We Are Carbon

Welcome back to the podcast. I'm getting ready to launch the fifth season of We Are Carbon at the moment, but this episode is a little bonus, coming slightly sooner, because really, it's just been too long!

This Episode:

I had the pleasure of speaking with Helen Meech, executive director of The Climate Coalition. Their campaign 'The Great Big Green Week' has been building rapid momentum year to year, with millions of people across the UK anticipated to take action for their communities, nature and the climate this week (6th - 14th June 2026).

It felt like an opportunity to dig in to some of my own pondering around 'can small steps taken locally, really have the power to create the changes we want to see'?

I'll leave you to take your own conclusions around that as you listen through.

And I hope you have a fabulous Great Big Green Week if you're taking part!

External Links:

• The Climate Coalition: https://www.theclimatecoalition.org/
• Great Big Green Week: https://www.greatbiggreenweek.com/

The very first episode of this podcast was an interview with Caroline Grindrod and it remains one of the most insightful discussions I think I’ve published around understanding what regenerative agriculture actually is.

I’m delighted that Caroline returns now to add a new depth to all of this and catch us up with how things have been developing within her work and in life in general.

We chat about:

• The need for whole systems regeneration
• Caroline's bio-regional work
• What it looks like to live regeneratively

Additional Links:

• Caroline's work: Wilderculture | Roots of Nature
• Compilation episode with Caroline: Carbon Builds Life
• First interview with Caroline: What Is Regenerative Agriculture?

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

08:34 - The need for whole system regeneration

15:40 - Limitations of changing farm practice

25:09 - Vision for bioregional work

39:05 - Caroline's regenerative living

In this episode I invite you to open your mind to the potential around our coastlines. It's easy to overlook the value of the soils that are hidden underwater and the life that they support, but these blue carbon ecosystems are significant right across the globe. We are losing them, and the work to restore them can be even more challenging to fund than with projects in land.

This is a catch up with Diana Denke, co-founder of Fair Carbon.

You'll find the link below to our previous episode with Diana, where she helped us to break down the barriers to understanding finance around nature based solutions.

Here she returns with equally valuable insights around developing projects for restoring blue carbon ecosystems.

We chat about:

• Blue carbon ecosystems - what they are & why they're so valuable
• Barriers to blue carbon projects
• The role of communities for long term success

Episode Links:

• Fair Carbon website https://www.faircarbon.org/
• Nature Based Solutions - previous We Are Carbon conversation with Diana https://www.wearecarbon.earth/nature-based-solutions-diana-denke/
• 'Carbon Builds Life' - We Are Carbon compilation with Diana https://www.wearecarbon.earth/because-carbon-builds-life/

---

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

03:59 - What are Blue Carbon ecosystems

06:16 - The values of Blue Carbon ecosystems

13:20 - Developing with communities

21:51 - Leading with mangrove restoration

28:04 - Barriers to starting a project (and some solutions)

36:50 - Why have 80% of projects failed?

40:23 - Growing the Blue Carbon market & steps for Fair Carbon

How can we think differently about food? And how can food help us to think differently?

These questions are from the literature for the beautiful project that's at the heart of this discussion.

A Taste of Change brings together research and food experiences in a three year arc that seeks to spark new energy and connection for a more just food system, focused in the UK. It's created by Dr Miche Fabre Lewin, Dr Flora Gathorne-Hardy [Living Justice] and Daphne Lambert [Greencuisine Trust].

It was a pleasure to have the opportunity to dive into the ideas behind this work with all three of them together.

We chat about:

• The women behind the project
• The role of art in systems change
• What it means to be a 'food citizen'
• What is 'A Taste of Change'?

Watch & share the 3 min 'Taste of Change' video: https://youtu.be/f14hh34lX9M

More about the project -

"A Taste of Change brings together the creative and collective power of food and the arts. As a three-year arc of socially-engaged research residencies, the project is conceived by ground-making trio Daphne Lambert, eco-nutritionist and food educator of Greencuisine Trust, in collaboration with Miche Fabre Lewin and Flora Gathorne-Hardy, artist-curators and cultural practitioners of Living Justice. Together, their work places the matter of food at the heart of healing and transformative action to restore communities of well being, justice and biodiversity of habitat."

Living Justice Website: https://livingjustice.earth/

Greencuisine Trust Website: https://www.greencuisinetrust.org/

-----

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

02:50 - Overview of A Taste of Change

08:38 - The women behind the project

24:10 - The role of art in systems change

34:33 - What is a food citizen?

37:47 - What challenges are you addressing?

44:26 - What's happening this year?

In this episode we return to one of my favourite topics - that microscopic life that lives in the soil.

After recognising the significance of soil life for supporting the climate, Daniel Tyrkiel set about exploring solutions that would support farmers to support and work with the biology in soil. The desire was to create a plug and play solution; something easy and accessible that allows farmers to shift from chemicals to biology without a need for heavy learning or investment.

Daniel's company Soil Ecology Laboratory are becoming recognised for their innovative products which are continually being developed and explored further.

It was a pleasure to chat with Daniel and learn about the mindset behind the products and his determination which seems to have been inspired by his mentor Dr Elaine Ingham.

We talk about:

• The significance of soil life
• The barriers to supporting soil life on farms
• The products & evolution of Soil Ecology Laboratory

----

Resources Shared by Daniel:

• Recent news about Soil Ecology Laboratory - https://www.farminguk.com/News/-goop-boosts-soil-life-on-welsh-farm-in-no-input-trial_66709.html
• Soil Ecology Lab website: https://soilecologylab.co.uk/
• Consumer product website: https://soilsmiths.co.uk/

Learn more about Soil Ecology:

• Teaming With Microbes (book by Jeff Lowenfels & Wayne Lewis)
• Google Scholar - look up Dr Elaine Inghams' Ecological Monograph from 1986

----

Learn more with We Are Carbon:

Soil Life -

• Decoding Soil Biology with Adrian Ferrero https://www.wearecarbon.earth/podcast-episode/soil-biology-transition-to-regenerative-farming/
• Soil; Living Support for Plants & Climate with Christo Miliotis https://www.wearecarbon.earth/podcast-episode/soil-microorganisms-plants-climate/

Farming Transition -

• The Weather Proof Farm with Niels Corfield https://www.wearecarbon.earth/weatherproof-farm-niels-corfield/
• We Can Regenerate! with Finian Makepeace https://www.wearecarbon.earth/podcast-episode/finian-makepeace-we-can-regenerate/
• Holistic Management with Shiela Cooke https://www.wearecarbon.earth/podcast-episode/holistic-management-transition-mindset-farming/

---

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

06:12 - Why learn about soil life?

10:00 - The barriers to support soil life on farms

15:45 - The products & evolution of Soil Ecology Laboratory

33:14 - Recommendations for learning about soil life

38:16 - Making compost at S.E.L

41:13 - Taking steps for regeneration

I was thrilled to be able to chat with Jordy Johnson during an unexpected visit I took to &Soul Southall earlier this year. Jordy is the head of community for &Soul who describe their West London community hub as an entire village in a building; a place where they are reimagining urban existence.

It was wonderful to immerse in this very unique environment and I was thrilled to be able to chat with Jordy whilst there so I could share his insights with you all.

Jordy brings a very heart centred, nature connected approach to community which is filled with depth and no doubt brings experience from his prior roles which he also touches upon in this conversation.

We talk about:

- Community as ecosystems

- (Being) Nature's Intelligence

- Rethinking relationships in organisations & society at large

---------

Learn more about &Soul:

&Soul Website | &Soul Instagram

Events Recommended by Jordy:

• Medicine Festival https://medicinefestival.com/
• Soul Revolution Festival https://soulrevolutionfestival.com/events/soul-revolution-festival-2025
• Wider Horizons https://widerhorizons.events/
• Primal Gathering https://primalgathering.co/
• Love Jam https://www.lovejam.community/

Guided Meditation from Helen: Find the recording mentioned at the end of this episode - https://www.wearecarbon.earth/guided-meditation-power-at-our-feet/

---

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

09:13 - Community as an ecosystem

19:38 - Rethinking relationships in organisations & society at large

26:52 - Nature's intelligence & rediscovering self

34:37 - A movement in the UK [event recommendations]

It's a pleasure to share this chat that I had with Tim Sallin about the work happening across Florida to help shift garden habitats at scale in support of biodiversity.

The Outside Collab brings together many minds with an aim to reshape Florida's landscapes in response to growing pressures from huge population growth and the impacts this has on resources, community and climate.

It's a unique context but with insights that could be relevant to so many of us worldwide.

We Talk About:

• Garden management in new housing developments
• The impact of native flora on irrigation needs
• Gardens that heal biodiversity & climate
• Supporting homeowners in creating native gardens

----

Episode Links:

Tim is the host of the podcast, 'The Ground Up' - you can learn a lot more from him by delving into some episodes! https://linktr.ee/thegrounduppodcast

And learn more about the Outside Collab here: https://outsidecollab.com/

Watch the animation mentioned at the end of this episode: https://www.wearecarbon.earth/our-experiments/

-----

Episode Timestamps:

11:57 - Role of garden management in new developments

17:38 - Property management for native gardens

21:54 - Ecological impact from gardens

24:29 - Homeowner responses & needs

29:11 - Research - Native plant garden designs & benefits

34:00 - Gardens to heal biodiversity crisis

36:54 - One step to regenerate?

38:02 - Learn more and connect

Adam Smith brings a fabulous perspective on the food system which comes from years of witnessing the enormous problem of waste and exploring varied angles trying to address it.

Issues in the food system are complex to say the least, but Adam brings a clarity through his determination to find the root cause of all of this waste. He says we're over producing food; all fueled by demand for continued economic growth.

So, how do you start to address that over production? Well it seems it's another conversation where the themes of community and localisation emerge through.

Adam is the founder and non-executive director of Surplus To Purpose, a revolutionary catering enterprise that utilises food destined for waste, by safely redistributing it through cooked meals, products and provisions to families.

We talk about:

• Food waste & overproduction
• Why 'sustainability' doesn't work
• Dignity & community
• Challenging the supermarkets with a new model of supply

Learn more about Adam:

Surplus to Purpose website - https://www.surplus2purpose.com/about-us

Surplus to Purpose Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/surplus2purpose/

Adam's Journey (includes media links) - https://www.surplus2purpose.com/meet-adam

---

You can support We Are Carbon by exploring our new range of art prints created by Helen: https://www.wearecarbon.earth/art-prints-for-regeneration/

---

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro

04:14 - A system that creates waste

12:30 - I don't like sustainability!

24:55 - Overproduction

31:37 - An alternate future - for community not shareholders

If you're a poet, artist, photographer, writer or budding creative of any kind then you might like to listen extra closely to this one!

Jamie Nix is the co-founder of Plants & Poetry whose work shares and nurtures connection to the natural world through a collaborative approach to curating published works. Alongside her poetry Jamie's career is focused on agroforesty and soil health and she has a keen interest in supporting regeneration through place based learning.

We talk about:

• Weaving plants, science and poetry
• Connecting to place & community
• The role of sharing story (for regeneration)

Learn more about Plants & Poetry here: https://www.plantsandpoetry.org/about

I'm excited by an emerging co-creation between Plants & Poetry and We Are Carbon.

We'll be creating an inspiring anthology together and I'd love to invite you to help us to fill the pages!

It's very early on but if you head over to the website you can subscribe to email updates from We Are Carbon and I'll keep you updated! https://www.wearecarbon.earth

Timestamps for this conversation:

00:00 - Intro

04:55 - Weaving plants, science and poetry

11:54 - Connecting to place & community

19:20 - The role of sharing story (for regeneration)

24:07 - Next steps for Plants & Poetry

30:30 - Collab with We Are Carbon?

34:12 - More from Plants & Poetry

At the start of April I managed to catch back up with Peter Byck for this chat which feels well timed not just because it was a rare pause in his ongoing schedule of travels, but because there's a lot being rolled out right now by the whole 'Roots So Deep' team to scale up the impact that the docu-series has already seeded.

We talk about:

• Touring with Roots So Deep
• The importance of taking action (for regeneration)
• Food resilience and nutrient density
• Community, scaling & next steps for Roots So Deep

For more background about Roots So Deep you can check out my previous interview with Peter: https://www.wearecarbon.earth/peter-byck-roots-so-deep/

Or head to their website where you can watch the trailer, rent the series and explore their new Patreon & podcast: https://rootssodeep.org/

Check out the special compilation from We Are Carbon which also features Peter:

It's called "Time to Look At It Differently - Because Carbon Builds Life". Find it here: https://www.wearecarbon.earth/because-carbon-builds-life/

Timestamps for this episode:

00:00 - Intro

02:14 - Touring with Roots So Deep

06:43 - Importance of taking action

11:20 - Resilient food & nutrient density

17:50 - Regenerative grazing at a global context

24:00 - Scaling with community and next steps