Best Out Ecosystembuilding Podcasts (2025)

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E 7.5 - Scaling Regenerative Medicine for Global Impact with Tim Bertram and Jesse Thornburg at the Piedmont Triad Regenerative Medicine Engine 46:28

4d ago46:28

46:28

As we continue our tour of the US National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines, today we’re headed to North Carolina. Tim Bertram and Jesse Thornburg of the Piedmont Triad Regenerative Medicine Engine are taking us into the lab to give us a crash course in what regenerative medicine is, and how their Engine is helping regenerative medici…

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E 7.4 - Building a Climate-Ready Future in Colorado and Wyoming featuring Mike Freeman 55:46

18d ago55:46

55:46

Colorado and Wyoming are famed for their wide open spaces and incredible landscapes. They’re also very, very dry. Changes in rainfall and snowpack are already impacting agriculture, tourism, and the frequency and intensity of wildfires in the western United States. The wicked problem of climate resiliency isn’t one for the future, it’s making itsel…

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E 7.3 - From NeoCity to National Security: How Florida Is Shaping the Semiconductor Industry with Tawny Olore 37:54

1M ago37:54

37:54

Would you be able to describe what a semiconductor is? A lot of us probably can’t, but they’re essential to modern life as we know it. Today, we’re headed to NeoCity and the Central Florida Semiconductor Innovation Engine to talk with CEO Tawny Olore. This Regional Innovation Engine, funded by the US National Science Foundation, is taking on the ma…

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E 7.2 - Solving Global Water Challenges from the Great Lakes Region featuring Alaina Harkness 47:01

2M ago47:01

47:01

Fresh water is a vital resource for life on earth, and it plays an increasingly important role in developing technologies like AI, quantum computing, and the data centers on which both rely. Managing access, use, and waste will only become more pressing as industry and communities continue to compete for water resources. So it makes sense that the …

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E 7.1 - Innovation Ecosystems: Inside the NSF Regional Innovation Engines 53:50

2M ago53:50

53:50

How do we make our communities more resilient to extreme weather events? How do we become smarter about using and recycling water, one of the most precious resources on our planet? And how can we turn the textile industry into a more circular and sustainable economy that reduces waste and develops new fibers and materials? Welcome to season seven o…

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Season 7 Preview: Resilient Communities, Real Solutions 1:40

5M ago1:40

1:40

Water scarcity, food insecurity, and wasteful textile supply chains are major societal challenges with no easy solutions. But some of the nation's leading scientists, researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs are committed to tackling these problems. In Season 7 of Ecosystems for Change, I’m going to introduce you to nine different innovation ecos…

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Ecosystems For Change: Logbook #7 47:58

1+ y ago47:58

47:58

Welcome to my seventh logbook, an in between seasons update on Ecosystems for Change. In each logbook, I give you a peek behind the scenes of what’s happening in my day job as an entrepreneurial ecosystem builder in the Shenandoah Valley, some updates from the field of ecosystem building, an introduction to Unsung Heroes of Ecosystem Building doing…

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Build the Fort: Simplifying Startup Community Building with Chris Heivly 51:21

1+ y ago51:21

51:21

On today’s bonus episode, I’m speaking with Chris Heivly. Chris has over 40 years of experience working as, for, and with entrepreneurs and I was delighted to talk with him about why he wants to see more ecosystem and community builders come together and build a fort. Chris Heivly is a life-long entrepreneur and multifaceted investor who spent fort…

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E 6.7 - What We Learned: Stories That Redefine Entrepreneurship In Our Communities 21:48

2y ago21:48

21:48

We started this season by asking how we can tell better stories about what is happening in our ecosystems. As I reflect on the lessons learned throughout the season, the key piece is that storytelling is not just some fun marketing campaign; it’s a tool to show the community what is possible and what the future might look like. But most of us–entre…

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E 6.6 - Stories of Tech and Innovation in Rural America with Austin Danforth 44:03

2y ago44:03

44:03

Today, we’re headed to Vermont to hear stories about extraordinary rural communities throughout the US. Austin Danforth is the chief storyteller in charge at the Center on Rural Innovation (CORI), not that he would call himself that. But I definitely do. Austin is putting his prior career as a sports reporter and photographer to use to reshape the …

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E 6.5 - Entrepreneurship Indiana: A State-Wide Storytelling Campaign with Julie Heath, Polina Osherov and Morgan Allen Part 2 26:47

2y ago26:47

26:47

In this episode, I’m continuing my conversation about Yearbook Indiana with Polina Osherov of Pattern, Morgan Allen of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, and Julie Heath, formerly of IEDC. We’re jumping right back in from the break, so if you haven’t listened to part one, go do that! In part two, we’re digging into the nitty-gritty of ge…

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E 6.4 - Entrepreneurship Indiana: A State-Wide Storytelling Campaign with Julie Heath, Polina Osherov and Morgan Allen Part 1 26:49

2y ago26:49

26:49

In today’s episode, I get to introduce you to a storytelling powerhouse trio. At every stage of the process, from vision to execution to the final product, I have rarely seen such a well-produced, coherent, and meaningful storytelling campaign as Yearbook Indiana. The Indiana Economic Development Corporation–IEDC–collaborated with Indiana-based mag…

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E 6.3 - Changing the Narrative of Rural Entrepreneurship with Natalie Hodge 36:28

2y ago36:28

36:28

I’ve been in awe of today’s guest, Natalie Hodge, since I first learned about her show Hometown Hustle. As of summer 2023, the show is in its second season telling the stories of entrepreneurs building their big business ideas in the small towns of rural America and changing the narrative about rural entrepreneurship. Today, Natalie shares why she …

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E 6.2 - A Global Storyteller: Solutions-Based Journalism with Eva-Maria Verfürth 40:25

2y ago40:25

40:25

Welcome to my first interview of season 6. I sat down with none other than Eva-Maria Verfürth, Publisher and Editor in Chief of Tea After Twelve. While based in Frankfurt, Germany, Eva’s storytelling spans around the globe to talk about new solutions to old problems to create a better world. As you’ll see in this conversation, Eva is driven by a de…

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E 6.1 - The Power of Storytelling in Ecosystem Building 25:21

2y ago25:21

25:21

In season 6 of Ecosystems for Change, we are going to explore the art, craft, and science of telling meaningful stories that have the power to affect change in our communities. I’ve always enjoyed hearing other people’s stories, reading about them, and eventually telling these stories. As I started out helping to develop the ecosystem in Richmond, …

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Ecosystems For Change: Logbook #6 32:42

2y ago32:42

32:42

Welcome to my 6th logbook where I give a little insight into what’s happening behind and beyond the scenes of this show. And I’m switching up the format a little bit! I’ve been meeting so many incredible ecosystem builders, and while I can’t have them all on the show, that’s not going to stop me from trying! I’m super excited to introduce a new qua…

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E 5.8 - What We Learned: Knowing When and How to Move On as an Ecosystem Builder 17:40

2y ago17:40

17:40

Over the course of this season, quitting became a constant topic in my life. One of my team members quit to take on a new role closer to home. A new friend talked to me about quitting her job to spend more time enjoying her family and less time worrying about making it all fit in her schedule. A partner quit because he had done what he came to do a…

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E 5.7 - Unlearning Systems, Sharing Power, and Stepping Back From Your Startup with Naomi Ryland 37:22

2y ago37:22

37:22

In our last conversation of this season, we’re traveling to Berlin, Germany. I’m sitting down with Naomi Ryland, systemic change maker, social entrepreneur, bestselling author and overall insightful person. We talked about the last ten years in the German social impact space, how to turn your organization from a hierarchical to a self-organized one…

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E 5.6 - The Art of Quitting: Gracefully Navigating the Responsibility of Change with Lucas Lindsey 37:42

2y ago37:42

37:42

In today's episode, we're traveling to Phoenix, Arizona to chat with Lucas Lindsey. Lucas is an ecosystem builder turned real estate developer. We talked about planning for succession and the importance of the built environment for entrepreneurial ecosystem building. Lucas Lindsey is a Michigan kid on a long hiatus to the American Southwest. He is …

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E 5.5 - Start. Hand over. Repeat. The Cycles of Ecosystem Building with Larkin Garbee 35:33

2y ago35:33

35:33

In today's episode, I want to introduce you to my longtime friend and OG ecosystem builder, Larkin Garbee. Larkin has put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into jumpstarting entrepreneurial support initiatives, both in Richmond, Virginia, as well as nationally. In this conversation, we talk about handing initiatives over to people who can carry them…

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E 5.4 - Grief, Quitting, and Listening to the Your Heart with Annie Wood 47:41

2+ y ago47:41

47:41

In today’s episode, we’re making our way to Fargo, North Dakota to talk to Annie Wood. I first met Annie through Startup Champions Network and was fortunate enough to visit her community during our Fall Summit in 2018. Shortly thereafter, Annie left the host organization and started a new chapter of her life. Today, she shares what was going on beh…

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E 5.3 - Self-Trust and Curating Impactful Community with Julia Firestone 54:45

2+ y ago54:45

54:45

Today, I want you to meet Julia Firestone. Julia is a transformational leadership and career coach who serves experienced social impact professionals to help them unleash their biggest positive impact in the world while living their most fulfilling life. Julia has worked in corporate innovation and strategy, global NGOs, scrappy startups, and corpo…

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E 5.2 - Recognizing Your Strengths and When It's Time to Sail On with Joe Maruschak 43:02

2+ y ago43:02

43:02

When Joe Maruschak left his home ecosystem of Eugene, Oregon, it sent ripples through our community of ecosystem builders. In the public farewell letter that he wrote in July 2021, he voiced what so many of us had been struggling with and discussing behind closed doors. A year and a half after this letter, I invited Joe onto the show to share his j…

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E 5.1 - The Quitters: Quitting the Infinite Game of Ecosystem Building 16:11

2+ y ago16:11

16:11

In this season of Ecosystems for Change, I’m talking to my guests about their experience with quitting. As much as I dislike quitting–I really do–I understand it is part of life. We evolve and so do the circumstances, organizations and people around us. As we uncovered in season two, ecosystems are complex, adaptive systems; they are constantly shi…

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The Ecosystem Builders: Where Are They Now? 1:23:35

2+ y ago1:23:35

1:23:35

As I was wrapping up the first year of the show, I found myself wondering what had come of all those great plans and even greater unknowns that many of my guests had shared with me when they were on the show. And selfishly I wanted to catch up with some of my previous guests to hear what they are working on these days. So I invited a handful of the…

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Federal Funding for Ecosystem Builders with Melissa Roberts Chapman 54:22

2+ y ago54:22

54:22

Before we kick off the next season, I have a very special episode for you today. At the end of 2022, I found out that there are several federal funding opportunities for entrepreneurial ecosystem builders here in the US. The US government is starting to see the effectiveness of an ecosystem approach and has started recruiting some of their programs…

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Ecosystems For Change: Logbook #5 28:33

2+ y ago28:33

28:33

Welcome to my fifth logbook, an in-between-seasons update on what’s happening in the field of entrepreneurial ecosystem building, what’s going on behind the scenes of the show, and what is happening in my day job as Director of Ecosystem Building at the Shenandoah Community Capital Fund. In this quarterly format, I love sharing with you what I’ve l…

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E 4.9 - Season 04 Review: Conflict, Trust, and Social Capital 37:42

2+ y ago37:42

37:42

Throughout this season, we really traveled through the lowest valleys and highest mountaintops of ecosystem building. My guests shared some of their hardest experiences of facing and trying to navigate conflict. We heard some pretty hairy tales about naysayers and saboteurs and how even seasoned ecosystem builders struggle to keep their call and mo…

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E 4.8 - Succession Planning: Transferring Social Capital To The Next Generation with Rick Turoczy 56:57

2+ y ago56:57

56:57

For our last interview of the season, we’re headed to Portland, Oregon, to chat with Rick Turoczy. As Silicon Florist and co-founder and general manager of the Portland Incubator Experiment, or PIE, Rick has been supporting founders in the Portland startup community for fifteen years. We talked about how you might plan for succession as a keystone …

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E 4.7 - The Know-How via Know-Who of Social Capital with Julie Heath 42:35

2+ y ago42:35

42:35

For today’s episode, we make our way to Indianapolis, Indiana, to talk to Julie Heath, Vice President of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. Julie was the first employee at a startup, then executive director at Indiana’s first collaborative workspace, the Speak Easy, and now serves as a statewide ecosystem bu…

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E 4.6 - Investing in the Lives of Founders with Todd Nuckols 33:30

2+ y ago33:30

33:30

If you listened to the very first episode of this show, the name Todd Nuckols and part of the following story might sound familiar. When I first moved to the US eight years ago, Todd was one of the very first people I met. We met up at a coworking space called 804 RVA and I asked him how to get involved in Richmond’s entrepreneurship scene. Without…

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E 4.5 - Communities of Practice: Taking the Time to Build Trust with Margo Fliss 53:34

2+ y ago53:34

53:34

For today’s episode, we’re headed to Anchorage, Alaska to sit down with Margo Fliss. Margo is a lifelong and proud Alaskan; when she’s not building the entrepreneurial ecosystem for the state of Alaska, you can find her fishing salmon in the Kenai river during the summer and raising her newborn daughter. In this conversation, Margo talks about an e…

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E 4.4 - Dissent, Trust and Conflict with Cecilia Wessinger 32:21

2+ y ago32:21

32:21

Today, I want you to meet Cecilia Wessinger, who I’ve known for several years through her work as a community activator with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and her role at Startup Champions Network. Cecilia shares what types of conflict she has encountered in helping convene an ecosystem of ecosystem builders. Cecilia also talks about how she…

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E 4.3 - The Power of Positive Social Capital with Jess Edwards 55:41

2+ y ago55:41

55:41

Today’s conversation did not take me far from home because my guest, Jess Edwards, is in the midst of wrapping up a project in Danville, VA. Jess is a project-based ecosystem builder who has done this work in her hometown of Buffalo, NY, in Dubai as well as in Alaska and - most recently - in the South of Virginia. Jess spilled the beans on how she …

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E 4.2 - Equitable Ecosystem Building: Speaking Your Truth with Fay Horwitt 56:32

2+ y ago56:32

56:32

My first guest this season is Fay Horwitt who joined me from the Forward Cities headquarters in Durham, NC. Since 2014, Forward Cities has worked in more than 50 communities around the US and has a deep organizational well of knowledge that they share generously. I invited Fay on the show to share some of her hardest-won lessons when it comes to ma…

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E 4.1 Social Capital: Building a Culture of Trust and Collaboration 13:14

2+ y ago13:14

13:14

Earlier this year, I was chatting with a fellow ecosystem builder who had just been hired to convene an entrepreneurial ecosystem. From the outside, it looked pretty mature. They had the right institutions, programs, a digital map, co-working spaces, an active angel network, and an active entrepreneurial community. But when he got there, it quickly…

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Ecosystems for Change: Logbook #4 17:48

2+ y ago17:48

17:48

Welcome to my fourth logbook, an in-between season update on all things ecosystem building. I share with you what is going on in the field of ecosystem building here in the US, give you an insight into what I’m working on in my day job as Director of Ecosystem Building at the Shenandoah Community Capital Fund, and share some behind the scenes detai…

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Summer Skill Sessions: Productivity 25:19

2+ y ago25:19

25:19

Welcome to the last Summer Skill Session of 2022. I hope that you’ve gotten a fair amount of vitamin D and you were able to take some time off this summer to relax. And, of course, I hope that you found this series helpful. Summer is winding down and we’re getting in those last ice creams, popsicles, and cold drinks, squeezing out the last of the s…

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Summer Skill Sessions: Storytelling 15:11

2+ y ago15:11

15:11

I came to storytelling from a love of local business and their owners in Richmond, Virginia. First, I loved their products, from biscuits to T-shirts to local moonshine. And once I got to know these businesses and their owners, I wanted to shout their stories from the rooftops. I wanted the whole world, or at least the people in my city, to know ab…

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Summer Skill Sessions: Outreach 22:08

3y ago22:08

22:08

Welcome to our second Summer Skill Session. I hope you’re kicking it by the pool, popsicle in hand, your headphones on, eager to add another skill to your toolbox as an ecosystem builder. Today, we’re talking about entrepreneurial outreach. Tell me if this sounds familiar: We're launching a support program for entrepreneurs, but how do we make them…

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Summer Skill Sessions: Ecosystem Mapping 32:17

3y ago32:17

32:17

I don’t know about you, but every time I go on social media, I see people vacationing in the Greek isles or somewhere on Bermuda, and while I’m stuck here in my lovely home office in my new hometown of Stanton, Virginia, I feel like summer as well. So instead of a fully produced season that is a chapter in our playbook of ecosystem building, I am b…

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Ecosystems for Change: Logbook #3 17:17

3y ago17:17

17:17

Welcome, friends, to my third logbook, the in-between seasons update where I share what’s going on behind the scenes of the show in my day job as an ecosystem builder in the Shenandoah Valley, in the field of ecosystem building in general, and in my personal life. I will also give you a little sneak peek of what lies ahead and how you can get invol…

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E 3.7 - Season 03 Review: Constant Work in Progress 29:52

3y ago29:52

29:52

I set out on this season assuming that we all want to lead happier and healthier lives in which we don’t fall victim to burnout, stress and overwhelm. And this, by the way, does not just concern ecosystem builders and do-gooders. Most of us look for purpose in our lives, for work that fulfills us, for time and resources to spend on things we enjoy.…

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E 3.6 - Slow Your Roll: Creating a Healthy Lifestyle with Shelly Rose 39:28

3y ago39:28

39:28

In today’s episode, you’ll meet Shelly Rose, a natural foods chef and one of my favorite people on this Earth! In my humble opinion, Shelly is a gift to humanity because she is deeply invested in helping others–irrespective of age, background and current lifestyle–lead a healthy life. In this conversation, we talk about sleep, nutrition, staying hy…

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E 3.5 - The Value of Therapy and Building Your Own Support Network with David Hirsch 50:52

3y ago50:52

50:52

In today’s episode, you’ll meet my friend David Hirsch. David is one of those rare people who–within two minutes of talking to you–makes you feel completely seen, heard, understood, and valued. I hope you get some of that in this conversation. From his office in Chattanooga, TN, he shares with us his experience with burnout as a community builder. …

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E. 3.4 - Honoring Life's Ups and Downs with Candace Dalmagne-Rouge 42:43

3y ago42:43

42:43

Today’s conversation takes place in Dayton, Ohio, where I caught up with Candace Dalmagne-Rouge, social entrepreneur, Zebra and mother of twin girls. I wanted you all to meet Candace because she has lived the startup life of acceleration, ecosystem building, and Silicon Valley and has come out the other end intact to start a business that is deeply…

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E. 3.3 - Redefining Fitness: The Ebb and Flow of Self-Acceptance and Mental Health with Alex Boross-Harmer 39:11

3y ago39:11

39:11

Today, I want you to meet Alex Boross-Harmer. Alex used to be my Crossfit Coach and has since taken a completely new, holistic and empathetic approach to helping others move their body. Think sweating and panting, but fun. From the 15th floor of their condo in Toronto, Canada, Alex talks about their transition from Barbie to Ken with an ink sleeve,…

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E. 3.2 - Creativity, Reputation and Boundaries in the Social Impact Space with Isaac Jeffries 51:05

3y ago51:05

51:05

Today, we’re headed to Melbourne, Australia, to talk to my good friend Isaac Jeffries. He was kind enough to sit down after a late-night game of Aussie rules to talk to me about his experience working in the Australian and South Pacific social enterprise space. We chatted about setting and upholding boundaries to ensure we don’t disappoint ourselve…

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E. 3.1 - Burn Both Ends: The Mental, Physical, and Emotional Toll of Ecosystem Building 18:10

3y ago18:10

18:10

If you listened to the first two seasons of this show, you may have noticed that I ask each guest how they’re handling the demands of the work as systemic thinkers and doers. Having worked in this space for years, I know that many of us idealists and hopeless optimists come dangerously close to burning the candle on both ends on a regular basis. An…

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Ecosystems for Change: Logbook #2 26:34

3y ago26:34

26:34

Welcome to my second logbook, an in-between-seasons update on what’s been going on behind the scenes of this show and in my work in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, paired with a few observations from the field of ecosystem building here in the US. In between seasons, I love giving you a little sneak peek into what I have planned over the coming …

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