My Head for a Tree with Martin Goodman

About this episode

This episode features Martin Goodman discussing the Bishnoi people's commitment to ecological care and their historical sacrifice for nature.

In this special episode, we welcome author and storyteller Martin Goodman to explore the extraordinary living story of the Bishnoi people—a community in the Western Thar Desert of India who have made protecting life, in all its forms, their deepest devotion. Three centuries ago, 363 Bishnoi villagers led by Amrita Devi gave their lives to defend the sacred khejri trees from destruction, speaking the words still taught to Bishnoi children today: "My head for a tree is a cheap price to pay." But the Bishnoi are not just a story of sacrifice from the past—they are still here, still tending, still fighting for the beings and ecosystems that sustain us all. Martin shares the serendipitous journey that brought him to the Bishnoi, the profound lessons he learned among them, and the creation of his new book, My Head for a Tree: The Extraordinary Story of the Bishnoi, Guardians of Nature . We talk about devotion, care as daily practice, the ecology of love, and what it means to live in relationship with the smallest creatures. We hope this conversation reminds you: Love is not only an action. It is also a meditation. A daily practice of belonging. A vow, renewed again and again, to defend…

People in this episode

Host: Michael T Yadrick

Guest: Martin Goodman

Topics covered

• Bishnoi people
• ecological care
• sacrifice
• nature conservation
• storytelling
• devotion

Keywords

• Bishnoi
• Amrita Devi
• treehugger
• ecology
• nature conservation
• sacrifice
• storytelling

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Bishnoi

Books & works: My Head for a Tree: The Extraordinary Story of the Bishnoi, Guardians of Nature

Places: Western Thar Desert

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