Tree Speech

In this episode, we speak with Meghan Buell, the founder of TREES, Inc. , the Transgender Resource, Education, and Enrichment Services organization that she created and leads to provide transgender education to small towns and rural America. TREES, Inc. is driven by the need to stem the rash of transgender discrimination by using education to create a more inclusive environment for trangender iden...

Happy New Year, Tree Speechers! We celebrate 2023 and our 30th episode by speaking with Swedish-American author Linda Åkeson McGurk, whose book " The Open-Air Life: Discover the Nordic Art of Friluftsliv and Embrace Nature Every Day ” shows us how to embody a Frilufsliv life by getting outside and embracing the outdoors no matter the time of year or temperature. Our conversations explore the many...

In this episode, we celebrate the Winter Solstice through a midwinter walk in the woods while sharing several folk tales about the season, rituals old and new, and an interview with Jonathan Mearns of London Christmas Tree Rental , who offers an environmentally sustainable tree option to celebrate the lights of Yule. Throughout, we explore how we, during these darker months, can find ways to let l...

In today’s episode we will examine the origins of the concept of family trees and speak with the award-winning singer, songwriter and educator, Neshama Carlebach, about her artistry, inspirations, and the journey of understanding that she has taken as a direct result of her own family tree as the daughter of the renowned and musical Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. Neshama Carlebach is an award-winning sin...

In this episode, we discuss our first-ever immersive installation: A Conversation in a Clearing , which brings the Tree Speech podcast to life, allowing audiences to engage with trees and reflect on their relationship with nature and the environment. Combining audio narrative storytelling with a physical representation of a peaceful, winter clearing in the woods, the installation allows visitors t...

On this Veteran's Day we revisit Boston’s Liberty Tree, including its origin story and how that story evolved over time depending on who was telling it. We have wonderfully spirited conversations with distinguished actor, singer, dancer, and educator, Mark Linehan and historian Maddie Webster, a Boston University PhD student in the American & New England Studies Program. Then, we seek to uncov...

Gather round the campfire for a very special, supernatural episode. We have spooky, mysterious tree tales from around the world to get you into the Halloween spirit! Listen now, if you dare! Special thanks to actor, educator, actor Peril - I mean, Cheryl Mullings, and dialect coach Charles Linshaw for joining our episode today. Learn more about Cheryl at https://cherylmullings.workbooklive.com/ an...

While we often speak of trees that tower over our heads, in this episode, we will examine what lies beneath to understand soil and how human interaction can affect the way we live on and with our land. We will also speak with Kesiah Bascom, who founded a mission-driven food scrap collection and composting program in the Merrimack Valley Region of Massachusetts. Kesiah was the founder/owner of OffB...

In this episode, we will examine the intersections of reproductive rights with climate solutions, and will be speaking with Kristen P. Patterson, the inaugural Director of Drawdown Lift , launched in early 2021 as a part of the nonprofit Project Drawdown . We’ll also be speaking with Christina D. Eskridge, the Founder and Executive Director of Elevate Theatre Company , who worked to combine her ex...

We are so excited to be entering into our fourth season with an exploration of this magical time of year, the Autumnal Equinox! Much gratitude to our guest, Heather Porter of Animisma podcast for her moving thoughts and insights regarding this time of year, and the benefits of sacred rot. To find out more about her, please visit her website, thepathofintegrity.com . Heather is a writer, storytelle...

Give us your hands, dear friends, as we lead you along the path of our own Midsummer Night’s Dream! We conclude this season with a celebration of Midsummer and the summer solstice. Listen as our host hikes her way through the day, all while sharing stories about summer rituals and traditions from around the world. We have a newly-launched Patreon! We at Tree Speech strive to bring you insightful s...

We at Tree Speech and Alight Theater Guild are incredibly grateful to John Philip Newell for joining us today.  Newell is a Celtic teacher and author of spirituality who calls the modern world to reawaken to the sacredness of Earth and every human being. Canadian by birth, and a citizen also of Scotland, he resides with his family in Edinburgh and works on both sides of the Atlantic. In 2016...

We have a newly-launched Patreon! We at Tree Speech strive to bring you insightful stories and information about trees and those who engage with them. As we keep growing, we would appreciate your support! We now have a Patreon , and every dollar helps us continue to produce this podcast. Every contribution supports our production, and we’ll be giving gifts of gratitude including an invitation to T...

We at Tree Speech and Alight Theater Guild are incredibly grateful to Stephanie Kaza for joining us today. Dr. Stephanie Kaza is Professor Emerita of Environmental Studies at the University of Vermont and former Director of the UVM Environmental Program. She co-founded the Environmental Council at UVM and served as faculty director for the Sustainability Faculty Fellows program. In 2011 Dr. K...

We at Tree Speech and Alight Theater Guild are incredibly grateful to Aaron Mair for joining us today.  Aaron Mair is an environmental justice pioneer who has worked over the last 40 years in the spaces of health, environment, climate change disparities, and wilderness protection. He is an urban environmental activist and a regional and national environmental justice organizer and strategist...

We at Tree Speech and Alight Theater Guild are incredibly grateful to Lee Stetson for joining us today. To learn more information about Lee’s performances or to have him perform for your company or event, find him at www.johnmuirlive.com . Lee's performances have brought the inspiration, humor, and conservation message of John Muir to many thousands of people. Since 1983, Lee has presented dr...

To mark the beginning of our third season, we start right where we left off, with a vernal equinox walk in the woods. As we make our way on the trail, we’ll discuss the meanings and histories of this threshold into spring, and feature a variety of ways that the equinox is celebrated around the world.  Special thanks to David Brandon Ross for composing and performing the meditation featured at...

Happy Winter Solstice to all in the northern hemisphere! For this episode, we’ll be exploring all the many ways that trees and nature play a role in winter holidays - specifically, the solstice. This is the last episode of this season. We wish everyone a Merry Yuletide and holiday season filled with light, and look forward to connecting in the new year! Wassail Recipe: This traditional warming dri...

In our next episode we feature a collection of Sapling Stories, short tree-related tales that are sent in or collected from our listeners. Special thank you to Diana Zipeto @dzipeto , Slava Tchoul , Virginia Montalvo, Mountaine Jonas, Lisa Schmidt, Sophy Tuttle @sophytuttle , Tess George, Michelle Dyment @tribeofgoats and Jess @Je_ss_dy , Rick Hall @rickhallcreative , Karl Frey, @westernavearts ,...

In our next episode we examine the history of Boston’s Liberty Tree, including its origin story and how that story evolved over time depending on who was telling it. We have wonderfully spirited conversations with distinguished actor, singer, dancer, and educator, Mark Linehan and historian Maddie Webster, a Boston University PhD student in the American & New England Studies Program. Then, we...

Our next episode features a conversation with David Meshoulam, PhD, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Boston nonprofit, SPEAK FOR THE TREES , an organization whose mission is to improve the size and health of the urban tree canopy in Boston, with a focus on under-resourced and under-canopied neighborhoods. David (pronounced Dah-veed) co-founded Speak for the Trees in 2018. Trained as a scie...

Gather round the campfire for a very special, supernatural episode. We have spooky, mysterious tree tales from around the world to get you into the Halloween spirit! Listen now, if you dare! Special thanks to actor, educator, and dialect coach Charles Linshaw for joining our episode today. Learn more about Charles at: https://www.charleslinshaw.com . Tree Speech’s host, Dori Robinson, is a directo...

This third episode of our second season features our look into Witches & Witchcraft. Our guests include Serefina Mesa, owner of Rue and Vervain, an etsy shop that sells "hand-made spell crafting supplies for the persnickety witch." Serefina is a self-described Bodhisattva, Green Witch, and empath who believes that there's primordial energy and magic in nature, and through her gifts that power...

This second episode of our second season features the second part of our focus on the 9/11 Survivor Tree, a Callery Pear tree found during the excavation of Ground Zero in New York City. Our guests include Cheryl Somers Aubin, a writer, instructor and speaker who was inspired to write the book, The Survivor Tree: Inspired by a True Story in 2011. Also, we hear from George Middleton, a visual artis...

This first episode of our second season features the 9/11 Survivor Tree, a Callery Pear tree found during the excavation of Ground Zero in New York City. Our guest, Ronaldo Vega, shares his insightful and touching story of how he championed and helped nurture the tree from a wounded, burned stump to the powerful sign of hope and survival that it represents today. Additional resources: 9/11 Memoria...