

Lifeworlds
Alexa Firmenich
Lifeworlds is an intimate dialogue with our planet’s ecologies and with those who are translators and bridges between the human and beyond-human.Our guests are farmers, lawyers, scientists, investors, indigenous scholars, artists, and many more — with them, we explore the mindsets, skills and actions required to forge deep connections with nature and to enter into close relationship with the lifeworlds of other beings.We begin to change the world when we change our ways of seeing and being. Lifeworlds points us towards a deeper reformulation of core human identities, asking who it is we share the Earth with and what our human role may be at this pivotal moment in time. It is through the doorway of inhabiting and understanding multiple perspectives that we can begin to heal a culture and psyche that is steeped in duality. We have lost our place as humans amongst all life. This is our call for healing, engagement and wonder.www.lifeworld.earth Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 30, 2022 • 59min
[Full Interview] Money: In Service of Nature? - with Eric Smith
Eric Smith, Founder/CEO of Edacious and a pioneer in climate finance, shares his vast experience at the intersection of economics and nature. He discusses the challenges of valuing nature without commodifying it and emphasizes the importance of holistic investment strategies that support ecological preservation. Smith also delves into the complexities of regenerative agriculture, exploring the balance between economic growth and ecological values. He advocates for sustainable practices and the empowerment of producers within the food supply chain.

Aug 30, 2022 • 56min
[Full Interview] Money: In Service of Nature? - with Lorenzo de Rosensweig
Lorenzo de Rosenzweig, an engineer and marine biologist with a rich background in conservation finance, shares insights on the complex interplay between financial systems and nature preservation. He discusses innovative approaches to fund conservation without commodifying nature, emphasizing the importance of reconnecting with our environment. Lorenzo highlights the remarkable recovery of Cabo Pulmo and shares a profound marine encounter that underscores our responsibility towards biodiversity. He also reflects on artistic inspirations and encourages listeners to consider their legacy as custodians of the Earth.

Aug 30, 2022 • 55min
4. Money: In Service of Nature?
Lorenzo de Rosenzweig, an engineer and marine biologist, has dedicated over three decades to nature conservation in Latin America. Eric Smith, CEO of Edacious, focuses on the intersection of economics and nature. They explore whether financial tools can support ecosystems rather than harm them. The conversation dives into biodiversity markets, innovative investment strategies in regenerative agriculture, and the importance of protecting natural systems. They highlight the transformative power of mycelium and advocate for funding models that empower communities in the food system.

Aug 27, 2022 • 25min
Song | Mushroom Dance
“An improvisation with the natural vibrations of a certain place and time – via plant bioelectricity, latent electromagnetic radiation, and even the earth’s resonant hum…” Tarun Nayar, musician and biologist, captures the song of a mushroom’s bioelectricity, using the movement of water inside fungi and plants as electrical resistance. Like human skin, a mushroom skin possesses electrical properties which can be transposed into sound.For more plant music, check out his page and full album.let’s protect wild places ✨listen to plant ragas 🌱🎶Lifeworlds Page Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 16, 2022 • 1h 3min
[Full Interview] The Inner Lives of Fungi - with Sophie Strand
Woodchucks and bald eagles. Fungal fermentation. Compost heaps. Animism. Deviant animal sex. Disability. Jesus and Dionysus. Fungi, microbes, and the divine feminine critique.It’s never a dull conversation with the brilliant and freewheeling articulate writer, poet and philosopher Sophie Strand.Kick back and enjoy the ride. Episode Website Link: lifeworld.earth/episodes/fungisophiestrand Show Links:Fungi: Lifeworlds Resource PageSophie Strand WebsiteSophie’s Substack Article: The Animate EverythingArticle: Mentorship with the More than Human WorldArticle: Melt Divine Feminine into Divine AnimacyLook out for meditations, poems, readings, and other snippets of inspiration in between episodes.Music: Electric Ethnicity by Igor Dvorkin, Duncan Pittock, Ellie Kidd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 16, 2022 • 57min
[Full Interview] The Inner Lives of Fungi - with Giuliana Furci
Introducing Giuliana Furci. The woman who has been chosen by the fungi. The mother who is in love with the mould that grows on lemons. The founder and CEO of the Fungi Foundation, a Harvard University Associate, Dame of the Order of the Star of Italy (!), and Co-Chair of the IUCN Fungal Conservation Committee.We travel through the day in the life of a fungi; how moving beyond plant and animal-centric language transforms our perception of the world; what it’s like to be on a bone-chilling fungal expedition in Patagonia; what the fungi can teach us about loneliness and rot; the perils around fungal IP, and why you should always go pee behind trees.#thefutureisfungiEpisode Website Link: lifeworld.earth/episodes/fungigiulianafurci Show Links:Fungi: Lifeworlds Resource PageThe Fungi Foundation Giuliana Furci personal website Video: Let Things Rot Fungi Foundation: What you see matters NYT: Unearthing the Secret Superpowers of FungusLook out for meditations, poems, readings, and other snippets of inspiration in between episodes.Music: Electric Ethnicity by Igor Dvorkin, Duncan Pittock, Ellie Kidd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6 snips
Aug 16, 2022 • 45min
3. The Inner Lives of Fungi - Expeditions, Advocacy and Poetics
Giuliana Furci, Chile’s first female mycologist and founder of the Fungi Foundation, and poet Sophie Strand, known for her work on ecology and mycelium, discuss the vital yet underappreciated role of fungi in ecosystems. They dive into thrilling topics like advocating for fungi's legal recognition, the joys of fungal expeditions, and the interconnectedness of life. Their conversation covers everything from fermentation and deviant animal behavior to ethical engagement with nature and cultivating kinship with non-human beings, highlighting the wisdom fungi offer us.

Aug 10, 2022 • 5min
Poem | Sometimes a Wild God
Following the episodes on rewilding, I wanted to drive the message of wildness home with this spellbinding poem by Tom Hirons. It gives me chills every time I listen to it, remembering all the animals, all the chthonic forces, that we refuse to let in, the wild madness we long and thirst for, the shuddering pact we’ve made with this world before we were born.Read the poem on: https://www.lifeworld.earth/episodes/poemwildgodPhoto credit: Francesco Sambo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 2, 2022 • 1h 4min
[Full Interview] Rewilding - with Kris Tompkins
Kristine Tompkins is an American conservationist who is the president and co-founder of Tompkins Conservation, and former CEO of Patagonia.For nearly thirty years, along with her late husband Doug Tompkins, she has been protecting and restoring wild beauty and biodiversity by creating national parks, restoring wildlife, inspiring activism and economic vitality across 14.7 million acres of parklands in Chile and Argentina.Kris is Chair of National Geographic Society’s Last Wild Places campaign, the first conservationist to be awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy and the United Nations’ Global Patron for Protected Areas.Kris shares with us just what "wild" means to her, how she transitioned from being a high-rolling businesswoman to living in the Chilean bush, the role of beauty in her life and why macaws need to befriend robots. Episode Website Link: lifeworld.earth/episodes/rewildingkristompkins Show Links:Lifeworlds Resource Page: RewildingTompkins ConservationRewilding Argentina1990 - 2010 Twenty Year Retrospective of Kris and Doug’s work - Kristine Tompkins: Let's make the world wild again | TED Talk An Ark For Vanished Wildlife: Derek Gow in the New Yorker Derek’s Books ‘Bringing Back the Beaver’ & ‘Birds, Beasts and Bedlam’ Look out for meditations, poems, readings, and other snippets of inspiration in between episodes.Music: Electric Ethnicity by Igor Dvorkin, Duncan Pittock, Ellie Kidd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aug 2, 2022 • 56min
[Full Interview] Rewilding - with Derek Gow
With his hilariously sharp-witted, no-nonsense approach and radiating descriptions of nature’s landscapes, Derek Gow is a force to contend with.He’s been one of the most vocal actors in the reintroduction of missing keystone species in England such as the beaver, the water vole and the white stork, butting heads with obnoxious lobbyists and government officials. He is currently rewilding his 300-acre farm on the Devon/Cornwall border where the Eurasian lynx, wild boar and harvest mice make home.Our conversation ranges from the obstacles that prevent society in re-introducing critical species, all the way to Elizabethan fat bishops and voles that Gorgonzola river banks for other species to thrive. What is the mindset that sees all of land as "mine"? When were wolves seen as Gods, and what would it have been like to be a medieval traveller coming across one of these creatures “sodden like a Michelin man on a country path”? What barbarities have we committed against other species, and why should you think twice when buying herds of prehistoric Heck cattle?Yep, this is a fun and brilliant one. (Listener tip: Derek packs more into a sentence that I could hope to do in a lifetime. Play at 1.5x at your own peril!) Episode Website Link: lifeworld.earth/episodes/rewildingderekgow Show Links:Lifeworlds Resource Page: RewildingAn Ark For Vanished Wildlife: Derek Gow in the New Yorker Derek’s Books ‘Bringing Back the Beaver’ & ‘Birds, Beasts and Bedlam’ Derek’s TwitterBeavers Given Legal Protection in EnglandBeaver just doesn’t quit (must watch!) Look out for meditations, poems, readings, and other snippets of inspiration in between episodes.Music: Electric Ethnicity by Igor Dvorkin, Duncan Pittock, Ellie Kidd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


