Earthkeepers: A Circlewood Podcast on Creation Care and Spirituality

Every now and then, Earthkeepers features an interview with an author about a new book, but only ones that we recommend . That is certainly the case with Leah Rampy’s new offering, called Earth and Soul: Reconnecting Amid Climate Chaos. In the book, she explores what lies beneath our unwillingness to change how we interact with the natural world, but also what we can do to nurture deeper connections to our places. Guest: Leah Rampy WebsiteBioEarth and Soul: Reconnecting Amid Climate ChaosLinkedInMentions: Save Our SoilClimate RealityBiodiversity for a Livable ClimateShalem Institute for Spiritual FoundationSpecies lonelinessEco/climate anxietySolastalgiaBraiding SweetgrassRobin Wall KimmererHonorable harvestHeartMathMerlin SheldrakeSuzanne SimardThe Book of TurtlesSy MontgomeryChurch of the Wild: Two RiversKeywords: climate, biodiversity loss, ecosystem, soil, native plants, living world, grief, loss, joy, compassion, connection, earthcare, place, nature, oneness, othering, separation, unity, species loneliness, eco anxiety, solastalgia, climate chaos, hope, reconnection, awareness, intention, attention, heart, listening, eyes of the mind, eyes of the heart, relationship, church Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple

On this podcast, we talk often about the importance of creative, out-of-the box thinking when it comes to making a difference in promoting earth care and fighting against climate change. In this conversation, we find out what such innovative problem-solving can look like when it comes to educating young kids. Shauna Causey confronted the need for formational, quality preschool education for her own children by designing a solution that included integrating her love of nature and her interest in ocean conservation. The innovative, environmentally-focused preschool that she founded also helps her friends, neighbors, and the entire community. We hear Shauna's story through her interview with James and Forrest on-site at the South Whidbey Preschool. Guest: Shauna Causey South Whidbey PreschoolWeekdaysSPULinkedInTwitterMentions: Orca Behavior Institute Salish Sea SchoolEarthkeepers Episode 91Social enterpriseKeywords: youth, kids, school, preschool, education, early education, teaching, nature, stewardship, entrepreneurship, business, technology, environment, community, problem solving, change, hope, teachers, orcas, creation care Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple

Earthkeepers has been deeply affected by A Rocha because of the profound formational influence of the organization’s founders, Peter and Miranda Harris. On the podcast we’ve frequently featured A Rocha voices, including that of Leah Kostamo of A Rocha Canada, way back in episode 5. In episode 62, we talked about carbon offsetting with Brittany Michalski of Climate Stewards, a nonprofit in the A Rocha family of organizations. And in episode 79, we spoke about hospitality and community with Jo Swinney, Communications Director at A Rocha International and daughter of the organization’s founders. In this episode, James and Forrest talk with Ben Lowe, the executive director of A Rocha USA about his first year on the job and about his future vision for helping people seek God’s heart for the places where they live. Guest: Ben Lowe A RochaLinkedInTwitterWebsite Mentions: A Rocha BC CentreA Rocha ProjectsLilly EndowmentLove Your PlaceWendell BerrySteven Bouma-PredigerIndian River LagoonBraiding SweetgrassDoing Good Without Giving UpKeywords: creation care, faith, religion, conservation, climate, evangelical, climate action, environment, biodiversity, biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, restoration, community, harmony, creation, right relationships, ecosystems, extinction, place, Jesus, environmental footprint, environmental handprint, love, hope, youth, activism Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple

Recently, Brandon Stiver and Phil Darke asked Earthkeepers host Forrest Inslee to be a guest on THEIR podcast, called Think Global, Do Justice. Among other things, they wanted to ask about a book he edited recently with Angel Burns, called Re-Imagining Short-Term Missions. They also talked about COP 28, evangelical attitudes toward creation care, poverty and environmental justice, Star Trek, and even the story of how Forrest came to adopt his daughter. So, for a change of pace, here is an abridged version of Phil and Brandon’s interview of Forrest. Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple

This is the 100th episode of the podcast! In keeping with this landmark episode, we’ll be doing something special: We’re launching a NEW Circlewood podcast called Youth in Climate Action! As you might imagine, this podcast will focus on the needs and questions of younger folks about earthcare and the climate future. Importantly, it will also feature young voices, and highlight innovative approaches to inspire a new generation of earth activists and advocates. In this episode of the Earthkeepers podcast, James and Forrest will be in conversation with the two founders of the Youth in Climate Action podcast—Michael Matchell and Kinsley Rawson. Guest: Kinsley Rawson LinkedInInstagramBiola University Guest: Michael Matchell LinkedInInstagramDirector of Strategic Initiatives & RecruitmentBiola UniversityMentions: Faith. Climate. Action WorkshopWestmont CollegeCOP 28Instagramyouthinclimateaction@circlewood.onlineKeywords: environment, youth, climate action, creation care, podcast, community, climate change, climate crisis, UN, climate change conference, COP 28, fossil fuels, stewardship, faith, religion, Christianity, environmental advocacy, stories, hope Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple

This special episode features a guest host from Uganda, Dr. Edward Olara, who Forrest interviewed in episode 71. Edward was once Forrest's student and has become a friend; they’ve worked together in Uganda to encourage and empower development professionals. Recently, Edward published a book called The Elephants and the Farmers. As the HOST of this episode, Dr. Olara interviews a Ugandan friend and colleague, Mr. Victor Ochen, the founder and Executive Director of the African Youth Initiative. Born in northern Uganda, he spent his first 21 years surviving a violent conflict that in the end displaced over three million people. In that conflict, the Lord’s Resistance Army forcefully recruited or abducted 60,000 children to serve as soldiers—and among them was Mr. Ochen’s own brother, who has never been returned. Since then, Mr. Ochen has worked for peace and healing—especially for victims of the war. In 2015, Forbes Magazines named him one of the ten most influential men to give new hope for Africa, and in that same year he became the youngest-ever African to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. More recently, he was awarded Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s prestigious African Young Leaders Award for his role in promoting the culture of dignity, peace and reconciliation. Guest Host: Edward Silas Olara The Elephants and the Farmers Guest: Victor Ochen African Youth Initiative NetworkFacebookNobel Peace Prize NomineeAccomplishments Mentions: LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army)Shea treesWangari Maathai Keywords: environment, youth, politics, policy, war, conflict, trauma, healing, social justice, hate, intergenerational trauma, sustainability, tolerance, government, poverty, hope, education, information, society, inclusivity, resources, peace, conflict resolution, coexistence, farms, climate change, activism, economy, green energy, future, global cooperation, faith Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple

In the last episode, we talked about the enormous impact that relatively mundane choices like what we eat have on the health of the planet. In this episode, we talk about another part of our everyday habits that we might not normally think about in earthkeeping terms: what we wear—and the impact of the clothing choices we make on the planet as a whole. To get us thinking about our OWN fashion habits, let me ask you a couple of questions: First though, pick just one item of clothing you are wearing right now. Do you know where that garment was made, and how far it had to travel to get to you? Or let me ask this: Do you know anything about the people who actually made the fabric this item is made of . . . . or anything about the people who stitched all the pieces together . . . or how much they were paid to do it? Do you even know what this item of clothing is made of—or importantly, what impact the making of that material had on the environment? I think a lot of us would be hard pressed to answer even one of those questions. But for those of us who long to become better at loving and caring for all creation, these are the kinds of questions we need to ask of ourselves and of our habits. And that is why we talked with Kathleen Audet, owner of an image consulting firm called Allegory. She has made it her mission to promote awareness about the things we wear—and to think about social and environmental justice when it comes to buying, owning, and even getting rid of clothing. Also, as part of our focus on “greening all vocations” in this season of the podcast, Kathleen shares the story of how she has found ways to do good for people and planet through her work as an image consultant.” Guest: Kathleen Audet Allegory StylingLinkedInMentions: The True Cost Rana Plaza collapseStewards of EdenSandra L RichterJames SpethFor DaysAllegory Resource PageKeywords: image consulting, sustainability, spirituality, religion, style, fashion, fashion industry, personal image, pollution, waste, consumers, affordability, ethics, fair labor, child labor, traceability, social justice, awareness, fast fashion, greening, scripture, creation care, capsule wardrobe, environment Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple

While most listeners to this podcast have found ways to make changers in their lives in order to live in more earth-sustaining ways, how often do we pay attention to what we eat as a critical factor for an earthkeeping lifestyle? Think about the foods that made up the last meal you ate: Do you know where those foods came from? How they were produced? How those foods impacted your carbon footprint? In this episode, Forrest talks to nutritionist Leslie Aaron—a person who helps people answer such questions for a living. Leslie works to promote community nutrition in places all around the world. She and her husband Douglas also work as contractors with global nonprofits in disaster relief and have their own organization called Fulcrum Missions, which supports local churches and ministries through context-appropriate projects. In one of their most recent endeavors, they’ve been working in Nicaragua to set up aquaponics systems—an approach to farming both fish and vegetables in sustainable, environmentally sound ways. Guest: Leslie Aaron Fulcrum MissionsLinkedIn Mentions: Bastyr UniversityUSDA Organic CertificationMonocroppingCirclewood Ecological Christian Leadership CohortEarthkeepersKeywords: food, nutrition, community, diet, local food, vitamins, creation care, harvesting, greening, simplifying, organic, globalization, availability, childcare, child nutrition, traditional diets, herbicides, pesticides, whole foods, processed foods, ultra processed foods, ingredients, monocropping, animal products, cage free, free range, imports, social justice, environmental justice Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple

In this episode, we talk with TJ Fittis, owner of Camano Island Coffee Roasters. I became a fan of Camano Island Coffee way back in 2006, when I asked the company’s founder, my friend Jeff Ericson, to come lecture in a course I was teaching. This course was all about social entrepreneurship—and for those not familiar with that term, a social enterprise is a business that exists not just for financial profit, but also for social benefits that somehow make the world a better place. Jeff was a great person to help me teach social entrepreneurship because, in the year 2000, he had founded Camano Island Coffee Roasters as a means of supporting ethical farming practices, fair pricing and wages, and most importantly, the production of great tasting, all-organic coffee. To accomplish these social and environmental objectives, he partnered early on with a nonprofit called Agros—and organization that helps the very poor in Central America to gain access to land for farming, and to establish new cooperative villages. Eventually, Jeff sold the company to his son-in-law, TJ—who continues to pursue these founding values of making the world a better place by practicing good—and profitable—business principles. But even if you aren’t a business person, there is wisdom in this conversation that can help us to make more earth-wise choices as consumers. That’s where we started our conversation, in fact—with the ways in which Camano Island Coffee uses their subscription-based model they call the Coffee Club, to provide a high quality, organic product that is better for the coffee consumer, for farmers, and for the environment. Guest: TJ Fittis Camano Island CoffeeLinkedInMentions: Camano IslandFair Trade CertificationFind us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple Keywords: coffee, coffee roasting, fair trade, Camano Island, farming, farmers social justice, environment, small business, local business, organic, sourcing, decentralization, community, consumers Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple

We’re glad to have you back with us as we launch season five of the podcast in this new year. The format of this episode will be a bit different because, as is our usual custom, our Executive Producer, James Amadon, and Forrest reflect a bit on season four and look ahead to some exciting new directions for season five. James Amadon TwitterLinkedInForrest Inslee TwitterLinkedIn Mentions: Episode 76Episode 90Episode 82Episode 73Episode 78Episode 88Circlewood Village Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple Keywords: earthcare, creation care, earthkeeping, new year, community, climate crisis, youth, future, climate anxiety, hope, greening vocations, Camano Island Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple

This special episode encourages ways we can reimagine our holiday practices. Forrest is in conversation with Abby Fehrsen of Capetown, South Africa talking about how she and her family have creatively adapted their celebration practices to become greener. Then, toward the end of this episode, we’ll hear some holiday greetings from a number of Earthkeepers all around the world. You might remember Abby from an Earthkeepers episode that she hosted earlier this year, and from an interview in season three in which she and Liesl Stewart told us about their work helping communities to source their food in sustainable, earth-honoring ways from local producers. Guest: Abby Fehrsen Earthkeepers Episode 87Earthkeepers Episode 57 Mentions: InstagramNew Year Plant HuntWinter Spiral Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple Keywords: Christmas, holidays, food, gift giving, family, tradition, locally sourced food, simplicity, values, choices, spending, celebration, sustainability, creation care, community, New Year, Hannukah, Kwanza, solstice Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple

Every culture has core stories - mythologies that have everything to do with group identity. Sometimes those stories are connected to national holidays, as in the case of the American holiday called Thanksgiving. But who gets to determine what those core stories should be? In this episode we welcome two wise women who have made it their life’s work to serve as truth-tellers, and advocates for the stories of Native peoples that are seldom heard. Lenore Three Stars of the Oglala Sioux Band of the Lakota Nation, and Robbie Paul of the Nez Perce People, are here to help us to understand the importance of knowing, telling, and listening to each other’s stories--in ways that bring healing and restoration. Note: If you or someone you know is suicidal, call one of the numbers listed on this website. If someone is in IMMEDIATE danger, please call your local emergency number. Lenore Three Stars Oglala SiouxWebsiteRobbie Paul Nez Perce NationNative American Health Sciences at WSU SpokaneOregon Health Sciences UniversityNez Perce Appaloosa Horse ClubLinkedInMentions: National Museum of the American Indian American Indian Perspectives on Thanksgiving More resources about Thanksgiving: x, x, x, x, x Doctrine of Discovery Indian Removal Act Nez Perce War Standing Rock Cheyenne River Agency Pine Ridge Little Bighorn Manifest Destiny Ghost Dance Religion and Wounded Knee Massacre Support the Earthkeepers podcast Keywords: revisionist history, epigenetics, intergenerational trauma, Native boarding schools, residential schools, dec Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple

For many of us who are really committed to earthcare causes, it is easy to put all our focus on changemaking, on action, and on working for a more hopeful climate future. Sometimes though, we focus on taking action without really taking time to embrace the reality of what has already been lost due to climate change. Our guest in this episode makes the case that we need to allow ourselves to grieve what we have lost—and that this grieving will ultimately help us to become better, more honest earthkeepers. Hannah Malcolm is an assistant curate in the Church of England, a young mother, and the editor of a book of essays called "Words for a Dying World: Stories of Grief and Courage from the Global Church.” Guest: Hannah Malcolm Church of EnglandIntergovernmental Panel on Climate ChangeOperation NoahGrieving the Earth as PrayerWords for a Dying WorldTwitter Mentions: AquinasSycamore GapLandmarks by Rob MacfarlaneKeywords: climate grief, climate anxiety, mourning ecological loss, lament, liturgies, Psalms, ministry, church, worship, children, climate change, ecological collapse, creation care, earth advocacy, ecology of place, language, generational grief, climate justice, climate inequity Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple

In the Earthkeepers podcast, we often talk about learning how to listen well—to the land, to the family of creation, and to Spirit. How, though, can we listen to our relatives who live under water? Our guest in this episode is Joe Olson, who has designed and built hydrophones – underwater microphones that he tailors specifically for hearing the voices of dolphins and whales. In fact, Joe recorded the voices of the whales at the opening of this episode. In this episode, we turn the tables and record Joe’s voice! Guest: Joe Olson Cetacean CommunicationInstagramCetacean Research TechnologyMentions: SpringerNamuNamu SongTokitaeFriends of TokitaeLummi NationWorldPopFacebookInstagramTwitterFind us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Keywords: hydrophones, cetaceans, sound, water, noise pollution, orca whales, culture, conservation, animals, captivity, animal rescue, music, connection Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple

What are the earthkeeping challenges in a place where human beings have been impacting the environment since the Paleolithic era? How does one think about restoring nature in a place known as the cradle of civilization? In this episode, we gain some practical wisdom from the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. For that perspective, we welcome Mohammad Asfour, founding chair of WADI—an organization that advances water conservation and land stewardship practices in Jordan. He is also an environmentally conscious businessman and a skilled nature photographer. Among other things, Mohammad has fascinating proposals regarding the power of positivity psychology and mindful practice to help us become better earth keepers. Guest: Mohommad Asfour WADITwitterInstagramLinkedIn Mentions: photos;Jordan PhotosRoyal Society for the Conservation of NatureQueen Rania Center for EntrepreneurshipInternational Positive Psychology AssociationNEXUSKeywords: water conservation, environmental activism, ecosystem restoration, restorative planting, native plants, sustainability, microclimates, stewardship, community, education, civil society, governance, entrepreneurship, carbon, culture, positive psychology, Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple

On the Earthkeepers podcast, we talk a lot about transforming damaged or neglected spaces into thriving ecologies that benefit both the human and more-than-human members of the community of creation. Way back in episode 2, for example, we talked to Tahmina Martelly about how neighbors turned an unused parking lot into a thriving community garden for refugees. In episode 40, we spoke with Casa Adobe in Costa Rica about how folks worked together to restore a neglected region of jungle and to provide community access to a nearby river. More recently, in episode 78, Nick Rubesh and John Wayne Seitzler told the story of their community’s efforts to re-wild a section of church property that was once just an unused stretch of lawn. In all these cases, it took a whole community of earthkeepers, working together, to accomplish the work of healing and transforming the land. In this episode, we’ll hear how the DeJong family was the catalyst to engage whole neighborhoods in the work of reviving and repairing a 43-acre forest called the Cheasty Green Space in Seattle. Guests: The Dejong Family Mary DejongJoel DejongMentions: 24078Cheasty GreenspaceGreen Seattle PartnershipDuwamish TribeCheasty Greenspace/Mt. ViewCheasty trails Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Keywords: restoration, trails, accessibility, recreation, ecosystem, ecology, invasive species, deforestation, settlers, native species, wildlife, nature, spirituality, spiritual ecology, community, cultural restitution, cultural restoration, stewardship, connections, relationships, climate change Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple

As you might know, the Earthkeepers podcast is part of a larger organization called Circlewood—and Circlewood has a dream to establish an inspirational, educational eco-village in a place called Camano Island in Washington State. In this podcast conversation, Circlewood’s Executive Director James Amadon and Forrest are joined by David Vandervort, the architect who has held the vision and designed the built spaces that will make up Circlewood Village. Among other things, we talk about green architecture, about listening to the land, and about building in harmony with the nature of place. Guest: David Vandervort ● Vandervort Architects ● LinkedIn Mentions: ● Circlewood Village ● Tom and Christine Sine ● Living Building Challenge ● Cross laminated timber ● Bob Berkebile Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Keywords: architecture, sustainability, sustainable architecture, community, village, design, creativity, environment, energy, resources, local, living buildings, equity, environmental justice, affordability, green building, regenerative architecture, restoration, Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple

Changing the climate future of our planet can only happen when we all work together and learn from each other—and that’s why this podcast includes diverse perspectives from around the world. Our guest host in this episode is Abigail Fehrsen in South Africa. Abby talks to Kehinde Micheal Osatuyi about the Muizenberg Community Kitchen—an inspiring and groundbreaking social enterprise that offers nutritious, affordable, plant-based meals to the community—but also gives special attention to the needs of the poor and vulnerable, and to promoting ecological awareness and environmental justice in all they do. You might remember Abby from episode 57, when she and her friend Liesl told the story of the community food cooperative they founded. Guest Host: Abigail Fehrsen Earthkeepers Episode 57Guest: Michael Kehinde Osatuyi Muizenberg Community Kitchenhereherecommunitykitchenmuizenberg@gmail.comInstagramFacebook Mentions: Cape Town, South AfricaYouth for Change Muizenberg Community GardenCheck out the International Community Development Masters program at NU. Keywords: food, kitchen, collaboration, community, COVID-19, volunteers, connection, youth, nutrition, garden, giving, receiving, empowerment, environmental justice, zero hunger, compost, zero waste, faith, generosity Check out Northwest University’s International Community Development Masters! Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple

As we all know, sometimes it isn’t easy being green. Especially when it comes to sustainable, affordable, earth-friendly architecture. Remember the story of the three little pigs? It didn’t work out so well for the two pigs who built cheap houses out of straw and sticks. But what if it were feasible to build durable, eco-friendly buildings out of straw or sticks—or even corn cobs or woodchips? Our friends at Nomadic Earth Architecture say it’s possible, and they want to tell you how. As our regular listeners know, a theme that we’ve returned to often in season four of the podcast has to do with how younger generations—Millenials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha—are responding to the climate crisis. Here we talk with Jesse Nathanson and James Sledge—two young changemakers who are passionate about teaching better ways to build. They tell us about their global initiative called Nomadic Earth Architecture—an organization that is all about inspiring people to build their own sustainable, non-toxic buildings out of cheap, easy to find natural materials. Guests: Jesse Nathanson Nomadic Earth ArchitectureFacebookJames Sledge Nomadic Earth ArchitectureLinkedInFacebook Mentions: MagnesiumPetrificationVOCsInternational Community Development MastersKeywords: architecture, natural building, sustainability, non-toxic, ancient technology, resources, accessibility, education, runoff, magnesium, packaging, organic materials, affordable housing, volatile organic compounds, VOCs, housing crisis, toxicity, health, affordability, environmental justice, social justice, intersectionality, copowerment, stewardship, relationships, indigenous peoples, community Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple

In this episode, James Amadon and Forrest Inslee reprise a webinar discussion with Debra Rienstra, author of a new book called Refugia Faith: Seeking Hidden Shelters, Ordinary Wonders, and the Healing of the Earth. In her writing, Dr. Rienstra asks deep and sometimes difficult questions, such as: What might Creator say to us about our role in caring for creation—if we could quiet ourselves long enough to listen? Also, How can we look for the possibilities of new life and restoration of the environment, when everything seems chaotic and hopeless? And most importantly, how can faith communities integrate earth care into their theology and practice, so that they become sources of healing and new life? Guest: Debra Reinstra Refugia FaithCalvin UniversityWebsiteTwitterLinkedInMentions: Laudato Si’Festival of Faith and WritingKathleen Dean MooreBill McKibbenLiturgical yearRandy WoodleyLenore Three StarsSteve Bouma-PredigerKeywords: faith, climate change, community, literature, books, climate anxiety, Christianity, ecosystems, nature, creation, life, death, refugia, church, theology, scripture, transformations, liturgical year, locality, community, passion, reciprocity, stewardship, citizenship, healing, illusion of control, consequentialism, virtue ethics, redemption, reconciliation, anger, Holy Spirit, climate movement, hope Find us on our website: Earthkeepers Support the Earthkeepers podcast Check out the Ecological Disciple