Biophilic Solutions: Nature Has the Answers

Is the idea of pristine, untouched nature a misguided fantasy? Are any animals truly wild on a planet so dominated by human impact? And while we’re on the topic - what do we mean by wildness in the first place? Join us for a thought-provoking conversation that redefines our relationship with nature and encourages us to rethink our place within it. This week, our guest is celebrated science writer Emma Marris, author of Wild Souls: Freedom and Flourishing in the Non-Human World. Emma’s work has appeared in publications like National Geographic, The New York Times, and the Atlantic. She is also the author of Rambunctious Garden: Saving Nature in a Post-Wild World.  Show Notes * Emma Marris Website [https://www.emmamarris.com/] * Wild Souls: Freedom and Flourishing in the Non-Human World [https://bookshop.org/lists/author-interviews-biophilic-solutions??new-list-page=true] by Emma Marris * Rambunctious Garden: Saving Nature in a Post-Wild World [https://bookshop.org/lists/author-interviews-biophilic-solutions??new-list-page=true] by Emma Marris * Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in the Age of Extinction [https://bookshop.org/p/books/beloved-beasts-fighting-for-life-in-an-age-of-extinction-michelle-nijhuis/18061920?ean=9780393882438] by Michelle Nijhuis  * Opinion: New York is Wilder Than You Think [https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/15/opinion/free-new-york-wild.html]by Emma Marris (New York TImes) * Nature Doesn’t Care Where a Species is From [https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2024/02/invasive-species-large-herbivores-plants/677325/] by Emma Marris (The Atlantic) Key Words: Animals, Animal Rights, Animal Welfare, Nature, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Climate, Climate Change, Wildness, Wilderness, Ecosystem, Emma Marris, Author, Science, Nature Journalism, Environment, Environmental Philosophy  Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/biophilicsolutions/] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/biophilic-solutions-nature-has-the-answers/] and learn more on our website [https://www.biophilicsolutions.com/]. #NatureHasTheAnswers

We know that many animals possess “human-like” qualities: the ability to play, sustain friendships, mate for life, and even reflect on the past. But what should we actually do with that information? That’s the crucial question that Brandon Keim poses in his latest book Meet the Neighbors: Animal Minds and Life in a More-Than Human World. Brandon is a journalist who specializes in science, nature, and animals. His work has appeared in publications like National Geographic, The New York Times, The Atlantic, and WIRED.  In this conversation, we explore questions of what we owe animals, the concept of animal personhood and what legal rights animals should be entitled to, and how we can have nuanced conversations about all of these issues.  Show Notes * Meet the Neighbors: Animal Minds and Life in a More-Than Human World [https://bookshop.org/shop/biophilicsolutions] by Brandon Keim * Brandon Keim Website [https://brandonkeim.net/] * Subscribe to Brandon’s Substack [https://brandonkeim.substack.com/] * Nonhuman Rights Project [https://www.nonhumanrights.org/] * Books by Richard Louv [https://bookshop.org/contributors/richard-louv-bde3e96f-eea0-480c-8629-d0165c390007] Key Words: Animals, Animal Welfare, Animal Rights, Nature, Nature Based Solutions, Biophilia, Biophilic, Animal Personhood, Zoo, Animal Intelligence, Science Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/biophilicsolutions/] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/biophilic-solutions-nature-has-the-answers/] and learn more on our website [https://www.biophilicsolutions.com/]. #NatureHasTheAnswers

With the rise of suburban sprawl and city planning that has prioritized car travel above all else, modern American cities seriously lack comfortable walking and biking infrastructure. It’s a massive issue - but solutions do exist and importantly, those solutions are decidedly doable.  Today we are so thrilled to be speaking with Jeff Speck, a city planner, who is widely known for his work advocating for and creating more walkable cities. His book, Walkable City, first published in 2012, has been translated into seven languages and is the best selling city planning book of the 21st century. Walkable City is also a winner of the Green Prize for Sustainable Literature. Jeff believes that a thriving city is a walkable city, where cars are instruments for freedom but aren’t necessary for the day-to-day basics of living. We would also add that walkable cities are fundamentally biophilic because livability and wellness are at the core of biophilia. In this episode, we chat with Jeff about making cities more walkable, the economic benefits of walkable cities, and demanding more of our environments.  Shownotes  * Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time 10th Anniversary Edition [https://bookshop.org/lists/author-interviews-biophilic-solutions??new-list-page=true]by Jeff Speck * The Smart Growth Manual [https://bookshop.org/lists/author-interviews-biophilic-solutions??new-list-page=true]by Jeff Speck * Walkable City Rules [https://bookshop.org/lists/author-interviews-biophilic-solutions??new-list-page=true]by Jeff Speck * Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream [https://bookshop.org/lists/author-interviews-biophilic-solutions??new-list-page=true]by Jeff Speck  * The walkable city (TED Talk) [https://www.ted.com/talks/jeff_speck_the_walkable_city?subtitle=en] * 4 ways to make a city more walkable (TED Talk) [https://www.ted.com/talks/jeff_speck_4_ways_to_make_a_city_more_walkable?subtitle=en] * Street Fight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution [https://www.amazon.com/Streetfight-Handbook-Revolution-Janette-Sadik-Khan/dp/0143128973] by Janette Sadik-Khan and Seth Solomonow * Confessions of a Recovering Engineer [https://bookshop.org/p/books/confessions-of-a-recovering-engineer-transportation-for-a-strong-town-charles-l-marohn/15109476?ean=9781119699293] by Charles L. Marohn * Killed by a Traffic Engineer [https://bookshop.org/p/books/killed-by-a-traffic-engineer-shattering-the-delusion-that-science-underlies-our-transportation-system-wes-marshall/20880386?ean=9781642833300] by Wes Marshall  * Andres Duany: Principles of New Urbanism [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0SFiK4AvII](YouTube) Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/biophilicsolutions/] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/biophilic-solutions-nature-has-the-answers/] and learn more on our website [https://www.biophilicsolutions.com/]. #NatureHasTheAnswers

Mushrooms are fascinating. They’re not quite plants and they’re not quite animals. Unique and charming mushroom caps are just the fruit of a massive, interconnected mycelium network. And there are millions of mushroom species yet to be discovered.  In this episode, Gregory & Emily Han share the mysterious world of mushrooms. They’re the co-authors of Mushroom Hunting: Forage for Fungi and Connect with the Earth, a wonderfully accessible pocket guide for identifying common mushrooms and cultivating the joy of discovery. With Emily & Gregory as our guides, we learn about mushroom hunting as a mindfulness practice, why you don’t have to harvest or forage to enjoy the simple pleasure of looking, and the mental health benefits of staying curious.  So, let’s hit the trails and see what we can find.  Show Notes * Mushroom Hunting: Forage for Fungi and Connect with the Earth  [https://bookshop.org/lists/author-interviews-biophilic-solutions] * Wild Drinks & Cocktails: Handcrafted Squashes, Shrubs, Switchels, Tonics, and Infusions to Mix at Home [https://bookshop.org/lists/author-interviews-biophilic-solutions] * Wild Remedies: How to Forage Healing Foods and Craft Your Own Herbal Medicine [https://bookshop.org/lists/author-interviews-biophilic-solutions] * Creative Spaces: People, Homes, & Studios to Inspire [https://www.chroniclebooks.com/products/creative-spaces?srsltid=AfmBOoq4KQw_lq4iGmr3eJKOWkXJo1bG2I0z95doyEf8NJ1Jp6_-pWnH] * Emily Han Website [https://emilyhan.com/] * Emily Han Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/emily.y.han/] * Gregory Han Website [https://www.gregoryhan.com/] * Gregory Han Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/typefiend] Key Words: Mushroom, Fungi, Mycelium, Foraging, Harvesting, Nature, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Wellness, Mindfulness, Pocket Nature Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/biophilicsolutions/] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/biophilic-solutions-nature-has-the-answers/] and learn more on our website [https://www.biophilicsolutions.com/]. #NatureHasTheAnswers

What would you think if your doctor wrote you a prescription to take a walk outside? To visit an art museum? To take a yoga class? It may sound unconventional, but the practice of prescribing nonmedical interventions to improve health, known as social prescribing, is becoming more and more commonplace. This week, we’re chatting with Julia Hotz, author of The Connection Cure: The Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service, and Belonging. With Julia as our guide, we’ll explore the profound relationship between environment and wellness, the amazing health outcomes of social prescriptions, and the healthcare professionals at the forefront of this growing movement.  In a busy world, where so many of our ailments are lifestyle based, social prescribing helps connect us back to the things that make us human.  Show Notes * The Connection Cure: he Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service, and Belonging [https://bookshop.org/lists/author-interviews-biophilic-solutions?] by Julia Hotz * Social Prescribing Website [https://www.socialprescribing.co/] * You’re Not Sick – Your Environment Is [https://slate.com/technology/2024/05/mental-health-crisis-antidepressants-therapy-connection-cure.html] (Slate) * The Connection Cure explores social prescriptions to improve mental health [https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2024/06/25/connection-cure] (NPR) Key Words: healthcare, public health, preventative medicine, nature, biophilia, biophilic design, culture, art, wellness, social prescribing, loneliness, health, lifestyle, mental health  Biophilic Solutions is available wherever you get podcasts. Please listen, follow, and give us a five-star review. Follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/biophilicsolutions/] and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/biophilic-solutions-nature-has-the-answers/] and learn more on our website [https://www.biophilicsolutions.com/]. #NatureHasTheAnswers