What Are You Doing Here ?

We invite you to celebrate with us! this episode was played and enjoyed far and wide more than any episode in our podcast history...  we feel an encore for new friends is in order. We are nourished by this collaboration with friends and our mother earth, and we thank you.

Be sure to enjoy this undisturbed outdoors and under a tree... if possible.

What you will hear is a natural soundscape, uplifting contemplative original music and the reading of excerpts by some of our favorite people from Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh's "Love Letter to The Earth" Parallax press (2013)

Please enjoy and send us your love letter to the earth ... IG:emergingworld_project  | email: [email protected]

Collaborators are listed on our website www.EmergingWorldProject.Org

The themes in Nick Brandt’s photographic series always relate to the destructive impact that humankind is having on both the natural world and now humans themselves too.

Nearly twenty years ago Nick Brandt started photographing the wild animals of Africa as an elegy to a dis-appearing world. After some years, seeing the escalating environmental destruction, he felt an urgent need to move away from that kind of work and address the destruction in a much more direct way. This led to the series, Inherit the Dust (2016) and This Empty World (2019). These were mainly about habitat loss and biodiversity loss, significantly as a result of human ex-pansion and development.

Nick established a style of portrait photography of animals in the wild similar to that of the photography of humans in studio setting, shot on medium format film, attempting to portray animals as sentient creatures not so different from us. 

Nick’s The Day May Break (2021) series is the first part of a global series portraying people & animals impacted by environmental destruction. Photographed in Zimbabwe and Kenya, the people in the photos have all been badly affected by climate change - displaced by cyclones that destroyed their homes, displaced & impoverished after years-long severe droughts.

The photos were taken at 5 sanctuaries/ conservancies. The animals are almost all long-term rescues, due to everything from poaching of their parents to habitat destruction & poisoning. These animals can never be released back into the wild. Now habituated, it was therefore safe for strangers to be photographed close to the animals in the same frame. Nick has had solo gallery and museum shows around the world, including New York, London, Berlin, Stockholm, Paris and Los Angeles. All of the series are published in book form. In descending order, Nick says the images are best viewed in a gallery, in the book or online full screen on your computer at the very least on your phone. You can discovery his work on his website www.nickbrandt.com

Nick is also the co-founder of Big Life Foundation, a non-profit in Kenya/ Tanzania, established 2010. They employ more than 300 local rangers protecting 1.6 million acres of the Amboseli / Kilimanjaro ecosystem. 

We caught up with Nick at his home in California and if you want to know what word he would add to the dictionary... it rhymes with "schmuck"  followed by wit. 

The music on this episode are natural original sounds of Earth herself and the beautiful music of apoxode and Daniel Birch 

Excerpt from "Love Letter to the Earth " Parallax Press (2013) by Thich Nhat Hanh was read by Greta

Some of us come into the world ready to do what we are called to do, knowing and finding it early on. Our conversation with Isaiah illuminates this quite clearly. Isaiah is 18yrs old, he shares with us how early on in his already young life he was entranced by all things nature, leading to a beautiful body of art work consisting of bird paintings and natural history illustrations, a fellowship and the study of ornithology at Cornell University.

As we continue to honor the writing of the beloved Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, we hope you enjoy this conversation with Isaiah whose own deep relationship with nature and the aspiration to preserve it for future generations is a living- breathing love letter to the earth.

Isaiah Emmanuel Scott, was born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, he is an avid birder, natural history illustrator, and an outdoor brand ambassador.

He is also a student at Cornell university, majoring in Environment and sustainability, with a focus on ornithology.

He is the recipient of the Eckleberry Fellowship for 2021, which endows nature artists with the goal of enhancing the impact of their work. His plan is to illustrate and create a book that depicts the relationship of birds and African culture in continental Africa, as well as the diaspora.

You can support Isaiah’s 40 acre nature preserve project and more by visiting the link in BIO on his IG account @ikesbirdinghikes and his website www.theisaiahescott

 break music ; Blonde by Nctrnm

Align with Lunar time.

The moon has always marked the passage of time, waxing and waning with a steady rhythm Awareness of the the lunar phases brings us into relationship with the radiance of the sun, the receptivity of the moon and the constant movement of the cycles of the earth. As we continue our series exploring and deepening our relationship with the Earth; nurturing a global peace community and reflecting on the writings of peace activist Thich Nhat Hanh, we offer you this wonderful conversation with April McMurtry.

April is the founder of THE MOON IS MY CALENDAR and creatress of the New Moon Calendar Journal.

She is also a visual artist, mother, and creative lunar guide. Her work reflects her passion for nature-based cycles, wellness, and creative expression.

With a background in Youth Leadership, Girls’ Education, Intuitive Art, and Meditation - April has more than twenty years experience working in education as a classroom teacher, workshop facilitator and program coordinator at home and abroad.

April’s guidance supports people on the path to growth and transformation through meditation, creative process, and awakening cyclical wisdom.

She is interested in how healing work is connected to our relationship with Earth.

Both of April’s grandmothers are first generation born in the United States from England and Ireland. She is a mother of two children and resides in the San Francisco Bay Area with four generations of her family. 

Learn more about " The Moon is my Calendar" with April at www.themoonismycalendar.com and enjoy this lunar language on IG @themoonismycalendar

Visit EmergingWorldProject.Org for details about this series.

On this episode we take a deep dive into how we can live in right relationship with our mother Earth and why that feels so essential for humans right now. We begin with a conversation with Natasha, this conversation, friendship and guidance with deepening my own relationship with the natural world has been a bit of a lifeline for me, and I sense it can be for you too. You will find some bits of laughter, guidance and an invitation to Sing to the Earth.

This episode is a prelude to our next season where we explore the Love Letter to the Earth by Thich Naht Hanh; through out this season we will also explore finding novelty in nature, art in our lives and simply helping out.  

Our guest Natasha Deganello Giraudie is a mother, a filmmaker and a teacher of nature practice. She helped to pioneer the micro-documentary genre for humanitarian movements, filming in more than 30 countries and reaching expansive audiences with her work.

Her film, One Word Sawalmem, was selected by Robert Redford and the Redford Center as a powerful voice at the intersection of youth, indigenous wisdom and environmental change.Her experiential nature meditation film, Inmanencia, was selected to be screened in festivals around the world from Boulder to Buenos Aires to Bhutan, where it won the Audience Choice Award. 

As a child, Natasha learned some of her most valuable lessons outside the classroom – from indigenous people living deep in the wilderness of her native Venezuela. She has studied nature-inspired compassion with the Dalai Lama for more than 20 years and also attended nature-based retreats with Thich Naht Hanh at Plum Village. As a teacher of nature-based wellbeing, Natasha has taught groups of young professionals from the United Nations, Google and Airbnb as well as medical practitioners, politicians, nonprofit leaders and fellow documentary filmmakers in the US, Latin America and Asia.

Connect with Natasha and begin your nature practice today https://www.rosaguayaba.earth/ 

You will also discover much wisdom and beauty on Natasha's IG @rosa.guayaba 

Thich Nhat Hanh, passed away peacefully at the age of 95 on January 22, he was a spiritual revolutionary who brought Buddhism out of Vietnam and introduced it to the wider world. He is the author of more than 100 books, and wrote extensively about the principles and everyday applications of engaged Buddhism.

In the wake of his death, we are reminded of his teachings on mindfulness – a nonjudgemental awareness of all that is happening inside and around us. If we can reconnect with our bodies, we connect with the Earth. We also open ourselves to the joy that is possible in even the most mundane of moments: In order to work towards a more sustainable future, Thay as he is called, which means teacher in Vietnamese, encourages us to reconnect with our Mother Earth.

The Arctic or the rainforests can feel rather abstract, and therefore separate. But at a molecular level, we are the Earth. – and it’s possible to realize this more deeply: over the course of this special season in reverence to Thich Nhat Hanh, a stunning array of voices from across the globe will be reading from Thay’s book “Love Letter to the Earth” coupled with essays, interviews, music and art. It is in invitation to walk, learn and live the deeper conversation with our Mother Earth. 

Thich Nhat Hanh " Love Letter to the Earth " is graciously permitted by Parallax Press.

Parallax Press is a nonprofit publisher founded by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. They publish books and media on the art of mindful living and Engaged Buddhism. And are committed to offering teachings that help transform suffering and injustice. Their aspiration is to contribute to collective insight and awakening, bringing about a more joyful, healthy, and compassionate society. www.parallax.org

We also wish to express our deepest gratitude to Plum Village Monastery for their love and dedication in continuing the work of Thich Nhat Hanh. 

You can help further Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings by donating to the Thich Nhat Hanh Foundation 

https://thichnhathanhfoundation.org/ways-to-give

To enjoy the entirety of this upcoming presentation please visit EmergingWorldProject.Org | podcast

The philosophical heartbeat of a storyteller is to move more people to do great things: to inspire people to think, act and behave in a way which will enrich their lives and those of people around them.

Diedre Jantjies is a cultural activist from Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa, she writes the historical stories of women. She is the founder of Na Aap Productions, a fully integrated, broad based production company, screening untold stories of Southern Africa. Diedre has a long history of stage performing, she took these skills and started writing her own stories that she is creating into short and feature films. Working extensively on narratives closest to her heart.

Stories that include indigenous heritage and traditions that have been forgotten, is the most important dialogue that she wants to create. Company founder Deidre Jantjies identified that women needed a voice to represent themselves creatively.

This was a great way to start a company that stood for African writers, directors, and producers. In 2020, the company partnered with an Indian storyteller and produced Love Thy Neighbour, an animation short film that won international awards. In that same year they produced Stories in die Wind, a web series that tells the indigenous story of a young girl finding her purpose. 

Follow Diedre's adventures on IG @jantjesdiedre and the animated web series "Stories in die Wind" at www.storiesindiewind.co.za

The heating planet is our commons. It holds us all. To address and reverse warming requires connection and reciprocity. It calls for moving out of our comfort zones to find a depth of courage we may have never known. It calls for action that is bold and fearless. our guest today is David, one such person with a depth of courage that left us after out talk in deep reflection about our own continued and deepened call to end the climate crisis in one generation, and most importantly transitioning to a plant - based food system. David shares with us the horrors of the animal agriculture industry from his own direct experience as a (former) federal slaughterhouse inspector. 

David Pereira has worked in the Animal Agriculture industry for 15 years. He has witnessed many horrible things during his time as a slaughterhouse inspector. After some self-reflection, learning that we don’t need to eat a cows, chickens, pigs or fish to live he became vegan. Now, David is working to grow is his influence and share his story in the hopes that he may inspire others to follow their intuition, go vegan, and become activists. As an Animal Rights Activist, he’s helped to create and organize many campaigns workin with many other activists with the goal of recruitment in mind. He enjoys street outreach speaking to the public directly. He has a platform on youtube, tiktok, facebook and instagram. His work is focused on helping to build a better life and world for the most vulnerable. You can support David’s goal of becoming a full time activist for change or help with other campaigns by visiting David's platforms  https://linktr.ee/The40yearoldVegan  

YouTube |  https://youtube.com/c/The40yearoldVegan

IG | @the_40_yearoldvegan 

“I love speaking with the public directly, you see the change right before your eyes” ~ david pereira

... match your passion with helping to regenerate life on Earth by delving in at regeneration.org

The world’s largest, most complete listing and network of solutions to the climate crisis. And how to do them! ™

music | apoxode

Emerging World Project studios are located on Tongva Land

Dr (Hon) Wong Siew Te, D.J.N.

准拿督黃修德荣誉博士

Dr. Wong Siew Te is a Malaysian wildlife biologist and tropical forest ecologist. He did his Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate degrees in Wildlife Biology at the University of Montana, USA, and has an honorary doctorate from the University of Sunshine Coast in Australia. He is the CEO and founder of the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, which he founded in 2008. Having done his Bachelor, Master, and Doctorate degrees in Wildlife Biology at the University of Montana, USA, and has an honorary doctorate from the University of Sunshine Coast in Australia. Dr. Wong has been recognized with numerous awards for his work on sun bear conservation and is a worldwide authority on this rare bear species. 

Come along for this fascinating and informative chat about this rare bear species and grab a little inspiration for following your passion to help out in the efforts to regenerate our magnificent planet. Now is the time to bring our practices, products, agriculture and all else into alignment with the living world and help end the climate crisis.

Show your support and learn more at The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Center http://www.bsbcc.org.my/

First up, our friend and nature practice guide Natasha Deganello Giraudie sets the tone for us with a beautiful Land Blessing. Together we can deepen our relationship to the more -than- human world at this critical time. We encourage you to take it slow ... find a tree to sit under and relax into this important conversation.

On this episode we catch up with Jennifer Brent the Executive Director for California Wildlife Center.

California Wildlife Center takes responsibility for the protection of native wildlife through rehabilitation, education, and conservation.  It is dedicated to the rescue and rehabilitation of native California species, who otherwise would be left to suffer from the effects of human encroachment, habitat destruction and environmental damage.

Jennifer has been working with animals for over 13 years most recently as the Executive Director of California Wildlife Center.  She has a passion for the preservation of native species and the environment and has been at the helm to help over 82,000 wild California animals.  

She was previously at the Jason Debus Heigl Foundation, the Found Animals Foundation and served on the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services’ Commission.

California Wildlife Center offers all of their programs at zero cost to the finder. They help over 4,300 animals each year and answer over 30,000 phone calls. This work is funded by individual donations as they receive no sustaining government money. Your kind offerings are greatly appreciated. Learn more by visiting www.cawildlife.org 

This show is produced by | Emerging World Project whose studios are located on Tongva Land

s2.7 Music | axletree