Earth to Humans

Richard Ladkani is the director of Yanuni, a feature length documentary about Juma Xipaia, an indigenous leader and activist from the Brazilian Amazon. The film was recently released on YouTube, where it has already accumulated over 13 million views. The film was used to help get out the vote in Brazil’s recent election, in which voters rejected right-wing extremist Flavio Bolsonaro.Richard and I have known each other since 2017, when we started working together on Sea of Shadows, our feature doc about the plight of the vaquita, the world’s most endangered marine mammal. It was a pleasure to catch up with him and hear these stories about how he brought his latest film, Yanuni, to life.I was curious not just about Richard’s filmmaking process, but also about his approach to distribution. The documentary film industry has changed a lot since we released Sea of Shadows in 2019. Mainstream distribution companies and streaming services have largely lost interest in environmental and social issue documentaries, making the path to get these kinds of films in front of viewers a lot more challenging. Lots of filmmakers are looking to YouTube these days to reach audiences with their films, and Richard’s YouTube release of Yanuni is a particularly interesting case study. In our conversation, Richard lays out his team’s approach to distribution, explaining how they were able to leverage their YouTube release as an advocacy tool. The recent election in Brazil was of particular importance to the future of the Amazon and its Indigenous people, and Richard and his team were able to use clips from Yanuni as a part of a broader campaign to get out the vote.Part of the reason that I’m so interested in YouTube as a distribution tool for environmental documentaries, is because I recently co-founded a new YouTube channel called Wild Commons. Wild Commons is a filmmaker-run distribution channel for wildlife and nature films - you’ll find over a dozen award-winning wildlife documentaries on the channel. All of these films are completely free to stream, and we’ve got lots more scheduled for release in the coming months. Check it out, and help us out by clicking that “subscribe” button.We’ve also posted a video version of this interview with Richard Ladkani on Wild Commons. I conducted this interview alongside by Wild Commons co-founder, Kika Tuff, from Impact Media Labs.-Matt Podolsky Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at earthtohumanspodcast.substack.com/subscribe

Matt Lee-Ashley has a fascinating background in politics and public land policy. He served as the chief of staff and director of policy and programs for the White House council on environmental quality under the Biden administration, and served as a deputy chief of staff for the Department of the Interior.Ground Shift is a new project - Matt took on the Executive Director role in February of this year - but they are asking some big, fundamental questions about the structure of our public lands system here in the US. I’ve been fascinated by public land management for many years now. I serve on the board of directors for a non-profit called the Birds of Prey NCA Partnership, which is a friends group associated with the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. This National Conservation Area is just south of Boise, ID, where I live, and my involvement with this protected area shapes my perspective on public land management.I’ve seen the effects first hand of the current administration’s efforts to dismantle the Bureau of Land Management, the agency responsible for managing my local National Conservation Area. I’ve interviewed a number of folks over the past few years about efforts to fight back against this dismantling, and I’m always disappointed by the limitations that these positive initiatives face.This is why I was so excited to speak with Matt. Ground Shift isn’t shying away from big ideas. They are leaning into the chaos, and treating it like an opportunity. Their ideas cross partisan lines, and benefit from the growing public understanding that our systems and institutions tasked with managing public lands are fundamentally broken.I encourage folks to check out the Ground Shift website, where you’ll find a series of essays written by a diverse array of prominent thinkers focused on public lands. Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at earthtohumanspodcast.substack.com/subscribe

A few months ago I saw a story in The Guardian which answered a question I had wondered about for a while - when did we start using technology to identify wildlife through their calls? I’m an avid user of the Merlin Bird ID App, which records bird songs and attempts to identify them. Before this, I relied on the ears of others - usually experienced naturalists who had spent years honing their hearing before passing on their knowledge to others. But, what came before this?The Guardian story that caught my eye discussed a short film that had recently been released - Alarm Notes - which was about a guy called Ludwig Koch, who is believed to have made the very first recordings of birds back in the late 1800s. This accolade is only part of Ludwig’s life story, and the further I read into it, the more astounding it got. As a jewish family living in Germany at the dawn of the second world war, Ludwig and his wife had to leave their home and escape to the UK. They also unknowingly hosted a Bulgarian communist who may or may not have burned down the Reichstag building in their home, putting them at even more risk from the incoming Nazi regime. The Bulgarian man managed to get away with the crime however, then later went onto become the first prime minister of Bulgaria, so things turned out ok for him!The technology used in the early 1900s to record birds in zoos and in the wild would make modern day sound techs run for the hills - think miles of wires held up on stilts over bodies of water, tracing between microphones and a huge recording van. The technological advances that happened over the course of Ludwig’s life were truly remarkable.Ludwig continued his bird recording work in the UK, becoming one of the very first natural history celebrities. He recorded song books - vinyl that came with a book about the birds that were featured - but also recorded the soundscapes of places, including parts of London and Paris, transporting the listener from their home to places they may have never visited before. He also featured on BBC radio, becoming a familiar voice and even the subject of comedy routines.I wanted to speak to the makers of the film, Anthea Kennedy and Ian Wiblin about the story and the filmmaking process. I was also interested to hear about Andrea’s personal connection with the subject of the film, as she is Ludwig’s great granddaughter.To find out more about the film, or any of the other films that Anthea and Ian have made about her family’s remarkable stories, head to their website.The sound recordings used in this episode were digitalised by the British Library from Ludwig Koch’s archive. The music used in today’s episode is from Blue Dot Sessions.Support the making of Earth to Humans by becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at earthtohumanspodcast.substack.com/subscribe

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 of conversation amongst thru-hikers on the AT - most hikers understand that the transition back into the real world can be challenging. But depression probably isn’t the right word for what most thru-hikers experience when their journey comes to an end - it’s more akin to grief or sadness. But for some, trail’s end can lead to real, clinical depression. That was the case for one of the members of my trail family, Chop Chop.Chop Chop’s reason for embarking upon a thru-hike of the AT was drastically different from my own. I had been dreaming of hiking the Appalachian Trail since I was a kid - I spend years planning the trip. For Chop Chop, the AT was a lifeline. It was his last resort - the only thing that he thought might help when he found himself lost in a deep depression.Despite our differences, Chop Chop and I connected immediately when we met on the trail. We first met in Virginia, and our paths criss-crossed regularly until Vermont, when we connected with a few additional hikers and formed an impromptu trail family. The time that we spend on the trail together was largely joyous and celebratory. But as I got to know Chop Chop a bit more, he started to open up about his struggles with anxiety and depression.These conversations continued after we completed our hike. Chop Chop was one of the most vocal fans of my Common Land podcast series, and we began talking about sharing his story in an episode of the show.It’s been a slow and intentional process - we recorded our first interview over a year ago - but we’re both extremely proud of what we’ve put together. Chop Chop’s primary goal in sharing his story is to inspire others who may be struggling to get outside, go for a hike, and find their own safe space in nature.-Matt Podolsky Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at earthtohumanspodcast.substack.com/subscribe

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 was joined by my mom, who was 65 years old at the time. The two of us had the adventure of a lifetime, and I captured some amazing moments with my audio recorder.It took me three full years to piece together the story of our long hike. The podcast series that resulted did more than just document my journey - I also captured expert interviews exploring the history of the trail and the conservation issues that it faces. What resulted was a 12-part radio documentary series, produced in partnership with New Hampshire Public Radio, which first aired in the summer of 2025. All 12 of the half-hour episodes are now available via the Common Land podcast feed.But for the past year or so I’ve been working on a 13th episode - an epilogue to the series. This final episode will drop next week, and it explores a particularly important topic - how mental health is intertwined with long distance hiking. I explore this idea through the perspective of one of my close friends who I met on the trail, Kevin Remillard, AKA Chop Chop.Chop Chop’s story is both fascinating and inspiring. But my hope is that it will also be instructive. I believe that long distance hiking can teach us about ourselves, illuminating the path towards a happier life. For Chop Chop, this idea serves as a guiding light, and both of us are eager to share this story with the wider world.But for now, enjoy episode one of Common Land’s second season. If you want to know what comes next, just head over to our podcast feed for the series, or click here to check out the show’s website and see pics from the trail.-Matt Podolsky Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at earthtohumanspodcast.substack.com/subscribe

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 of public land.I was drawn to Josh’s work because of my connection to a BLM managed protected area near my home in Boise, Idaho - the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. This National Conservation Area is a part of BLM’s National Conservation Lands system, and it is a truly special place. In less than an hour’s drive, I can be siting along the rim of a dramatic canyon with prairie falcons whizzing by and golden eagles circling overhead. This Conservation Area is home to one of the highest density nesting areas for birds of prey in the world. Because of its proximity to this unique area for raptors, Boise has become known as a global hub for raptor research. In the 1980s the Peregrine Fund established the World Center for Birds of Prey here, and Boise State University launched the Raptor Research Center, home to the only graduate degree program in Raptor Biology in the US. There’s also a famous raptor migration survey effort run by the Intermountain Bird Observatory just outside of town, and our minor league baseball team is called the Hawks!Despite all of this, the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area, which was designed to protect raptor populations, is woefully underfunded and understaffed. In my role as a board member of the Birds of Prey NCA Partnership, a “friends” group associated with this National Conservation Area, I’m trying to elevate the profile of these BLM managed public lands. Josh Jackson shares this mission, and the two of us had an engaged conversation about the role of public land in our society and the challenges facing the Bureau of Land Management.A version of this interview was originally published as an episode of the Dedication Point podcast - a series focused on issues relevant to the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. Check out our latest season of Dedication Point for more discussions about the BLM’s current funding and staffing crisis.-Matt Podolsky Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at earthtohumanspodcast.substack.com/subscribe

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 they offer a chance to escape, breathe and be at one with nature. Today’s guest Kat Hill is a researcher and author who explores landscape, people, and heritage. After reading her book, Bothy: in Search of Simple Shelter, I wanted to explore what these shelters mean to the subculture of people who are dedicated to their preservation and exploration, their history, benefits and current surge in popularity. Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at earthtohumanspodcast.substack.com/subscribe

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 plants that could not only feed me, but heal me too. And thus began my foraging journey. So, I was intrigued to hear about what started hers, and delve deeper into her work… Get full access to Earth to Humans Podcast's Substack at earthtohumanspodcast.substack.com/subscribe