Serenbe Stories

Today's episode features Dr. Tim Beatley, who is the Teresa Heinz Professor of Sustainable Communities in the Department of Urban and Environmental Planning, School of Architecture at the University of Virginia, where he has taught for the last twenty-five years. Much of Tim's work focuses on the subject of sustainable communities, and creative strategies by which cities and towns can fundamentally reduce their ecological footprints, while at the same time becoming more livable and equitable places. Tim Beatley believes that sustainable and resilient cities represent our best hope for addressing today’s environmental challenges, but as he says in this episode, "we have to move quickly."  Join us as we talk with Tim about what makes a Biophilic City, the importance of sustainability and resilience in city planning and design, and our ethical obligation to create a better future.Mentioned In The EpisodeBiophilic CitiesTim BeatleyGreen Urbanism: Learning from European CitiesRobin C. Moore Natural Learning Initiative Bill Browning Terrapin Bright Green SXSW EcoAmanda Sturgeon The Biophilic Institute Biophilic Cities Biophilic Leadership Summit Living Building Challenge Dianna Budds, Curbed Ethical Land Use: Principles of Policy and Planning1918 Influenza PandemicSingapore - The City in NatureRyan Gainey’s The Well-Placed WeedEnvironmental Resilience Institute Zealandia Nina Marie Lister’s natural garden in Toronto, CanadaNygren PlacemakingThe Nature of Cities Dr. Stephen R. Kellert TheThe new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren. 

In this episode, Steve Nygren and Monica Olsen talk with New York Times bestselling author Dr. Katharine Wilkinson and writer + podcaster Mary Annaïse Heglar about the power of voice, their love of nature, and the new book "All We Can Save," which showcases the work of women at the forefront of the climate movement who are harnessing truth, courage, and solutions to lead humanity forward. As Mary Annaïse says, "Climate isn't a story, it's a saga," and "we are the heroes in the tale of saving the planet.” Katharine calls on us all to be "climate curious,” and to open your heart and use your super powers. Join us as we discuss the power of storytelling in affecting change.Mentioned In The EpisodeAll We Can Save Hot Take podcast Subscribers to their weekly newsletter Chattahoochee NOW Trust for Public Land  Chattahoochee RiverLands Project Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson DRILLED Amy WesterveltLeah Stokes Kate Orff SCAPEEmily Atkin HEATED HEATED podcastThe Outdoor AcademyMary OliverAnnie Dillard Terry Tempest Williams The Pisgah National ForestLindsay Baker  Globescan “How empowering women and girls can stop global warming” Ray C. Anderson InterfaceGreen New DealMary Anne Hitt Sierra ClubCatherine Pierce Alice Walker Sewanee: The University of the South Madeleine Jubilee Saito The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren. 

As we kick off our season on Biophilia and how together we can build a Biophilic Movement, we first want to define its meaning. Joining us today is Liz Calabrese, an architect and leading educator of biophilic design. She co-authored "The Practice of Biophilic Design" with Dr. Stephen Kellert and has been an integral figure for over 30 years, working closely with many of the key players who popularized the term and concept of "biophilia" and does extensive work on projects seeking the Living Building Challenge and WELL Building Certifications. In this episode, Liz leads us through the history of the term and shares how its definition and practice has involved both philosophical circles and the building industry. She shares beautiful quotes by those considered to be the founders of the movement, and talks about what the future holds for biophilia. Other People + Organizations MentionedBill Browning Terrapin Bright Green John Todd Steven PeckThe Biophilic Institute Biophilic Cities Biophilic Leadership Summit Jon Hudson BrandCultureBiophilia Poster ExhibitionDr. Phillip Tabb Florence Williams Jennifer Walsh The Biophilia HypothesisRoger Ulrich Judith Heerwagen Living Building Challenge 14 Patterns of Biophilic DesignBiophilic CitiesTim Beatley WELL Building Standard Amanda Sturgeon Dennis Creech Southface Kendeda FundEkvn-Yefolecv The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren. 

Biophilia is hard to spell and hard to pronounce, but is easy to understand and makes all the sense in the world once you know it's meaning. Biophilia is the innate connection humans have with nature and all living things, and this deep affiliation is rooted in our biology. The theme of our fourth season is "Building a Biophilic Movement" and the wisdom behind the radical common sense solutions we can all find in nature.One year ago, we released our first season as a meaningful way to tell the story of Serenbe's Founder Steve Nygren. Today it has become a must listen for those seeking stories about having an impact and building a better life for you, your family and your neighbors. Over the course of twelve weeks, join us as we explore biophilia, what it is, why it's important and who are the leaders doing the work to grow this essential movement. We will dive into wellness, regenerative agriculture, public education, climate advocacy, equity and environmentalism, we'll ask what makes a biophilic city and more.The fourth season of Serenbe Stories returns on October 5. Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere else you enjoy podcasts.The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren. 

Danny Seo is known for his national magazine and Emmy awarding winning TV show both named "Naturally, Danny Seo". Danny believes life should be naturally delicious, naturally beautiful and naturally easy, all presented with style and sustainability. Today we talk about his start as an Earth Day activist at 12 years old, how he became known as the sustainable Martha Stewart, when a postcard got him onto the Oprah show and using donated paper as a negotiating tool. We hope you enjoy this final episode of Season 3 of Serenbe Stories.Mentioned In The Episode Earth 2000 - The non-profit organization Danny started when he was 12 years old. By 18, he’d transformed it into the country’s largest teenage activist charity.Earth DayGeneration React: Activism for Beginners - Danny’s first bookMohawk Paper - Gave Danny their product for free so he could start his namesake magazine Naturally, Danny SeoNaturally, Danny Seo House at SerenbeNaturally, Danny Seo MagazineNaturally, Danny Seo TV ShowSimmons Natural Care by Danny Seo - Danny’s mattress collection with Atlanta-based Simmons Mattress Company. He first visited Serenbe in the early 2000s to do video and photo promotions for this line. Alternative-Lifestyle Guru Danny Seo, Doing Very Well By Doing Good - The Washington Post article dubbed Danny “the green Martha Stewart”The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren. 

Today's episode of Serenbe Stories features Daren Wang, Founder of the Decatur Book Festival, which one of the largest festivals in the country.  In this episode he shares how his love of music brought him to Atlanta, how he started the Decatur Book Festival, the artist residency selection process, and his vision for the future of the arts. He and Steve Nygren even make plans to put those dreams in motion! We hope you enjoy this episode of Serenbe Stories.Mentioned In The EpisodeThe Hidden Light of Northern FiresVerb Literary MagazineThe new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren. 

This season we've talked with journalists, thought leaders, and influencers who've visited Serenbe, about how their lives and the industries they report on have changed in the wake of coronavirus. Today's guest is Charles Bethea, a journalist and staff write for The New Yorker who has been covering the pandemic and whose latest articles feature the first weekend of protests in Atlanta and Georgia's primary election. We talk with Charles about what stories he's working on, how his editors choose stories and how he remains objective throughout the reporting process. Mentioned In The EpisodeA Coronavirus Turf War In Klickitat County, WashingtonFair Fight - The organization created by Stacey Abrams that works to ensure fair elections in GeorgiaOutside MagazineSally Bethea - Charles’ mother is the founding director of Chattahoochee RiverkeeperShrinking Newspapers and the Costs of Environmental Reporting in Coal CountrySurvivor: How Nancy Writebol beat Ebola - Profile by Charles for Atlanta MagazineThe Polar Explorer Colin O’Brady and the Problem with “Firsts”The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren. 

Today we're talking with Ford Fry, Chef and Restauranteur, whose many Atlanta restaurants have been favorites of ours for years. As he continues to open new concepts across the country, we talk with him about his love of creating dining experiences, how he's kept his businesses going during the pandemic, and his vision of the future of food and dining out from his perspective as an eternal Optimist. Mentioned In The EpisodeAttack of the Killer Tomato FestivalBob AmickFord Fry Restaurants - See all of Ford’s concepts.Georgia OrganicsGuntar SeegarThe Hill Saint LouisNew England Culinary Institute - Where Ford Fry studied the culinary arts.Smith Hanes Designs - Smith Hanes has designed many of Ford’s restaurants in addition to The Optimist, linked here.The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren. 

Today we're talking with freelance journalist Katie Kelly Bell, who has been writing about food, wine, and travel for the last 15 years. While the pandemic has changed how she's able to cover destinations, she describes herself as a pragmatic optimist who envisions travel coming back little by little over the coming months. In this episode, we talk about HOW we'll be able to travel, rediscovering your own back yard this summer, and the 3 S's of what people will want WHEN travel opportunities do come back.Mentioned In The EpisodeBelmond TrainsDr. Kate Mihevc Edwards - Precision Performance & Physical TherapyGil Kulers - Sommelier/Bev Manager at the Piedmont Driving ClubJordan Winery as an example of destinations pivoting to accommodate social distancingThe Perfect Wellness Getaway Is Just Outside Of Atlanta - Article Katie Kelly Bell wrote for Forbes on Serenbe in 2018The new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren. 

Today we're talking with Terry Lin, the co-founder of Outer. The first DTC fully recyclable outdoor furniture line based out of California. We first interviewed Terry in Fall 2019, as the company's outdoor furniture line was ramping up for an appearance on Shark Tank. We talked about recycling, innovation, and how he came to create a company that exemplifies both, alongside sustainability. After the COVID pandemic set in, we reached out to hear how Outer was faring in this economic climate. In the 2nd part of the episode, Terry shares how a renewed appreciation for spending time outside and at home has increased interest in their product, and despite the hurdles all business are facing right now, he's hopeful that Outer furniture will continue trending up. Enjoy this episode, and make sure to stick around for both parts!Mentioned In The EpisodeOuter Recycling CodesRhode Island School of DesignSerenbe’s Outer ShowroomShark Tank episode featuring Terry Lin and Jiake LiuThe new book, Start In Your Own Backyard, is out and available for ordering.  Step off the treadmill of life and book a stay at the Inn at Serenbe. Use code Serenbe Stories when you book online or over the phone and receive 10% off your stay!Learn more about Serenbe and see our Events Calendar. Order your copy of Start In Your Own Backyard: Transforming Where You Live with Radical Common Sense by Serenbe founder Steve Nygren.