Folklore, myths and stories to shape your relationship with nature with Morvern Graham, Storyteller and Illustrator

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Morvern Graham, a storyteller, illustrator and printmaker. I first found out about her work and art through Instagram, and was pretty much instantly drawn into her magical universe filled with mythical creatures, fairies and inspiring folk tales from her native Scotland and beyond. Once you’re done listening to this episode I invite you to go take a look at her work on her Instagram account.I’m so happy we got to record this conversation, it’s a super cosy one so go make yourself a cup of tea and find a relaxing spot to listen to it! Morvern told me some of her favourite stories, and we also spoke about how she managed to take her childlike sense of wonder with her into adulthood. She also shared how she finds and collects folk tales, how these stories have shaped her relationship with nature, and how she practices imagination and creativity in her every day life. One thing she said that has stayed with me ever since we spoke was a piece of advice she received from her dad to keep her connection with the natural world alive. I’ll let you discover this for yourself towards the end of the episode, it’s such a good one!Want to dive deeper?Follow Morvern on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/morvern.studiosFollow Morvern on TikTok — https://www.tiktok.com/@morvern.graham Check out the Map of Stories — https://mapofstories.scot/Morvern’s website — https://www.morverngraham.co.uk/Subscribe to the brand new Why We Care newsletter!!! (thank you so much)Subscribe to the newsletter — https://whywecare.substack.com/Come say hi!Why We Care on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. Thank you so much for caring and sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Farwiza Farhan, an amazing forest conservationist working to protect and restore the Leuser ecosystem on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia – the last place on Earth where tigers, elephants, rhinos and orangutans still roam together in the wild. Farwiza has been campaigning to protect it for years, and it was so interesting to hear more about how she approaches conservation and how she collaborated with the communities who live in the area to get their voices heard and protect this precious ecosystem. She also shared why it matters to protect entire ecosystems rather than a few charismatic species, as well as her tips to start making change happen in your own community, and what gives her hope – a much needed reminder in today’s world.Want to dive deeper?Follow Farwiza on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/wiiiiza/Check out her organisation HAkA — https://haka.or.id/Subscribe to the brand new Why We Care newsletter (thank you so much!)Subscribe to the newsletter — https://whywecare.substack.com/Come say hi!Why We Care on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. Thank you so much for caring and sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Maria Correa, the VP of Marketing & Editorial at WaterBear, a community platform where entertainment meets impact. You might remember WaterBear from one of the very first episodes of season one with Poppy Mason-Watts – it’s an amazing streaming platform with lots of really cool environmental and social documentaries, all accessible for free.Today I wanted to speak with Maria about what I think is an increasingly important topic - imperfect activism. I know lots of you care about the environment and are doing your best to live in an ethical and respectful way. I do too, and yet. I’ll be the first to admit that as much as I care about the environment sometimes I do still fly, sometimes I forget my reusable water bottle and need to buy a plastic one, sometimes I buy things from companies that are not very ethical. I don’t think that means I don’t care. I don’t think this should stop me from speaking up about the issues I care about.As the saying goes, we don’t need 100 perfect environmentalists, we need millions of people doing it imperfectly. I wanted to record this episode because I feel like a lot of us are feeling that way and I don’t think we should let the pressure of being perfect prevent us from standing up for what we believe in. Maria has done a lot of research around this, and the idea of brining together a community of imperfect activists is at the heart of WaterBear. So we spoke about what it means, but also the negative stereotypes that tend to be associated with activism, and the importance of approaching environmental action through the things you love, so that it can bring you joy. Maria also shared her tips on how to handle challenging conversations around these often very emotionally charged topics. I really hope this episode will be helpful!Want to dive deeper?Check out WaterBear — https://www.waterbear.com/This month’s Collective Mission: Fashion — https://www.waterbear.com/missions/fashionCome say hi!Why We Care on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. Thank you so much for caring and sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Jacob Dykes, the Conservation Manager of The European Nature Trust - a foundation that works to lift conservation and nature restoration projects in Europe, supporting a network of organisations working at landscape-scale to protect and restore ecosystems. Through an approach they call ‘Noise for Nature’, they also amplify conservation storytelling by creating impactful documentary films that raise awareness and engagement with the defining issues of our time.I was really looking forward to speaking with Jacob about his conservation work in general but also more specifically about wolves. The European Nature Trust recently produced a film called The Wolf Within exploring the relationship between wolves and humans in Europe, which was released at the end of last year – just weeks before the European Commission decided to downgrade their protection status. I’ve been fascinated with wolves for as long as I can remember and really enjoyed learning more about the evolution of our relationship with them and their place in our collective imagination. Jacob and I also talked about what this relationship says about our coexistence with the wild; and what we can do to better and more equitably safeguard keystone species around us. Jacob also shared a really lovely story about seeing wolves in the wild in Italy, and an important reminder to keep practicing wonder towards the natural world.Want to dive deeper?Watch The Wolf Within: https://www.waterbear.com/campaigns/the-wolf-withinDiscover The European Nature Trust: https://theeuropeannaturetrust.com/The EU recently downgraded wolf protections in Europe: https://eeb.org/nature-under-attack-bern-convention-weakens-wolf-protection/Joint statement by 300+ civil society organisations calling for strict wolf protection to be maintained: https://eeb.org/library/joint-statement-by-300-civil-society-organisations-calling-for-strict-wolf-protection-to-be-maintained/ClientEarth’s investigation: https://www.clientearth.org/latest/press-office/press-releases/ombudsman-opens-inquiry-after-eu-trashes-wolf-protections/The European Nature Trust on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theeuropeannaturetrustIo Non Ho Paura Del Lupo on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iononhopauradellupoCome say hi!Why We Care on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. Thank you so much for caring and sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m speaking with not just one but two wonderful guests: Gina Lovett, Environmental Initiatives Manager at Patagonia and Jón Kaldal, of the Icelandic Wildlife Fund – a Patagonia Grantee.I was really excited to record this conversation. Like many people in the industry, for many years I’ve looked at Patagonia as a sort of North star of responsible business, and it was super interesting to hear more about how they approach activism as a global organisation. Earlier this year they released a film called A Salmon Nation, exposing the ugly truth behind open net salmon farming in Iceland. Jón from the Icelandic Wildlife Fund is a fountain of knowledge on the issue and it was great to hear from him on how the local communities in Iceland are coming together to try to stop this harmful industry before it completely destroys their beautiful ecosystems.Gina and Jón are seasoned campaigners who have managed to bring a movement together, gathering public support on social media and in real life - so this episode really is a lesson in how to get your message heard by the world. I’m really happy about it, it is full of very practical tips that I’m sure will be mega helpful whether you’re an individual or working as part of a business or organisation. I also loved Gina’s reminder that there’s not just one type of activist – she said often the people they work with are mothers, or grandmothers who are fighting to protect their families and communities.Want to dive deeper?Watch ‘A Salmon Nation’ – https://eu.patagonia.com/be/en/iceland/?srsltid=AfmBOorkXw5m5Sv0GETzMAX6DMD-K35Pp-jfcaoscp6Q1kpZTYSCc0-USupport the Icelandic Wildlife Fund – https://iwf.is/en/Guardian article on a major salmon farm escape in Iceland last year: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/sep/30/thousands-of-salmon-escaped-an-icelandic-fish-farm-the-impact-could-be-deadlyCome say hi!Why We Care on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. Thank you so much for caring and sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m incredibly honoured to be speaking with Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson. Nemonte is a Waorani leader, mother, and forest defender. She grew up in a little village in the heart of the Amazon rainforest and has now become one of the leading voices of her community. Together with her partner Mitch they created the nonprofit organisation Amazon Frontlines, bringing together Indigenous peoples to defend their rights to land, life and cultural survival in the Amazon. They have now also written a book to share her story with the world, called We Will Be Jaguars.I couldn’t have hoped for a more important conversation to kick off this new season with. Indigenous people represent just 5% of the world’s population, and yet they look after over 80% of our planet’s biodiversity. In other words - they are the experts. So in this episode, Nemonte shares what it was like for her to grow up in the heart of the Amazon, the teachings she received from her ancestors, and what she hopes the world will understand about the forest. We also spoke about how together with Mitch and their team, they made history by bringing together an alliance of Indigenous nations to defend their territories, and ultimately winning a legal battle against the oil industry, resulting in the protection of half a million acres of rainforest in her region.As you’ll notice part of this episode is in Spanish - I didn’t want to cover Nemonte’s words with a translation. So instead, Mitch helps translate her answers after she’s spoken. If you understand Spanish, wonderful - and if not, no worries. I think you’ll still very much enjoy this episode and I invite you to close your eyes if you can, if it’s safe for you to do so, and try feel the power of her words.Want to dive deeper?BUY THE BOOK!!! :) https://amazonfrontlines.org/book/Support Amazon Frontlines — https://amazonfrontlines.org/donate/Follow Amazon Frontlines on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/amazonfrontlines/Follow Nemonte on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/Nemonte.Nenquimo/Follow Mitch on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/mitchandersonaf/Come say hi!Why We Care on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. Thank you so much for caring and sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back for a third season! Thanks so much for being here and for caring, and see you tomorrow with the first episode of Why We Care, season 3. Until then, sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Joi Lee, the Head of Editorial and an Executive Producer at Earthrise Studio. I’m sure you’ve heard of Earthrise – they’re one of the leading media platforms reporting on climate change, launched in 2020 by Alice Aedy and Jack Harries. Over the past few years, their social media channels have become one of my go-to sources of climate related news – and I know I’m not the only one! So Joi and I spoke about how the climate crisis is being portrayed in the media, and why she thinks stories are so integral to how we communicate.She then told me about POWER, their latest series digging into the energy crisis, and how they collaborated with their community to define how they would tell that story. We also discussed the many elections coming up this year all around the world, and what you can do as an individual to ensure the fossil fuel industry loses some of its power.Want to dive deeper?Watch POWER on the Earthrise YouTube channel — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXUj6a59Wb4&ab_channel=EarthriseFollow Earthrise on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/earthrise.studio/Come say hi!Joi on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/joixleeWhy We Care on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram — https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. Thank you so much for caring and sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Heïdi Sevestre, an amazing French glaciologist. She called me all the way from Svalbard, an archipelago in the Arctic ocean, between mainland Norway and the North Pole. 10 years ago, as Heidi was hiking from Chamonix to Zermatt, a mountain guide told her that it is possible to spend your life studying glaciers, and become a glaciologist. So she’s never looked back and has since studied glaciers all around the world, from the French Alps to Greenland, from the Arctic to Antarctica.We spoke about why are glaciers important and their role in regards to regulating the climate, but also what exactly is happening to them and whether or not it is too late to save them. She also told me about a climbing expedition in Greenland she recently went on called Arctic Ascent, which was filmed and is currently being released on National Geographic TV.Want to dive deeper?Heïdi’s book, “Sentinelle du Climat” (in French) — https://www.harpercollins.fr/collections/automated-collection/products/sentinelle-du-climatHeïdi’s website — https://www.heidisevestre.com/Ice & Life — https://www.iceandlife.com/index.php/en/Calculate your carbon footprint — https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/Watch Arctic Ascent — https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tv/shows/arctic-ascent-with-alex-honnoldCome say hi!Heïdi on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/heidisevestreWhy We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. Thank you so much for caring and sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s episode I’m speaking with Bodhi Patil, a United Nations-recognized, award-winning Gen Z ocean climate solutionist dedicated to improving Ocean Health and Human Health. So we spoke about many aspects of his relationship with the ocean, from his early childhood memories diving with his dad to how he helped build Ocean Uprise, an initiative he developed with Parley for the Oceans to help young people learn about the ocean and become advocates for it.I met Bodhi for the first time at COP28 in Dubai last December, where he was part of the Wisdom Keepers delegation – he told me what that experience was like and shared really beautiful thoughts and advice on how we can all support the transition towards a world where Indigenous voices are given more importance. One of my favourite things he said was how important it is to build bridges between generations and collaborate across all age groups.Want to dive deeper?Ocean Uprise - https://parley.tv/initiatives/ocean-upriseWisdom Keepers delegation - https://www.wisdomkeepersdelegation.org/Come say hi!Bodhi on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/bodhi_patilWhy We Care on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/whywecarepodcast/Tiphaine on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tiphainemarie_/If you enjoyed the episode and want to help the podcast, I would be super grateful if you could leave a little review or share it with a friend who might like it. Thank you so much for caring and sending you lots of love! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.