Barn & Soul by Dalby Farm
Welcome to Barn & Soul, a podcast brought to you by Dalby Farm - where we will explore the heart of "pet farm" life, learn about critically populated (if not outright) endangered farm breeds, and highlight the deep connections between animals and humans which we strive to encourage and preserve.
The farm has been Kendall's (your host) family since 1861 but it wasn't always a sanctuary for endangered farm breeds or an educational venue for the community. This podcast will touch upon aspects of the farms history, offer insight and advice as it pertains to owning farm animals as pets- and arguably most importantly - share vital information about these endangered farm breeds; what their roles are in our past AND why they're needed in our future.
New Episodes: Wednesdays at 9PM EST
#barnandsoul #farmlife #weloveanimals #petfarm #hobbyfarm #educationalfarm
🔔 Subscribe for more farm life insights, rare breed conservation, and the behind-the-scenes of running a small farm! Remember, all the animals on our farm our PETS! They live out their days as educational ambassadors to our community far & wide! Please follow us here on Youtube!
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At least 50% of all shop revenue directly helps fund the care & upkeep of our 160 year old educational family farm and all the endangered breeds who live there.
Barn & Soul by Dalby Farm
Barn & Soul Podcast : Episode 32 - Why We Save What We Love: Human Psychology Behind Conservation
Why do some animals, places, and species inspire fierce protection… while others quietly disappear?
In this episode of Barn & Soul, Kendall explores the real psychology behind conservation - not just the statistics and extinction charts, but the emotional bonds that actually move people to care, act, and protect. Drawing from conservation psychology, environmental research, and lived experience on a heritage-breed farm, this episode asks a deceptively simple question: why do we save what we love?
From biophilia and nature connectedness to empathy, storytelling, and sense of place, we unpack why facts alone rarely change behavior... and why love, identity, and relationship are doing far more work than we tend to admit. You’ll hear how childhood experiences shape lifelong environmental values, why naming animals changes how people respond to conservation, and how heritage livestock breeds offer a powerful case study in saving what we understand.
This episode blends research-backed insight with farm stories, offering a grounded, human-sized approach to conservation - one that doesn’t rely on guilt or fear, but on connection, memory, and care.
Whether you’re a parent, educator, farmer, animal lover, or someone feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world, this episode is a reminder that you don’t have to save everything... you just have to love something enough to protect it.
📚 Sources & Further Reading
Whitburn, J., Linklater, W., & Abrahamse, W. (2019). Meta-analysis of human connection to nature and pro-environmental behaviour. People and Nature.
Kirkey, J. R. (2024). What’s love got to do with it? A biophilia-based approach to conservation. Frontiers in Conservation Science.
Raymond, C. M. et al. (2025). The effect of empathy with nature and humans on conservation behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology.
Chawla, L. (2020). Childhood nature connection and constructive hope. People and Nature.
Oh, R. Y. Y. et al. (2021). Connection to nature predicted by family values, social norms, and experiences. Journal of Environmental Psychology.
Castillo-Huitrón, N. M. et al. (2020). The importance of human emotions for wildlife conservation. Frontiers in Psychology.
Batavia, C. et al. (2021). Emotion as a source of moral understanding in conservation. Conservation Biology.
van Eeden, L. M. et al. (2025). Why do (or don’t) people protect nature? Global Environmental Psychology.
Richardson, M. et al. (2020). Applying pathways to nature connectedness. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education.
The Livestock Conservancy. Conservation Genetics & Heritage Breeds.
Farm Flavor (2024). What Are Heritage Breeds and Why Are They Important?
CFSPH. Heritage Livestock Breeds – Why Are They Important?
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Sense of Place Supports Climate and Drought Resilience.
Craig, G. (2023). Fight for the Wild: Emotion and place in conservation. Taylor & Francis.
Fabien Cousteau interview (2017). “People protect what they love…” LUXUO.