Enduring Curiosity

Grey Gowder

A series of conversations with thought-leaders, innovators, and storytellers working to forge a resilient future for humanity and the natural world. Enduring Curiosity encourages listeners to pursue their curiosities about the world and to never stop learning.

Episodes

  1. Tripp Brower - Apparent Winds

    02/11/2022

    Tripp Brower - Apparent Winds

    Tripp Brower returns from his epic two-year sailing adventure  Apparent Winds with a new perspective on the world. Tripp set off from Charleston in November 2019 with Zach Bjur as part of an expedition of learning and storytelling. Their goal was to document and learn from coastal and island communities along their route of circumnavigation to better understand how these communities who were facing the impacts of climate change, plastic pollution and biodiversity loss in the oceans were working to protect and restore these key natural systems that underpinned their identities and their survival. When the COVID pandemic shut down the world early into their expedition, Tripp, now alone in the harbor of the remote Marquesan island of Hiva Oa was forced the slow the blistering speed of the journey and was able to fully immerse himself first into Marquesan and later Polynesian communities and tradition. Just as the pandemic created the unexpected opportunity of immersing himself into life in the island chains that make up French Polynesia, the entire path of the journey rerouted north to Hawaii where he met his partner Kiera, to Alaska, and back to Charleston via a second transit of the Panama Canal.  Tripp got to see first-hand the power of local solutions led by local people and informed by traditional knowledge and wisdom. He saw that the answer to climate change and other challenges facing our world is multi-disciplinary, intersectional, and highly diverse across bioregions and cultures. What remained consistently true though was that a deep and intimate connection to the surrounding natural world was common among the stewards and advocates of these living human and natural communities. As Tripp maps out his vision for an ambitious Phase 2 for Apparent Winds, he is guided by the transformative experiences he had throughout his journey from the inspirational Coral Gardeners of Mo'orea to the environmental stewards of Alaska like Dune Lankard and Louise Brady of the Herring Protectors. He sees the future is regenerative and largely comes from an inspired new generation guided by stories of hope for the future that they can shape in their image.  He echoes the oft-used phrase by ocean and river advocates around the world, "We are connected by the water." Phase 1 of Apparent Winds will appear in an upcoming documentary film directed by Grey Gowder for Lugus Films. Show Notes: Guest - Tripp Brower Host - Grey Gowder Music (via Epidemic Sound) - "Deep in the Blue" (Instrumental Version)  by Ingrid Witt Photo courtesy of Boba Jovanovic on Unsplash. Produced by Lugus Films Media

    45 min
  2. The 50 States Project - In Search of America

    01/21/2022

    The 50 States Project - In Search of America

    Kate Fleming and Tom Woodruff are two traveling artists documenting America through painting and photography through the 50 States Project. Kate paints seemingly-mundane human landscapes that may soon disappear like gas stations, strip malls, and big-box stores. Tom photographs the ugly and obscure sides of America as part of an ongoing exploration of how fear shapes individuals' realities. Together, they hope to capture and communicate the "now" of America as they traveled the United States in the months leading up to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and through the late summer and fall of 2021. They witnessed a large and complex nation rich in diversity of culture, landscape, and ideology undergoing a national identity crisis, but through all of that, they found how remarkably similar our motives and desires are. Though we may be, as John Steinbeck wrote, a nation whose "capacity for self-delusion is boundless," we are rooted in a common desire to do our best for our families and communities. By removing illusions created by fear and othering, Tom and Kate hope to encourage greater national empathy and encourage more people to come to better understand their neighbors and countrymen. We are a nation of dreamers, detached from our past, fearful of our present, yet filled with aspirational visions of the future. And just like the 50 States Project, we are an ongoing project with plenty more to learn. Additional Links: https://www.the50statesproject.com/ https://www.the50statesproject.com/wherewevebeen Show Notes: Guests - Kate Fleming & Tom Woodruff Host - Grey Gowder Music (via Epidemic Sound) - "Deep in the Blue" (Instrumental Version)  by Ingrid Witt Photo courtesy of Suzanne Emily O’Connor on Unsplash. Produced by Lugus Films Media

    54 min
  3. Mark Haver - A Global Blue New Deal

    12/10/2021

    Mark Haver - A Global Blue New Deal

    Mark Haver is a young ocean leader and policy advisor. As the chair of the Sustainable Ocean Alliance's Youth Policy Advisory Council, Mark was tasked with guiding the creation of SOA's Global Blue New Deal. The Global Blue New Deal is a comprehensive document penned by young leaders from around the world and developed by a community of young professionals representing 38 countries. The document's creators seek to outline the key challenges to ocean health and climate stability while also proposing focus areas for interventions and regenerative action and policy at all governance scales.  After a rigorous review process, Mark presented the Global Blue New Deal at COP26 in Glasgow as a means of increasing understanding among leaders and delegates about the ocean-climate nexus and how vital the ocean will be to a resilient future for our planet. Mark joins us in this interview to put the Global Blue New Deal into context through what was achieved at COP26 and what work remains. His message walks a fine line of outrage and optimism, often identifying solutions that must be embraced regardless of action by the world's leaders. The knowledge, technology, and solutions needed to solve climate change already exist, but the disinclination of those in power to act increasingly threatens the future of the communities that they represent.  The most important takeaway from this conversation is that Mark and other young people like him are motivated, highly capable, and are united by a core certainty that they "are guided by truth and that truth is science". While they may not want to be the sole reason for hope for the planet, they are driven by a sense of stewardship that people of all ages should embrace.  This episode of the Enduring Curiosity Podcast is sponsored by Enduring Curiosity, in association with the Sustainable Ocean Alliance and Sustainable Ocean Alliance - Charleston hub. Show Notes: Guest - Mark Haver Host - Grey Gowder Music (via Epidemic Sound) - "Deep in the Blue" (Instrumental Version)  by Ingrid Witt Photo courtesy of Secret Travel Guide on Unsplash. Produced by Lugus Films Media

    57 min
  4. Skye Steritz - A Regenerative Ocean Farm

    11/19/2021

    Skye Steritz - A Regenerative Ocean Farm

    Skye Steritz is the co-founder and President of Noble Ocean Farms  in Cordova, Alaska. Ever since she began scuba diving at age 12, Skye has been enchanted by the sea. She loves being below the surface, gazing up at golden columns of sunlight cascading through the water. Her deep connection to the water greatly influenced her path. Skye’s environmental activism began in college. She volunteered in Ghana and served as an environmental educator in California and Alaska before joining Dune Lankard's Eyak Preservation Council and then Native Conservancy. Now through Noble Ocean Farms and her work as an advocate and elementary school educator, Skye pursues two of her great passions: social justice and habitat preservation. She holds two Master of Science degrees in Water Resources Policy and Management, and a Master of Art in Water Cooperation and Diplomacy.  Skye and her partner in business and life, Sean Den Adel, founded their regenerative kelp farm with the intention of strengthening food security for their regional communities through nutrient-rich kelp products while also enhancing the marine biodiversity of the Prince William Sound through habitat creation and restoration. They see their kelp farm as a small part of a global effort to restore the ocean’s health and heal the communities most directly connected to the ocean. As ocean farmers and educators, Skye and Sean hope to inspire a new generation of maritime food producers and empower young stewards throughout their region.    Kelp farms like Noble Ocean Farms can be transformative for a region. Kelp is a keystone species that provides vital habitat and food for many species of mammals, fish, crustaceans, and sea birds. By farming kelp, Skye and Sean are also creating nurseries for juvenile salmon and herring. Salmon smolts rely on the safety of kelp in their journeys from their natal rivers to the open ocean. Kelp also chemically transforms the waters around them, purifying and alkalizing the water by sequestering dissolved carbon and creating oxygen-rich pockets. Kelp that will be harvested during the spring can then become human superfoods, low-methane animal feed, alternative biofuels, and material composites for bioplastics. Noble Ocean Farms will enhance rural Alaskans’ access to healthy foods by providing kelp.  By embracing the regenerative potential of natural systems, kelp farmers can help heal the disastrous effects of over a century of extractive economics.  This episode of the Enduring Curiosity Podcast is sponsored by Enduring Curiosity, in association with the Sustainable Ocean Alliance - Charleston and the CityCraft Foundation. Show Notes: Guest - Skye Steritz Host - Grey Gowder Music (via Epidemic Sound) - "Deep in the Blue" (Instrumental Version)  by Ingrid Witt Photo courtesy of Eiko Jones Produced by Lugus Films Media

    49 min
  5. Jonathan DeLong - Aligning with Nature

    11/05/2021

    Jonathan DeLong - Aligning with Nature

    Jonathan DeLong is the Co-Founder of Alameda, California's REAP Center (Regeneration, Education, Aquaculture, Permaculture), a non-profit that supports healthy soil and the movement transitioning tillage and monoculture land to permaculture practices. Through a combination of community building and education, Jonathan and his team seek to incubate and accelerate emergent technologies that will promote soil health and thus healthy communities. By using the REAP center as both a testing bed and proof of concept for high- and low-tech solutions, Jonathan hopes to influence policy and guide financial models in ways that will create regenerative and just transitions for communities across the country. Jonathan's work is directly aligned with at least 7 of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals to create greater community resilience through restoring soil health, promoting biodiversity, restoring the hydrological systems of the Center's location, creating locally-sourced food for food security, and providing a safe and engaging location for community members of all ages to enjoy. If you want to learn more about the REAP Center and if you are interested in volunteering at the Center, click here. This episode of the Enduring Curiosity Podcast is sponsored by Enduring Curiosity, in association with the Sustainable Ocean Alliance - Charleston and the CityCraft Foundation. REAP Center Links https://reapcenter.org/ https://www.instagram.com/thereapcenter/ https://www.facebook.com/TheREAPCenter/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanbdelong/ https://twitter.com/JonathanDeLong https://www.facebook.com/Jonathan.B.DeLong/ Additional Resources https://www.fsb-tcfd.org/ https://tnfd.global/ https://bionutrient.org/ https://biomimicry.org/ https://kisstheground.com/ https://www.bfi.org/ https://www.sunrisemovement.org/ Show Notes: Guest - Jonathan DeLong Host - Grey Gowder Music (via Epidemic Sound) - "Deep in the Blue" (Instrumental Version)  by Ingrid Witt Photo courtesy of Gabriel Jimenez on Unsplash Produced by Lugus Films Media

    50 min
  6. Andrew Wunderley - The Charleston Waterkeeper

    08/13/2021

    Andrew Wunderley - The Charleston Waterkeeper

    Andrew Wunderley is the Executive Director of the Charleston Waterkeeper. He is an avid swimmer, surfer, and advocate for local waterways. He earned his JD cum laude at the Charleston School of Law and his Masters of Science in Environmental Policy at the College of Charleston. Andrew serves as the eyes, ears, and voice of his local waterways. He is the Charleston Waterkeeper. Part of the Charleston Waterkeeper's mission is to stand for clean, healthy water and give their local waterways a voice. They are watchdogs, defenders, and stewards for both the natural systems and the communities that depend on them. They rely on a broad coalition of citizen scientists, community partners, and conservation collaborators to work towards a cleaner, healthier, and more vibrant future for life in their watershed.  To get more involved with Charleston Waterkeeper as a volunteer in their creek sweeps, oyster reef planting, spartina grass planting, or other opportunities to work to rebuild the Lowcountry, check out their upcoming schedule of events. This episode of the Enduring Curiosity Podcast is sponsored by Enduring Curiosity, in association with the Sustainable Ocean Alliance - Charleston and the CityCraft Foundation. Show Notes: Guest - Andrew Wunderley Host - Grey Gowder Music (via Epidemic Sound) - "Deep in the Blue" (Instrumental Version)  by Ingrid Witt Photo courtesy of Delaney Boyd on Unsplash Produced by Lugus Films Media

    59 min
  7. Laura Cantral: Finding Balance in Conservation

    07/30/2021

    Laura Cantral: Finding Balance in Conservation

    Laura Cantral is the Executive Director of the Coastal Conservation League, and has previously served as the Director of the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative at the Meridian Institute, the Associate Director of the US Commission on Ocean Policy, and as the Senior Policy Analyst for the Governor of Florida's Ocean Policy Committee. Part of Laura's mission with the Coastal Conservation League is to build partnerships to advance environmental policy at the international, national, regional, and local levels, while approaching the diverse range of challenges facing the Southeast from a multi-disciplinary and collaborative perspective. In this week's interview, Grey and Laura discuss an exciting proposed protection of up to 1 million acres of salt marsh from North Carolina to North Florida led by SERPASS and the importance of community "stakeholders" in protecting, preserving, and restoring vital coastal natural systems. The core theme of their conversation is balance, no matter whether that balance is in humanity's relations with the natural world or in strategies to manage the needs of human communities while addressing the health of neighboring ecosystems.  They also discuss the exciting work being done in the Southeast like the protection of seabird and migratory bird habitat on Deveaux Bank and Crab Bank, a commitment to citizen science through Charleston Waterkeeper, and the difference between "green infrastructure" and "gray infrastructure" through the lens of Charleston's Dutch Dialogues and the ongoing debate over how Charleston and other cities will mitigate sea level rise. This episode of the Enduring Curiosity Podcast is sponsored by Enduring Curiosity, in association with the CityCraft Foundation. Show Notes: Guest - Laura Cantral Host - Grey Gowder Music (via Epidemic Sound) - "Deep in the Blue" (Instrumental Version)  by Ingrid Witt Photo courtesy of Brian Sumner on Unsplash Produced by Lugus Films Media

    47 min

About

A series of conversations with thought-leaders, innovators, and storytellers working to forge a resilient future for humanity and the natural world. Enduring Curiosity encourages listeners to pursue their curiosities about the world and to never stop learning.