SUGi Talks

In this episode of SUGi Talks, we hosted an in-depth conversation with leading voice in regenerative health and ecology, Zach Bush, on the topic of human health, biodiversity, and why reconnecting with Nature is essential to our collective well-being.

Together, we explored the profound interconnectedness between human biology and living systems, and examined the science linking biodiversity loss, soil depletion, and the rise of chronic disease. Drawing from clinical research and ecological insight, Zach shared bold ideas and practical pathways for restoring health by regenerating the natural systems that sustain us.

From rewilding urban spaces and rebuilding microbial diversity to addressing the root causes of modern illness, we looked at how ecology, community action, and a renewed relationship with the living world can reshape our cities—and redefine what it truly means to thrive.

In September 2025, we hosted an in-depth conversation with leading experts in ecology, urban greening, and community development on the topic of Biodiversity & Belonging and why Wild Urban Spaces Matter for our health and well-being.

Together with internationally recognised author of The Nature of Our Cities, Dr. Nadina Galle; founder of Nowadays on Earth, Kalpana Alejandra Arias; and our own SUGi UK Forest Lead, Adrian Wong, we explored bold ideas and real-world solutions for transforming urban life with wild, biodiverse Nature.

From building climate resilience and restoring lost biodiversity to addressing the mental health crisis in our cities, we looked at how community action, science, and Nature can unite to reshape what cities can become—and how we can better work together to make it happen.

Our SUGi Forest Maker Brett Krause grew up on a sawmill in Northern Queensland. Witnessing deforestation and the destruction of habitats, he was inspired to be part of the solution. Upon discovering the Miyawaki Method of creating rapid-growth biodiverse native forests, Brett set about on a mission to restore habitat for endangered species, like the extraordinary Cassowary and the Mahogany Glider.

Since 2014, and with our support, he’s been establishing biodiversity corridors in farm-degraded rural areas.
In this episode of SUGi Talks, we’ll speak about how he went from growing up on a sawmill witnessing deforestation, to now leading the way on Miyawaki Forest building in Northern Queensland.

Since the Enlightenment public space has served a pivotal role in the exchange of ideas, the cultivation of national identity, and the integration of communities. In Beirut however, money-hungry privatisation and hostile policies have left much of its public spaces dwindling. 

In 2019, in a demand for change protestors reclaimed Beirut’s historical public space, Martyrs' Square.

During the revolution, environmental architect and one of our first SUGi Forest Makers, Adib Dada was in the 2nd phase of his RiverLESS SUGi Pocket Forest, a project designed to help regenerate the Beirut River, and reclaim it as a public space. After a protest at Martyrs’ Square, he took people directly from the streets and brought them to plant trees on the banks of the Beirut River. 

Amman, Jordan is one of the fastest growing cities in the world, and the ongoing desertification of the region continues to threaten its resources. Our SUGi Forest Maker Deema Assaf watched her hometown of Amman become almost unrecognisable as urbanisation swept through its landscapes.

Understanding the cost of losing so much Nature she trained to become a Forest Maker and in 2018 she planted the first Miyawaki Forest of the Arab world.Focussing on preserving the genetic diversity of Jordan, Deema’s important work has protected some of the country’s most endangered tree species. 

On this excerpt of SUGi Talks, we speak about Amman’s rapid urbanisation, and the importance of changing mindsets towards Nature

On this excerpt of ⁠SUGi Talks⁠ we speak to Gaurav Gurjar. Gaurav is a jungle tree expert at Afforestt and the Director of the Maruvan Foundation in Rajasthan. Over the past few years, Gaurav has been restoring an area of India’s lost desert forest, and with the support of SUGi he’s begun the second 4,000 sqm phase of the project. Living on the land, enduring intense heat and drought, Gaurav has worked tirelessly to harness the elements in order to restore the land, and the results are astonishing. We talk about the power of deep observation, ancestral wisdom, and how as a society we could live in better harmony with Nature to create abundance for all.

In this episode of SUGi Talks we meet the writer and journalist Lucy Jones. Her book Losing Eden: Why Our Minds Need The Wild explores the powerful ways Nature impacts our lives, and dives deep into the research that explains why we have such a profound connection to the living world.. 

Our cities are in trouble and it’s not just the climate crisis. Urban areas are facing multiple interconnected challenges, including the ecological crisis, the human health crisis, and the climate crisis. 

In this episode of SUGi Talks, we speak to Cecil Konijnendijk about how Nature-based Solutions, like our SUGi Pocket Forests, can help mitigate the growing issues in our cities. 

With over 30 years of experience studying, teaching and advising with the likes of the United Nations on urban forestry and the implementation of Nature-based Solutions, Cecil is passionate about using trees to develop better cities and always stresses the importance of building meaningful relationships between people and places. 

Together we uncover the barriers and challenges in implementing equitable green strategies in cities, and why it is so important. 

Did you know that underneath the forest floor resources can be transferred from one tree to another in need? The Mycorrhizal Network is a fungal web that resides in soil. It functions like Nature’s internet, connecting many plants and enabling the transfer of resources and chemical messengers.

On this excerpt of SUGi Talks we speak with ecologist and SUGi Forest Maker Gabriel Orrego about the magical inner workings of fungi.

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What would happen our minds if one day we woke up to a world with no trees, forests, or even grass? If birds and butterflies were a thing of the past, and green spaces were non-existent. What if our only experience of Nature was through a simulation on a screen?

This is the stark future depicted in the opening of Lucy Jones’s book Losing Eden: Why Our Minds Need the Wild. It traces her own journey through addiction and depression, recalling the healing impact of Nature in her own recovery while diving deep into the studies and research that point to why being in Nature makes us feel good.

In this episode of SUGi Talks we speak to Lucy about why she felt compelled to write Losing Eden, and together we explore the research that explains the science behind our profound connection to the living world.

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