How It Looks From Here Full Ecology, LLC

This month, Mary talks with poet Sean Hill. Sean is currently on faculty with University of Montana in Missoula. His path to that post began in Milledgeville, GA where he spent his childhood fascinated with the workings of nature. That homeland remains a big part of the stories Sean tells of his family and community from enslavement to today. Sean has lived in Minnesota, Texas, and Alaska, and has traveled the world. Echoes of those journeys mix in with Sean's particular brand of truth telling to render poems of justice, awe and honor.
You can read Sean’s poetry by visiting his website https://www.seanhillpoetry.com/. Pick up one of his books, BLOOD TIES & BROWN LIQUOR published by University of Georgia Press, or DANGEROUS GOODS published by Milkweed Editions.
Also check out these brand new anthologies including Sean's work.
A Darker Wilderness: Black Nature Writing from Soil to Stars edited by Erin Sharkey
Solastalgia: Anthology of Emotion in a Disappearing World edited by Paul Bogard

This month Mary speaks with Scott Bosse, Regional Director of the Northern Rockies Office of American Rivers, a non profit devoted to clean water and healthy rivers. Since they were recording for the month of February, Scott and Mary took the opportunity to talk about the quality of Love that is at the core of relationship with the natural world.
First and foremost, Scott is a champion of wild nature. He's a hunter, angler and gatherer of other wild foods. He is a conservation scientist who currently advocates for rivers and their ecosystems in ways that influence policy and legislation at the federal and state levels.
Mary and Scott talk of the love in each of these aspects of his connection with nature. Love also shows up in the way Scott works with local citizens, sports people, businesses and conservation organizations to build support for river protection efforts in eastern Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. In every interaction, Scott brings his devotion to and passion for the wellbeing of all beings, including the people with whom he works.
Listen for how Scott anchors his way of knowing in a clear, present and reciprocal love of the natural world. There are clues here for all of us.
You can find out more about Scott and American Rivers at www.americanrivers.org .
Here are a few of Scott's essays:
American Rivers Update from the Field https://www.americanrivers.org/2021/12/update-from-the-field-montana-dam-malfunction-impacts-madison-river/ 
Smith River Copper Mine https://www.americanrivers.org/2019/07/whats-next-for-the-proposed-smith-river-copper-mine/ 
And check out Gary Snyder's beautiful writing - especially Turtle Island (1974), the inspiring collection of poems and essays Scott mentioned at the close of the podcast.

This month, Mary speaks with Jesine Munson, an artist, historian and philosopher. Jesine landed on the planet in 1988, a Montanan born and raised. She's currently completing a PhD dissertation specifically considering the work of John Dewey and, more generally, the way we humans come to make sense of our lives and the world.
In this episode, Mary and Jesine talk about how Jesine's work as a scholar, artist, young business woman and co-founder of the nonprofit, The Compassion Project is inextricably woven in with the natural world and her devotion to climate repair.
The works of John Dewey that have been most influential for Jesine: The Public And It's Problems (1927) and Art as Experience (1934)
Modern Dewey Scholarship:
John Dewey's Theory of Art, Experience, and Nature: The Horizons of Feeling - Book by John Dewey and Thomas M. Alexander
The Human Eros: Eco-ontology and The Aesthetics of Existence - Book by Thomas Alexander
Pragmatism as Post-Postmodernism by Larry Hickman
Jesine also mentioned Lauren Berlant's - Cruel Optimism

Compassion Project https://www.compassionpject.org/

This month, Mary speaks with Thomas Doherty, PhD Clinical Psychologist and internationally recognized expert on the psychology of living in and with climate change. 
Thomas is best known for bringing forward awareness of ecopsychology - the understanding that psychological wellbeing is significantly affected by our relationship with the environments in which we live and make our lives. Thomasoffers therapeutic sessions to individuals, couples, families and groups. He consults with corporate entities interested in supporting the ecologial health of employees and provides mentorship for therapists interested in building ecopsychology into their practices.
Mary and Thomas discuss the ways connection with place helps us find purpose and even happiness in our work to address climate change.
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Learn more about Thomas Doherty and his work on his website, Sustainable Self.
And check out his international podcast with colleague Panu Pihkala, Climate Change and Happiness.
And for an alternative to the usual 24/7 headlines, check out Solution-Focused Journalism. Thomas was right. it takes some digging. Go to the Solutions Story Tracker and then under the 'advanced search' tab, activate 'full text.' If you enter 'climate change' you get some options. Play around. See what you find.

Mary speaks with Lill Erickson, Executive Director of Western Sustainability Exchange.
Western Sustainability Exchange is a nonprofit organization in Livingston, Montana dedicated to, "preserving the best of the West—wide open spaces, fish and wildlife habitat, and farming and ranching heritage—by providing sustainable solutions that promote environmental stewardship and rural economic prosperity."
Mary and Lill discuss the details of regenerative agriculture, down to its roots, and how local communities can support their family-run ranching businesses.
Learn more about Western Sustainability Exchange.
Learn about Regenerative Agriculture practices around the country and the world.
Read about the roots of this practice in indigenous ways of being with the world over thousands of years and up to today.

Tune in for PART 2 of the panel of the five authors who spoke of the way the world looks to them in last episode of How It Looks from Here. In August, Gary & Mary were on the faculty of the Elk River Writers' Workshop in the Paradise Valley of Montana. As a part of that week, we had the opportunity to record a panel of five of these authors for two episodes launching the 3rd season of our podcast HOW IT LOOKS FROM HERE. This second episode features lively and important conversation among the panel participants.  Mary facilitated the exchange that included poets, fiction and non-fiction writers, Beth Piatote, Camille Dungy, J Drew Lanham, Gary Ferguson and Pam Uschuk.
Elk River Writer's Workshop:
www.elkriverwriters.org
Beth Piatote - Domestic Subjects: Gender, Citizenship, and Law in Native American Literature (Yale, 2013), and The Beadworkers: Stories (Counterpoint 2019) https://complit.berkeley.edu/people/faculty/beth-piatote 
Camille Dungy - Guidebook to Relative Strangers (W. W. Norton, 2017), [POETRY] Trophic Cascade (Wesleyan UP, 2017), Smith Blue (Southern Illinois UP, 2011), and Suck on the Marrow (Red Hen Press, 2010). https://camilledungy.com/ 
J Drew Lanham - The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man's Love Affair with Nature (Milkweed Editions, 2016), [POETRY] Sparrow Envy (Hub City Press, 2016). https://jdlanham.wixsite.com/blackbirder 
Gary Ferguson - The Eight Master Lessons of Nature (Dutton, 2019), The Carry Home (Counterpoint, 2015), Full Ecology - Repairing Our Relationship with the Natural World (Heyday, 2021) https://fullecology.com 
Pam Uschuck - Refugee (Red Hen Press, 2022), Blood Flower (Wings Press, 2014), Crazy Love (Wings Press, 2009) http://www.pamelauschuk.com/index.html