Coconut Thinking

How might our relationships other-than-human animals help us consider sustainability and regenerative education in more life-centered ways?In this episode, I speak with Charlotte Hankin. Charlotte is an educator, sustainability consultant, and PhD researcher in the Department of Education at the University of Bath. Her doctoral work explores how relationships between children and animals in international schools can help shift education away from human-exceptionalism toward more regenerative, relational ways of learning. Guided by posthumanist and feminist materialist theory, Charlotte uses arts-based, post-qualitative methods, including poetry, photography, sound, and craft, to attend to spontaneous, everyday encounters between human and other-than-human beings. These ‘multispecies moments’ offer insight into power, care, and co-existence, inviting schools to reimagine pedagogy as something co-created in the spaces between species. And, of course, Charlotte is the co-founder of Coconut Thinking. We discuss:🥥 How schools often portray animals in ways that separate us from the natural world and contribute to extractive practices;🥥 How school curricula might embrace an ethic of care, beyond what serves humans;🥥 The importance of cultivating relationality in schools over content mastery.Check us out, www.coconut-thinking.com

How can learning&doing help us become good participants in the web of life?In this special episode, I speak about how systems change won’t happen if we replace names and labels but continue to do the same old thing. I propose that we move beyond assessing learning, competencies, soft skills for their own sake. Rather, what if we collected the voices of the community (human and other-than-human) and had that be the measure of quality of learning? Emphasis placed on testimonials of how the learning and specifically the application of the learning contributed to a more positive world. And if we really want to go nuts, we can answer the question at the top of these show notes.This takes us beyond the individualization of student achievement because it becomes about how we use our learning for good. It de-centers the student and centers life.This episode is inspired by a post I put up a couple weeks ago, that you can find below. Please listen to this one-take, uncut episode, with a guest appearance by Clementine the cat.To access the post, click here.

Dan Burgess, a regenerative practitioner and founder of the Spaceship Earth podcast, dives into humanity's role on our living planet. He emphasizes the need for connection and participation in communities to tackle ecological challenges. Burgess also reflects on individuality and cultural perspectives, advocating for authentic engagement. He shares his transformative journey through climate activism and community-building initiatives. Ultimately, the conversation highlights the importance of introspection and relationality in fostering meaningful change.

What does it mean to nurture good relationships through regenerative education in these times we live in?In this episode, I speak with the authors of the soon-to-be-published book, The Art of Regenerative Educatorship.Bas is an associate professor in regenerative leadership at the Mission Zero Centre of Expertise at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, where he also serves on the management team of the Master’s in Sustainability Transitions. He lives in Dordrecht with his partner, writes novels, and is an avid gamer.Mieke is an associate professor in Regenerative Education and Development at the University of Amsterdam, where she works within the international development studies programme and the Governance and Inclusive Development research group. She lives in Amsterdam with her partner and twins and is a committed Reiki practitioner and yoga teacher, engaged with the Reiki Regenerative Resource Development Community in The Hague.Koen works as a regenerative educator at the University of Amsterdam. He teaches change-making within the Computational Social Sciences programme and supports interdisciplinary educators. He lives in Utrecht with his partner and dog, and draws deep inspiration from his intercultural connection with Turkey.We discuss:🥥 How regeneration invites us to become grounded in the project, connected with love to all life, to be present with all life in place, to have the courage to keep working, no matter the outcomes.🥥 How we are complicit in the system, but we can be constructive disruptors and have the will to remain in the system in spite of its damaging effects.🥥 How the process of writing the book was emergent and invited the reader as part of the process, opening up spaces for contextualized meaning-making.Check us out: www.coconut-thinking.com

We honor Nyepi with this special episode, in which Charlotte Hankin interviews Benjamin Freud. Nyepi is the Balinese Day of Silence, and is a Hindu New Year celebration marked by 24 hours of complete stillness. No travel, no lights, no work, and no noise. It is a time for self-reflection and spiritual renewal. We recorded this episode a few days after Nyepi and after that time of pause and gather. We discuss:🥥 Regenerative education and how nothing goes beyond Nature’s paradigm (referencing Denise DeLuca);🥥 How education is part of a larger system that replicates itself, meaning education won’t change without deeper systemic transformation;🥥 How sometimes it’s either/or, both/and, and even or/either.Join us for this special episode and check us out: www.coconut-thinking.com

How might we shift our educational practices to deepen students’ ecological awareness, nurturing a culture of care and reciprocity with Earth’s living systems?In this episode, I speak with Katharine Burke. Katharine has been an educator for over 30 years, passionately advocating for ecological literacy, permaculture, and regenerative education. She currently teaches Geography and Social Studies at the secondary level, focusing her work on transformative ecological education projects. Katharine’s master’s thesis, “Restorying our Connection to the Natural World,” led to practical school initiatives including gardening programs, composting and seed studies, survival excursions, immersive nature camps, and integrating systems thinking across literature, geography, economics, and social studies. She authored EARTHWARDS, a practical guide reflecting educators’ real-world experiences. Katharine also founded The Small Earth Institute to offer deep ecology and regenerative design training for teachers. We discuss:🥥 How sometimes change starts with having the space to talk about what uncomfortable, challenging, or simply not spoken;🥥 How building a value system requires building it with others, 🥥 How transformative education is about shifting perceptions, identities, and values, which, when coupled with ecological education, bring us to understand we participate in the web of life.Check us out, www.coconut-thinking.com

Giles Hutchins, a transformative leader in regenerative business and author of "Nature Works," discusses the imperative of aligning leadership with nature. He critiques traditional paradigms and highlights the interconnectedness of humans and the environment. The conversation reveals how embracing tensions can fuel creativity and growth. Giles explores the relationship between artificial intelligence and natural wisdom, and the importance of seeing organizations as living systems. He emphasizes cultivating empathy and aiming for a holistic approach to enhance our world's sustainability.

How might we weave stories together as a response to ecological breakdown, using sound to connect to place?In this episode, I speak with Mike Edwards. Mike began his career researching climate change in the Southwest Pacific, where his work—cited by the IPCC—was among the first to explore ecocolonialism: how climate discourse is manipulated by the powerful to control those most affected. His research challenged dominant narratives, sparking debate among those reluctant to rethink the status quo. In 2015, he co-founded Sound Matters, pioneering work in sonic rewilding, regenerative soundscaping, and Integral Listening (IL). His book Soundscapes of Life is set for release in 2025. Beyond sound, Mike has been a Climate Change Advisor to The Elders Foundation, working with leaders like Kofi Annan and President Jimmy Carter ahead of COP21. He has lectured worldwide, led the Arts and Ecology programme at Dartington Arts, and founded InnerDigenous, a movement helping people reconnect with self and place for personal and planetary healing. We discuss: 🥥 How knowledge is co-created by place and when it travels, brings place with it; 🥥 How soundscapes are the stories of many, which force us to attend differently; 🥥 How we are not interconnected, because that might suggested we can become disconnected, rather, we are all entangled and vibrating, sometimes, if we are lucky, at the same frequencies. Check us out, www.coconut-thinking.comCheck out www.sound-matters.com

What happens when the way we see ourselves changes the way we see the world?In this episode, I speak with Steffi Bednarek. Steffi’s work explores the intersection of climate change, complexity thinking, and the human psyche. She is the Director of the Center for Climate Psychology. With over 25 years of experience in depth psychology, trauma-informed practice, complexity thinking, and climate psychology, she supports individuals and organisations in navigating the psychological impacts of the metacrisis while fostering resilience and healthy cultures. She is the author of Climate, Psychology, and Change, described as “a work of wisdom and radical ideas” by Satish Kumar and endorsed by Fritjof Capra, Bill McKibben, and Nora Bateson. We discuss:🥥 How our identities might shift in different ways depending on how we draw the boundaries, which changes our resonance with/as the world;🥥 How silencing others because they do not agree with us is not the solution to creating spaces for understanding;🥥 Our (in-)capacities to manage the inundation of information that comes our way, and how we might better adapt so as to flourish at best and avoid trauma at minimum.Check us out: www.coconut-thinking.comAnd check out the Center for Climate Psychology: https://climate-psychology-change.squarespace.com/

How might leadership open more emergent spaces in schools?This is the first in a series of episodes throughout the year where we invite educators and practitioners to explore how they might share their time, talents, and gifts to uplift others. As we delve into their stories, we ask our guests what contributions they envision making in the spirit of generosity and regeneration. This isn’t about the spotlight—it’s about the offering.In this episode, I speak with Leslie Medema, Head of Campus at Green School Bali. Leslie has held various roles at Green School, including head, curriculum developer, career counsellor, and, above all, educator. Her background spans work in NGOs and policymaking across industries. While she may be in the jungle, Leslie never forgets her roots in South Dakota. She brings a wealth of experience in starting innovative schools, aligning vision with lived experiences, and guiding organizations from unproductive chaos to emergent possibilities. We discuss:🥥 How to grow an organization in the midst of (controlled chaos) in ways that build capacity and foster community;🥥 The importance of knowing and articulating why we learn and teach something and how this makes our local or global world a better place; 🥥 How being comfortable with uncertainty is never going to be an easy ride—stories from Green School over the past 13 years Check us out www.coconut-thinking.com