Nurtured by Nature

Today I'm joined by Ryan Mandelbaum, author of Wild NYC: Experiencing the amazing nature in & around New York City.

When we think of immersing ourselves in nature most of us are likely guilty of imagining far off wilderness locations but Ryan is passionate about exploring the incredible diversity of nature that can be found in the urban environment & in particular in NYC. 

Urban areas were often chosen for their rich natural features that would have benefitted wildlife as much as the humans that were drawn to these areas.

We discuss how connecting with nature has enriched their life in numerous unexpected ways, finding community in the often isolating city existence. Even if you are a complete beginner, there has never been a better time to become a naturalist. Simply start on your own street & begin observing the natural world. If you slow down & look there are untold secrets to be revealed from Raven’s nesting on the Brooklyn bridge, to humpback whales & even mountain ferns on the side of a railway viaduct.

As we begin to recognise & appreciate the amazing nature on our doorsteps, we likely become advocates for our natural heritage & this ripples out into the world in untold ways, catalysing social movements as well as environmental change. 

Learn more about Ryan

Ryan F. Mandelbaum is a science writer, naturalist, & educator. You can find him searching for critters across the five boroughs before returning home to Brooklyn to observe birds & moths from the roof of their apartment. Ryan has written about the natural world of NYC for the New York Times, Scientific American, Audubon Magazine, & their newsletter eyy, i’m walkin’ here. Ryan volunteers for the New York State Breeding Bird Atlas, the Finch Research Network & the Feminist Bird Club. 

Wild NYC by Ryan Mandelbaum & Chelsea Beck

A vibrant, family friendly guide to the unexpected nature found in & around the Big Apple. NYC may have a reputation as a concrete jungle, but it’s full of amazing wildlife - you just need to know where to find it! Equal parts natural history, field guide, & trip planner, Wild NYC shows readers how to experience another side of the City That Never Sleeps. Highlighting the natural aspects of the city’s landscapes & the wildlife that accompanies it, this quirky guide takes a leaf out of a famous New Yorker’s book & encourages its readers to “take a walk on the wild side.”

From easy-to-spot squirrels & praying mantids to more elusive humpback whales & purple finches, this delightful handbook profiles over 100 local species, complete with illustrations & information on where to find them. Also included are descriptions of day trips that help tourists & locals alike explore natural wonders on hiking trails, in public parks, & on street corners.

Website: http://www.ryanfmandelbaum.com/

Instagram: @ryanfmandelbaum

New York City Bird Alliance: https://nycbirdalliance.org

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Today I'm delighted to welcome back Leah Rampy, from Episode 41, but this time we’re also joined by Beth Norcross to discuss their new book Discovering the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees. 

Having worked together for several years guiding groups into the forest to seek wisdom from the trees, they created a 6 week online video course & wrote their new book, which offers opportunities to consider new ways of connecting with trees.

The forest can teach us about love & light but also about darkness & death. During these challenging times that are calling us to examine the path we have walked & take responsibility for creating a future that is inclusive & nurturing for all beings, we can turn to the trees for more than just strength & support. 

Beth & Leah share the lessons they discovered of resilience, adaptation, hope & renewal whilst amongst our tree folk. Guidance on how to connect & collaborate more closely, shifting out of the mind, allowing the heart to guide us beyond our current confined perception of life & our illusion of separation.

Simple practices gently guide us to remember to walk more consciously, rediscovering the relationships familiar to our ancestors & finding the courage to move through our discomfort to ensure we do what is ours to do.

Learn more about Beth

Beth brought her training & experience in both theology & ecology to founding The Center for Spirituality in Nature. She regularly speaks, teaches, & writes about the importance of immersion in nature as an essential way to encounter Divine Mystery deeply & intimately, & to foster a healthy, active, & loving relationship with Earth. Beth spent the early part of her career working for the U.S. Senate National Parks & Forests Subcommittee. After leaving the Senate, Beth served as Vice President of Conservation for American Rivers, then returned to school to study the interface between ecology & theology at Wesley Theological Seminary, specializing in eco-spirituality.

Website: https://www.bethnorcross.com/

Learn more about Leah

Leah Rampy, Ph.D. is a writer, speaker, & retreat leader who weaves ecology, spirituality, personal stories, & practices to encourage others to deepen their relationship to the natural world. She is the author of Earth & Soul: Reconnecting amid Climate Chaos & the coauthor with Beth Norcross of Discovering the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees. She frequently speaks & leads programs on contemplative leadership & spiritual ecology. Leah offers retreats & programs through Friends of Silence, the Center for Spirituality in Nature, & a variety of other organizations. Leah publishes weekly essays on Reweaving Earth and Soul. 

Website: www.leahmoranrampy.com

Spiritual Wisdom of Trees video course: https://www.centerforspiritualityinnature.org/spiritualwisdomoftrees

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Today I'm delighted to welcome back David Mizejewski, a Naturalist & self-confessed Nature Geek who works for the National Wildlife Federation. David joined me for an inspiring discussion about leaving the leaves & Autumn tips for nature friendly gardening in Ep. 52. 

This time we’re embracing Garden For Wildlife month & No Mow May, with tips for encouraging wildlife to thrive in your yard in Spring & Summer as well as sharing how container gardening can ensure that even in the smallest of outdoor spaces you can help contribute to supporting & nurturing your native flora & fauna.

David is celebrating 25 years with NWF so alongside sharing his wonderful gardening tips our discussion draws on his experience to explore the sometimes unexpected value that urban spaces provide to nurture wildlife, the relationship between environmental & social justice issues & the power of community led nature spaces to create lasting change. We also share the fun we both had setting up wildlife cameras to spy on the new wild neighbours that move in when we create habitats in which they can thrive.

In these dark & challenging times we our reminded that nature can be our sanctuary, providing joy & hope, when we share our spaces with amazing creatures & we welcome them into our lives we are rewarded in a myriad of unexpected ways.

David Mizejewski is a naturalist, author & television presenter with the National Wildlife Federation. He holds a degree in Human & Natural Ecology from Emory University & is an expert on wildlife & our environment. He is dedicated to using his knowledge & unbridled enthusiasm to help others understand & protect the natural world. David regularly appears in the media to promote wildlife conservation.

Website: https://naturalist.nwf.org/

May is Garden for Wildlife® Month, the perfect time to celebrate your own garden & it’s amazing impact on wildlife. From small balconies to spacious yards, wildlife gardens can have a big impact no matter their size! This year we’re excited to celebrate gardens of all sizes & even gardens in unlikely locations! If you have an outdoor space such as a balcony, a flight of stairs up a brownstone, or even a small greenspace around a mailbox, you can garden for wildlife. Plus, if you sign up for the NWF Garden Habitats Newsletter in May, you can even be entered to win a native plant container garden bundle! With over seven million participants and over 50 years of service, Garden for Wildlife is America's largest, longest running habitat movement dedicated to helping wildlife thrive where people live, work, play, learn, & worship. Join over 315,000 Certified Wildlife Habitats® when you get your garden certified!

https://www.nwf.org/Native-Plant-Habitats/Join-the-Movement/Seasonal-Initiatives/Garden-for-Wildlife-Month

https://www.nwf.org/garden

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Welcome to episode 63 of the Nurtured by Nature podcast, today I'm delighted to be joined in conversation by Hilary Giovale, author of Becoming A Good Relative, Calling White Settlers toward Truth, Healing & Repair.

As Maya Angelou famously said: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” Now is our time to do better, to step forward courageously, with open hearts, humility & perseverance to do the work to say this stops now, to play our part in healing & repairing the past to ensure a shift of path for our future. 

In this deeply thought provoking conversation & through her book, Hilary gently encourages us to reflect on our society & our ancestry to understand the two sided coin of white privilege & white peril, alongside the far reaching impacts of colonisation that have imprinted trauma on Indigenous societies around the world for millennia. She shares the wisdom she has gained over her decade long journey, that started with a revelation that held such guilt & shame it literally brought her sobbing to her knees in the snow. 

Through cultivating a way of being that shows up with a generous heart, listens & is responsive to what is asked & not what you believe is wanted, she has been blessed by an incredible diversity of people who have generously guided her journey & allowed her to offer their wisdom to us. She goes on to demonstrate the routes for repair, partly through addressing the continued systemic divide that is stubbornly resilient in our societies & is evident in the fact that only 0.04% of Philanthropic dollars in the US benefit Indigenous communities. But also through powerful private ceremonies offering us space for reflection, apology & forgiveness.

My hope is that this episode sparks conversation, that you listen with kindness and compassion as I do my best to hold space for these often confronting and challenging conversations that offer us all a place of beginning. I invite you to please share this conversation and join me as we take a first step together and then a second to play our part in raising awareness and then in taking action to unravel and repair the legacy we have inherited but also remember we have the power to redirect the future trajectory of our societies evolution as we come to understand and embody the reality that we are all connected. 

Learn more about Hilary

HILARY GIOVALE is a mother, writer, and community organizer. A ninth-generation American settler, she is descended from Celtic, Germanic, Nordic, and Indigenous peoples of Ancient Europe. As an active reparationist, her work is guided by intuition, love, and relationships. 

Website: goodrelative.com 

Instagram: @hilarygiovaleauthor

• Guide to Making a Personal Reparations Plan
• Links to Independent Booksellers

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Thank you for being part of this journey with me, please Subscribe so you don't miss our future episodes, leave a review & share with friends to help these messages ripple out across the world.

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Today I'm delighted to welcome back Kerrie Searle, an animal communicator based in Australia. Kerrie previously joined me for an inspiring introduction to Animal communication in Ep 11. 

Animal communication might be dismissed as a bit woo woo, but we invite you to open your mind to what the possibility of communication is when it isn’t constrained by words. We are born into an energetic world that we are intrinsically connected to, but through our education system we are taught to only value verbal communication & slowly we disconnect from the rich web of life & ourselves. 

This conversation invites you to return to the innate wisdom the world holds, to reconnect to other living beings in the world around us, to the land, to the ancestors & most importantly to all the parts of ourselves. 

Disconnection & separation from ourselves & the natural world was key to establishing a society that is able to exploit & abuse both nature & other humans. Our hope is that this conversation stirs in you a remembering of the exciting potential that exists when you consider that communication with the greater world is possible, it changes the way you see the world & your place in it, through this shift the potential of a new paradigm is born. 

This is more than communicating with animals, this is about listening to the knowing that is stirring in all of us & stepping into our true role in healing & caring for a reconnected world.

Learn more about Kerrie:

After experiencing enormous trauma throughout my life, both personally & professionally (having been a police detective for 17 years), I was mentally, physically & emotionally broken when I retired from the police force. Heavily medicated & in & out of hospital for years, my life was on a constant downward spiral. I realised the medical model I was using wasn’t helping me to get better & it was at this point that I chose a more holistic approach to my healing journey & also discovered the extraordinary healing power of flower essences.

As I journeyed from a place of deep suppression to reconnecting with the disconnected parts of myself, I also reconnected with my ability to communicate with animals (& other beings/energies) at a very deep level.

I now make my own flower essences from the indigenous plants/trees where I live & I use different combinations of flower essences to make a number of blends that I use to heal & support my journey through life. These blends are also used for my animal & human clients.

I bring my life experiences & learnings to my consults & workshops & now assist other humans to reconnect to the disconnected parts of themselves so that they too can communicate with their animals more deeply. I receive feelings, words, pictures, smells & tastes from animals which allow me to communicate at a very deep level & become a voice for the animals, conveying what they need heard to their humans.

Website: www.animal-communicator.com.au

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talkstoanimals

Support the show

Thank you for being part of this journey with me, please Subscribe so you don't miss our future episodes, leave a review & share with friends to help these messages ripple out across the world.

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Welcome to episode 61 of the Nurtured by Nature podcast, today I'm delighted to bring you a special bonus episode in support of Podcasthon, a fast-growing non-profit initiative that has united over 1700 podcasters around the world to raise awareness for the charitable cause that are close to our hearts. It’s an opportunity to use the podcasting community as a vehicle for social change by amplifying the voices and work of non-profits around the world, being the change we want to see. 

I make no secret of my love of trees and having had the opportunity to spend time with their team in person, for this special episode I choose to shine a spotlight on the amazing work of the Devon based charity Moor Trees, who are dedicated to recreating native woodland across Dartmoor. I share a brief introduction to some of their incredible work, from collecting seeds from the native trees on Dartmoor to nurturing them into healthy saplings in their community nurseries and then the meticulous planning that goes into preparation the for planting these trees to ensure they will grow into the thriving woodland habitats of tomorrow. 

Learn More About Moor Trees:

Moor Trees is dedicated to recreating native woodland across Dartmoor and surrounding areas. Although our region seems to be well wooded, much of the forest is commercial softwoods, Victorian game plantations and shelter belts. True natural woodland, rich with native birds & butterflies, is rare, mostly found in the steep valley fringes of Dartmoor.

We aim to restore native broadleaf woodland by growing trees from locally collected seed in our community tree nurseries, & planting them as new woodland on private & public land.

We use the local provenance trees that we grow at our two community tree nurseries in our woodland creation schemes. Each autumn we gather thousands of seeds with the aim of germinating & growing new seedlings. We currently have more than 100,000 growing in our nurseries getting ready for a future in the woodlands of tomorrow.

We are regenerating vital woodlands on Dartmoor, including Wiseman’s Wood. With your support we can grow local trees and restore habitats. We are celebrating our 25th Anniversary throughout 2025, help do your bit for nature by supporting us to achieve our vision of a wilder more natural Dartmoor.

Website: https://moortrees.org/

DONATE: https://moortrees.org/support-us/donate/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/moortrees.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/moor-trees/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moortrees/

Podcasthon unites podcasters globally, raising awareness for various charitable causes. If this resonates with you, learn more at  www.podcasthon.org Then, help spread the word.

Support the show

Thank you for being part of this journey with me, please Subscribe so you don't miss our future episodes, leave a review & share with friends to help these messages ripple out across the world.

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Welcome to episode 60 of the Nurtured by Nature podcast, today I'm delighted to welcome back Meghan Rhodes, a herbalist based in Yorkshire in the UK. Megan previously joined me for an inspiring introduction to herbal medicine in episode 34. 

We had so much fun that we couldn’t resist reconnecting to share with you all a deeper dive into how cultivating your relationship with healing plants can literally be a gateway to a completely different way of approaching life and showing up in the world. 

Whilst many people may initially be drawn to herbalism due to ill health and an interest in how they can use plants for healing, Megan is passionate about instilling in her students the deeper levels of fulfilment that this modality can bring. When you truly learn to work with the plants, you also become comfortable tapping into and listening to your own inner voice and wisdom. This becomes a way of life that is rich in a sense of discernment and empowerment, that ripples out in unexpected and uniquely individual ways. We actively question what has become accepted and normal in our modern societies and consider how we can step outside this paradigm and choose to live from a place that resonates with a more purposeful life-force and ensures you fully enter into the beautiful web of relationship that is naturally woven through everything in our world. We invite you to join us in considering how you become the architect of your own life and help shape a more loving and compassionate society.

Learn more about Meghan

Meghan Rhodes is a qualified herbalist and the founder and director of the Heritage School of Herbal Medicine, where she guides students on a unique sense-based herbalism course and journey, Awaken Herbal Wisdom, for up to three turnings of the wheel.

Meghan’s practice of herbalism is rooted in the belief that we must remember, reclaim and relearn our knowledge of our bodies, our autonomy and how to work with plant medicine in order to bring control of our own health back into our families and homes for a sustainable future for ourselves and the planet. Through her herbalism school, Meghan facilitates the development of confident, empowered herbalists, attuned to the messages of their bodies and the natural world. Living the deep wisdom of herbal medicine within themselves, their homes and their communities, they uplift themselves and others, creating a stronger society organically.

Meghan is a member of both the College of Practitioners of Phytotherapy and the Ayurvedic Professionals Association.

Awaken Herbal Wisdom – Meghan’s intensive herbalism course – applications open each spring - https://bit.ly/43qbNxg

Website: https://www.heritageschoolofherbalmedicine.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heritageschoolofherbalmedicine/

Support the show

Thank you for being part of this journey with me, please Subscribe so you don't miss our future episodes, leave a review & share with friends to help these messages ripple out across the world.

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Today I'm delighted to be joined by Paula Whyman, author of Bad Naturalist.

Inspired by Isabella Tree’s Knepp estate & Douglas Tallamy’s Homegrown National Park Movement, Paula set out to find a small rural escape & establish a meadow. But Mother Nature had bigger plans & Paula found herself becoming guardian to 200 acres of neglected Virginia mountaintop where invasive species were causing havoc to this important ecosystem.

Despite being a self confessed terrible gardener who knew nothing about plants, Paula threw herself heart & soul into her partnership with the mountain. She has already begun to tip the balance in favour of the native plants that support the insects, birds & wildlife of the region.

The lessons Paula shares remind us all, that there is no single path or categorically right option, everything requires a degree of trade-off, expecting perfection is a fools folly that leads to frustration. But if we slowly embrace nature’s timelines & make peace with tackling one challenge at a time, doing the best we can with the knowledge we have, it is possible to make a difference in this world. 

More about Paula

Paula Whyman decided to leave her Maryland / suburban DC empty nest to find a rural getaway, maybe a small farmhouse where she could put her interest in conservation to work. With little experience in gardening or conservation, Whyman had a crazy idea to cultivate a small native meadow to provide an acre or two where wildlife could thrive & she could explore with her poodle. Then she set foot on 200 acres of old farmland atop a Virginia mountain & her dream became a reality.

Paula consults with experts & gets conflicting advice on how to best restore her land. She has to fight invasive plants that expand & push toxic substances into the soil. But to her surprise, her lovely Virginia Blue Ridge mountaintop is full of life.  Native elderberries, wild bergamot & jewelweed spring up.  Lichens sprawl, bees bumble & butterflies return, songbirds call & a few plans eventually go right.

BAD NATURALIST: One Woman’s Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop, funded by the Maryland State Arts Council, author Paula Whyman explains how she cares for her mountain-sized ecological restoration challenge with a mixture of humility & humor.  She quickly discovers it’s impossible to be a “good” naturalist. This is a blend of memoir, natural history, & conservation science, a chronicle of her attempts to restore retired farmland to natural habitat.  Whyman leads us on an exploration of nature and human nature. How can we learn, adapt & find patience from one season to the next? When there’s no perfect option, does that mean there’s no good option? In the end, Whyman’s mountain is a metaphor & an inspiration for undertaking big, tangled challenges before we can possibly know what we’re getting ourselves into. What matters, is taking that first step.

Website: https://paulawhyman.com/bad-naturalist/

Paula’s Newsletter: https://paulawhyman.com/bad-naturalist-newsletter/

Support the show

Thank you for being part of this journey with me, please Subscribe so you don't miss our future episodes, leave a review & share with friends to help these messages ripple out across the world.

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Today I'm delighted to be joined by Clare, founder of Swift Homeopathy Clinic, an online clinic that gives people access to real homeopaths 24 hours a day when they are struggling with acute health conditions.

We discuss the very real challenges facing healthcare provision in the UK, as the NHS continues to struggle & patients find access to GPs harder to come by, the way we advocate for ourselves & also learn to have responsibility for our health needs a shift in the current thinking within our society. Clare realised there was a way she could help people when they needed it most by giving them access to qualified homeopaths around the clock. Swift has brought together an amazing collective of over 20 homeopaths from around the world into a community that is able to support both the patients & also the homeopaths.

Our conversation also explores the benefits of Homeopathy as a valuable resource to tackle many physical & mental health challenges & how working with homeopathy for anything from wasp stings to Menopause will have the added benefit of helping you become better equipped to support both yours & your families health as we strive to move from coping to thriving.

Learn more about Clare:

My journey with homeopathy began as a deeply personal one. Like many, I first turned to homeopathy for my own health & my family’s well-being. The more I learned, the more I saw its incredible potential, not just as a system of medicine but as a way to empower people with natural, effective solutions. That passion led me to train professionally & dedicate my career to helping others through homeopathy. Over the years, I’ve seen firsthand how valuable it is to have the right support at the right time, both for patients & for homeopaths themselves. I also know how isolating this work can sometimes feel, especially when faced with urgent cases, Out of Hours calls, or the need for a break without worrying about patient care. That’s why I founded SWIFT Homeopathy, a 24-hour online clinic designed to be there exactly when it’s needed.

SWIFT isn’t just about providing quick, expert advice around the clock for first aid & minor ailments; it’s also about creating a supportive place for homeopaths. So whether you’re a practitioner looking for reliable backup or someone who simply wants to feel part of a supportive team, SWIFT is here to help.

Homeopathy has always been about connection between practitioner & patient, between knowledge & healing. With SWIFT, I hope to bridge the gaps & ensure that no one practitioner or patient ever feels alone in their homeopathic journey.

Website: https://wwwswifthomeopathyclinic.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swift.homeopathy365/

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/Swift.Homeopathy365

Nurtured By Nature Podcast Episode 37 with Eugenie Kruger, Homeopathy Hangout

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Thank you for being part of this journey with me, please Subscribe so you don't miss our future episodes, leave a review & share with friends to help these messages ripple out across the world.

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Today I'm joined in conversation by Brett Jenks, CEO of Rare, a solution orientated global conservation organisation with a distinctly human approach. 

Unlike our historical models of creating national parks that exclude humans to preserve nature, Rare refuses to view people as the problem, instead embracing them as partners in conservation that enables both people & nature to thrive.  Brett highlights several of Rare’s established projects partnering with local communities around the world, giving them the support to become successful stewards of their own natural world. The Fish Forever project a community led approach to restore, protect & manage coastal seas across 8 countries & Lands For Life which teaches Regenerative Agriculture to farmers in Columbia.

In this mindset shifting conversation Brett shares how Rare successfully utilises human behavioural insights into their groundbreaking ideas, including creating a video game that literally plants trees, the Climate Action Now App that empowers consumers & an innovative Impact Investment Fund to provide alternative financial backing for conservation.

Brett left me truly inspired, imagining what is possible as we break free of traditional conservation models & embrace the unlimited potential available when humans remember their role as stewards & set our intention to work with the amazing wisdom Mother Nature has. 

Learn more about Brett

Brett is the CEO of Rare, a nonprofit that has led environmental conservation projects for 50 years & impacted the lives of millions, helping people & nature thrive together through community-led efforts across 60 countries. 

Brett was a journalist and film producer before he traveled to Costa Rica in 1992 for a government-partnered English teaching program. There, he designed an award-winning local ecotourism program for Rare and rose through the ranks to become CEO in 2000.   

Under Brett’s leadership, Rare has grown 3,000% and expanded its budgets to $30M. He notably scaled Rare’s Fish Forever program of revitalizing coastal fisheries to reach 2,000 communities across 8 countries, and launched partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, and companies like Bloomberg Philanthropies, Meta, Netflix, UNDP, and Nat Geo.

He has dedicated 20+ years to changing the behavioral approach to conservation. His views have featured across major publications like The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. In 2017, he was awarded the Rose-Walters Prize for Global Environmental Activism. 

Website: https://rare.org/

Support the show

Thank you for being part of this journey with me, please Subscribe so you don't miss our future episodes, leave a review & share with friends to help these messages ripple out across the world.

More information about the Podcast & our host Fiona MacKay: Fiona Mackay Photography Website

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