The Nature Of with Willow Defebaugh

What does it mean to rewild ourselves? This week, Willow speaks with legendary conservationist and former Patagonia CEO Kristine Tompkins about her decades of work rewilding and protecting nature—including over 16 million acres of land and over 30 million acres of ocean. In their conversation, they delve into rewilding as a way to stay connected to the living world, even in the face of grief and loss. At the heart of this episode is a simple idea: when we remember that we are part of nature, we discover a deeper sense of purpose and possibility.

For more about Kris Tompkins and the Tompkins Conservation: https://www.tompkinsconservation.org/

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What if conflict is not something to be avoided, but something that can help us grow? This week, Willow sits down with author and conflict resolution expert Priya Parker to explore what she calls “healthy heat” and how tension can help relationships and communities thrive. Drawing on her new book, The Art of Fighting, Priya reflects on why some fights are worth having, how to tell when to engage with conflict, and what nature can teach us about the generative power of tension.

For more about Priya Parker: https://www.priyaparker.com/

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What if plants are more intelligent than we've ever imagined? This week, Willow sits down with journalist and The Light Eaters author Zoë Schlanger for a conversation about the hidden lives of plants and what they reveal about intelligence, consciousness, and our place in the natural world. By the end of this conversation, you may never look at a tree or a houseplant the same way again.

For more about Zoë Schlanger: https://www.zoeschlanger.com

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What if the universe is stranger and more full of possibility than we've been taught to imagine? This week, Willow sits down with cosmologist and The Edge of Space-Time author Chanda Prescod-Weinstein for a conversation about the cosmos, curiosity, and the power of expanding our perspective. They explore the physics of dark matter and other mysteries, what the universe can teach us about possibility, and why it’s always a good idea to have a beginner’s mind.

For more about Chanda Prescod-Weinstein: https://chanda.science/

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Lindsay Mack spends their time helping people rewild and reconnect with their intuition—but not in the way you might expect. This week, Willow sits down with the teacher, author, and host of Tarot for the Wild Soul for a conversation about spirituality rooted in nature, healing that moves in spirals rather than straight lines, and finding meaning in uncertainty. Together, they explore how the living world can become a mirror, a guide, and a reminder that we already carry much of the wisdom we’re searching for.

For more about Lindsay Mack: https://www.lindsaymack.com/

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Hope isn’t found in looking to the future; it’s in the past. This week, Willow sits down with legendary writer and activist Rebecca Solnit for a conversation about uncertainty, change, and the stories we choose to believe about what’s to come. Together, they explore why hope is not naïve optimism when rooted in evidence, and how history reminds us that change often arrives in unexpected ways. Drawing from Rebecca’s new book, The Beginning Comes After the End, this conversation examines the progress made in the last 70 years as cause for hope—and proof that the impossible happens all the time.

For more about Rebecca Solnit: https://www.rebeccasolnit.net/

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What can seeds teach us about memory, resilience, and the possibility of renewal? This week, Willow sits down with Vivien Sansour, seed keeper and founder of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library. They explore how seeds carry stories across generations and why protecting threatened varieties is a way of preserving the knowledge and traditions they hold, particularly during times of loss. From childhoods spent foraging in the hills to the role food and seeds play in connecting people to place, Vivien reflects on what it means to remember our connection to land, to each other, and to the stories that continue to shape us.

For more about Vivien Sansour: https://viviensansour.com/

For more about the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library: https://www.palestineheirloomseedlibrary.com/

For more about the Traveling Kitchen: https://viviensansour.com/Traveling-Kitchen

Palestine’s Seeds in Diaspora: https://atmos.earth/political-landscapes/palestines-seeds-in-diaspora/

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What does it mean for beauty to be part of ecology rather than separate from it? Willow sits down with Jorge Blanco, Davines' North America Culture & Creative Director, for a conversation about regenerative agriculture, green chemistry, and the hidden systems behind the products we use every day. They explore how soil, science, farming, and haircare are deeply interconnected and what it means to move beyond sustainability toward regeneration. This conversation invites us to rethink what it means to care for ourselves and the Earth at the same time.

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How do we stay open amid uncertainty? In this episode, Willow sits down with Maria Popova, writer and founder of The Marginalian, for a conversation about meaning, wonder, and the unknown. They explore Maria’s idea that “selfing” sits at the root of much of our suffering and how wonder can be an antidote. Moving between the scientific and poetic, the historical and the personal, they trace surprising connections across time in Maria’s new book, Traversal. This conversation is an invitation to loosen our grip on certainty and let ourselves be astonished by the marvels of existence.

For more about Maria Popova and The Marginalian: https://www.themarginalian.org

For Reweaving the Rainbow: https://substack.com/@reweavingtherainbow

Reweaving the Rainbow: Science, Poetry, and the Magic of Nature: https://atmos.earth/ecological-wisdom/reweaving-the-rainbow/

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How can we see nature as an invitation to break down binary thinking? In this episode, Willow sits down with environmental drag queen Pattie Gonia to explore the outdoors as a space that bridges divides. From hiking in heels to building community through art, Pattie shares how drag became a pathway back to both nature and self. Diving into the deep connection between identity, self expression, and the natural world, this conversation is an invitation to reconnect with what is most alive within us—and to remember that healing ourselves might be part of how we heal the world.

For more about Pattie Gonia: https://www.pattiegonia.net/

60 Seconds on Earth with Pattie Gonia: https://atmos.earth/art-and-culture/60-seconds-on-earth-with-pattie-gonia/

Pattie Gonia on Drag and Identity in the Outdoors: https://atmos.earth/art-and-culture/pattie-gonia-environmentalist-drag-queen-interview/

Why Pattie Gonia, Yo-Yo Ma, and Quinn Christopherson Won’t Give Up: https://atmos.earth/art-and-culture/why-pattie-gonia-yo-yo-ma-and-quinn-christopherson-wont-give-up/

Watch Bonnie Wright and Pattie Gonia Road Trip for the Planet: https://atmos.earth/art-and-culture/watch-bonnie-wright-and-pattie-gonia-road-trip-for-the-planet/

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