Sense-Making in a Changing World

In Episode 20 of Sense-Making in a Changing World Podcast, I am delighted to chat with internationally recognised thought leader, Looby Macnamara.Looby is a permaculture teacher, social permaculture facilitator & cofounder of Applewood Permaculture Centre in Herefordshire, England, with her partner Chris Evans (co-founder of the Himalayan Permaculture Centre).Looby has authored 3 permaculture books:Cultural Emergence: A toolkit for transforming ourselves and the world (2020)People and Permaculture: Designing personal, collective and planetary wellbeing (2012)7 Ways to Think Differently: Embrace Potential, respond to life, discover abundance (2014) In this conversation, Looby & I talk about her work with cultural emergence & ways to create real livelihoods with permaculture. The late, Polly Higgins, who wrote the forward to People and Permaculture, said 'permaculture is the biggest job creation scheme in the world'! Cultural Emergence is framework & toolkit that Looby is offering to enable us to design the world we want to live in - informed by indigenous wisdom, permaculture design and systems thinking.  Looby launched her book just this month at the National Permaculture Convergence, UK & it will be available in November 2020. I was excited to sit down in Looby's garden with her in pre-covid times. Unfortunately my voice left me that day so please excuse the huskiness and listen instead to Looby who's voice is clear, like her clear leadership in the social dimensions in the world of permaculture education.________________________________Download this list of 10 of Morag's favourite books Morag's 4 part introduction to permaculture video series.________________________________LEARN MORE I'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the show_____MORAG GAMBLEFounder, Permaculture Education InstituteMorag's CoursesPodcast BlogPodcast YouTube: Podcast InstagramLinkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/moraggamble/I am a possibilitarian and I believe in HumanKINDness.In this podcast my guests and I explore How are we to live? Really live, as nature ourselves, tending the conditions where life can thrive. We ask How do we become the kind of humans this moment is asking us to be?This podcast is one of my acts of myceliation. Each conversation is a thread in a vast network of people speaking up for life with love and care. This podcast beams out from my hand-built solar-powered studio in the midst of a permaculture food forest in a permaculture ecovillage on Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi country.If this episode lights something in you, pass it to one person who needs it. That is how myceliation works.

It is my great pleasure to welcome my dear friend Stephan Harding to the show today. Dr Stephan Harding, the Deep Ecology Research Fellow from Schumacher College, is a world-renown Gaian Ecologist, musician, walker, nature-lover, film-maker, father, and is co-founder of the Masters of Holistic Science at Schumacher College with the late Professor Brian Goodwin.  His is also the Dartington Estate Ecologist in Devon and author of Animate Earth: Science, Intuition and Gaia, and just recently, Gaia Alchemy. His book Animate Earth was made into a film - see here.   Stephan Harding is also co-creator of the Deep Time Walk along the Devonian coastlineJoin me in conversation with Dr Stephan Harding as we walk and talk  - exploring Gaia, James Lovelock and Schumacher College. He is a long time colleague of James Lovelock, creator of the Gaia Theory, who is now 101.  Our conversation was recorded pre-covid when I was last at the College teaching with Stephan and others on the Beyond Development course.I have known Stephan since 1992 when I was a resident at Schumacher College taking a course where Stephan was co-teaching with systems thinker Fritjof Capra, deep ecologist Arne Naess and others.  That same year, I travelled with Stephan and his wife, Julia Ponsonby (Head of Food at Schumacher College and author of two Gaia's Kitchen Cookbooks) to the other side of the Himalayas to volunteer with Ladakh Project and Helena Norberg-Hodge.I invite you to share this episode and can subscribe to my podcast I'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the show_____MORAG GAMBLEFounder, Permaculture Education InstituteMorag's CoursesPodcast BlogPodcast YouTube: Podcast InstagramLinkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/moraggamble/I am a possibilitarian and I believe in HumanKINDness.In this podcast my guests and I explore How are we to live? Really live, as nature ourselves, tending the conditions where life can thrive. We ask How do we become the kind of humans this moment is asking us to be?This podcast is one of my acts of myceliation. Each conversation is a thread in a vast network of people speaking up for life with love and care. This podcast beams out from my hand-built solar-powered studio in the midst of a permaculture food forest in a permaculture ecovillage on Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi country.If this episode lights something in you, pass it to one person who needs it. That is how myceliation works.

In this episode of Sense-Making in a Changing World, my guest is permaculture humanitarian, Kym Blechynden. As an aid worker with the Red Cross, Kym has worked in some of the most challenging places on earth - post conflict regions, disaster zones.I am in awe of the work she does and the calm courageousness and humanity with which she does it.Kym's background is in public health, food security & nutrition. She's worked extensively throughout Australia and internationally in places like Bangladesh, Chad, Pakistan, Vanuatu, DPRK, Mongolia, Japan, South Sudan, Philippines, Pakistan, Myanmar, Laos, Nepal, Cambodia, Fiji, Malaysia, Jordan, Turkey, Syria,  Maldives, PNG, Indonesia, Timor Leste, Sri Lanka, Thailand, DPRK and many more. She shares with us her insights about what permaculture aid and humanitarianism is and how permaculture it helps design integrated and appropriate responses to disasters and crises.Kym is a permaculture teacher and has lectured in international nutrition and public health at the University of Tasmania.  She's the current President of Permaculture Tasmania, part of the Permaculture Australia core team and inaugural co-coordinator of Permablitz Tasmania. She's also member of the South East Asia Permaculture for Refugees network and is on the Permafund Committee. She recently returned from living in Kuala Lumpur for several years working across 38 countries in the Asia Pacific region, including the Cox’s Bazar population movement. She is now based in the West Tamar, Northern Tasmania and since she can't travel right now, you can find her in the veggie garden, visiting second-hand markets, making cheese and ferments and enjoying a glass of Tassie white with her partner, two dogs and chickens.________________________________Download this list of 10 of Morag's favourite books.Morag's 4 part introduction to I'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the show_____MORAG GAMBLEFounder, Permaculture Education InstituteMorag's CoursesPodcast BlogPodcast YouTube: Podcast InstagramLinkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/moraggamble/I am a possibilitarian and I believe in HumanKINDness.In this podcast my guests and I explore How are we to live? Really live, as nature ourselves, tending the conditions where life can thrive. We ask How do we become the kind of humans this moment is asking us to be?This podcast is one of my acts of myceliation. Each conversation is a thread in a vast network of people speaking up for life with love and care. This podcast beams out from my hand-built solar-powered studio in the midst of a permaculture food forest in a permaculture ecovillage on Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi country.If this episode lights something in you, pass it to one person who needs it. That is how myceliation works.

What is the role of growing food at home or community gardens in the pandemic? Why have so many people taken up gardening? Who's doing it? What impact has it had on their lives?A new Pandemic Gardening survey found that a huge 98% of survey respondents said they will continue food gardening after the pandemic. Surprisingly, 19% said they couldn't have made it without their garden. The survey team received hundreds of comments about how very important food gardening is. Respondents described it as liberating, essential, and life-saving. There were comments like: 'it gives me hope and peace". "gardening gives me purpose in a way that I haven't got from working" & "there is a future when you garden." Join me as I discuss the role of gardening during the pandemic with Dr Nick Rose - leader of the survey team, urban agriculture champion, Churchill Fellow, Exec. Director of Sustain Australia,  lecturer in Food Studies at William Angliss College, host of the national Urban Agriculture Forums , author (Fair Food & Reclaiming the Urban Commons ) & friend.Nick sent out a call to gardeners around Australia and in just a month got over 9000 responses. His National Pandemic Gardening Survey was done in conjunction with Community Gardens Australia, Sustainable Gardening Australia, 3000 acres, Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, YerrabingI'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the show_____MORAG GAMBLEFounder, Permaculture Education InstituteMorag's CoursesPodcast BlogPodcast YouTube: Podcast InstagramLinkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/moraggamble/I am a possibilitarian and I believe in HumanKINDness.In this podcast my guests and I explore How are we to live? Really live, as nature ourselves, tending the conditions where life can thrive. We ask How do we become the kind of humans this moment is asking us to be?This podcast is one of my acts of myceliation. Each conversation is a thread in a vast network of people speaking up for life with love and care. This podcast beams out from my hand-built solar-powered studio in the midst of a permaculture food forest in a permaculture ecovillage on Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi country.If this episode lights something in you, pass it to one person who needs it. That is how myceliation works.

What is change? How does change happen? What is the kind of leadership we need in the world today?  These are just some of the questions I explore today with my wonderful guest on Sense-making in a Changing World, Dr Amanda Cahill.  We know our current economic system is not working for a majority of the people on the planet, so what is the next economy, and how do we transition to a society that supports wellbeing of people and planet? I am thrilled to share this conversation with Amanda as we explore leadership, transition, power, way-finding, change and resilience. I truly value Amanda's perspective - as a thought leader in this space, and a dear friend. Amanda is CEO of The Next Economy, founder of the Centre for Social Change, an Associate of University of Qld and the Sydney Policy Lab . She was a content expert/ advisor for the 2040 movie, and featured in the movie too talking about the importance of educating girls, particularly in the global south. I joined her as a guest on a 2040 webinar she hosted about Farming for a Future last year.Amanda is also Churchill Fellow for 2020 exploring how climate action can build regional economies that are more resilient, just and prosperous. I hope you enjoy this conversation and I invite you to share this episode and subscribe to my podcast here.________________________________Download this list of 10 of Morag's favourite books.Morag's 4 part introduction to permaculture video series.________________________________LEARN MI'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the show_____MORAG GAMBLEFounder, Permaculture Education InstituteMorag's CoursesPodcast BlogPodcast YouTube: Podcast InstagramLinkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/moraggamble/I am a possibilitarian and I believe in HumanKINDness.In this podcast my guests and I explore How are we to live? Really live, as nature ourselves, tending the conditions where life can thrive. We ask How do we become the kind of humans this moment is asking us to be?This podcast is one of my acts of myceliation. Each conversation is a thread in a vast network of people speaking up for life with love and care. This podcast beams out from my hand-built solar-powered studio in the midst of a permaculture food forest in a permaculture ecovillage on Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi country.If this episode lights something in you, pass it to one person who needs it. That is how myceliation works.

What does it mean to design a regenerative culture? How we can become regenerative by design? What we can be doing in our daily lives to be part of the urgent change we need to see in the world?  These are the questions we explore today.It is my great pleasure to share with you on Sense-making in a Changing World today, a conversation I recorded with Daniel Christian Wahl PhD as we walked through the ancient olive terraces around the medieval monastery, Son Rullan on the island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean. We met there last year for the first time - the beginning of a friendship after knowing of each other's work for  years. We both are deeply involved in ecovillages, education, regenerative design and have a deep affiliation with Schumacher College, the Global Ecovillage Network and Gaia Education.Daniel's book, Designing Regenerative Cultures, published in 2016 is essential reading - helping us to reframe the crises we currently face and exploring how we can live our way into the future.Son Rullan has hosted many ecological gatherings and conversations, including an Ecovillage Design Education program, and my family and I were so graciously welcomed there as guests for the duration of our stay.Daniel and I talked in pre-COVID times, but I am sharing this again because what Daniel shares is so relevant to where we find ourselves today.I hope you enjoy this conversation with Daniel and I invite you to share this episode and subscribe to my podcast here.________________________________Download this list of 10 of Morag's favourite books Morag's 4 part introduction to permaculture video series.________________________________Find out more about permacultureThere's lots of free permaculture resources on my Our Permaculture Life Youtube and blogI'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the show_____MORAG GAMBLEFounder, Permaculture Education InstituteMorag's CoursesPodcast BlogPodcast YouTube: Podcast InstagramLinkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/moraggamble/I am a possibilitarian and I believe in HumanKINDness.In this podcast my guests and I explore How are we to live? Really live, as nature ourselves, tending the conditions where life can thrive. We ask How do we become the kind of humans this moment is asking us to be?This podcast is one of my acts of myceliation. Each conversation is a thread in a vast network of people speaking up for life with love and care. This podcast beams out from my hand-built solar-powered studio in the midst of a permaculture food forest in a permaculture ecovillage on Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi country.If this episode lights something in you, pass it to one person who needs it. That is how myceliation works.

My guest this week on Sense-Making in a Changing World is my amazing friend and fellow community food advocate and [pr]activist, Emma-Kate Rose. Emma-Kate has always been such an inspiration to me, and when you hear the projects she's involved with, I think you'll understand why.She leads the ground-breaking community food enterprise, Food Connect,  and is co-founder, with her partner Robert Pekin, of the Food Connection Foundation and the Food Connect Shed. The Food Connect Shed is a local space for the creative local food economy to shift towards healthier, fair and regenerative food system. This was an amazing achievement - bringing 500 community farmers and supporters to raise $2 million dollars in an equity crowdfunding campaign to purchase the warehouse they'd rented for 12 years. I am super proud to be one of the Food Connect Shed Careholders (not shareholders).Emma-Kate is also the Chair of the Queensland Social Enterprise Council, a fellow at the Yunus Centre for Social Business and Program Director at  The Next Economy.  Emma-Kate turns business on its head, well actually, puts heart, ethics and care right at the centre. Actually way back in 2006 she started Brisbane's first Car Share enterprise.  I hope you enjoy this conversation with Emma-Kate, and also hear how she has woven permaculture into thinking about their business and the future of food in the Brisbane region.I invite you to share this episode and can subscribe to my podcast here.________________________________Download this list of 10 of Morag's favourite books.Morag's 4 part introduction to permaculture video seriesI'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the show_____MORAG GAMBLEFounder, Permaculture Education InstituteMorag's CoursesPodcast BlogPodcast YouTube: Podcast InstagramLinkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/moraggamble/I am a possibilitarian and I believe in HumanKINDness.In this podcast my guests and I explore How are we to live? Really live, as nature ourselves, tending the conditions where life can thrive. We ask How do we become the kind of humans this moment is asking us to be?This podcast is one of my acts of myceliation. Each conversation is a thread in a vast network of people speaking up for life with love and care. This podcast beams out from my hand-built solar-powered studio in the midst of a permaculture food forest in a permaculture ecovillage on Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi country.If this episode lights something in you, pass it to one person who needs it. That is how myceliation works.

In this episode I am delighted to be sharing with you a conversation with Rob Hopkins, champion of the collective imagination, author of 'From What is to What If: Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want' and co-founder of the Transition Town Movement that emerged out of an extended permaculture design course he was teaching in Ireland.His other books include: The Power of Just Doing Stuff: How Local Action can Change the World (2013)The Transition Handbook: From Oil Dependency to Local Resilience (2008)The Transition Companion: Making Your Community More Resilient in Uncertain Times (2013)I caught up with Rob in his home town of Totnes last year - nearby to Schumacher College where he is a regular contributor. We recorded this interview in the Transition Town Totnes office. He is one of the most ethical and interesting thinkers I know with a grounding in permaculture too. It's no wonder he was voted one of the Independent's top 100 environmentalists and the Observer's list of Britains 50 New Radicals.I hope you enjoy this conversation with Rob, check out his podcast too, From What is to What If and follow him on Twitter.I invite you to share this episode and can subscribe to my podcast here.______________________________Download this list of 10 of Morag's favourite books Morag's 4 part introduction to permaculture video series.______________________________LEARN MORE ABOUT THE WORLD I'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the show_____MORAG GAMBLEFounder, Permaculture Education InstituteMorag's CoursesPodcast BlogPodcast YouTube: Podcast InstagramLinkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/moraggamble/I am a possibilitarian and I believe in HumanKINDness.In this podcast my guests and I explore How are we to live? Really live, as nature ourselves, tending the conditions where life can thrive. We ask How do we become the kind of humans this moment is asking us to be?This podcast is one of my acts of myceliation. Each conversation is a thread in a vast network of people speaking up for life with love and care. This podcast beams out from my hand-built solar-powered studio in the midst of a permaculture food forest in a permaculture ecovillage on Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi country.If this episode lights something in you, pass it to one person who needs it. That is how myceliation works.

It is my great pleasure and honour to welcome Satish Kumar to the show today - world-renowned ecologist, thinker and educational visionary. Satish is the founder of Schumacher College and the Small School in Devon, England. He is Emeritus Editor of  Resurgence & Ecologist and founder of Green Books. The BBC Natural World program, Earth Pilgrim takes us out into Dartmoor walking with Satish exploring his Soil, Soul, Society philosophy. Walking and simple living is a key thread in Satish's life as a former Jain monk born in Rajasthan, and a member of Vinobe Bhave's 'walking university'. Back in the early 1960s, when he was just 26, he set out on a 13,000km peace pilgrimage with a friend and no money. They visited key nuclear nations and visited leaders with peace tea. In London, they met Lord Bertrand Russell the 90 year old who was jailed for peace activism and inspired them.It was in 1992 that I first met Satish at Schumacher College, just a year after the college had opened. I spent almost a year there then, and have returned several times - last year as a contribution teacher to the Beyond Development program with Jonathon Dawson.I recorded this interview with Satish during that program at Schumacher College, Dartington last year just as he was releasing his latest book Elegant Simplicity: The Art of Living WellElegant Simplicity provides a coherent philosophy of life that weaves together simplicity of material life, thought, and spirit. In it, Satish distills five decades of reflection and wisdom into a guide for everyone.Back in 1992 as well as the regular conversation sessions with Satish in the Schumacher College library, we cooked up authentic Indian feasts together every Friday and I often joined his meditation class. I also had the wonderful opportunity to study directly with I'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the show_____MORAG GAMBLEFounder, Permaculture Education InstituteMorag's CoursesPodcast BlogPodcast YouTube: Podcast InstagramLinkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/moraggamble/I am a possibilitarian and I believe in HumanKINDness.In this podcast my guests and I explore How are we to live? Really live, as nature ourselves, tending the conditions where life can thrive. We ask How do we become the kind of humans this moment is asking us to be?This podcast is one of my acts of myceliation. Each conversation is a thread in a vast network of people speaking up for life with love and care. This podcast beams out from my hand-built solar-powered studio in the midst of a permaculture food forest in a permaculture ecovillage on Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi country.If this episode lights something in you, pass it to one person who needs it. That is how myceliation works.

It is my pleasure to welcome Natalie Isaacs, founder and CEO of 1 Million Women to the Sense-making in a Changing World show today.For 10 years, Nat has been inspiring and engaging a movement of women and girls around the world to act on climate. No more than every this is so important. 1 Million Women lead programs on all kinds of things from food waste, plastics, fashion, consumerism, carbon footprint, and show how to lead a low-carbon life everyday. She advocates taking on the climate emergency through the way we live - because it is empowering, it is something we can all do and launch us in to being active.Just this week, 1 Million Women is launching a new campaign asking us all to divest from the fossil fuel industry. The way we live and what we do with out money matters!Natalie is also the author of Every Woman's Guide to Saving the Planet - a book that is packed full of practical how-to's and shares the story of how she transformed her life from being a climate bystander to an international campaigner. Being re-released in a global version this month.I'm proud to say I've been a member of 1 million women since the beginning. I was draw to Natalie's energy and positive message. I encourage you to join too. We are 950,000+ women and girls committed showing how much we love our home, the earth, by the way we live. It's free to join.As you will hear, we are going to soon join together Permayouth groups with 1 million women to create local community action crews.Enjoy !Subscribe & ShareThanks for tuning into this conversation today. You can subscribe to my podcast here.________________________________Download this list of 10 of Morag's favourite books Morag's 4 part introduction to permaculture video series.________________________________Find out more about permaculture Learn more about permaculture I'd love to hear from you. Text me here.Support the show_____MORAG GAMBLEFounder, Permaculture Education InstituteMorag's CoursesPodcast BlogPodcast YouTube: Podcast InstagramLinkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/moraggamble/I am a possibilitarian and I believe in HumanKINDness.In this podcast my guests and I explore How are we to live? Really live, as nature ourselves, tending the conditions where life can thrive. We ask How do we become the kind of humans this moment is asking us to be?This podcast is one of my acts of myceliation. Each conversation is a thread in a vast network of people speaking up for life with love and care. This podcast beams out from my hand-built solar-powered studio in the midst of a permaculture food forest in a permaculture ecovillage on Jinibara and Gubbi Gubbi country.If this episode lights something in you, pass it to one person who needs it. That is how myceliation works.