanishing birds.

Discussing his book "Nature, Design, and Health: Explorations of a Landscape Architect," David Kamp describes his nature-inspired design philosophy, and we specifically concentrate on garden project elements designed to enhance the wellbeing of older adults and people with special needs. We also discuss how wildlife can be encouraged and supported in our yards and landscapes. You can see his lovely designs at the book website https://www.naturedesignhealth.com/. 

This 24-minute podcast is hosted by Carrie Freeman, who recorded it for "In Tune to Nature," a weekly radio show airing Wednesdays at 6:30pm Eastern Time on 89.3FM-Atlanta radio and streaming on wrfg.org (Radio Free Georgia, a nonprofit indie station). Hosted by Carrie Freeman or Melody Paris. The show's website and action items can be found at https://www.facebook.com/InTunetoNature  Please support indie media like Radio Free Georgia at https://wrfg.org/ 

Take care of yourself and others, including other species, like those who wander through and feed in our backyards.

This double-length show explains tips from the book "Advocating for the Environment: How to Gather Your Power and Take Action" by environmental lobbyist, public servant, teacher, and author Sue Inches from Maine. https://sueinches.com/  After meeting at the 2023 Conference on Communication & Environment and hearing about her book and vast experience, I invited Sue to be interviewed on In Tune to Nature for a longer format show (52 minutes). This gave us more time to discuss advice from the book, such as:

• the power of being visionary in environmental action (and the 80-10-10 rule),

In Tune to Nature is a long-time weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50-year old independent, non-commercial, progressive Atlanta radio station at https://wrfg.org/  

Remember to take care of yourself and others, including other species.

We discuss the need for marine eco policies and "sustainable fishing" policies to move toward a non-industrial discourse that treats fish as subjects and as ecological beings rather than primarily objectifying them as human food/stock/seafood – basically sustainable fisheries rhetoric should stop reducing fish and other aquatic animal species to mere economic resources to be 'sustainably managed'. Dr. Jennifer Jacquet, Professor of Environmental Science and Policy at Univ of Miami, explains her rationales for why a change in our discussion of fish (and relationship with fish) is warranted and ecologically beneficial, in this 25-minute podcast with host Carrie Freeman. 

This is based on an provocative perspective piece that Dr. Jennifer Jacquet recently co-authored with Dr. Daniel Pauly, published in the journal PLOS Biology, titled "Reimagining Sustainable Fisheries" that challenges the bias toward industrial fishing and economic commodities in our fisheries and marine environmental policies. She also unpacks the excuse that we need managed industrial fishing with quotas to "feed people" or for "food security" when so much caught fish just goes to feed farmed animals (including farmed fish) and to feed wealthier consumer market demands when these consumers often have more sustainable food options (like plant-based). She explains why sustainable fisheries policies need to focus on subsistence fishing (not industrial) and especially protecting marine habitats to help aquatic animals begin to thrive free of harassment/harm. The move to reimagine whales as beings not commodities can be a model for cultural and political change toward other marine animals. See https://ali.fish/blog/reimagining-sustainable-fisheries 

The photo of free/wild fish in the Maldives is by Sebastian Pena Lambarri on Unsplash. 

In Tune to Nature is a long-time weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50-year old independent, non-commercial, progressive Atlanta radio station at https://wrfg.org/  

Remember to take care of yourself and others, including other species, like those who live underwater.

The Buffalo Field Campaign has worked for decades restoring rights to the wild Bison of Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming to live and freely migrate in and outside of Yellowstone National Park in their rightful territory. Carrie Freeman's radio guests Mike Mease and Dallas Gudgell are from the nonprofit Buffalo Field Campaign and we discuss their achievements since the 1990s. In this 25-minute podcast recorded late July 2023, they explain why the bison are at risk of being killed by hunters and ranchers when they leave Yellowstone National Park and how Montana's wildlife policies have been hostile to this threatened and recovering species (treating the species as 'livestock' instead of wildlife). Buffalo Field Campaign volunteers work annually to document and protect the bison in the field (they invite you to join them). Dallas explains the bison's key role in local First Nations' cultural identity and how a coalition of dozens of tribes are meeting in November 2023 to discuss a path to more unified Tribal stewardship over the Yellowstone bison as part of reparations and a path for true protection and recovery of the wild bison herds.  

The Buffalo Field Campaign is the only group working both in the field and in the policy arenas to stop the harassment and slaughter of America’s last wild buffalo. Formalized as a nonprofit in 1997, they also protect the natural habitat of wild free-roaming bison and other native wildlife, and stand with First Nations to honor the sacredness of wild buffalo. The primary goal of the Buffalo Field Campaign is to create permanent year-round protection for bison and the ecosystem they depend on—including respect for the migratory needs of this long-exploited and clearly endangered species. Their website full of info, photos, and action items is BuffaloFieldCampaign.org.

Photo taken by host Carrie Freeman of the bison herd in Yellowstone (during her visit in 2017).

In Tune to Nature is a long-time weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50-year old independent, non-commercial, progressive Atlanta radio station at https://wrfg.org/  

Remember to take care of yourself and others, including other species, like the bison, with whom we share the planet.

We discuss findings from a 2023 report “Animal Agriculture is the Missing Piece in Climate Change Media Coverage”. Given the policy agenda-setting role of the news media, this report details what coverage improvements are warranted to facilitate needed farming and dietary changes in the U.S. to help mitigate the climate crisis, given the large role that animal ag plays in greenhouse gas emissions (especially via methane and deforestation). In this 25-minute podcast, In Tune to Nature host Carrie Freeman interviews two of the report's co-authors, Coni Arevalo (Research Associate at Faunalytics) and Jenny Splitter (Managing Editor at Sentient Media).

The report and its recommendations can be found, with an easy-to-read executive summary and infographics, at https://faunalytics.org/animal-ag-in-climate-media/

Faunalytics is a nonprofit research organization that conducts studies and shares knowledge to help advocates support animals effectively. Their website is https://faunalytics.org/.  And Sentient Media is a nonprofit journalism organization and news outlet dedicated to changing the conversation around animal agriculture. Their website is https://sentientmedia.org/  

Photo of cow used in the dairy industry, by Jo-Anne McArthur of We Animals Media. The breeding, raising, and feeding of cows is the main contributor in ag to the climate crisis.

In Tune to Nature is a long-time weekly show airing on Wednesdays from 6:30-7pm EST on Atlanta indie station WRFG (Radio Free Georgia) 89.3FM hosted by Carrie Freeman or Melody Paris. Please consider donating to support this 50-year old independent, non-commercial, progressive Atlanta radio station at https://wrfg.org/  

Remember to take care of yourself and others, including other species, like all the free/wild animals we share the planet with.