Jarod K. Anderson is a poet and nature enthusiast - his book, Something in the Woods Loves You– “the story of the darkest stretch of a person’s life, and how deliberate and meditative encounters with plants and animals helped him see the light at every turn,” shares how the more-than-human lives around him were among Jarod's primary allies against chronic depression.
One day in his mid-adulthood, after many years of battling debilitating depression and thoughts of suicide, Jarod witnessed the presence of a Great Blue Heron fishing in a creek in the woods near his home. In the opening pages of his new book, he describes this transformative moment of meeting this “poem of ancient slowness” as a “bridge to when nature was family.” And this sense of belonging allowed his first step on a path to seeking and accepting help in his deeply personal journey to healing.
Jarod is also the poet and nature enthusiast behind the popular scripted fiction podcast The CryptoNaturalist - about real love for imaginary nature. In Something in the Woods Loves You (out this week from Hachette), Jarod poignantly shares how real nature, and its lessons as to our place within it, helped to bring him home to himself.
Jarod joins Cultivating Place this week to share more about his love of nature, his garden life, and thoughts on how an improved relationship with nature is key to everyone’s health (mental and physical), including the health of the planet we live on and her nature.
Enjoy!
You can follow Jarod's work online at:
And on Instagram:
All photos by and courtesy of Jarod K. Anderson, all rights reserved.
If you enjoyed this program, you might also enjoy these
Best of CP programs in our archive:
JOIN US again next week, as we prepare for the Autumnal Equinox on
Sunday, September 22 nd, we turn to seed. We’re joined in this by the inimitable Erin Benzakein of Floret Flower Farm fame sharing her deeply personal journey from flower farmer grower, to flower seed grower and breeder – in part to nurture a healthy floral and seed economy and culture. That's right here, next week.
Cultivating Place is made possible in part by listeners like you and by generous support from
supporting initiatives that empower women and help preserve the planet through the intersection of environmental advocacy, social justice, and creativity.
Thinking out loud this week...
SO many things come up for me in the context of this conversation with the very brave, humble, and funny Jarod Anderson.
But the resounding message is this – always this: our health is tied to the presence and health of Nature whose health is tied to us….
There is only one thing to do with this message – to take better care of both and all – to always work toward taking better care of and for both and all. All of us included in all of that…..we are nature and nature is us – if she is sick, we are sick – if we are unhealthy, history illustrates, Nature’s health suffers with us – because of us….
And once again a lesson from our gardens daily comes to us here with Jarod as well – we are never alone, we are never a singularity, we are always a plurality in life – in sickness and in health – from the bird song to the beneficial (or not) mycorrhizae – we are in this together.
Keep growing together….say it with me…
garden it with me!
And yes –
the gardeners can be the heroes….
WAYS TO SUPPORT CULTIVATING PLACE
Cultivating Place is a co-production of North State Public Radio, a service of Cap Radio, licensed to Chico State Enterprises. Cultivating place is made possible in part listeners just like you through the support button at the top right-hand corner of every page at Cultivating Place.com.
The CP team includes producer and engineer Matt Fidler, with weekly tech and web support from Angel Huracha, and this summer we're joined by communications intern Sheila Stern. We’re based on the traditional and present homelands of the Mechoopda Indian Tribe of the Chico Rancheria. Original theme music is by Ma Muse, accompanied by Joe Craven and Sam Bevan.
SHARE the podcast with friends: If you enjoy these conversations about these things we love and which connect us, please share them forward with others. Thank you in advance!
RATE the podcast on iTunes: Or wherever you get your podcast feed: Please submit a ranking and a review of the program on Itunes! To do so follow this link: iTunes Review and Rate (once there, click View In Itunes and go to Ratings and Reviews)
DONATE: Cultivating Place is a listener-supported co-production of North State Public Radio. To make your listener contribution – please click the donate button below. Thank you in advance for your help making these valuable conversations grow.
Or, make checks payable to: North State Public Radio - with Cultivating Place in subject line
and mail to: Cultivating Place
PO Box 37
Durham, CA 95938
ความคิดเห็น