Native to Place

In episode 7 of the Native to Place podcast I speak once again with Jesscy Dean.  Jesscy and I discuss Springtime foraging, and what Jesscy is most excited to find and what she will be looking for as the seasons change.  We talk specifically about Morel mushrooms, and Jesscy gives her tips for finding them. Jesscy also talks about the healing power of violets, and how she uses violets specifically. Other topics we cover include the transplanting wild plants into our home gardens or property, nettle, rose hips, wild tarragon, dames rocket, dandelion, and how Jesscy's (foraged) diet changes moving from winter to spring. 
www.thewildhomesteader.com
https://www.instagram.com/thewildhomesteader/

In this episode I speak with Elke and Alysia Littleleaf.  Elke and Alysia are Oregon based fly fishing guides on the lower Deschutes river. They are the first, Native American fly fishing guide couple in the US.  In addition to guiding, they have taken leadership roles in defending the Earth after bearing witness to continued degradation human action has brought to their local waterways, and tribal lands. Through spiritual connection, heeding the call of their ancestors, and inspired action, Elke and Alysia have gained attention from senators, Grammy award winning musicians (Portugal. The Man), and have spoken for Oregon Governor Kate Brown. In this episode, as usual, we cover a large variety of topics, from how Elke and Alysia first got started, the complications of doing the right thing, to being guided by angels and ancestors. The sincere dedication with which Elke and Alysia approach their work as conservationist, tribal advocates, and raising awareness though guiding is exemplary.  In this podcast alone, it is important to take note of the destruction, as Elke explains, that he is seeing just in his life time. It is alarming, thankfully Elke and Alysia help us to see how by taking action, and following our spiritual guidance we can make a difference.         

2:26 How Elke and Alysia got into Conservation
4:31 Blood veins of Mother Earth and the Native way of giving back
5:33 Against Nestle, water in a recored drought
6:24 Who they are and who they represent
7:52 Protecting first foods
 10:34 Senators, Kate Brown, and taking it to the next level
13:51Pesticides killing flies, snails, kingfishers, and the black spotted trout
16:04 Trouble with PGE
21:09 Strong bloodlines
23:15 Seeing the signs
24:14 Thousands of Years/Roots of Fly fishing amongst the Blackfeet, Cree, Sioux, and Seminole
29:00 Absence of Women in Fly Fishing, Alysia's journey
30:40 Prayers to the Creator and the Right State of Mind
32:20 River Therapy/ Healing Power of Fly Fishing
34:00 The surrender
36:16 What its taken to get recognized
37:10 It all comes back to Water
39:02 Why this podcast is callee Native to Place
40:00 Knowing a Place, guides as teachers of more than fishing
46:50 Education and the new generation
51:10 American where its been and where its going
53:30 Hope for the USA
55:19 Murdered, Missing, Indigenous
58:06 A Spiritual Connection to the Land
1:00 Seeing orbs, being guided by Spirit
1:05 it's Verdad
1:07 Christianity, Colonization, and what comes to light in oral tradition
1:09:16 Yourself in the fishes shoes, how we move forward 


https://www.facebook.com/petitionfortribalmembers/
https://www.facebook.com/Mrs.littleleaf/?show_switched_toast=0

https://www.facebook.com/LittleleafGuides/

https://www.instagram.com/littleleafguides/

https://www.instagram.com/mrslittleleaf/

https://www.instagram.com/elkelittleleafkirk/

https://www.facebook.com/Elke-Littleleaf-2140298802906878

https://www.facebook.com/Railroadwarriors/

In this episode i speak with Aly Stoffo, also known as the Glam Gardener. Aly is so many things, a student and teacher of the environment, with a Master's degree in Sustainability Solutions, and a BA in Sustainability, Energy, Materials, and Technology with a minor in Business, urban forager, gardener, activist, defender of Wetlands. This episode is packed with a ton of great material. Aly has a unique lens on foraging and issues of environmental justice. As she explains in the podcast, while it could be easy to live anywhere she has firmly dedicated her self to the place where she was raised- Staten Island, and all of the environmental issues it faces. This kind of fierce dedication to place, as well as Aly's work to renegotiate the ways in which Staten Island is thought of, perceived, and related to are deep values of this show and Aly is doing such a good job of championing this work in the world. Not only a forager,  gardens, and teacher, Aly also sells her art, medicine she makes from foraged plants, and is also in collaboration on the creation of a documentary film to protect the Graniteville wetlands, where a BJ's store is slated to be erected. Aly and I further get into the innate joy of foraging, lack of access to good health care and food, urban grit, transforming public space, seeing cities as a source of life, and so much more!
As always I truly hope you enjoy this episode. 
You can find Aly on her website: https://www.glamgardenernyc.com/
and instagram, tic tock, and twitter  @glamgardenernyc, tick toc 

Ava Chin and how Aly got started 7:05  
And academic girl in the real world 10:45
From Gardening to Foraging 14:40
Snooki of the Plant world 18:20
Innate Joy of Foraging 28:00
Lack of access to good food and health care/ Foraging and Sovereignty 33:35
Homage to indigenous knowledge systems and the Lenape 35:00
Perception of a Place 43:00
why Staten Island 50:11
Urban Grit, plants and people, and flipping the script 58:11 
Transforming Public places 1:26

A Hunter, Forager, and Forester by trade, Joseph Hosey has a lot to share about learning to live with and listen to nature. In this podcast Joseph talks about learning to see (black trumpet mushrooms) read (understand the language of), and listen (through intuition), to the land. While I enjoyed all of it, my favorite part of this podcast is how Joseph has learned to tend to the forest and why. I think this is something we can all learn to do in our own unique way, and places. Imagining the bounty, and harmony that could be created through small acts - living reciprocally with nature is an amazing thing to consider. Joseph also talks about what he does personally to find morel mushrooms, gives insight into how to spot black trumpet mushrooms, and at the end shares the spice he makes with chanterelles. We additionally discuss one of my favorite topics, intuition in nature. Joseph shares a beautiful experience he had while hunting. 
Last but not least, I would not miss Joseph’s tips for how to start eating wildly and live connected to nature. They are very practical and some of my favorite tips given so far. 
Hope you enjoy the show!           
You can find more from Joseph @freestateforager on instagram.
Language in the Forest (9:38)
Why people have fear of the forest (15:29) 
Choctaw words/Early settlers/ Thinking and Seeing differently
When Food is a driving Force (25:05)
Black Trumpets (29:22)
Joseph and Morels (36:50)
Joseph's experience with Intuition in Nature (44:33)
Gut Microbes and Intuition - true meaning behind our gut instinct (52:48)
Giving back/ the bounty (59:02)

In this episode, I speak to Todd Spire about his journey on becoming a fly fishing guide and steward of the land. As usual, we cover a number of topics. Whether or not you feel motivated or moved by fly fishing I think anyone can learn a lot from Todd and his approach for becoming connected to place. Todd weaves a sense of spirituality, ceremony, and deep reverence into his work as a guide. I believe this makes his work unique. In many ways he is an intermediary helping those who long for a deeper connection to nature, and the river, but he also has his feet firmly planted in the world of the spiritual and esoteric, but also in the practical. As a conservationist Todd is throughly invested into his community, the waters, and navigating the often precarious balance of what it means to be committed to place. We additionally discuss Todd's own fly- the New American, parenting - and how we can inspire our children to be closer to nature, how to have a real " relationship" with nature, finding our innate need for ceremony in nature, and one of my favorite parts of our conversation- the time it takes to be with a place. 
I hope you enjoy this episode, as much as I enjoyed speaking with Todd. 

You can find Todd here:
https://www.esopuscreel.com/
https://www.instagram.com/esopuscreel/?hl=en
https://www.instagram.com/toddspire/?hl=en

Learning the rhythms of the river / finding his soul mate in the river and  
 what it is to build an actual relationship with nature ( 23:44)

Living with/within an ecosystem and  situatedness / intimacy with the land  (27:08)

Committing to a Place/ First fly shop in over 20 years (30:01)/ Community development Community development through the passion of fly fishing 
Anglers as conservationist (33:20) how anglers often become and his own experience
Water issues an exhaustible resource / helping bridge the connection between people and place/ for people and falling in love with the river, fishing becomes the excuse. 
Water as an exhaustible resource, an American issue (37:28)  
Water shed issues and conservation goals 
How to navigate sharing our love for nature with our children (43:20) Advice to other parents 46:16
How we create abetter connection to the land (53:36)
The necessity for a return to ceremony (49:55), and community. 
Returning to the world a better person/
How to get into fly fishing /Deepen your relationship with the land (1:05:30)  
Finding free classes 
Take the time it takes (1:09)
Spirituality and Nature (1:13)
Where you can find Todd, and how to work with him (1:19:12) 

https://www.esopuscreel.com/

https://www.instagram.com/esopuscreel/?hl=en

https://www.instagram.com/toddspire/?hl=en

In this Podcast I speak with Marty Yi about a number of topics, from river ecology, to the history of fly fishing, his time as a  medic in the army, and perhaps most importantly the power of fly fishing to heal and promote mindfulness.  





https://www.instagram.com/martyakatheparty/
http://crosscurrentguideservice.com/marty-yi/