Earth to Humans

After spending six months backpacking on the Appalachian Trail (AT), reaching the end felt like a joyous celebration. But there was a sadness lurking just around the corner. Reaching the end meant saying goodbye to the truly unique community of people on the trail, and it also meant the end of a routine focused on extreme exercise and exploring new places.Post-trail depression is a common topic of conversation amongst thru-hikers on the AT - most hikers understand that the transition back into the real world can be challenging. But depression probably isn’t the right word for what most thru-hikers experience when their journey comes to an end - it’s more akin to grief or sadness. But for some, trail’s end can lead to real, clinical depression. That was the case for one of the members of my trail family, Chop Chop.Chop Chop’s reason for embarking upon a thru-hike of the AT was drastically different from my own. I had been dreaming of hiking the Appalachian Trail since I was a kid - I spend years planning the trip. For Chop Chop, the AT was a lifeline. It was his last resort - the only thing that he thought might help when he found himself lost in a deep depression.Despite our differences, Chop Chop and I connected immediately when we met on the trail. We first met in Virginia, and our paths criss-crossed regularly until Vermont, when we connected with a few additional hikers and formed an impromptu trail family. The time that we spend on the trail together was largely joyous and celebratory. But as I got to know Chop Chop a bit more, he started to open up about his struggles with anxiety and depression.These conversations continued after we completed our hike. Chop Chop was one of the most vocal fans of my Common Land podcast series, and we began talking about sharing his story in an episode of the show.It’s been a slow and intentional process - we recorded our first interview over a year ago - but we’re both extremely proud of what we’ve put together. Chop Chop’s primary goal in sharing his story is to inspire others who may be struggling to get outside, go for a hike, and find their own safe space in nature.-Matt Podolsky Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at earthtohumanspodcast.substack.com/subscribe

I discovered Lisa while reading a book not penned by her - Phosphorescence by Julia Baird. In the book, Julia is faced with a life threatening illness, and goes on a journey to cultivate ‘inner light’ which sees her, amongst many other things, meeting up with jellyfish and fluorescence expert Dr Gershwin. She tells a very brief summary of Dr Gershwin’s life - her incredible accolade of identifying over 200 species of jellyfish, her experience with homelessness, and her adulthood autism diagnosis.I remember putting the book down for a moment and thinking what an incredible story Lisa seemed to have, so I looked her up online and discovered that this story was barely scratching the surface. I bought Lisa’s first book, Stung, and learned so much about jellyfish and their role within their ecosystem that I discovered a newfound appreciation for them, and an understanding about why someone would dedicate so much of their career researching them. I decided to reach out to her to see if she would be a guest on Earth to Humans and, to my delight, she said yes!Cut to six month’s worth of emails later - she is based in Tasmania, Australia and I am based in Scotland, which made scheduling tricky - we finally found the time to chat. I could’ve spoken to Lisa forever. We explored her amazing journey from high school dropout to finishing her second phd, and how receiving an aspergers diagnosis made everything suddenly make sense for her. Artwork by Jasmine HortopLisa is a truly open book, and speaking to someone who is so honest about their experiences with neurodiversity, depression and finding their ‘ert’ left me feeling like the world would be a much better place if we all lived with such unapologetic authenticity. I have so much admiration for this amazing woman, I’m so excited to share this episode.Watch a snippet of the episode of ‘You Can’t Ask That’, featuring Lisa.In this episode, Lisa mentions the book she read that gave her insight into Aspergers and led to her getting a diagnosis. The book was by Dr Tony Attwood - check out his books here.If you’re visiting Tasmania and want to book onto one of Lisa’s Glow Tours, you can find out more on her website. Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at earthtohumanspodcast.substack.com/subscribe

It was 2019 when I first began working on The Invisible Mammal with director Kristin Tieche. The past five years have been a whirlwind journey, but now we get to bring this story to life for the first time. The editing process on a documentary like The Invisible Mammal, which was shot over five years in a vérité style, is truly special. For the first time we get to see which story ideas work and which ones don’t. We establish a pacing and a tone for our film, and work hard to bring out the nuances of our character’s personalities. In today’s bonus episode of Earth to Humans, Kristin and I discuss what it’s like to be at this stage of the filmmaking process, share updates on some upcoming events featuring sneak peak screenings of selected work-in-progress scenes, and discuss our plans for the future.Learn more about The Invisible Mammal here: https://www.theinvisiblemammal.com/Learn more and register for our October 1st screening event in central CA: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bat-movie-benefit-at-the-lark-theater-registration-998015740947?aff=oddtdtcreator -Matt Podolsky Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at earthtohumanspodcast.substack.com/subscribe

After reading the synopsis for the film Kelp! I headed straight to their website - it featured so many things I’m passionate about that I had to watch it immediately! I hit the play button, sat back and enjoyed half an hour of pure hope and joy - something it can sometimes be a bit tricky to find within the environmental space. I was aware of seaweed farming being a big deal in South East Asia, as I have seen vast coastal areas that are home to this form of agriculture, but I was surprised to learn that it was very much booming in the UK. The film goes into great detail about how amazing kelp is - it’s a habitat for numerous marine species, its potential to sequester carbon is unbelievable, it is a highly nutritious superfood, and it can be used as an alternative to plastic which is completely safe for humans and the planet.Artwork by Jasmine HortopNot only was I in awe of kelp itself, but also the team who made this film. I’ve heard of the great lengths production teams have gone to to ensure their films do not create more environmental problems that they’re attempting to solve, but the extreme efforts of the Kelp! team became as much of an integral part of the story as the kelp itself. I’m not going to ruin the film by going into too much detail, but it’s definitely the only production I’ve ever been aware of being filmed entirely on a sailboat! We somehow came up with the phrase ‘hungry for joy’ throughout the interview, and it’s something I regularly experience, with the greatest of appetites. If you’re looking for a big dose of hope and inspiration, I’d certainly recommend heading straight to the Kelp! website and getting exactly what you need! Scroll down to find the trailer, and a here’s a (free) link to the full film. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!By Hannah Mulvany Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at earthtohumanspodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to part 2 of our series on HPAI aka highly pathogenic avian influenza.Today we continue our deep dive into the fascinating yet unsettling world of avian influenza. In part 1, we explored how these viruses leap from birds to marine mammals, unraveling their ecological and health implications. This time, we shift our focus from New England to Argentina.Joining us is Dr. Agustina Rimondi, a scientist known for her work on the molecular epidemiology of avian influenza. Dr. Rimondi's research delves deep into the science of how these viruses evolve and spread, providing critical insights into our ongoing understanding of what these viruses are and how they might impact us.In this episode, we'll get into the weeds of the science behind avian influenza. Dr. Rimondi will share her experiences and findings from the field, shedding light on the intricate mechanisms of virus transmission and adaptation. We'll also discuss the broader implications of her work on other species, including us stubborn humans. Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at earthtohumanspodcast.substack.com/subscribe

On this episode, we’re re-airing an episode we really think you will love. Today, Sarinah tackles female solo hiking from the perspectives of 5 women as she tries to make sense of managing both the physical and mental fears of hiking alone, but also the beauty of mentorship and prioritizing joy in the outdoors. The women in this panel range from environmental scientists to travel bloggers, teachers to mothers, but all with individual expertise and an accomplished list of hikes that should intimidate the hell out of you. Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at earthtohumanspodcast.substack.com/subscribe

I first came across the work of Laura Waterman while conducting research on the origins of the Appalachian Trail. As many of our listeners are surely aware by now, I completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2022, and am currently working on a 10-episode documentary radio series about the AT’s history and cultural influence in partnership with New Hampshire Public Radio. I was seeking information about the history of trail building in the Northeastern US, where the first modern long distance hiking trails were born, and I found everything that I was looking for in “Forest and Crag” by Laura and Guy Waterman.“Forest and Crag” is a comprehensive history of Mountain climbing in the Northeast - it is dense with information, but with a writing style that is accessible and compelling. Despite being first published over 35 years ago, it remains the best resource on this topic by a long shot. I was looking for someone to interview for my podcast series, so I also conducted research on the authors of this book - Laura and Guy Waterman. What I found was a story even more fascinating than the history of trail building laid out in “Forest and Crag”.I began reading Laura Waterman’s first memoir, “Losing the Garden”, and the story of Laura and Guy’s truly unique life together began to unfold in front of me. While the two of them were writing “Forest and Crag”, they were living in a rural Vermont homestead in a cabin they built themselves with no electricity or plumbing. They lived like they were in the 19th century for almost 30 years, until Guy’s depression intensified, and he decided to take his own life in the year 2000.But this wasn’t a typical suicide. Guy drew Laura into the planning of this effort to take his own life, and Laura, seeing no other option, went along with Guy’s plan. Guy ultimately chose to die by exposing himself to the elements on a winter hike of the Franconia Ridge - the site of the iconic New Hampshire ridge-line trail that Laura and Guy had maintained for almost 20 years.Laura published her first memoir “Losing the Garden” in 2005, but felt that she had left unanswered questions about her decision to go along with her husband’s plan to commit suicide. Her second memoir, published just a few months ago, “Calling Wild Places Home”, seeks to answer these questions, adding depth to the story of Laura’s truly unique life. Now 84 years old, Laura shares her reflections on the past, on aging, and the evolution of her writing style. It was truly and honor for me to have the opportunity to speak with Laura Waterman, and I hope that you enjoy the conversation as much as I did!-Matt Podolsky Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at earthtohumanspodcast.substack.com/subscribe

In my echo chamber, gender, race, nationality, and gender are intersections that are spoken about and how they relate to environmentalism (still nowhere near frequently enough), yet one that was completely absent until recently was disability. I only truly became aware of this when I saw an article pop up featuring my guest on next week’s episode, who had gone to COP26 to ensure the voices of those living with disabilities were involved in climate discussions. Umesh Balal Magar is a young Nepalese disability and climate campaigner who, when he’s not working on improving climate related-water issues in Nepal, is fighting for more inclusive and equitable climate discussions and legislation.Artwork by Jasmine HortopHis story is so powerful and I wanted to use this platform to share it, to do something to amplify Umesh’s important messages and calls to action, as well as those of others working within this space.When I started researching this topic, I instantly became aware of a word that I hadn’t encountered before - eco-ableism. This is described by Friends of the Earth Scotland as, ‘‘a failure by non-disabled environmental activists to recognize that many of the climate actions they’re promoting make life difficult for disabled people’. They also listed examples, such as:- banning plastic straws without accepting that some disabled people need them to drink safely and conveniently- removing disabled parking bays to make way for cycle lanes- promoting active travel without realising that some disabled people cannot walk, wheel or cycle.These are very much local examples of eco-ableism within the UK and most probably many other countries too, but the reality is that it is very much a global issue.Something that Umesh raised during our episode, which horrified me, was that disabled people are currently completely left out of plans for disaster response, such as during evacuations. Umesh and his community are fighting for legislative change that will ensure that this does not continue, but progress is frustratingly slow and time is not on humanity’s side when it comes to climate change.Here’s a few resources that go into more detail about eco-ableism, as well as a written interview with Umesh.Friends of the Earth Scotland - Eco Ableism and the Climate MovementDisability Rights UK - Climate changeCurious Earth - What is Eco-ableism and how can we counter it?British Council - Discussing inclusive climate action with Umesh Balal Magar Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at earthtohumanspodcast.substack.com/subscribe