By Helen Fisher
The podcast currently has 54 episodes available.
I'm delighted to be joined by Diana Denke who has generously offered to bring us an overview of what can be done to bring more financing towards nature.
For generations wealth and financial markets have benefited from the extraction and depletion of the natural world to the extent that we're globally facing a crisis of biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse.
There is a firm recognition of the need to protect, support and regenerate nature for the multi-faceted benefits that it brings to our economy, health, communities & climate.
But companies are facing a barrier when it comes to moving significant finance into projects for nature so there's a need for new approaches and further learning.
Diana is passionate about nature regeneration and has a wealth of experience exploring investment opportunities into nature based solutions. She is the perfect voice to help us all to get a better grasp of the barriers, the challenges and possible paths forward.
(For a further breakdown of this discussion see the timestamps below)
You can learn from Diana and her work with Fair Carbon here: https://www.faircarbon.org/
Find a video version of this conversation over on the website: https://www.wearecarbon.earth/nature-based-solutions-diana-denke/
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Related We Are Carbon episodes:
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Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
04:34 - What are nature based solutions?
07:42 - The need & benefits of investing in nature
17:20 - Barriers to bringing finance into nature at scale
29:28 - Investing in carbon removal technology vs investing in nature
43:20 - Financing solutions for nature projects
50:35 - Collaborating to scale up projects?
54:20 - Diana's work with Fair Carbon [restoring coastal and marine ecosystems]
There are many reasons that our lives today have caused disconnection between us and the people and environments around us. And it's too easy to over look the importance of this.
I'm joined by three guests in Australia, Jem Stone, Rebecca Dunn and Sara Jones, along with Debbie Mace in the UK. They've all come together to share about the power of nature connection for our personal, collective and planetary well-being.
These four ladies are all practitioners of Wayapa Wuurrk which is an earth connection practice based on ancient Indigenous wisdom, originating in Australia.
This is a relaxing chat between like-minded woman and yet at its heart it's also a powerful conversation which demonstrates the place of talking in circle, sharing stories and reconnecting to the world around us.
You can learn more about Wayapa Wuurrk at the website: https://wayapa.com/
If you're in the UK and would like to connect with Debbie Mace directly you can find her here on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbie-mace-639a3b242/
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More from We Are Carbon:
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For a further breakdown of this episode see the timestamps below.
00:00 - Introductions
06:50 - "Individual Journey to Collective Well-being"
13:55 - Empowering through relationships
23:07 - Observation, conversation & story
33:58 - Addressing eco-anxiety
41:14 - What is Wayapa Wuurrk?
46:33 - Bringing Wayapa to the UK
50:44 - Personal transformation & global connection
It's hard to not have noticed the increase in standing water across farmlands in recent years; fields appearing to contain vast lakes during our wetter seasons.
Whilst we might consider ourselves to be at the mercy of changing weather this conversation helps to underline why the cause and solution to this standing water can be much more within our control.
Having monitored the soil and pasture health on over 200 farms in the UK Niels developed the concept of 'The Weatherproof Farm' which puts the focus on addressing compacted and unhealthy soils.
Making changes to a farm management system can be complex and so I really appreciate the way that Niels breaks down the barriers with his practical and accessible approach to understanding both the problems and solutions around soil health.
Niels works with producers and landowners to implement regenerative systems and has a passion to help farmers to understand the root causes of the issues they work with day-to-day, enabling them to create low-input, profitable operations that are nature-friendly and productive.
Learn more with Niels:
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Related We Are Carbon episodes:
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For a further breakdown of this discussion see the timestamps below:
00:00 - Intro
04:44 - The case for 'The Weatherproof Farm'
06:50 - Soil type doesn't have to be the limit
11:31 - What is aggregation in soil & why is it important?
18:31 - Dairy management - soil health, resilience & profitability
25:31 - Arable management - soil health, resilience & profitability
32:43 - The soil doesn't lie!
34:54 - An overview of the solutions
36:22 - Grazing management for supporting soil health
39:48 - Arable management to support soil health
45:49 - Complimentary support approaches
53:53 - Learn more with Niels
From Our Food Forests is a new light touch network hosted by Helen Fisher for connection and co-learning
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Episode highlights for further listening from the podcast:
In Season 1 of the podcast Jackson shared his journey of learning about regenerative practices in agriculture. He brought his passion to the communities around him, educating hundreds of small holder farmers and establishing small demonstration farms and food forests that have since inspired with their ability to produce when surrounding lands are dry and struggling.
In this episode we catch up with Jackson over two years later. We speak at a turning point in his journey where he's taking the first steps to establish his own regenerative farm in Western Tanzania. This time to become an example of a profitable business model for small holder farmers rather than as purely a demonstration for regeneration. Jackson offers a wide range of insights into the steps that he plans to take with his farm along with exploring some of the barriers that are holding back a wider spread transition within the communities around him.
Find a video version of this episode on the website: https://www.wearecarbon.earth/jackson-buzingo-farming-transition-in-east-africa/
For a further breakdown of this discussion see the timestamps below:
00:00 - Intro
02:57 - First steps on the new farm
05:23 - Why this farm differs from the demo farms
07:52 - Trees and layers in the new farm
09:18 - Climate struggles & barriers to transition
14:03 - Conventional farming struggles - tobacco dominance and deforestation
16:39 - Hope & inspiration from food forests
23:51 - Plan and progression for the new farm
31:23 - Access to seeds
36:25 - Access to food for local communities
37:36 - Building awareness & momentum for regeneration
Join me for a conversation with Peter Byck exploring the incredible opportunity that land offers to us as a tool for re-balancing the climate.
Peter is the director of the four part documentary series Roots So Deep (You Can See The Devil Down There)
There's a huge contrast that we often talk about on this show; how regenerative farming can tip all the detriments of conventional practises on their head and actually turn agriculture into one of the biggest healing tools for the planet.
And this is why I'm so incredibly excited about the work that Peter has been part of.
He's been working with a team of pioneering scientists who have conducted research to compare the outcomes of regenerative cattle grazing directly with their conventional farming neighbours.
It's an extensive multi-discipline project bringing a whole systems look and putting data behind the claims.
And the results are in!
Find a video version of this episode on the website: https://www.wearecarbon.earth/peter-byck-roots-so-deep/
For a further breakdown of this discussion see the timestamps below:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:04:42 - Climate solution discovery journey
00:12:36 - Break down of the science for Roots So Deep
00:19:23 - AMP Grazing; easier for the farmers?
00:27:22 - The far reaching connections from how we farm
00:29:33 - The game of knowledge sharing
00:36:00 - What's next? Expanding transition
00:41:06 - Comparing farming outcomes via dung
00:47:19 - Focusing on solutions
00:51:49 - Economies for farmers
00:54:00 - Funders for the research
01:07:24 - Inspiring change
Join us in this special episode that brings together a range of voices to explore their developing collaborative project; The Power of Food. Together these four guests bring a diverse range experiences and knowledge to unite around the common goal of building social cohesion by harnessing the connective power of food.
Connecting with where our food comes from, and also with community, with health, with nature and with the world around us. Holistic and expansive.
It was a delightful conversation to be engaged with and I'm so excited to announce that during our chat a decision was made to fast forward plans and move forward with a pilot right away!
If you're serious about taking action to connect and enrich the local food system around you I'm sure the team here would love to hear from you. Here's Nick's email - do reach out: [email protected]
The Guests and links out:
Nick Weir - Co-founder, Open Food Network UK https://openfoodnetwork.org.uk/
Kay Johnson - Director, The Larder https://larder.org.uk/
Flora Gathorne-Hardy & Miche Fabre Lewin - Founders, Living Justice https://livingjustice.earth/
With insights from Serenity Hill - Co-founder, Open Food Network [Full episode with Serenity: https://www.wearecarbon.earth/serenity-hill-open-food-network/ ]
For a further breakdown of this discussion see the timestamps below.
See the video version of this episode here: https://www.wearecarbon.earth/power-of-food-collaboration/
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More Formats from We Are Carbon:
[Shorter Video Format with Animations] - Can All Food be Regenerative. With Patrick Holden: https://www.wearecarbon.earth/can-all-food-be-regenerative/
[Story Telling Audio Format] - Soil (My Common Sense Take) : https://www.wearecarbon.earth/soil-path-to-whole-systems-thinking/
Explore ways to support this content: https://www.wearecarbon.earth/your-support/
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Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Overview
00:03:12 - Guest intros
00:12:00 - Collaboration - benefits & reasons for coming together
00:28:28 - The Open Food Network; an ambition to connect people with their food
00:34:34 - Insights from Serenity Hill - Co-Founder, The Open Food Network
00:36:30 - Benefits of shorter supply chains
00:41:00 - Connecting through food (self, community, nature)
00:50:20 - Learning to cook - addressing this obstacle to fresh local food
00:58:21 - Coming together to practice change
01:04:18 - An invite; get involved today!
Winglewood is both my home and place for imagination & I started the food forest before reaching out to start any of the conversations for this podcast.
After learning so much from my time spent here co-creating with Nature I'd like to start sharing more of the journey with you.
I've created a video to go alongside this episode so you can see a short intro to the food forest.
You'll also find an invite to join for some growing space discussions on the same page.
Find the video and invite here: https://www.wearecarbon.earth/food-forest-small-project-of-regeneration
Sharon is the founding director of EartHand Gleaners Society
Alongside her artistic and practical endeavours transforming fibres into clothing, Sharon's work also includes community projects that layer up the opportunities for people to reconnect with one another, with plants and with place.
Combined with a personal challenge of 'growing her own clothing' this all comes through to bring us a story of re-finding what it means to be human; exploring a slower, more purposeful pace of life as an outcome of acting more sustainably in the creation of the stuff we use and depend upon.
For a further breakdown of this discussion see the timestamps below.
See the video version of this episode here: https://www.wearecarbon.earth/sustainable-textiles-sharon-kallis/
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More Formats from We Are Carbon:
[Shorter Video Format with Animations] - Can All Food be Regenerative. With Patrick Holden: https://www.wearecarbon.earth/can-all-food-be-regenerative/
[Story Telling Audio Format] - Soil (My Common Sense Take) : https://www.wearecarbon.earth/soil-path-to-whole-systems-thinking/
Explore ways to support this content: https://www.wearecarbon.earth/your-support/
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Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:07:00 - Sharon's work integrating textiles within community gardens
00:16:40 - Connectivity, well being & complexity
00:28:08 - Challenges of community land access
00:34:26 - Invasive plant species for textile use
00:37:52 - Modern disconnection & unsustainable textiles
00:48:08 - Growing your own clothes! Sharon's journey
01:02:27 - The steps we can all take towards more sustainable textiles
David is the director of Natural Building Systems
His work not only explores how we can transform the impact of our buildings upon the climate, but how the use of natural materials is key to both creating and maintaining a healthy living environment for ourselves too.
Natural Building Systems is working directly with farmers to develop a supply chain for the hemp fibre utilised within their unique prefabricated system. Combining the best of nature and technology to work towards an affordable, adaptable system of building for a more regenerative future.
For a further breakdown of this discussion see the timestamps below.
See the video version of this episode here: https://www.wearecarbon.earth/carbon-sink-homes-david-nicholson/
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More Formats from We Are Carbon:
[Shorter Video Format with Animations] - Can All Food be Regenerative. With Patrick Holden: https://www.wearecarbon.earth/can-all-food-be-regenerative/
[Story Telling Audio Format] - Soil (My Common Sense Take) : https://www.wearecarbon.earth/soil-path-to-whole-systems-thinking/
Explore ways to support this content: https://www.wearecarbon.earth/your-support/
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Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Intro
00:06:10 - Embodied carbon in buildings - the size of today's problem
00:13:30 - The transition needed
00:17:30 - Synthetic insulation - look at the bigger picture
00:22:00 - The properties of hemp & short life cycle crops
00:29:00 - Utilising short life cycle crops as a more sustainable resource than timber?
00:34:30 - Working & developing with farmers
00:43:30 - The biobased modular system of Natural Building Systems
00:54:10 - The experience for a builder / developer to work with NBS & adaptability
01:00:00 - The experience to live within a NBS construction
01:05:00 - Collaborating / getting in touch / learning more
The podcast currently has 54 episodes available.
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