Show Notes
It's a double feature! With help from recordist/anthropologist/podcaster Louise Romain and musician/conservationist Javan Hunt, we're visiting the Caribbean. First, off the coast of Colombia, on the islands of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina, and next a musical excursion to Grand Bahama. — — — From Reef to Ridge is an audio documentary love story with the Ocean, the reef, and its guardians; an invitation to travel to Caribbean shores to immerse yourself in the lived experiences of coastal communities, and in the sounds of the local ecosystems: the coral reefs and the mangroves. You will hear stories from Raizal fishermen, turning their ignorance for corals into love, respect and admiration, and learn about the work of the female marine biologists of the Blue Indigo Foundation to restore and heal corals. Together, they share about their dreams for the future of the reef, the challenges they face with global warming, climate change and extreme weather events, and the hopes of marine and coastal ecosystem regeneration after the recent hurricanes. Featuring the voices of Laura Valderrama Ballesteros, Yanelys Cantillo Villa, Pedro Livingston, Ruben Azcarate, Camilo Leche, Casimiro Newball Hyman, Josselyn Bryan Arboleda, plus original music by Marc Blandel. Find more from Louise at Circle of Voices, wherever you get podcasts, or at tuneintotheworld.com — — — As Waterkeepers Bahamas' Mangrove Nursery Coordinator, as a public educator, and as a musician, Javan Hunt has introduced folks of all ages to the joy of taking an active role in ecological flourishing. Javan's dedication to environmental stewardship is rooted in his love for The Bahamas — a place of stunning beauty. Its ecosystems, particularly its mangroves, are the lifeblood of coastal resilience. But after Hurricane Dorian, vast swaths of these critical habitats were destroyed, leaving communities vulnerable. both ecologically and culturally. The crisis wasn't just environmental — it was spiritual, a loss of identity tied to the land and sea. He has used his artistry and environmental work to create a movement that restores more than just mangroves — it restores connection, culture, and a sense of home. Find more from Javan on all music platforms, or at javanhunt.com
More from Future Ecologies
On the emerald isle of Ireland, an easily-overlooked creature holds the history of a nation within its shell. From the rise and collapse of heavy industry, to a bloody civil war, the riverbeds of Ireland have been witness — and they tell a story of change and possibility stretching far beyond any human lifetime. With the help of guest producer Caitlin Kennedy, we're tracing the modern arc of Northern Ireland through the story of the freshwater pearl mussel. — — — 🦪 Find photos, citations, and a transcript of this episode at futureecologies.net 🌱 Support this indie podcast, made with love for the world. Join our community on Patreon for as little as $1 each month to get Exclusive early access to new episodes Access to our discord (and bookclub) A back catalogue of bonus content Stickers, patches, hats (and a 50% discount on all merch at any membership level), and Your name listed at futureecologies.net/join — forever
We have a soft spot for food systems that challenge the modern convention: food systems like forest gardens or sea gardens that don’t at all look like vast rows of monocultures, but instead blend into the landscape — to the point of being invisible — at least until you’ve learned how to see them. It just so happens that, not far from us (in the Cowichan Estuary), there’s another kind of ancient food system being revived, and we were looking forward to visiting it as part of our upcoming season 7. But when one of the all-time greatest shows on Canadian radio beat us to the scoop, we thought we may as well save ourselves the effort and bring you the story that much sooner. From CBC Ideas and producer Pauline Holdsworth, this is “What the River Wants to Be” This is just Part 1 of a 2-part series. Listen to Part 2 here (or find CBC Ideas wherever you get podcasts)
Spring is here, and (not to brag, but) around these parts, the smell of flowers is in the air, and everything seems to be buzzing with life. Times like these, it’s hard not to have plants on the brain, and we fully endorse you getting out to meet your green neighbours. While you do that, we thought you’d like to hear from two of our favourite plant enthusiasts: Chelsey Armstrong and Leigh Joseph. You might remember Chelsey from our season 4 classic: FOREST / GARDEN, where we explored the roots of permaculture through the lens of Indigenous food systems which have been overlooked all too often. Today, Chelsey is sitting down with Leigh Joseph: Skwxwú7mesh ethnobotanist, author, and botanical entrepreneur. Both Leigh and Chelsey do incredible work, in academia and in community. Their conversation today will take us into some of the thornier parts of the field (and deliver us to fruitful gifts). Enjoy! — — — This podcast is supported by our incredible community. Join our Patreon (PWYC) for early episode releases, a back catalogue of bonus content, discord chatroom access (including our book club), stickers, patches, toques, and more!
So you want to put good fire on the ground, but how?? We're taking you to Yurok territory (at the mouth of the Klamath River) to join the Cultural Fire Management Council for 3 days of burning — not just for fuel management, but for all sorts of cultural and ecological values: food, wildlife, materials, and more. We're finally moving from theory to practice, as we learn what it really means to be on the fire line. This is our 6th return to the subject of fire. Call us obsessed, but we can't think of a better symbol for what this podcast is all about: demonstrating how people can (and need to) be active stewards of their ecologies, rather than passive victims of collapse. In fire-evolved ecosystems all over the world, prescribed fire has been an ecological management tool since time immemorial. — — — 🔥 Learn more about the CFMC at culturalfire.org 📸 Find photos, citations, and a transcript of this episode at futureecologies.net 🌱 Support this indie podcast, made with love for the world. Join our community on Patreon for as little as $1 each month to get Exclusive early access to new episodes Access to our discord (and bookclub) A back catalogue of bonus content Stickers, patches, hats (and a 50% discount on all merch at any membership level), and Your name listed at futureecologies.net/join — forever
Eric Higgs (of FE3.1, FE3.2, FE3.3, and FE4.9) sits down with Laura Govers, who has been working on bringing eel grass back to the Netherlands' Wadden Sea — on an island that moves, no less! This conversation covers the low-tech solutions that they concocted to plant hectares of eel grass, the social invisibility of the marine domain, and the semantics of "restoration" in a rapidly changing world. Catch some videos of Laura's team over at the Zeegrasherstel NL YouTube channel. And don’t miss our own visit to Oostvaardersplassen, in FE4.3 “A Tiny Wilderness” — — — 🪼💖 Everything we do is brought to you ad-free by our wonderful supporting listeners. Join us on Patreon to get Hyphaedelity and all Future Ecologies episodes early, as well as exclusive bonus content, discord server access (where you can also find our book club), stickers, patches, cozy hats, and more.