Earth to Humans

After spending six months backpacking on the Appalachian Trail (AT), reaching the end felt like a joyous celebration. But there was a sadness lurking just around the corner. Reaching the end meant saying goodbye to the truly unique community of people on the trail, and it also meant the end of a routine focused on extreme exercise and exploring new places. Post-trail depression is a common topic o...

In 2022, I set out to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. In addition to all of my necessary backpacking gear, I also carried small audio recorders and a suite of microphones that I could use to capture the sounds of the trail and document my journey. I spend six months hiking the entire length of this iconic trail, something that I had been dreaming about for almost 20 years. For most of the hike, I...

In Scotland, Alan Watson Featherstone is often referred to as the 'Godfather of Rewilding' - he has dedicated his life to saving Scotland's forests, after making a very public declaration to do so. Prepare to be inspired! Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at earthtohumanspodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Josh didn’t know anything about the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) until he was looking for an escape during the pandemic. After visiting a few BLM managed areas in California, he decided to make it his mission to visit every area managed by this federal agency in the state. This marked the start of The Forgotten Lands Project , Josh’s effort to raise awareness about these largely unknown patches...

For this episode, I’m bringing our global audience to the place I call home - the Scottish Highlands. In this historical landscape, where midgies reign and deer stand majestically atop purple-washed hillsides, simple shelters stand that welcome weary travellers to rest, dry off and, most importantly, connect with each other.  Known as ‘bothies’, these shelters may lack modern conveniences, but the...

Heidi Schreiber-Pan is a leading expert on nature-based therapy, a psychotherapist and a public speaker. She’s the author of “Taming the Anxious Mind: A Guide Book to Relieve Stress and Anxiety", and the founder of the Center for Nature Informed Therapy. Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at earthtohumanspodcast.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode I speak to Mo Wilde  - author, forager, ethnobotanist and research herbalist. Throughout my life, I’d never ventured further into foraging than picking blackberries when they were in season. But reading Mo’s book opened my eyes to the incredible diversity of wild food that fills our forests, grasslands, hedgerows and coasts. On returning to the UK, I began to discover the abundant...

Hi friends, Welcome back to the Earth to Humans podcast. It’s been a minute, but we’re back! I’m senior producer Sarinah Simons, and today, on Earth Day, I’m here with a little season update and some reflection. Yes, we are finally back from our break. Stepping away gave us time to rest, reflect, and sort through the noise—both out in the world and in our own heads. However, none of us quite antic...

Happy (almost) New Year! We wanted to take a look back on all of our favorite Earth to Humans episodes that we produced in 2024. From redefining wilderness to the deepest parts of the ocean, the stories we got to tell this year continue to inspire and motivate us, especially as we prepare to navigate a murky future filled with uncertainty and inevitable environmental hurdles. Hannah, Matt and Sari...

You know, it's amazing how despite this current age of information, we sometimes get lost in what’s actually true and struggle to wade through the constant barrage of misinformation. It sometimes feels like everyone's got a theory for something, whether it’s the results of the 2016 election, the source of COVID 19 or something more harmless like UFO’s and the existence of the Loch Ness Monster. We...

We don’t have all the answers, but the Earth needs us now more than ever before. Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at earthtohumanspodcast.substack.com/subscribe

I recorded this interview with Nathaniel Stinnett, the founder of the Environmental Voter Project, in the summer of 2016. While there are lots of differences between this election cycle and that of 2016, the ideas that Nathaniel shared remain relevant and important today. The Environmental Voter Project has dramatically expanded it’s capacity and scope since 2016, and now has an expansive reach, w...

I discovered Lisa while reading a book not penned by her - Phosphorescence by Julia Baird. In the book, Julia is faced with a life threatening illness, and goes on a journey to cultivate ‘inner light’ which sees her, amongst many other things, meeting up with jellyfish and fluorescence expert Dr Gershwin. She tells a very brief summary of Dr Gershwin’s life - her incredible accolade of identifying...

Steve is bursting with enthusiasm for the Maine woods and the Appalachian Mountain Club’s efforts to protect this area. He grew up right along the border of Maine’s unincorporated territories, a vast stretch of uninhabited, but privately owned, forest land that covers nearly half the state. He always had a deep bond with this land, but was told while growing up that he’d have to leave if he wanted...

It was 2019 when I first began working on The Invisible Mammal with director Kristin Tieche. The past five years have been a whirlwind journey, but now we get to bring this story to life for the first time. The editing process on a documentary like The Invisible Mammal , which was shot over five years in a vérité style, is truly special. For the first time we get to see which story ideas work and...

In this episode of The Earth to Humans Podcast , the Pod gets POLITICAL . Specifically, the politics and dangers of Project 2025 and the looming chaos of another Trump administration. We delve into the far-reaching impacts of another potential Trump presidency on the environment here in the U.S. and how shifting U.S. policies might influence countries around the world, with special insight on the...

After reading the synopsis for the film Kelp! I headed straight to their website - it featured so many things I’m passionate about that I had to watch it immediately! I hit the play button, sat back and enjoyed half an hour of pure hope and joy - something it can sometimes be a bit tricky to find within the environmental space. I was aware of seaweed farming being a big deal in South East Asia, as...

Anthony Cohen is a historian, author and expert on the Underground Railroad who has taken a truly unique approach towards researching and teaching history. His career was launched in 1996 when he traveled 1,200 miles by foot, boat and rail to retrace one of the routes of the Underground Railroad. Since completing this remarkable journey, Anthony has developed his expertise in experiential history,...

Welcome to part 2 of our series on HPAI aka highly pathogenic avian influenza. Today we continue our deep dive into the fascinating yet unsettling world of avian influenza. In part 1, we explored how these viruses leap from birds to marine mammals, unraveling their ecological and health implications. This time, we shift our focus from New England to Argentina. Joining us is Dr. Agustina Rimondi, a...

Today we embark on the first of a two-part deep dive into a topic that's as fascinating as it is unsettling: avian influenza. Joining us is Dr. Wendy Puryear, a leading virologist who’s pioneering work on the H5N1 strain of avian influenza has revealed some startling truths about how this virus spreads and the profound impacts it has on wildlife, particularly marine mammals. In this episode, we'll...

On this episode, we’re re-airing an episode we really think you will love. Today, Sarinah tackles female solo hiking from the perspectives of 5 women as she tries to make sense of managing both the physical and mental fears of hiking alone, but also the beauty of mentorship and prioritizing joy in the outdoors. The women in this panel range from environmental scientists to travel bloggers, teacher...

Hannah is joined by Dr Aura Goldman - a psychotherapist who, amongst other accolades, specialises in eco-anxiety and the plethora of other climate and environmental emotions. They explore different case studies of environmentalists who are experiencing various environmental emotions, and Dr Goldman gives some fantastic tips on how to cope. Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at e...

I first came across the work of Laura Waterman while conducting research on the origins of the Appalachian Trail. As many of our listeners are surely aware by now, I completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2022, and am currently working on a 10-episode documentary radio series about the AT’s history and cultural influence in partnership with New Hampshire Public Radio. I was seeking info...

Imagine descending into the abyss, leaving behind the sunlit waters and plunging into the dark, mysterious depths of the ocean. Here, sunlight fades away, and the pressure increases with every meter. This is the realm of the deep sea, an environment so extreme and alien that it's often compared to outer space. Under the weight of that much water and so far from the surface, you might envision the...

In my echo chamber, gender, race, nationality, and gender are intersections that are spoken about and how they relate to environmentalism (still nowhere near frequently enough), yet one that was completely absent until recently was disability. I only truly became aware of this when I saw an article pop up featuring my guest on next week’s episode, who had gone to COP26 to ensure the voices of thos...