Superseed

Welcome to another episode of Supersede with Robert Jeffrey, AKA Planter Rob! In this episode Madeleine and Rob discuss what it means to grow towards justice through confronting difficult situations and conversations. 

As a Black queer man who grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, Rob shares stories of the gardens and plant clippings of his youth that inspired his love of plants. His connection to the natural world and specifically to the plants he cares for is deeply apparent in the conversation, as is his convention to his community and deeper calling towards justice.

Rob invites listeners to consider the power of connection and love to break down biases. Plants show us issues are connected - right down to the soil. Rob embodies this reality by using his voice not only for the issues that directly affect him, but also to draw attention to injustice across the world, from Palestine, to Congo, to New York City.

Rob also shares the work he is doing with his immediate community with his work to develop supportive housing to address the housing crisis in NYC, and his work as a local community board member in his Brooklyn district.

Rob reminds us throughout the conversation about the very real power of joy, and he concludes the interview with a resounding call to get involved with and to support the groups growing joy in our own local communities.

Robert Jeffery is dad to over 80 houseplants. He is a Black entrepreneur and content creator who uses plant culture to share anti-racist work with broad audiences. Planter Rob was born in Birmingham, Alabama. After graduating from Western Michigan University with a degree in Organization Communication, Rob moved to New York, where he launched a business in the floral industry. The start-up’s message? Let’s chat plants and racism.

Follow Planter Rob! 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planterrob/
Website: https://www.planterrob.com/
X: https://twitter.com/PlanterRob

Seeding Sovereignty's Socials
Instagram/TikTok/Twitter/YouTube: @seedingsovereignty
Website: www.seedingsovereignty.org

Madeleine's Socials
Instagram/TikTok: @madeleinemacgillivray
Website: www.madeleinemacgillivray.com

Join us in celebrating one year of Supersede! We’re so grateful for a year of inspirational conversations, and to celebrate, we’re bringing you an episode that highlights some of the most powerful advice and wisdom from last year's guests. You’ll hear insight from Melina Laboucan-Massimo, Willow Defebaugh, Alec Leach, Kristy Drutman and more! 

Madeleine, Seeding Sovereignty’s Climate Program Coordinator started this podcast a year ago to encourage folks to use their individual powers for the climate and to share the incredible stories of people doing vital climate work. Our guests truly show us that anything is possible. 

All of our guests are superheroes, but their range of powers is deeply impressive. This year we heard from nature writers, sustainable style icons, Indigenous athlete advocates, energy sovereignty champions,  youth advocates, science communicators and so many more. This episode highlights their incredible range of action, advocacy, and callings – all united in the mission of protecting this planet.


Recommended Reading/ listening from our guests!

Just Transition Guide — SACRED EARTH SOLAR 

The World Is On Fire But We’re Still Buying Shoes – Alec Leach

An Introduction to The Overview Book | Atmos  

The Sprout Book | Doug Evans

Our Publications — 5Gyres.org 

Symbiocene: Beyond the Anthropocene

Check out our Supersede website! https://supersedepod.com/ 

In this episode, guest Kristy Drutman shares her journey from burnt out climate activist to founder of the Green Jobs Board and climate media superstar. Kristy is connecting climate leaders, amplifying green jobs, and fighting for a world of equitable and fair climate labor. 

Kristy touches on how her specific identities have shaped her approach to climate work and have encouraged her to look out for connections that others might not see. In this episode, she discusses her years of climate activism and shares how her own journey using her podcast Brown Girl Green as a networking opportunity inspired her to start the Green Jobs Board, where she connects folks with jobs that make a difference. Across all of her work, Kristy emphasizes the importance of letting community guide the way and staying open to new experiences. As she reminds listeners, “do it scared.” The world around us is shifting, and we need the courage and audacity to shift with it. 

Kristy Drutman, otherwise known as “Browngirl Green” is a speaker, consultant, media producer, and environmental educator passionate about working at the intersections between media, diversity, and environmentalism. As a young entrepreneur, Kristy has educated hundreds of thousands of people across the globe about modern-day environmental issues through speeches and media content as well as facilitates workshops centered around environmental media and storytelling in cities across the United States. Kristy is also the Co-Founder of the Green Jobs Board, a climate tech start-up bridging the equity and inclusion gap within the green economy through conversations, resources, and pathways to bring more diverse talent into the environmental field.

Kristy's Socials
Instagram/TT: @browngirlgreen / @greenjobsboard
X: @BrownGirl_Green / @GreenJobs_Board
Website: https://www.browngirlgreen.com / https://www.greenjobsboard.us/

Seeding Sovereignty's Socials
Instagram/TikTok/Twitter/YouTube: @seedingsovereignty
Website: www.seedingsovereignty.org

Madeleine's Socials
Instagram: @madeleinemacgillivray
Website: www.madeleinemacgillivray.com

Welcome to Episode 14 of Supersede! 

In this episode, Madeleine is joined by sprouting champion Doug Evans. Doug shares his continued passion for health and the ways he hopes to make healthy living and eating accessible in a rapidly changing world. Doug and Madeleine touch on the ways that commercialization, industrial agriculture, and focus on profit rather than quality harm both planetary and personal health. Doug also shares his journey towards consciousness around the reality of the global food system and his steps to make food a more personal, sustainable, and healthy process. 

With an enthusiasm that is simply contagious, Doug reminds us that we can all find a connection to the earth in some way – even a tiny sprout can remind us of all that is possible in the world! Doug’s commitment to hands-on health has lasted for decades, and his journey reminds us that even through the bumps along the road, it is possible to stay committed to a calling across career changes, location changes, and lifestyle changes.   

Doug Evans is  a visionary figure in the world of plant-based living and healthy eating. Doug's journey in the realm of health and wellness began when he co-founded Organic Avenue in 2002, a pioneering venture that laid the foundation for plant-based retail chains and inspired countless individuals to embrace healthier dietary choices. Later, Doug founded Juicero, introducing the world to the first automatic cold-press juicer, transforming the way we access fresh produce at home. Today, Doug resides at the serene Wonder Valley Hot Springs near Joshua Tree, California, where he has authored "The Sprout Book," a testament to his passion for promoting the incredible benefits of sprouts and advocating for affordable kitchen gardening. Doug's life's mission is clear: to teach people about the art of growing and consuming nutritious sprouts. His dedication to this mission led him to co-create "The Sprouting Company," a lifestyle company that makes it easy for everyone to grow and enjoy the healthiest food on the planet—sprouts.

Doug's Socials:
Instagram: @dougevans, @thesproutingcompany
X: @iamdougevans
Book: The Sprout Book

Seeding Sovereignty's Socials
Instagram/TikTok/Twitter/YouTube: @seedingsovereignty
Website: www.seedingsovereignty.org

Madeleine's Socials
Instagram/TikTok: @madeleinemacgillivray
Website: www.madeleinemacgillivray.com

Welcome to Episode 13 of Supersede! 
This month, we’re excited to bring you a special episode to honor Native American Heritage Month. 

We’ve compiled some highlights from three of our wonderful Indigenous guests discussing land, body, and community sovereignty. This episode uplifts the wisdom of Seeding Sovereignty Board Members Melina Laboucan-Massimo and Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Whetstone, and our Community Care Coordinator Serpentina Sanchez.

We are so lucky to be able to celebrate uplift and amplify their work and voices. These guests show how Indigenous communities are driving conversations and change around the issues that matter most – from how we grow the food that sustains us, to how we make space for grief and trauma, to how we create sustainable and resilient energy grids and energy sovereignty.

BIOS
Melina: Melina Laboucan-Massimo is Lubicon Cree from Northern Alberta. Melina is the Founder of Sacred Earth Solar and Co-Founder and Senior Director at Indigenous Climate Action. Melina is the inaugural fellow at the David Suzuki Foundation where her research focused on Climate Change, Indigenous Knowledge and Renewable Energy. She is the host of a TV docu series called Power to the People which profiles renewable energy in Indigenous communities across the country. Melina holds a Master's degree in Indigenous Governance at the University of Victoria with a focus on Renewable Energy. As a part of her master's thesis Melina implemented a 20.8 kW solar project in her home community of Little Buffalo which powers the health centre in the heart of the tar sands.

Jordan: Jordan Marie Brings Three White Horses Whetstone, a member of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, is a fourth generation runner, athlete advocate, community organizer, project manager, filmmaker, founder of Rising Hearts and a new mom. Since the 2019 Boston Marathon, she uses her platform - #RunningForJustice, to help raise awareness of missing and murdered Indigenous relatives by dedicating the miles she runs to a missing or murdered Indigenous person - their families, survivors and advocates. Jordan is committed to helping make the running and community spaces a more equitable, safe, visible, supportive, diverse, inclusive, affordable and accessible place for people today and the next generations. 

Serpentina: Serpentina (IG @flora.pacha) is a Queer Herbalist + Farmer, Gender Non Conforming, South American Migrant, zine maker, writer, full spectrum companion, seed-saver, and gardener. They are also a podcaster at Wild Weeds Podcast (IG @wildweedspodcast) and the co-founder of Bloom + Change a Queer Land Project in so-called New Mexico. You can find Serpentina online, in their farm or traveling around facilitating workshops in community groups and universities!

ACTION ITEMS:
Sign up for Jordan’s Truthsgiving 4 Miler!
https://events.elitefeats.com/23truthsgiving 

Learn more about Sacred Earth Solar through their Just Transition Guide!
https://sacredearth.solar/just-transition-guide 

Coming to you LIVE from New York Climate Week, we’re bringing you a very special episode of Supersede. Partnering with our friends Queer Brown Vegan (Isaias Hernandez) and Nowadays on Earth (Kalpana Arias), Seeding Sovereignty co-hosted The Symbiocene, a beautiful evening and panel discussion with Willow Defabaugh (Co-founder and Editor-In-Chief of Atmos), Isais Hernandez (Founder or Queer Brown Vegan) and Wawa Gatheru (Founder of Black Girl Environmentalist) moderated by Kalpana Arias of Nowadays on Earth. 

We’re lucky to join forces with the amazing folks at TEDxLondon’s Climate Curious, the UK’s top climate podcast. Head over to Climate Curious to listen to more casual conversations with the panelists, and don’t forget to subscribe to CC and Supersede! 

This discussion dives deep into emergence amidst climate breakdown. What does it mean to live at the end of the world as we know it, at the verge of emergence? Touching on the significance of decay, the conversation roots hope in the futures that might grow from the ecologies of collapse.  

The term ‘symbiocene’ was coined by environmental philosopher Glenn Albrecht; inspired by this term, we believe that we can rewrite stories of ecologies.

BIOS

• Isaias Hernandez is the founder of Queer Brown Vegan. He is a Gen Z environmental justice activist and educator from Los Angeles, CA. After growing up in a community that faced environmental injustice, he found his purpose in creating accessible environmental education with a focus on social justice issues.
• Wawa Gatheru is the founder of Black Girl Environmentalist. Wawa Gatheru is a GenZ climate activist, speaker, and founder passionate about cultivating a climate movement that is made in the image of all of us
• Willow Defebaugh is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Atmos, a nonprofit biannual magazine and digital platform curated by a global ecosystem of artists, activists, and writers devoted to ecological and social justice, creative storytelling, and re-enchantment with the natural world. She writes a weekly newsletter called The Overview which offers a holistic look at life on Earth through the lens of deep ecology.
• Kalpana Arias is the founder of Nowadays On Earth. Kalpana Arias is a technologist, urban gardener, climate activist and food growing educator, writer, speaker and the founder of Nowadays On Earth, a social enterprise advocating for contact with nature in the digital age.

Special thanks:

• Danielle at Rosa New York for providing us with an incredibly special space to hold this event
• Drew Wesley for live engineering all audio of the evening
• Josie and the rest of the Climate Curious team for the collaboration

In the days between New York Fashion Week and Climate Week NYC, consumption, sustainability and the wide gap between them are on our minds. In this week’s episode, guest Alec Leach, a fashion and sustainability writer, offers his insight into the complicated world of so-called sustainable fashion. Alec shares his journey from fashion writer with a burgeoning interest in sustainability to author of The World is on Fire but We’re Still Buying Shoes, an insightful and beautifully written critique of consumerism and the corporations that fuel it.

Alec highlights the reality that many consumerist markets have yet to truly feel the effects of climate change and how important it is to effectively communicate about climate change in order to inspire real change. With this communication also comes the need to truly understand what is happening within industry in order to advocate for change. Alec introduces listeners to the complexity and duplicity within the fashion industry by detailing the many steps of the supply chain and the intense levels of alienation and exploitation within it. This leads Alec and Madeleine into a fascinating conversation about the question of responsibility in a system so widespread and global. 

Alec’s realistic and thoughtful approach is incredibly refreshing, and as he concludes, he encourages listeners on their own journey, reminding us of the importance of cultivating a strong personal style and a mindful relationship with fashion.   

Alec's Socials
Instagram: @alecleach_
Substack: alecleach.substack.com

Seeding Sovereignty's Socials
Instagram/TikTok/Twitter/YouTube: @seedingsovereignty
Website: www.seedingsovereignty.org

Madeleine's Socials
Instagram/TikTok: @madeleinemacgillivray
Website: www.madeleinemacgillivray.com

Joining us this week on Supersede, Marcus Erikson discusses the continual call of service in his life – eventually leading to his role as co-founder and scientist at 5 Gyres. Marcus and Madeleine discuss their approaches to activism against plastics pollution and science communication, and Madeline shares how Marcus’s mentorship shaped her science journey as well. 

Marcus shares a bit of his inspiring life journey, encouraging listeners to dive deeply into issues that call to them. From rafting the Mississippi, to making art reflecting on his time as a Marine, to leading expeditions across the world to learn more about plastic pollution, Marcus’s love for nature and commitment to the world has guided him throughout life. 

Rather than centering his work on himself though, Marcus continually demonstrates humility and a steadfast commitment to the collective betterment of the world. It is the collective of humanity that must change in order to change the world. With this, Marcus reminds listeners of the importance of making science and creativity accessible to all – work that he is doing through his role at Leap Labs. 

Activism is not a linear journey, but Marcus reminds listeners of the power in keeping the pressure and sticking with an issue. Change may not be immediate, but it will be worth it. 

To learn more about Marcus’s work visit 

https://www.leaplab.org/

https://www.5gyres.org/

Marcus Eriksen has led expeditions around the world to research plastic marine pollution, co-publishing the first global estimate and the discovery of plastic microbeads in the Great Lakes, which led to the federal Microbead-free Waters Act of 2015.  He and his wife Anna Cummins founded 5 Gyres with an 88-day journey from California to Hawaii on the Junk Raft, built from 15,000 plastic bottles. Earlier, Marcus had rafted the Mississippi River, writing about the river and his experience as a Marine in the 1991 Gulf War in the book, My River Home. His second book, Junk Raft: An ocean voyage and a rising tide of activism to fight plastic pollution recalls the rise of the plastic pollution movement, growing steadily today.

5Gyres' Socials
Instagram: @5Gyres

Seeding Sovereignty's Socials
Instagram/TikTok/Twitter/YouTube: @seedingsovereignty
Website: www.seedingsovereignty.org

Madeleine's Socials
Instagram/TikTok: @madeleinemacgillivray
Website: www.madeleinemacgillivray.com

Welcome to Episode 9 of Supersede! 

This week Willow Defebaugh joins the podcast in an episode that touches on connection to nature, spirituality, and the value in transformation. Speaking with Madeline during pride month and solstice season, Willow emphasizes the magic within community and the good that comes from amplifying each other's unique superpowers within supportive spaces.  

Sharing her journey to becoming the editor-in-chief at Atmos, Willow reminds listeners to follow the threads in our lives leading to your calling even amidst doubt and confusion. What have you always wanted? What pulls at your soul? Our life calling is not a calling to perfection, but rather a calling to try, and as Willow states, we need imperfect activists. 

Willow brings her beautiful voice and connection to nature through this conversation which values the complexity of life in its ever-changing, beautiful, and messy nature. Drawing from her rich experience as a trans woman, Willow speaks to the beauty and significance of life in metamorphosis. Life is transformation, evolution, and change, and having the peace to come to know yourself throughout this can be vitally life-affirming.  

Willow Defebaugh is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of Atmos, a nonprofit biannual magazine and digital platform curated by a global ecosystem of artists, activists, and writers devoted to ecological and social justice, creative storytelling, and re-enchantment with the natural world. She writes a weekly newsletter called The Overview which offers a holistic look at life on Earth through the lens of deep ecology. Prior to Atmos, Willow held editor titles at V Magazine, CR Fashion Book, and L’Officiel USA. She has been featured in US Vogue, Vogue China, i-D, BBC, the Guardian, New York Magazine, and more.

Willow's Socials:
Instagram: @willowonearth
Twitter: @willwrights

Seeding Sovereignty's Socials:
Instagram/TikTok/Twitter/YouTube: @seedingsovereignty
Website: www.seedingsovereignty.org

Madeleine's Socials:
Instagram/TikTok: @madeleinemacgillivray
Website: www.madeleinemacgillivray.com

Welcome to episode 8 of Supersede! Today, Melina Laboucan-Massimo joins Madeleine on the podcast to discuss the many ways activism has interwoven with her life. Rooting the conversation in her upbringing in Northern Alberta, Melina describes the way place drew her to activism, and shares her journey working to “stop the destruction and start the healing” in the Athabasca tar sands. 

As Melina discusses her 20 years of work on social, environmental, and climate justice issues, she also stresses the importance of rest and care alongside work. Amidst a capitalist culture of burnout and stress, how can we simultaneously make justice movements trauma-informed and caring places?  

Looking towards the future, Melina is actively building towards a just renewable energy transition through her organization Sacred Earth Solar, and is bringing awareness to climate work through her TV show Power to the people. As we build  the blueprint for a better world, Melina reminds us how we must heal and support our community through transition. 

Melina Laboucan-Massimo is Lubicon Cree from Northern Alberta. Melina is the Founder of Sacred Earth Solar and Co-Founder and Senior Director at Indigenous Climate Action. Melina is the inaugural fellow at the David Suzuki Foundation where her research focused on Climate Change, Indigenous Knowledge and Renewable Energy. She is the host of a TV docu series called Power to the People which profiles renewable energy in Indigenous communities across the country. Melina holds a Master's degree in Indigenous Governance at the University of Victoria with a focus on Renewable Energy. As a part of her master's thesis Melina implemented a 20.8 kW solar project in her home community of Little Buffalo which powers the health center in the heart of the tar sands.

MMIP RESOURCES: 

https://www.risinghearts.org/

https://mmiwhoismissing.org/

https://yarrowproject.org/

https://mothernation.org/

Melina’s Socials:

Instagram: @Melina_miyowapan

Twitter: @Melina_MLM

https://www.indigenousclimateaction.com/

https://sacredearth.solar/

Seeding Sovereignty's Socials
Instagram/TikTok/Twitter/YouTube: @seedingsovereignty
Website: www.seedingsovereignty.org

Madeleine's Socials
Instagram/TikTok: @madeleinemacgillivray
Website: www.madeleinemacgillivray.com