Woods & Wilds: The Podcast

Ethnobiologist Marc Williams has taught hundreds of classes to thousands of people about plants, humans, other life forms and their interface. His training includes a B.A. in Environmental Studies/Sustainable Agriculture from Warren Wilson College with a minor in Business and a M.A. in Appalachian Studies/Sustainable Development from Appalachian State University with a minor in Planning/Geography. He has over 20 years of experience working at various restaurants, farms, and travels throughout 30 countries in Central/North/South America, Europe and all 50 states in the USA. More information can be found at www.botanyeveryday.com."

Marsha Almodovar is a mother, painter, novice writer, and activist. She currently works for a local Asheville non-profit. She’s facilitated racial equity and inclusion training for local area nonprofits and businesses. Marsha is a mixed-medium painter. She uses her art to highlight social justice issues. Currently, she’s publishing a Spanish-language children's book. Marsha has served on numerous boards and commissions that speak to her personal mission of art and inclusion. Marsha is a 2023 Impact Award recipient from Tzedek Social Justice Fund. The award goes to people engaged in deep change or community healing work in Asheville using the wisdom they gained from navigating systems of oppression.

Lockie Hunter holds an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College in Boston and has taught creative writing at Warren Wilson College. She serves as curator of the long-running Juniper Bends Reading Series Reading series and co-producer of the poetry and prose radio program Wordplay on 103.3 FM in Asheville. Her words have appeared in publications including The North Carolina Review, The Baltimore Review, Quarter After Eight, Hiram Poetry Review, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Slipstream, Brevity, Gulf Stream Literary Magazine, Arts & Opinion, New Plains Review and others. Lockie has received scholarships/grants from The North Carolina Arts Council and the Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Her essays have been nominated for Best of the Net Awards and the John Burroughs Nature Essay Award.

Puerto Rico born. Northeast raised. Mari is a fiercely independent free spirit. She strives to inspire that same level of self-determination for others. Especially women of color. Mari has a BA in Environmental Studies & Education from Prescott College in Arizona. That prepared her for a life of social and environmental impact. It also prepared her to be an educator, inside and outside the classroom. Mari is on a personal journey to decolonize her mind. To heal from the internalized harm that systems of oppression have conditioned her to take on. She’s leaning deeper into her imperfections. She's finding compassion for herself and others. Mari immerses herself in the natural world, when possible. There she finds nurturing, grounding, and a deep sense of purpose.

Sha'Air Hawkins, artistically known as ShadowWRK, is an accomplished music producer, songwriter, and performer hailing from North Carolina with deep-rooted Jamaican heritage. With an unwavering passion for infusing joy into her compositions, Sha'Air uses the power of melody and narrative to craft musical experiences that resonate with diverse audiences. Her artistry not only reflects her own cultural journey but also serves as an inspiring call for others to harness their creative potential. Through her music, Sha'Air Hawkins weaves a tapestry of emotions, cultures, and stories, inviting listeners to embark on a transformative and uplifting musical voyage.

Tiffany Flunory-DE’Bellott has a passion for education advocacy, climate justice, and community organizing. She has a BA in Psychology. Tiffany’s focus has been on diversity, equity, and inclusion work: facilitating racial equity circles and other grassroots movements. She’s a board member of the Human Relations Commission of Asheville, YMI Cultural Center, COTHINK, and LEAF Global. She says, “It is my goal to ensure a better future for our children and families, through holding accountable and challenging systems of oppression, racism, and the false narrative of white supremacy.” Tiffany is proud that her two daughters, Sapphire and Pearl, are also committed to civic engagement and community service.

Angela Hollowell is the founder of Rootful Media, a creative documentary film production company based in Durham, North Carolina. She is also the host of the video podcasts Honey & Hustle and Creative Architects by Castos. She creates documentary films about the outdoors, health equity, social impact, and environmental justice centering Southern voices. Her video interviews feature themes about creative entrepreneurship in North Carolina and beyond. In addition to her professional creative projects, she works to help visual storytellers and creative entrepreneurs build their audience and impact.

When she’s not working, she can be found in nature or enjoying a fruity beer or margaritas with friends.

Useful Links:

Personal Website: heyangela.co

Rootful Media Website: rootfulmedia.com

Honey & Hustle Podcast Website: honeyandhustle.co

Personal YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/AngelaHollowell

Rootful Media YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@rootfultv

Creative Architects: coming soon

Social Media:

Twitter: www.twitter.com/anghollowell

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelahollowell/

Leaves You Hopeful is a short podcast series by 2023 Dogwood Alliance Fellow Aanahita Ervin. It highlights stories about large institutions - government, private foundations, corporations - misusing forests against the wishes of the local community members. While misuse of forest land is often legal, it is not ethical. These offending institutions are large and powerful. Oftentimes people assume they can’t ask questions. Sometimes, they don’t have the resources to do so.

THIS EPISODE:

L’eau Est La Vie Camp is a group of Native American water protectors that formed in 2018. L’eau Est La Vie, along with a diverse coalition of organizations, worked together to resist the construction of the Bayou Bridge Pipeline. It goes through the Atchafalaya basin, the largest river swamp in the United States. 

Louisiana is an industry heavy state and faces severe pollution. This pipeline risks the health of already vulnerable people, the local economy, and the environment. This story shows how state militarization, intimidation, and laws are weaponized to suppress the rights of protestors. This episode follows the strong and strategic resistance the coalition staged against Energy Transfer. 

Special thanks to Karen Savage for the insight into the events described in this episode. Her work speaks truth at a time of dying local news and increasing disinformation.

Leaves You Hopeful is a short podcast series produced by 2023 Dogwood Alliance Fellow Aanahita Ervin. It highlights stories about large institutions - government, private foundations, corporations - misusing forests against the wishes of the local community members. While misuse of forest land is often legal, it is not ethical. These offending institutions are large and powerful. Oftentimes people assume they can’t ask questions. Sometimes, they don’t have the resources to do so.

THIS EPISODE:

Mr. Charlie’s life’s work culminated into a 1000 acres of forest land he created after 30 years of hard work. His last wish? To give that land perpetuity. He bequeathed his land to the University of Georgia Foundation (UGAF) in hopes of achieving that. Unfortunately, his wishes were not fulfilled. 

Beginning with Mr. Charlie, this episode follows his life journey and how it led him to plant a million trees. Then the legality, but ethical opaqueness, of UGAF’s actions is explored with the help of Aliss Terrell. The role UGAF plays in this story and their actions are explained by discussing the history and power university foundations have historically had. The episode ends with a brief look into how Aliss, seemingly alone, can act to fight for our forests in her own way.

Leaves You Hopeful is a short podcast series produced by 2023 Dogwood Alliance Fellow Aanahita Ervin. It highlights stories about large institutions - government, private foundations, corporations - misusing forests against the wishes of the local community members. While misuse of forest land is often legal, it is not ethical. These offending institutions are large and powerful. Oftentimes people assume they can’t ask questions. Sometimes, they don’t have the resources to do so.

THIS EPISODE:

Land Between the Lakes (LBL) national recreation area has a history of government mismanagement. The story begins with the 1958 removal of families by the Tennessee Valley Authority to create LBL. It then fast forwards to the perceived mismanagement of lands by the forest service in 2014. A broad coalition of people came together to stop what they thought was a misuse of their forest. They believed a public good was being destroyed in favor of timber companies and an unfamiliar landscape. This episode explores how the history of a land and people can play a pivotal role in events 55 years later.