From cryptids to hickory trees, raccoons, and the hidden balance of the natural world, writer and poet Jarod Anderson invites us into his world of imagination, healing, and belonging. In this deep and reflective conversation, Rupert Isaacson explores Jarod’s journey through depression, his rediscovery of nature, and how storytelling can transform pain into wonder. Together they uncover how imagination acts as a bridge back to the wild world—even when we’re confined by screens or cities—and how the stories we tell can become medicine for our own minds. Known for his podcast The CryptoNaturalist and his books Something in the Woods Loves You and Strange Animals (Ballantine Books, 2025), Jarod shares how his creative process, humor, and reverence for the strange help turn despair into curiosity and isolation into connection. This episode is a meditation on what happens when poetry meets survival, when darkness meets awe, and when we finally remember that nature has never stopped loving us.

✨ “We are more weather pattern than stone monument.” – Jarod Anderson

✨ “If you reach for wonder and come at it as a student, you’ll find it reaching back.” – Jarod Anderson

🔍 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How imagination and storytelling can help heal depression ([00:02:00])
• Reconnecting with nature after burnout and shame ([00:10:00])
• The origin story of The CryptoNaturalist podcast ([00:13:00])
• How cryptids mirror the human psyche and our need for balance ([00:16:00])
• The mythic guardians of Earth: from the Orbital Kingfisher to the Horned Wolf ([00:17:00])
• Finding healing through writing and mental health openness ([00:28:00])
• What inspired Something in the Woods Loves You ([00:29:00])
• Touching the Hickory Tree: how presence dissolves shame ([00:35:00])
• Lessons from the raccoon and the power of unpretty survival ([01:06:00])
• Shame, nature, and the cyclical nature of healing ([01:10:00])
• The role of stories, context, and compassion in healing ([01:27:00])

🎤 Memorable Moments from the Episode:

• A teacher reading Mary Oliver poetry to 10-year-old Jarod in the woods ([00:02:00])
• The kitchen accident that led to rediscovering creativity through nature ([00:10:30])
• Creating The CryptoNaturalist: “a love letter to nature where everything is invented” ([00:14:00])
• The metaphor of depression as brain weather—no shame, just different skies ([00:45:00])
• The raccoon as a teacher of stubbornness and survival ([01:06:00])
• “Who says survival has to be pretty?” ([01:07:00])
• A squirrel revived by touch and returned to the grass—context as healing ([01:25:00])
• “If you reach for wonder and come at it as a student, you’ll find it reaching back.” ([01:51:00])

📚 Books and Projects Mentioned:

•  Jarod Anderson 
  • Something in the Woods Loves You (Timber Press) https://amzn.to/443Uao1 –
  • Strange Animals (Ballantine Books, Feb 2025) https://amzn.to/47znvsL –
  • Haunted Forest Trilogy (3 books) https://amzn.to/3Lwah7C 
  • The CryptoNaturalist Podcast –  https://www.cryptonaturalist.com/  
  • https://www.jarodkanderson.com
  • https://www.facebook.com/Cryptonaturalist/ 
  • https://www.instagram.com/cryptonaturalist/ 

🌍 See All of Rupert’s Programs and Shows: Website: https://rupertisaacson.com

📲 Follow Us:

Long Ride 
Home: Website: https://longridehome.com
Facebook: https://facebook.com/longridehome.lrh
Instagram: https://instagram.com/longridehome_lrh
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@longridehome

New Trails Learning Systems: 
Website: https://ntls.co
Facebook: https://facebook.com/horseboyworld
Instagram: https://instagram.com/horseboyworld
YouTube: https://youtube.com/newtrailslearningsystems

📊 Affiliate Disclosure: Links to books and products may include affiliate tracking. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting the show.