SUGi Talks

SUGi Talks 🌿 EP02: India’s Lost Desert Forests: Can life thrive in the desert? Rajasthan, the Desert State of India, has always been considered barren land. Because of this misconception it has become one of the most ignored places for ecological restoration. However ancient literature and fossils have shown that there were once forests where the Thar Desert now resides. Today our Forest Maker Gaurav Gurjar is on a mission to restore a piece of these lost desert forests, but can life really thrive in the desert? On this episode of ⁠SUGi Talks⁠ we speak to Gaurav. He is a jungle tree expert at Afforestt and the Director of the Maruvan Foundation in Rajasthan. Over the past few years, Gaurav has been restoring an area of India’s lost desert forest, and with the support of SUGi he’s begun the second 4,000 sqm phase of the project. Living on the land, enduring intense heat and drought, Gaurav has worked tirelessly to harness the elements in order to restore the land, and the results are astonishing. We talk about the power of deep observation, ancestral wisdom, and how as a society we could live in better harmony with Nature to create abundance for all. Make sure you Like and Subscribe wherever you get podcasts for more SUGi Talks. 🌿 With thanks to  Gaurav Gurjar. More info: SUGi: https://www.sugiproject.com/Gaurav Gurjar: https://www.sugiproject.com/forest-makers/gaurav-gurjar

SUGi Talks 🌿 EP01: Urban Biodiversity: Can Pocket Forests save our cities? 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. Support Nature-based Solutions that build biodiversity, climate resilience, and wellbeing in cities. 🌿 https://www.sugiproject.com/support Project Links: Southbank Centre — Natura Nostra Forest https://www.sugiproject.com/projects/southbank-natura-nostra-forest Koswik Law — A temperate rainforest in Cornwall https://www.sugiproject.com/projects/koswik-law Ancestral Forest — Wonderfruit's interactive festival forest https://www.sugiproject.com/projects/ancestral-forest