Oh, what a delightful conversation to be sharing here on what is the Spring Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere (Autumn Equinox for those in the Southern Hemisphere). It is also a new Moon which makes for an auspicious and wonderful time to be sharing this episode with you all.

Emma Linford is a graduate of Schumacher College who attended the Movement, Mind and Ecology programme and has been doing a great deal of incredible work throughout her life and especially since the completion of her studies. She has recently been supporting a newly emerging organization called The Stars are for Everyone. 

Together, Emma and I talked of our more-than-human relationships (Moss was a highlight), storytelling and mythology's place in helping to transform and shift the dominant worldview and through this help us of modernity to remember that we are nature, too.

The conversation went many places and it was such a pleasure to have this opportunity to share and illuminate one of the many incredible humans who has come through Schumacher College over these past 30+ years. We also talked about the student led Schumacher & Dartington Alumni Community which is beginning to take shape as well. 

The musical accompaniment for this episode is by a dear friend based here in the states by the name of Benjamin Cartel. His song Starlight proved an appropriate theme song to much of our conversation. 

Thank you for tuning in. Please do have a listen to our other episodes when you get the chance and be on the lookout for more episodes coming soon!

Ah, what a delightful conversation Georgia and I had.

We explored many Schumacher College related stories and also wandered through relationships with the more than human world, the trials, successes and tribulations of actively working to decolonize our minds, lives, and worldviews as we confront the myriad crises that are in our midst.

In addition to this, I also learned during our talk of her spoken word poem that was submitted as part of her academic Master's Degree journey in the Regenerative Economics programme. That piqued my interest…

Why I bring that up here is because I asked if she could share a recording of that with me (and us) and I thankfully got a fresh recording of it just the other day! So Georgia’s spoke word poem, The Notion of Impossibility is what I am stoked and honored to be able to close this episode with 😃

So much is in this episode to enjoy.

And for those of you out there interested in making a gluten-free sourdough starter companion. Here’s a link to the recipe Georgia uses 😉

And also, a nice big shout out and whole lot o' love to Nathaniel Talbot, a dear friend who's fantastic track Intuition accompanied this episode. Nathaniel and his wife Annie who have created an amazing organic farm and seed company called Deep Harvest Farm on Whidbey Island in the Pacific Northwest. Please check it out and support it if you can!

Oh me oh my was this a lovely session to listen to. A previously unreleased podcast episode created by Nicole Wilson of the Engaged Ecology Master's Programme and Horticultural Intern Chess Bygrave  from Schumacher College, reflecting back on Pride Week 2021 . 

Filled with humor, authenticity and an accessible sharing of experiences that come from refreshingly non-heteronormative perspectives. This conversation was gold. 

They also provided critical inquiries of this Southwest rural countryside, where Schumacher College can be found. Nestled in the Totnes and Dartington area of Devon, UK. Imagining ways for these places to regularly represent a more inviting array of human beings to come and take part.

Through their illuminations more vibrant pictures of what life and communities in the area could look like. Where not only is queerness accepted and welcomed, it's also celebrated and embraced for the abundance of expanded, alternative, and radical ways we can see the world (and be a part of it). 

How lucky we could all be to vulnerably meet everyone right where they are. To see each other clearly with grace and humility. It seems sensible to believe we can be kind, respectful, and loving with one another. It's a selfish act that is mutually beneficial to everyone. A side effect of course is that this behavior and way of being is contagious, though that's a good thing and it is a-okay with me.

Here's to not being a jerk.

And here's to the queering of our reality...

Ah Chess... Chess Bygrave is a legend who played a meaningful role in my journey and time at Schumacher College. Chess was a Horticultural Intern and incredible community member and friend to many. Without Chess, it is hard to imagine what would have taken place for the Pride week of celebrations.

We share stories and reflections on Pride and also on the greater explorations we're making around LGBTQIA+ rights and the movement for inclusivity for all human peoples.

I valued our conversation and did my best to maintain the authentic chat we shared together.

Enjoy...

Oh, and here's a great link for Pride info, called: What is Pride? The Complete History of Pride from them.us

This was a fun one, folks.

There is only a brief human contribution to the audio of this episode. The remainder is a compilation of moments from various places in and around Schumacher College and the Dartington Hall Estate in Devon, England. The River Dart plays a prominent role, as do many Blackbirds, Robins, Jackdaws, Rain, Wind, and so many more-than-human beings that contribute to, and are in collaboration with the greater ecology of this place in space.

Focusing and bringing their voices out to this larger audience is a process that came about in concert with these beings. Joe Culhane, the human host for this podcast, produced the episode from the West Coast of the Americas, though he lived among, and as part of this greater ecology of the Dartington Estate for approximately a year between 2021 and 2022. Also during the production of this episode, and on the day it was published, he was sitting with a small vessel of the River Dart, had a Sweet Wormwood salve made from Wormwood that lived on the Dartington Estate and was made by his fellow co-founders of the Dart Community Apothecary. In addition to that, he had communed with a Redwood Essence that was also made on the Estate in the Redwood Outdoor Classroom, also as part of a Dart Community Apothecary workshop. 

So, even though Joe was half a world away, he was still intimately connected with the land, water, beings, and greater ecology that are being celebrated in this episode.

All but three of the recordings come from his various interactions with these fellow earth mates, earth dwellers, and more-than-human companions while he was there. The other audio were contributions from Alice Oliveira, a fellow Schumacher College Alumni who I thank oh so kindly for sharing them with us all. 

More show notes to come with places on the estate these recordings came from 😉

Tracks, compliments of Alice Oliveira:

~ Dartington Birds and Bells

~ Dartington Birds and Squirrels

~Dartington Atmosphere (1)

~ Dartington Atmosphere (2)

Tracks from Joe:

~ 42 days of audio, sharing voices from one sit spot (or Gaia spot) just near the outer gardens of the Old Postern on the Schumacher College campus.

~ River Dart, multiple tracks including various other more than human beings sharing their voices there as well. (22 April 2021, 9 August 2021, 30 September 2021, 5 January 2022) 

~ Henri's Field. A dawn chorus  (9 June 2021)

~ Redwoods and Northwoods tracks ( 1 June 2021, 12 November 2021)

~ Birthday chorus near Old Postern (12 July 2021)

~ Dawn Chorus by Old Postern and in the Hazelip (5 January 2022)

My first guest on this first episode of the SS Small is Beautiful podcast is from Belgium and is currently the coordinator of Sprouts, a Schumacher inspired learning center that is embracing the ethos of holistic science and land based education, regenerative economic and agricultural practices, and many related topics and ways of living and being. Marie de’Wouters was a part of the 2021-22 Engaged Ecology master's degree programme that I was also on as well. I’m pleased to call Marie a friend and colleague and also for her to be the first guest on the

We spoke of oh so many things, please have a listen to explore with us all the wanderings we did.