Voices for Nature & Peace

Dubbed a ‘gadfly of invasion biology’ by Scientific American, Matt Chew is known for critiquing ecology’s overreliance on societal metaphors and conservationists’ misapplication of notions like ‘nativeness’. Dr. Chew has a B.S. Environmental Interpretation and an M.S. Range Science (Ecology) from Colorado State University, and a Ph.D. in Biology from Arizona State University. As statewide Natural Resources Planner for Arizona State Parks, he coordinated their Natural Areas Program, researched wildlife issues, and served on interagency committees—one of which also included his future wife, plant ecologist Julie Stromberg, who was a guest in an earlier episode of this podcast.

Currently employed at Arizona State University, Dr. Chew conducts a field course in ‘novel ecosystems,’ lectures in ‘history of biology’ and ‘biology and society’, and works with postgraduate students. He was awarded an Oxford research fellowship in 2014. His articles in "Nature," "Science" and other publications have been cited in over 200 different journals.

In this episode, I am joined by two co-hosts, Gabe Crawford of the Groundshots Podcast, and Nikki Hill. Nikki has a degree in environmental science and has worked in restoration and agriculture. Currently she invests her energy in wildtending efforts. We co-authored a zine together called, "The Troubles of 'Invasive' Plants," which you can download for free at my blog.

Gabe Crawford was raised on a small homestead outside of Durango, Colorado and started learning about plants from an early age. He got launched on his plant journey by studying with Katrina Blair at the Turtle Lake Refuge in Durango. He moved to Sandpoint, Idaho where he worked with Twin Eagles Wilderness School and Kaniksu Land Trust mentoring kids. Through this, he started naturalist training which opened him up to the world of wild tending, Traditional Ecological Knowledge and the ancient and intricate relationships between humans and ecology. Gabe spent time with Finisia Medrano learning about the ancient wild gardens of the west that were and still are tended by indigenous peoples and was taught how to tend these first foods and plant back for future abundance. He collects the seeds of native foods plants, fruit trees, berries and other exotics to plant feral orchards and wild gardens.

In this conversation we take a deep dive into the history of "invasion biology" and reveal its scientific shortcomings and its cultural biases.

Prof. Chew's profile at Arizona State University: https://www.sols.asu.edu/matthew-chew

Papers by Prof. Chew at academia.edu: https://asu.academia.edu/MattChew

This is a crossover episode with the Groundshots Podcast, which was created by Kelly Moody. Groundshots is an audio project exploring our relationship to ecology through conversations and storytelling: How do we do our work in the modern age, when the urgency of ecological and social collapse feels looming? How do we creatively and whole-heartedly navigate our relationships with one another and the land? These and other questions are explored by Kelly & Gabe with a wide range of guests. Find out more at Of Sedge & Salt: https://www.ofsedgeandsalt.com/

Music in episode introduction is "Loop Mix" by Flavio Concini

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Terra is a freelance artist, writer, and podcaster residing in Portland, OR. I have known them since 2007, when I was an urban farmer living in their backyard. They are on Twitter as @cybersatyr: https://twitter.com/CyberSatyr

We discussed how the new ideas fit in with the old ones; the phrase, "trans women are women;" the concept of misgendering; how quickly the discussion of gender has changed; trans people in the military; the term, "TERF;" the usage of "they/them;" the word, "transsexual;" trans athletes in sports; actors, acting and Hollywood; and the importance of accepting things even whennnnn you don't understand them.

This episode's introduction music is by Doctor Dreamchip, who you can follow here:

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Prof. Robert Porzel is a national representative for “Physicians against Animal Testing” and founder of the animal rights group “T-Zelle,” which aims to establish intersectional collaboration between social movements. The current network connects about 20 individual groups and organizations in the state of Bremen, Germany. In January of 2019 he was elected as national speaker of the German Greens party for animal policies. Apart from his activism, he is a lecturer and researcher in the field of artificial intelligence at the University of Bremen.

Robert & I have known each other since 1987, when we were assigned as roommates during our freshman year at college together. Back then, we often talked for hours and hours, and though many years have passed, we easily found a groove in our conversation here. We covered a lot of topics including the lack of scientific basis for animal testing; alternatives for testing medicines that don't involve animals; the ecological cost of agriculture generally and animal agriculture specifically; the connection between the oppression of animals by humans and the oppression of certain humans by other humans; the cognitive dissonance of loving some animals while eating others; veganic agriculture; health issues related to eating animal products; the many issues with dairy production and consumption; how wild animals are sacrificed for the ranching industry; the importance of stepping outside cultural perspectives; the significance of social media communication; the relationship of capitalism to animal agriculture; reformism vs. abolition in social change; the increasingly serious effects of climate chaos; and what positive things that people can do both for animals and for human survival.

Papers by Prof. Porzel: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Robert-Porzel

This episode's introduction music is by Doctor Dreamchip, who you can follow here:

RADIO FREE SUNROOT: Podcasting by Kollibri terre Sonnenblume https://radiofreesunroot.com

KOLLIBRI'S BLOG & BOOKSHOP: https://macskamoksha.com/

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Zach Elfers was raised in the piedmont of the mid-Atlantic but has travelled widely around the lower 48. He is a student of the plants who has learned from mentors, elders, and most importantly, from living outside spending as much time as possible with the more-than-human world. His areas of interest include ancestral ways of subsisting, living, and knowing, and his work is focused on growing and promoting bioregional plants as food, medicine, and the foundations of our subsistence economies, rather than the imported and ecologically destructive colonial agriculture.

In this episode, I am joined by co-host, Nikki Hill. Nikki has a degree in environmental science and has worked in restoration and agriculture. Currently she invests her energy in wildtending efforts. We co-authored a zine together called, "The Troubles of 'Invasive' Plants," which you can download for free at my blog: https://macskamoksha.com/2019/01/invasive-zine

We discussed ecological concepts that are popular but flawed; the racist origins of anthropology; the forests of Laurasia and the Arcto-Tertiary Geoflora; prehistoric and pre-agricultural human relationships with edible plants; the Wilderness Act; anthropogenic fire; the question of whether fire is good or bad; disconnection from nature in mind and in reality; the conceit that science is absent of value judgments; and his nursery work.

Future Forest Plants: https://www.futureforestplants.com/

Nomad Seed Project: https://www.nomadseed.com/

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

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

Episode introduction music is "Mastermind 07" by DaveJF

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This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a50345 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Voices for Nature & Peace.

Disclaimer: This episode is full of obscenities and is probably not safe for work. Additionally, it contains words relating to sexual identity that may be offensive to some. All this vocabulary is not included gratuitously, but reflects the usage of the podcast’s subject, Finisia Medrano, a trans woman with a mouth like a sailor. You’ve been warned.

In this special edition of “Voices for Nature & Peace,” I speak with six people who knew Finisia Medrano, aka “Fin,” aka “Tranny Granny.”

Fin died on April 3rd, 2020, so this release marks that first year anniversary.

Fin was a well-known, or rather, notorious personality in rewilding, wildtending, and primitive skills circles. Her name was both praised and cursed, but even her critics had to acknowledge her experience and knowledge when it came to Native American first foods and how to cultivate them in the wild.

She spent about three decades in the western United States, much of it on horseback, getting to know these special plants and their ecosystems. Though of Irish background herself, she had been taught by Shoshone grandmothers in her youth.

She often spoke of “the Hoop,” which is an ancient migratory tradition of food gathering and cultivation that sustained Native Americans – and the land itself – in good health for thousands of years until it was violently disrupted by the European Invasion. The Hoop is not dead but is severely threatened, and Fin played an important role in not letting it die yet.

Unafraid of controversy and passionate to the core, she offended many. I myself was on her blacklist once but I didn't take it personally. What else can you expect from such a feral creature, so thoroughly discontented with civilization? After all, when we respect what we call “tact,” we usually end up being silent about our collective crimes: genocide, ecocide, etc. Some people were offended by her verbal crudity, but her fierce advocacy for wildtending was not only appropriate but vitally essential.

Please note that “Tranny Granny” is a term of affection, not a slur, having been bestowed upon her by some of the “Radical Faeries.” Fin underwent sex-reassignment surgery (as it was then known) to transition from male to female in her younger days, before being introduced to the Hoop. The Radical Faeries are a queer movement dating from the 70's who have been variously described as neo-Pagan, counter-cultural, anti-establishment, anarchist and radically environmentalist and their nickname for her carries no malice.

This presentation is not intended to be an exhaustive account of Finisia and her work. Nor did I attempt to interview a set of people who would provide a, quote, "balanced" view. That is, I did not talk to any of her haters. But none of these people were blind to her characteristics and the picture that emerges here can certainly not be described as “fawning.” And you know what? Fin – or Granny, as she always was to me – wouldn’t have respected a suck-up job either.

This episode is structured around a set of six questions that I asked each interviewee. They are:

part 1:

part 2:

part 3:

The interviewees are: Gabe Crawford, Joanna Pocock, Joshua Dodds, Nikki Hill, Rain

LINKS:

"Growing up in Occupied America" (autobiography by Fin):

Fin on YouTube (!)

"Finisia Medrano and The Return" by Joanna Pocock:

"Postcard From Eastern Oregon: When planting food is illegal" (in which I tell my story of meeting Granny)

This episode's introduction music is by Doctor Dreamchip, who you can follow here:

Other samples used:

RADIO FREE SUNROOT:

KOLLIBRI'S BLOG & BOOKSHOP:

ONE-TIME DONATION:

Support Voices for Nature & Peace by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/voices-for-nature-and-peace

This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a50345 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Voices for Nature & Peace.

Disclaimer: This episode is full of obscenities and is probably not safe for work. Additionally, it contains words relating to sexual identity that may be offensive to some. All this vocabulary is not included gratuitously, but reflects the usage of the podcast’s subject, Finisia Medrano, a trans woman with a mouth like a sailor. You’ve been warned.

In this special edition of “Voices for Nature & Peace,” I speak with six people who knew Finisia Medrano, aka “Fin,” aka “Tranny Granny.”

Fin died on April 3rd, 2020, so this release marks that first year anniversary.

Fin was a well-known, or rather, notorious personality in rewilding, wildtending, and primitive skills circles. Her name was both praised and cursed, but even her critics had to acknowledge her experience and knowledge when it came to Native American first foods and how to cultivate them in the wild.

She spent about three decades in the western United States, much of it on horseback, getting to know these special plants and their ecosystems. Though of Irish background herself, she had been taught by Shoshone grandmothers in her youth.

She often spoke of “the Hoop,” which is an ancient migratory tradition of food gathering and cultivation that sustained Native Americans – and the land itself – in good health for thousands of years until it was violently disrupted by the European Invasion. The Hoop is not dead but is severely threatened, and Fin played an important role in not letting it die yet.

Unafraid of controversy and passionate to the core, she offended many. I myself was on her blacklist once but I didn't take it personally. What else can you expect from such a feral creature, so thoroughly discontented with civilization? After all, when we respect what we call “tact,” we usually end up being silent about our collective crimes: genocide, ecocide, etc. Some people were offended by her verbal crudity, but her fierce advocacy for wildtending was not only appropriate but vitally essential.

Please note that “Tranny Granny” is a term of affection, not a slur, having been bestowed upon her by some of the “Radical Faeries.” Fin underwent sex-reassignment surgery (as it was then known) to transition from male to female in her younger days, before being introduced to the Hoop. The Radical Faeries are a queer movement dating from the 70's who have been variously described as neo-Pagan, counter-cultural, anti-establishment, anarchist and radically environmentalist and their nickname for her carries no malice.

This presentation is not intended to be an exhaustive account of Finisia and her work. Nor did I attempt to interview a set of people who would provide a, quote, "balanced" view. That is, I did not talk to any of her haters. But none of these people were blind to her characteristics and the picture that emerges here can certainly not be described as “fawning.” And you know what? Fin – or Granny, as she always was to me – wouldn’t have respected a suck-up job either.

This episode is structured around a set of six questions that I asked each interviewee. They are:

part 1:

part 2:

part 3:

The interviewees are: Gabe Crawford, Joanna Pocock, Joshua Dodds, Nikki Hill, Rain

LINKS:

"Growing up in Occupied America" (autobiography by Fin):

Fin on YouTube (!)

"Finisia Medrano and The Return" by Joanna Pocock:

"Postcard From Eastern Oregon: When planting food is illegal" (in which I tell my story of meeting Granny)

This episode's introduction music is by Doctor Dreamchip, who you can follow here:

Other samples used:

RADIO FREE SUNROOT:

KOLLIBRI'S BLOG & BOOKSHOP:

ONE-TIME DONATION:

Support Voices for Nature & Peace by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/voices-for-nature-and-peace

This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a50345 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Voices for Nature & Peace.

Disclaimer: This episode is full of obscenities and is probably not safe for work. Additionally, it contains words relating to sexual identity that may be offensive to some. All this vocabulary is not included gratuitously, but reflects the usage of the podcast’s subject, Finisia Medrano, a trans woman with a mouth like a sailor. You’ve been warned.

In this special edition of “Voices for Nature & Peace,” I speak with six people who knew Finisia Medrano, aka “Fin,” aka “Tranny Granny.”

Fin died on April 3rd, 2020, so this release marks that first year anniversary.

Fin was a well-known, or rather, notorious personality in rewilding, wildtending, and primitive skills circles. Her name was both praised and cursed, but even her critics had to acknowledge her experience and knowledge when it came to Native American first foods and how to cultivate them in the wild.

She spent about three decades in the western United States, much of it on horseback, getting to know these special plants and their ecosystems. Though of Irish background herself, she had been taught by Shoshone grandmothers in her youth.

She often spoke of “the Hoop,” which is an ancient migratory tradition of food gathering and cultivation that sustained Native Americans – and the land itself – in good health for thousands of years until it was violently disrupted by the European Invasion. The Hoop is not dead but is severely threatened, and Fin played an important role in not letting it die yet.

Unafraid of controversy and passionate to the core, she offended many. I myself was on her blacklist once but I didn't take it personally. What else can you expect from such a feral creature, so thoroughly discontented with civilization? After all, when we respect what we call “tact,” we usually end up being silent about our collective crimes: genocide, ecocide, etc. Some people were offended by her verbal crudity, but her fierce advocacy for wildtending was not only appropriate but vitally essential.

Please note that “Tranny Granny” is a term of affection, not a slur, having been bestowed upon her by some of the “Radical Faeries.” Fin underwent sex-reassignment surgery (as it was then known) to transition from male to female in her younger days, before being introduced to the Hoop. The Radical Faeries are a queer movement dating from the 70's who have been variously described as neo-Pagan, counter-cultural, anti-establishment, anarchist and radically environmentalist and their nickname for her carries no malice.

This presentation is not intended to be an exhaustive account of Finisia and her work. Nor did I attempt to interview a set of people who would provide a, quote, "balanced" view. That is, I did not talk to any of her haters. But none of these people were blind to her characteristics and the picture that emerges here can certainly not be described as “fawning.” And you know what? Fin – or Granny, as she always was to me – wouldn’t have respected a suck-up job either.

This episode is structured around a set of six questions that I asked each interviewee. They are:

part 1:

part 2:

part 3:

The interviewees are: Gabe Crawford, Joanna Pocock, Joshua Dodds, Nikki Hill, Rain

LINKS:

"Growing up in Occupied America" (autobiography by Fin):

Fin on YouTube (!)

"Finisia Medrano and The Return" by Joanna Pocock:

"Postcard From Eastern Oregon: When planting food is illegal" (in which I tell my story of meeting Granny)

This episode's introduction music is by Doctor Dreamchip, who you can follow here:

Other samples used:

RADIO FREE SUNROOT:

KOLLIBRI'S BLOG & BOOKSHOP:

ONE-TIME DONATION:

Support Voices for Nature & Peace by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/voices-for-nature-and-peace

This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a50345 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Voices for Nature & Peace.

Kathy Kelly is a lifelong pacifist and peace activist. In her efforts to stop the US military machine, she has traveled to war zones around the world, engaged in countless acts of non-violent civil disobedience, and been arrested dozens of times. With her own eyes, she has witnessed the brutal costs of US aggression. Her reality has focused on things that most US citizens don't even know are happening because the mainstream media and the political establishment studiously avoid them. She knows about the children who are killed or maimed and she speaks up for them.

Despite being witness to so much horror, she is not full of despair and does not believe that humans are intrinsically evil. She is clearly guided by love. I was so grateful for the chance to talk to her, as I have admired people like her my whole life. To me, such people are heroic -- not sports stars or politicians or soldiers -- but the rebels with causes: the justice seekers, truth-tellers, and rabble rousers.

In our conversation, we talked about International Women's Day (which happened to be the date of the interview); women's rights and the politics of peace; the brutality of war; how most US Americans are ignorant of the consequences of US militarism; the effects of using drones and special forces; her visits to Afghanistan; the 30th anniversary of Desert Storm, the original US military attack against Iraq; what she learned on a visit to the Russian Federation; how militarism has become "the main religion in the United States right now;" the connection between US imperialism abroad and the repression of Native Americans domestically; her experiences in prison; the subject of prison abolition; and what keeps her inspired as an activist.

Kathy Kelly's columns, as posted to Counterpunch:

Voices for Creative Nonviolence website

World Beyond War:

A School for Social and Cultural Change (SSCC)

Maine Natural Guard link that Kathy refers to:

Music in episode introduction is "Glass bass" by Frankum & Frankumjay

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Support Voices for Nature & Peace by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/voices-for-nature-and-peace

This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a50345 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Voices for Nature & Peace.

Laila Kassam has been involved in social change for most of her career. She has worked in the international development sector since 2003, conducting research on poverty and food security for rural development projects in the Global South. Her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals and by international organisations including the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN (FAO). Laila has an MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics and a PhD in Development Economics from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. She is a co-founder of the Veterinary Vegan Network, Ethical Globe and Animal Think Tank. She co-edited the anthology, "Rethinking Food & Agriculture: New Ways Forward," which features a number of well-known writers and activists including Rupert Sheldrake and Vandana Shiva. The volume contains three articles co-written by Laila, and discussing these was the bulk of our conversation.

We talked about the role of animal domestication in the neolithic revolution; the concept of "misothery;" the so-called "green revolution" in 20th Century agriculture; alternative paradigms including conservation agriculture, organic agriculture, agroecology, and regenerative agriculture; how the question of either chemicals or animal inputs is a false choice; and the myth of food scarcity. We spent the last third of the interview talking about solutions: how we can make agriculture sustainable and just, which involves not just farming methods but also systemic economic and social changes.

Excerpts from the book:

Episode introduction music is "Cool Swing" by frankumjay:

RADIO FREE SUNROOT:

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This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a50345 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Voices for Nature & Peace.

Susan Marilyn Block, Ph.D. is founder and director of the Dr. Susan Block Institute for the Erotic Arts & Sciences. A world-renowned sexologist and best-selling author, her book, "The Bonobo Way: The Evolution of Peace through Pleasure," has garnered critical acclaim from a variety of media outlets and celebrities, from politicians to porn stars. A magna cum laude graduate of Yale University “with distinction” in Theater Studies, Dr. Block, aka “Dr. Suzy,” received her master’s and doctorate in psychology from California Miramar University and an honorary doctorate from the Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality.

In our conversation, we started with the basics of Bonobo life, and then moved on to the effects of geography on their evolution; how sex makes you smarter; the "Bonobo handshake;" how male Bonobos are "mama's boys;" releasing your inner-Bonobo; sexual puritanism on the left; scarcity issues with sex in contemporary society; how humans were more egalitarian and sexually adventurous as gatherer-hunters than we are today; the problem of increasing screen time in the our culture; and efforts to save Bonobos and their habitat in the wild.

DrSusanBlock.com

Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrSusanBlock

BlockBonoboFoundation.org

Sex therapy: 213-291-9497

F.D.R. -- F*ck Da Rich! podcast, live on Saturday nights! Call in at: 866-289-7068

Organizations working to save Bonobos in the wild:

Lola Ya Bonobo, a sanctuary for orphaned Bonobos: https://www.bonobos.org/

Bonobo Conservation Initiative: http://www.bonobo.org/

The Bonobo Project: http://bonoboproject.org/

Episode introduction music is "EastAndW" by Romariogrande

RADIO FREE SUNROOT:

KOLLIBRI'S BLOG & BOOKSHOP:

ONE-TIME DONATION:

Support Voices for Nature & Peace by donating to their Tip Jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/voices-for-nature-and-peace

This podcast is powered by Pinecast. Try Pinecast for free, forever, no credit card required. If you decide to upgrade, use coupon code r-a50345 for 40% off for 4 months, and support Voices for Nature & Peace.