Podcast #50 · Ayana Young · For The Wild, An Anthology Of The Anthropocene

Ayana Young is a podcast and radio personality specializing in intersectional environmental and social justice, deep ecology and land-based restoration. Graduating summa cum laude with an undergraduate degree from Loyola Marymount University including a double major in Art History and Theology and a minor in Philosophy, as well as education through Columbia University in Ecology and Eastern Religions and Restoration Ecology at the University of Victoria, Young has a strong academic background at the intersections of ecology, culture, and spirituality. She was studying at Columbia when the Occupy Wall Street movement began and amid the burgeoning resistance in Zuccotti Park, she co-created the Environmental Working Group.

For The Wild is an anthology of the Anthropocene; focused on land based protection, co-liberaton and intersectional storytelling rooted in a paradigm shift from human supremacy towards deep ecology.

In this episode, we discuss the following: 

• Ayana’s background growing up without a deep connection to nature (~01:50)
• Further commentary on connection to nature as a young person (~05:40)
• What is ‘For The Wild’ and Ayana’s inner and outer journey (~11:00)
• How restoration is more complicated than most of us think (~16:45)
• The intricacies of restoring a forest and not all tree planting is equal (~19:55)
• How to better support tree planting programs (~29:30)  
• Old growth vs new growth (~35:00)
• When old Growth Ends, the film (~43:45)
• The For The Wild Podcast and special moments Ayana’s had on the show (~51:00)
• Ayana’s message for humanity (~57:30)
• What’s next for For the Wild and Ayana (~58:30)