Nurtured by Nature

Hello everyone and welcome to this Nurtured by Nature Monday Mini Episode, designed to be a little snippet of connection to kickstart your week.

Following on from last week's episode about biological diversity, in this week's episode I discuss how citizen or community science research projects provide a fun and easy way for all of us to help support nature and wildlife conservation from the comfort of our own home or on your local patch, whether that is your garden or local area.

Something to remember, is that it's important for these organisations to know what isn't there as much as what is, so don't be put off from getting involved even if you don't regularly see very many animals/birds/insects, as that's valuable data too.

Links to some of the citizen science projects mentioned in today's episode:

Zooniverse - People Powered Research: a world wide platform with numerous projects from researchers around the globe, looking for help with cataloguing and classifying data. Projects include but aren't limited to those focused on nature and conservation. https://www.zooniverse.org/

UK Based Citizen Science Projects:
Mammal Society: 
Mammal Mapper App: https://www.mammal.org.uk/volunteering/mammal-mapper/
Mammal Web: https://www.mammalweb.org/en/

RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch: 27th-29th January 2023
https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/birdwatch/

Butterfly Count: 14th July - 6th August 2023
https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/

Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels - Great Scottish Squirrel Survey
https://scottishsquirrels.org.uk/great-scottish-squirrel-survey/

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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Welcome to Episode 5 of the Nurtured by Nature podcast. Today I'm delighted to be joined in conversation by the incredible Philippa Ross. Philippa is a self-confessed Enthusiologist, something the world certainly needs more of! Based in New Zealand, she is also a human ecologist, energy worker, writer and the force behind the Waste Not Want Not Podcast.  During this inspiring episode we dived into her fascinating ancestral connection to the Antarctic and her love of the world’s oceans. Explored ways to turn inwards to nurture our inner environments and discussed how approaching others with humility and humbleness allows us to listen with an open heart and open mind, whilst also considering the challenges created in managing environmental issues, particularly in the world’s oceans where our boundaries and borders allow governments to shy away from their responsibilities. But ultimately we found comfort in the wisdom offered by her family motto “Hope lightens difficulty”.

 
 Learn more about Philippa:

Philippa integrated her background in psychology, with her personal experiences, love of the ocean, passion for all things Antarctica and belief in personalised learning in to a role that fulfils an ardent desire to reduce the waste of our natural resources both our own human potential and our environment. She aims to help people connect and build a relationship with themselves and the world around them – to restore and regenerate the seed of potential within all of us and build a sustainable ecosystem that supports all life.

Her mission is to connect people to the energetic source within themselves –  their innate intelligence – so they understand the depth of their own value and have the courage and enthusiasm to use it to add value to the world around them. Whilst lifting up the attitude and aspirations of people towards a socially contented, compassionate society that honors the diversity of human nature and values all life and our connection to nature. Raising our energy and enthusiasm to minimise waste and maximise potential for our personal and planetary growth - the way nature intended.

Website:  https://philippaross.com/
Facebook
Personal:  https://www.facebook.com/philippa.ross.18/
Business:  https://www.facebook.com/EnthusiologistandPIP/
Waste Not Want Not:  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100075991457588

Listen to the Waste Not Want Not Podcast:  https://open.spotify.com/show/5UAvpJA5VGT4lhem44owIC

Other useful links from this episode:
Dr Rodolfo Werner, Senior Advisor for Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition
https://www.asoc.org/

Equine Facilitated Therapy
Book: Linda Kohanov: Riding between the Worlds: Expanding Our Potential through the Way of the Horse

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

Connect with us & join the conversation on social media:
Instagram @FionaMacKayPhotography
Facebook @FionaMacKayPhotography
Twitter @FiMacKay

Hello everyone and welcome to this Nurtured by Nature Monday Mini Episode, designed to be a little snippet of connection to kickstart your week.

In this week's episode I discuss the recent COP27 in Egypt and the current COP15 for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity that is happening in Montreal in Canada. Considering some of the challenges around the negotiations as well as discussing our concept of developing and developed nations and the impact that status has on their requirements to contribute to any fund for climate loss - there's a few surprises in terms of countries you might not expect to be considered "developing".

One of the reasons I started the Nurtured by Nature Podcast was the sadness and frustration I felt around the lack of action that resulted from these climate conferences and I wanted to create a place where I could encourage those who loved the natural world to realise that as individuals we can make a difference and we don't need to wait for the lawmakers to take the first steps.

So as a foil to the negativity in the media that often surrounds these COPs I share some conservation success stories for some species that have been able to buck the trend and make their way back from the brink of extinction, thanks to the committed efforts of some amazing individuals, charities and even governments. 

Links to some of the organisations mentioned in today's episode:

Mountain gorillas:
Gorilla Doctors Rwanda/Uganda/DRC: https://www.gorilladoctors.org/ 
Virunga National Park DRC: https://virunga.org/
Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund https://gorillafund.org/

West African giraffe:
Giraffe Conservation Foundation: https://giraffeconservation.org/

Knepp Estate:
https://knepp.co.uk/

Red kites A Conservation Success Story:
https://naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2020/07/21/a-conservation-success-story-the-reintroduction-of-red-kites-30-years-ago/

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

Connect with us & join the conversation on social media:
Instagram @FionaMacKayPhotography
Facebook @FionaMacKayPhotography
Twitter @FiMacKay

Welcome to Episode 3 of the Nurtured by Nature podcast. Today I'm delighted to be joined in conversation by the lovely Molly Ellis. Molly is the wildlife artist behind the brand The Wild Felter, based in the south of Ireland. 
During this inspiring episode we pondered how sometimes the most important thing isn’t knowing the answer but simply being prepared to ask the question. Molly shared how her love and relationship with nature only began in her thirty’s but has now shaped her family, business and home, where she has utilised renewable energy, the rather un-glamorous sounding post-consumer waste packaging and created a haven for wildlife by allowing nature to take the lead in re-wildling her garden. 
 
 Learn more about Molly:

Molly Ellis is the wildlife artist behind the brand The Wild Felter. She works from her cottage on the south of Ireland creating a range of endearing gifts and homeware that is affordable, ethical and comes from a love of Irish biodiversity. 
Her love of animals and the environment inspired her to decarbonise her home and further inspired her to make work that fulfils this ethos for her customers. Her range of wildlife art is available in prints, originals, jewellry and ceramic on her website Thewildfelter.ie

She is also involved in an award winning shop in Fermoy, The Blackwater Valley makers.

Website: thewildfelter.ie
Instagram: www.instagram.com/wildfelter
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thewildfelter

Other useful links from this episode:
Black Water Valley Makers: https://blackwatervalleymakers.com/
Irish Schools Sustainability Network: https://www.issn.ie/

More Environmentally Friendly Packaging Solutions:
Search for these things in your locality: post consumer waste, bio cello, kraft tape.
EcoLand: https://ecoland.com/

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

Connect with us & join the conversation on social media:
Instagram @FionaMacKayPhotography
Facebook @FionaMacKayPhotography
Twitter @FiMacKay

Hello everyone and welcome to the first of my Nurtured by Nature Monday Mini Episodes, designed to be a little snippet of connection to kickstart your week. 

Recorded whilst gazing in wonder out across mother nature's beautifully adorned wintry landscape, in this week's episode I invite you to join me on social media to share our ideas for having a less wasteful Christmas. From thinking about ways to decorate our homes, to sustainable gift ideas, including sharing our favourite nature inspired books, and looking at ways to be more eco-conscious with our gift wrapping and packaging. I look forward to hearing from you all - as I'm looking for some new books for my own collection. 

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

Connect with us & join the conversation on social media:
Instagram @FionaMacKayPhotography
Facebook @FionaMacKayPhotography
Twitter @FiMacKay

Welcome to Episode 1 of the Nurtured by Nature podcast. Today I'm delighted to be joined in conversation by the lovely Laura Sweet. Laura is an artist and writer based in California.  During this inspiring episode we dived into how her homeschooling created space for her and her children to gain a deeper reverence for nature. Offered up stories around our shared love of trees, discussed some of our favourite books and explored how Laura was inspired by Mary Reynolds' "We are the Ark" to create a sanctuary for nature in her own backyard, whilst nurturing her secret addiction to buying plants.

Learn more about Laura:
Laura Sweet is an Artist and Writer living her version of a hand made life in a faraway place, north of Northern California, USA. Her work is to live sustainably in her small and mostly wild place. Taking nothing for granted, she makes the most of what is already around her. Creating with her hands keeps life curiously joyful, while writing hones her intent for humility and gratitude. Her family inspires her love to see the simple goodness in every colorful and contrasting detail. When everything is sacred, nothing is wasted.
Website: https://laurasweetstudios.com/
Instagram: @halflight_letters
Facebook: @halflightletters

Find out more about the We Are The Ark Movement:
https://wearetheark.org/
We Are The Ark Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/804968449865497/

Authors/Books mentioned in this episode:
Mary Reynolds -We Are The Ark https://marymary.ie/
Sharon Blackie - The Enchanted Life https://sharonblackie.net/
Robin Wall Kimmerer - Braiding Sweetgrass https://www.robinwallkimmerer.com/
Clarissa Pinkola Estes - Women Who Run With Wolves https://www.clarissapinkolaestes.com/

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

Connect with us & join the conversation on social media:
Instagram @FionaMacKayPhotography
Facebook @FionaMacKayPhotography
Twitter @FiMacKay

Welcome to the Nurtured by Nature Podcast. We will be launching our first full episode on Friday 9th December 2022, so watch this space. In the meantime, we invite you to take a moment to listen to our welcome episode with our host Fiona MacKay, explaining more about the inspiring community of nature lovers we look forward to creating and serving through this podcast. 
If you love the natural world and are interesting in exploring ways that you can deepen your connection with nature in all areas of your life, or you are passionate about the environment and conservation then you'll fit right in and we're excited to have you join us on this adventure. 

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

Connect with us & join the conversation on social media:
Instagram @FionaMacKayPhotography
Facebook @FionaMacKayPhotography
Twitter @FiMacKay