S2 E28 Back to Basics: Rewilding

Episode discussion topics

• We're on the hunt for solutions and rewilding is a major component in our arsenal to combat climate change and enable ecosystems that make conditions conducive to life and create a more resilient food web for ourselves.
• What is it? According to the Internet's favorite source Wikipedia, "Rewilding is a form of ecological restoration with an emphasis on humans stepping back and leaving an area to nature, as opposed to more active forms of natural resource management." Here's an informative video about rewilding with wolves in Yellowstone National Park.
• There are several reasons to be supportive of rewilding across the United States..
  • For climate's sake: Strong ecosystems make a formidable defense against climate instability. Considering that climate is a function of the biosphere and the biosphere is sustained by rich natural ecosystems, we only stand to gain in terms of maintaining a livable Earth when we let nature do its thing.
  • For food's sake: A biodiverse food web will be more resilient than the mono-agriculture system we have now, which is akin to putting all your eggs into one basket as the phrase goes. We should have diversity in the supply chain so that we're not susceptible to being only one pest or one fungus or one viral infection away from a mass starvation event. We already know that Bananas and coffee are at risk of being lost to extinction due to shifting climate and invasive marauders that love the one kind of plant we chose to grow.
  • For the community's sake: Whether be it through shared common spaces like community gardens or farmer's markets or other mechanisms, a greater sense of belonging and fulfillment can be attained when people nurture connections to nature and one another.
• Call to Action: Take on a rewilding project in your own yard. Return the vegetation to native species and have some fun with raised flower beds by planting things you want to eat or planting pollinator-friendly flowers! Also, check out your local resources from seed banks (like this seed bank in Tucson) to gardening groups to rewilding and conservation corps efforts that could benefit from your time as a volunteer.

Your hosts: Michael V. Piscitelli and Raymond Wong Jr.

More info

• As you embark on your rewilding search, feel free to start here at the True Nature Foundation site for more information on what it is all about and more ways to get involved.
• You can find more information specifically on the gardening side of the equation (think your yard and your rooftop!) by hitting up the Wild Seed Project.
• Please feel free to share your thoughts through our Contact Us page or on Facebook.
  

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Special thanks

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• Our sponsor CitizenDoGood.com.
  
• Graphic design by SergeShop.com.
  
• Intro music sampled from “Okay Class” by Ozzy Jock under creative commons license through freemusicarchive.org.
  
• Other music provided royalty-free through Fesliyan Studios Inc.