Biophilic Solutions: Nature Has the Answers Serenbe Media Network

It’s officially cozy season! This week, Monica and Jennifer are back with another roundup of biophilic holiday reads, perfect for gifting or curling up with by the fireplace. So, whether you’re looking for a beautiful coffee table book, inspiring looks at the science of spirituality, or words of wisdom inspired by nature, keep on listening. 
Shownotes 
Biophilic Solutions on Bookshop.orgThe 2024 Biophilic Leadership Summit Wild: The Naturalistic Garden by Clare Takacs and Noel KingsburyDesign a healthy home by Oliver HeathHow to Be More Tree: Essential Life Lessons for Perennial Happiness by Potter Gift and Annie DavidsonThin Place Design: The Architecture of the Numinous by Dr. Phillip James TabbThe Transcendent Brain: Spirituality in the Age of Science by Alan Lightman The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick RubinThe Language of Trees: A Rewilding of Literature and Landscape by Katie Holten 

Key Words: Biophilic, Biophilia, Nature, Nature Based Solutions, Reading, Holiday, Gifts, Book, Book List, Science, Spirituality, Trees, Garden, Gardening, Natural Garden, Thin Places, Creativity, Literature, Landscape, Clare Takacs, Noel Kingsbury, Oliver Heath, Potter Gift, Annie Davidson, Phil Tabb, Phillip James Tabb, Alan Ligthman, Rick Rubin, Katie Holten

Everyone should live within 10 minutes of a public park. Why? Because public green space improves overall health, strengthens community ties, combats climate change, and - when implemented correctly - reduces inequality. Our guest today is George Dusenbury, Vice President Southern Region and the Georgia State Director at the Trust for Public Land, an organization whose mission is to expand access to the outdoors by creating public parks and protecting public lands. In this episode, we explore exciting TPL initiatives like green schoolyards in New York City and the exciting Chattahoochee RiverLands Project that promises to transform the Atlanta metro area and beyond. We also discuss greenspace as essential infrastructure, the importance of local input,, and the resources available for anyone who wants to expand access to nature in their own communities. 
Show Notes
Trust For Public LandAbout George Dusenbury Chattahoochee RiverLands ProjectThe Land & People LabPolicy & LegislationResource LibrarySCAPE Studio Key Words: Trust For Public Land, Public Parks, Parks & Recreation, Green Space, Climate, Climate Change, Chattahoochee River, Chattahoochee RiverLands Project, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Nature, Outdoors, Nature Based Solutions 

On the surface, you may not think that the military or professional baseball have much to do with fields like wellness, mindfulness, or biophilia - but that’s exactly where you’d be wrong according to today’s guest, Dr. Mark Campbell. Dr. Mark is a performance psychologist and consultant who works with clients across a wide range of challenging industries to optimize their wellbeing. He got his start  working as a lead for the US Army’s performance psychology and resilience program, worked closely on the DoD's Warrior Games and Prince Harry’s Invictus Games, and served as the Director of Mental Conditioning for the Washington Nationals. 
Throughout his impressive career, Mark noticed the transformative impact that nature had on every single one of his clients and has made the outdoors a hallmark of his approach. He even hosts a podcast on the topic called the Nature of Wellness (NOW). We were thrilled to catch up with Mark this week to explore his impressive career, how he brings more people into nature by meeting them where they are, and his ultimate goal to legitimize the term wellness. 
Show Notes
Campbell PerformanceNature of Wellness (NOW) Podcast Mental Mechanics: The Impact of Nature by Mark Campbell Mental Mechanics: The Beauty of Silence by Mark Campbell Warrior GamesInvictus GamesKey Words: Wellness, Psychology, Performance Psychology, Wounded Warrior Project, Veterans, Invictus Games, Warrior Games, Nature, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Mindfulness, Sports, Athletics 

At this point, we all know that biophilia literally means the love of nature, right? But have you ever stopped to consider its opposite, biophobia? If you’re a regular listener of this podcast, we’d be willing to bet you haven’t - and to be honest, we hadn’t either until we met today’s guest, science journalist Emily Harwitz. Emily’s recent article, ‘Beware Creeping Biophobia’ was picked up by multiple outlets like The Atlantic, The Tyee, and Haikai due to its insightful breakdown of the cycle that begins when humans become irrevocably disconnected from the natural world. Basically, disconnection leads to fear, which leads to outright rejection and even destruction. 
We were thrilled to catch up with Emily to break down the cycle of biophobia, how we can convert the biophobic to the biophilic, and we also dive into the reasons why humans are drawn to collecting rare species. 


Show Notes
Beware Creeping Biophobia (Haikai Magazine)Humans Fondness for the Odd and Rare Make Us Particularly Overwhelming Predators (Haikai Magazine)I’ll Go If You Go Podcast Emily Harwitz WebsiteEmily Harwitz Instagram Jackson Wild Summit - 2023 Media Lab Fellows

Key Words: Biophobia, Biophilia, Nature, Outdoors, Journalism, Science Journalism, Ecosystem, Environment, Wildlife, Wildlife Restoration

The health benefits of biophilic design are well-established: reduced anxiety, improved focus, lower heart rate, and generally just better overall wellbeing. However, how do those health benefits translate to financial outcomes? How do we get more business leaders and policymakers to implement biophilic design on a broader scale? Enter the latest publication from Terrapin Bright Green, The Economics of Biophilia second edition. This new report, co-authored by today’s guests Bill Browning and Catie Ryan, looks at five sectors - offices, education, retail, hospitality, healthcare, and community - detailing the benefits of biophilic design interventions for each and then making the financial case in great detail. 
In this episode, Bill and Catie share how a flood of new research led them to update their original 2012 report, how businesses and policymakers can utilize biophilic design to meet their financial objectives, and why it really all comes back to long term thinking.  
Show Notes
The Economics of Biophilia: Why Designing with Nature Makes Financial Sense, second edition by Bill Browning, Catie Ryan, and Dakota WalkerNature Inside A Biophilic Design Guide by Bill Browning and Catie Ryan Terrapin Bright GreenInterfaceKeywords: Economics, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Nature Based Design, Nature Based, Finance, Architecture, Built Environment, Green Building, Nature, Finance 

For the future of sustainable textiles, should we look no further than … the ocean? Today we’re speaking with Aleks Gosiewski and Tessa Callaghan, the founders of Keel Labs, a sustainable materials company built on regenerative principles. Keel Labs’ signature product is Kelsun, a seaweed-based yarn with a significantly lower environmental footprint than traditional fibers. 
Alex and Tessa met as design students at the Fashion Institute of Technology and went on to win the first-ever Biodesign Challenge in 2016. In the years since they founded Keel Labs, both women have been named as one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30. In this episode, we chat with Tessa and Aleks about the promise of kelp as a regenerative raw material, the process of turning kelp into a functional textile, and we dive into - no pun intended - the challenges and rewards of building a company with sustainable innovation at its very core. 
Show Notes
Keel LabsForbes’ 30 Under 30 2022 (Manufacturing)Would You Wear a Sweater Made Out of Seaweed? (HighSnobiety)A new material made from seaweed will transform the entire textile industry by Tessa Callaghan (Upworthy)Keel Labs on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedInFashion Institute of Technology (FIT)The Biodesign ChallengeKey Words: Keel, Keel Labs, Ocean, Seaweed, Kelp, Algae, Fashion, Design, Fashion Design, Textiles, Materials, Sustainability, Regenerative, Regenerative Materials, Environment, Climate, Climate Change, Climate Solutions, Biophilia, Biophilic Design, Biodesign