SUGi Talks

In 2019, after decades of corruption, intense pollution and a severe economic collapse, protestors flooded the streets of Beirut demanding change. Amongst them was environmental architect and one of our first SUGi Forest Makers, Adib Dada.  Deep into the revolution, Adib was in the second phase of his RiverLESS SUGi Pocket Forest, a project he designed with SUGi to help regenerate The Beirut River and reclaim it as a public space. On the anniversary of Lebanon’s Independence Day, after a protest at Martyrs Square, he took people directly from the streets and brought them to plant trees on the banks of The Beirut River. In this episode of SUGi Talks, we speak with Adib Dada about how he is planting Miyawaki forests in Beirut to tackle pollution, reclaim public space and restore hope in the Lebanese people. Together we speak about the monumental challenges the city faces, and how communities have come together to find alternative paths forward.  Make sure you like and subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 SUGi: https://www.sugiproject.com/support⁠⁠

“I can remember walking out and there being rocks here and there. The dirt was just powder; there wasn’t even weeds growing. After Ethan did all of the things with the soils. It’s beautiful because we’re rebuilding what was already here.  Think of when an eagle that went and caught a salmon, ate it and then left some of its remnants; that’s exactly what we are doing here. Because those are the nutrients that the soil needs.  Little by little not only did the plants grow but we started to have rabbits, frogs, mushrooms. I mean it’s own community. The relationship isn’t just powerful for people it’s healing the Earth, and it’s like we’re all dancing to the same music. Seeing the beauty of this garden, the reconnection of culture, identity, it’s great.”  —  Marylee Jones, Gatherer and Member of the Yakama Nation With thanks to Marylee Jones & Ethan Bryson Make sure you Like and Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 SUGi: ⁠https://www.sugiproject.com/support⁠

SUGi Talks 🌿 EP.09 — Cities in Crisis: How Nature-based Solutions & urban trees can tackle our cities' growing issues. You might have heard the term 'Nature-based Solutions', but what does it actually mean? What do they look like? And how can they help cities tackle the ecological and climate crisis? On this episode of SUGi Talks, we meet Cecil Konijnendijk. Cecil co-directs the Nature-Based Solutions Institute, a think tank dedicated to evidence-based urban greening strategies, and he is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading urban forestry experts. With over 30 years of experience studying, teaching, and advising, including collaborations with organisations like the United Nations on urban forestry and the implementation of Nature-based Solutions, Cecil is passionate about using trees to develop better cities and always stresses the importance of building meaningful relationships between people and places. So we’ll be discussing all things related to Nature-based solutions and how urban trees, like our SUGi Pocket Forests, can help cities from an environmental perspective, as well as on psychological, social, and health levels too. Make sure you like and subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 More info:  Nature-Based Solutions Institute: https://nbsi.eu/ SUGi: https://www.sugiproject.com/support⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our cities are expanding. Green spaces are being gobbled up by concrete and asphalt. And what is the cost of this rapid urbanisation? Why do we need Nature in our cities? How can urban forests help biodiversity and community wellbeing?  On this episode of SUGi Talks, we meet James Godfrey-Faussett. As SUGi’s lead Forest Maker, James manages our global urban Pocket Forest and afforestation efforts. In the UK alone he has planted 20 forests, including the UK and Europe's biggest Miyawaki forest in Barking and Dagenham. Focussing on cities and the chronic lack of biodiversity in our urban areas, we reimagine what healthy cities could look like. Alongside this, we speak about the healing power of Nature and the UK’s at-risk temperate rainforest biome.  Make sure you Like and Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 With thanks to James Godfrey-Faussett. SUGi: Greening Cities & Reimagining Urban Life. ⁠https://www.sugiproject.com/support⁠

SUGi Talks 🌿 EP.08: The Cloud Gardener: Taking on the UK’s urban developers.   Like many of us, during the pandemic Jason Williams, aka The Cloud Gardener, was forced indoors. While on furlough from his hospitality job, he decided to try a few plants out on his balcony. Up on the 18th floor of a high rise in Manchester city, he went from struggling with one marigold flower to transforming his balcony into a thriving ecosystem in the sky. Three years on he’s now a multi-award-winning gardener and a successful UK gardening influencer, intertwining his own mental health journey into his online presence. With a focus on accessibility, community and urban biodiversity, he helps city dwellers make the most of their spaces. Recently named a Local Nature Champion in Manchester, today Jason is committed to working with urban developers and local councils to help design policies that make way for more accessible green spaces for residents.  On this episode of SUGi Talks, we speak about urban gardening, mental health, and community initiatives that reintegrate Nature into the lives of city residents.  Make sure you Like and Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 More info: The Cloud Gardener: https://cloudgardeneruk.co.uk/ SUGi: Greening Cities & Reimagining Urban Life. https://www.sugiproject.com/support⁠⁠

SUGi Talks 🌿 EP03: The Impact: What does science say about our Miyawaki Forests?  Did you know that there is a biodiversity crisis in our cities? How can our Pocket Forests help cities? Do they actually work?  On this episode of SUGi Talks, we meet Dr. Grey Coupland.  Grey is our lead scientist at SUGi, and she holds the key to the rich data behind our Pocket Forests. Based in Perth Australia, she was recognised by UNESCO’s Green Citizen’s campaign for her STEM outreach program which brings Miyawaki forests into schools.  With a PhD in ecology, her most recent work is dedicated to investigating the use and effectiveness of Miyawaki forests in urban greening, specifically their impact on biodiversity, wellbeing, and climate change mitigation. Grey planted our SUGi Pocket forest at South Padbury Primary School. From this forest, she’s been gathering important data about Miyawaki Forests and their impact. Together we’ll speak about how Miyawaki forests can help cities as climate change puts our cities at risk.  Thank you Dr. Grey. Make sure you Like and Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 More info: South Padbury Primary School SUGi Pocket Forest: https://www.sugiproject.com/projects/south-padbury-primary-school Donate: ⁠https://www.sugiproject.com/support⁠Dr Grey Coupland: ⁠www.pocketforestswa.org

SUGi Talks 🌿 EP07: Jordan’s Changing Landscapes: The ecological price tag of urbanisation. In the not-too-distant past, Deema was working as an architect in Amman, Jordan. As one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, Deema watched her hometown become almost unrecognisable as urbanisation swept through its landscapes, forgoing much of its Nature and local biodiversity.  As Jordan’s ongoing desertification continues to threaten its resources, Deema understood the cost of losing so much Nature. Taking matters into her own hands, she trained to become a forest maker and in 2018 she planted the first Miyawaki forest in the Arab world. Focussing on preserving the genetic diversity of Jordan, Deema’s important work has protected some of the country’s most endangered tree species. Today, she is collaborating with SUGi on a new forest, Amman Sanctuary, which will feature a Miyawaki forest, alongside an experimental agroforestry space, a seed bank and a nursery. On this episode of SUGi Talks, we meet Deema Assaf. Together we speak about Jordan’s changing landscapes, the implications of urbanisation, and the importance of changing mindsets towards Nature. Make sure you Like and Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿Donate: ⁠https://www.sugiproject.com/support⁠

SUGi Talks 🌿 EP06: The Mycorrhizal Network: Do trees really speak to each other? Did you know that underneath the forest floor a sophisticated network of fungi forms a secret super highway between plants? Carrying resources and chemical messengers, this highway acts as a mysterious support system allowing trees to communicate and share material.  The Mycorrhizal Network, or the Wood Wide Web, was popularised by Dr. Suzanne Simard in her book “Finding the Mother Tree”. On this episode of SUGi Talks we speak with our SUGi Forest Maker in Chile: Gabriel Orrego, who is also a former student of Dr. Simard and the co-founder of Symbiótica. Together, we’ll explore this secret system of cooperation underneath our feet. Thank you Gabriel! Make sure you Like and Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 Donate: https://www.sugiproject.com/

SUGi Talks 🌿 EP05: Community: How a Miyawaki Forest at Yakama Nation is healing generations.   Since time immemorial the traditional lifeways of the Yakama people have been deeply rooted in the natural world. However, the ongoing trauma inflicted on the community has left this connection to the land fractured, with indigenous knowledge dwindling amongst many of the younger generations. In 2020 Chief Alvarez, of the Yakama Nation Corrections & Rehabilitation Facility, was looking for ways to help the inmates reconnect to the land and plants that once shaped their culture. Turning to the Miyawaki Method for its communal methodology and ingenuity in creating rapid-growth native forests, he contacted our SUGi forest maker Ethan Bryson. Together with the inmates and the guidance of traditional gatherer Marylee Jones, they built the Healing Forest, with the support of SUGi. On this episode of SUGi Talks, we speak to Marylee Jones and Ethan Bryson about the growing impact of the forest on the community there. Make sure you Like and Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 Donate to SUGi: https://www.sugiproject.com/

SUGi Talks 🌿 EP04: The Miyawaki Method: A brief history of life-saving forests with Professor (Dr) Kazue Fujiwara. In the 1970s, Japan was undergoing an industrial boom. As the skies filled with smog and pollution soared, public health became a grave concern. In response ⁠Professor (Dr) Akira Miyawaki⁠ turned to native forests. Understanding their power in mitigating pollution and natural disasters, he developed The Miyawaki Method as a means to rapidly build dense biodiverse forests. Professor (Dr) Kazue Fujiwara was instrumental in the development of the Miyawaki Method, collaborating closely with Miyawaki right up until he retired. Today she is a vital guardian of the method traveling the world educating people about the power of Miyawaki forests. Together we dive into the history of the method and understand just how exactly these robust forests can protect life. Thank you Professor (Dr) Kazue Fujiwara. Make sure you Like and Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 Donate: ⁠https://www.sugiproject.com/support⁠