After 239...
I started the Proust Nature Questionnaire in 2017. Over the last 4 years, I have interviewed 239 inspiring and successful leaders - CEOs, lawyers, celebrities, Hollywood producers, investors, scientists, artists, architects, astronauts, explorers, fashion models, winemakers, chefs, and many more. From the beginning, my goal was to find out how #nature shaped our lives. What it meant to us. How it made us feel and what we learned from it. The Questionnaire has been a labor of love but these past months, my work has become more intense and with little signs of slowing down. It is with a sad heart that I am making the decision to put the Questionnaire on hold. I might post an interview from time to time but the Proust Nature Questionnaire will no longer be one of my main priorities. I thank you for finding value in this project and for your continued support. Before I sign off, I want to share with you one insight from the project: the top words and #lessons people most associated with nature. Here they are: Beauty & Humility (tie) first, Respect and Powerful (tie) second, and Inspiring for third. See below for all the others..Beauty 60Humility 60Respect 37Powerful 37Inspiring 33Life 29Patience 26Peace 24Awe 23Resilient 22Calm 22Connected 20Fragile 15Transformation 15Complex 15Love 13Joy 13Listen 12Healing 12Freedom 11Bigger 10Present 10Vast 10Wise 10Wonder 10Home 10Rhythm 10Essential 9Balance 8Happiness 8Teacher 8Gratitude 8Perspective 8Majestic 8Alive 8Truth 7Wild 7Spiritual 6Magic 6Breathtaking 6God 6Evolution 6Restorative 6Cycle 6Fear 5Pure 4Diversity 4Dynamic 4Nurturing 4Renewal 4Cleansing 3Adventure 3Raw 2Hope 2
Eric Pallant
Eric Pallant is the author of Sourdough Culture: The History of Bread Making from Ancient to Modern Bakers. He is a serious amateur baker, a two-time Fulbright Scholar, double, award-winning professor, and the Christine Scott Nelson Endowed Professor of Environmental Science and Sustainability at Allegheny College. He is acknowledged for his skill in weaving research narratives into compelling stories for the Gresham Lecture Series, London, bread symposia, podcasts, and articles for magazines such as Gastronomica, Sierra, and Science.
3 words to describe Nature?
Surprising. Restorative. Necessary
3 things Nature taught you?
Nature is better than engineers at managing ecosystem functions.
Nature is everywhere and needs to be available to everyone, not restricted to wilderness jaunts reserved for privileged, white, and wealthy people.
Appreciating Nature, like appreciating most things in life, takes time. It cannot be rushed.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Wellfleet Harbor, Cape Cod, MA.
My compost pile
My sourdough starters
When you look at the OCEAN, it makes you feel...?
Relaxed
When you see a FOREST, it makes you feel...?
Tiny
When you see a VOLCANO, it makes you feel...?
Heart thumpingly excited. I’ve actually walked up to the lava in a couple of active volcanoes.
When you see a SUNRISE or SUNSET, it makes you feel...?
Patient
When you hear THUNDER, it makes you feel...?
Happy
When you hear the WIND HOWLING, it makes you feel...?
Also happy. I love wind!
Are you an OCEAN, MOUNTAIN, FOREST, or DESERT person?
Ocean. No question!
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
8
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I spent countless childhood hours digging holes with my hands under the porch in my suburban backyard. I was searching for arrowheads and fossils. I found many, probably none of which were real. But I have remained fascinated by soil ever since. I now understand that beyond the tiny invertebrates I encountered, soil contains more living things than anyplace on earth and represents the profound junction of earth’s biosphere, geosphere, and hydrosphere.
Dianne Dain
Dianne Dain is the Chief Innovation Officer for the World Humanitarian Forum and a member of the WHO Innovation team. Recognized globally as a thought leader on women's influence and empowerment, sustainable tech, and social innovations, Dain is the co-founder of COPXX and an Honorary Professor at the Wise Center for Economic Justice at Glasgow Caledonia University. Additionally, she is the President of The Singer Foundation. Prior to these roles, Dianne was with the United Nations Secretariat where she lead the UN Reboot Accelerator for youth crowdsourcing and participated in the creation of the global network of UN Technology Innovation Labs (UNTIL). In 2010 she was named National Mother of America
3 words to describe Nature?
Majestic. Creator. Home
3 things Nature taught you?
Perspective
Humility
Gratitude
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Scottish Highlands
Palos Verdes Peninsula beaches
Waipio Valley, Hawaii
When you look at the OCEAN, it makes you feel...?
Eternally grateful for the rhythm and heartbeat of the universe
When you see a FOREST, it makes you feel...?
Grounded and connected to ancient wisdom
When you see a VOLCANO, it makes you feel...?
Humbled by the power and fire living within the earth Is walk upon
When you see a SUNRISE or SUNSET, it makes you feel...?
Thankful I am alive and get to see another day begin or end
When you hear THUNDER, it makes you feel...?
Liberated from humans, worshipful of the power of the universe
When you hear the WIND HOWLING, it makes you feel...?
Exhilarated and energized that the air
Are you an OCEAN, MOUNTAIN, FOREST, or DESERT person?
Forest and Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
My earliest memories are of being born looking for a connection to my environment. I was conceived during a surf lesson and abandoned as a baby at the Salvation Army. As a child, I would sit on the hillside overlooking the ocean and wonder how I came to be here and why. I spent hours alone on the hills because I intuitively felt most at home with the earth. She was my mother and nurtured me through a lack of strong human connections and identity as a child.
Shawna Pandya
Dr. Shawna Pandya is a physician, scientist-astronaut candidate program graduate with the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences/Project PoSSUM, aquanaut, speaker, martial artist, advanced diver, skydiver, pilot-in-training, VP Immersive Medicine with Luxsonic Technologies, Director of Medical Research at Orbital Assembly Construction, and Fellow of the Explorers’ Club. She is also Director of the International Institute of Astronautical Sciences (IIAS)/PoSSUM Space Medicine Group, Chief Instructor of the IIAS/PoSSUM Operational Space Medicine course, a clinical lecturer at the University of Alberta, podcast host with the World Extreme Medicine’s WEMCast series, Primary Investigator (PI) for the Shad Canada-Blue Origin student microgravity competition, member of the ASCEND 2021 Guiding Coalition, and Life Sciences Team Lead for the Association of Spaceflight Professionals. She serves as a medical advisor to several space, medical and technology companies. Dr. Pandya was part of the first crew to test a commercial spacesuit in zero-gravity in 2015. She earned her aquanaut designation during the 2019 NEPTUNE (Nautical Experiments in Physiology, Technology and Underwater Exploration) mission. She previously served as Commander during a 2020 tour at the Mars Desert Research Station. In 2021, Dr. Pandya was granted an Honorary Fellowship in Extreme and Wilderness Medicine by the World Extreme Medicine organization and named one of the Women’s Executive Network’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada, as well as a Canadian Space Agency Space Ambassador. Her career and trajectory have been captured at the Ontario Science Center’s “Canadian Women in Space,” exhibit, alongside Dr. Roberta Bondar, the first Canadian woman in space (and Dr. Pandya’s idol growing up).
3 words to describe Nature?
Vast. Inspiring. Infinite
3 things Nature taught you?
To be in the moment
To be prepared
That everything else can wait
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The Canadian Rockies
Hapuna Beach, Kona, Hawaii
The sunset over the pond behind my parents' house
When you look at the OCEAN, it makes you feel...?
At peace, knowing that I am one tiny part of infinity.
When you see a FOREST, it makes you feel...?
Like I am at the start of an adventure.
When you see a VOLCANO, it makes you feel...?
Full of awe at nature's power.
When you see a SUNRISE or SUNSET, it makes you feel...?
Grateful and satisfied to be able to have that moment to appreciate.
When you hear THUNDER, it makes you feel...?
Excited for the subsequent storm.
When you hear the WIND HOWLING, it makes you feel...?
Like I am in a mystery or adventure novel!
Are you an OCEAN, MOUNTAIN, FOREST, or DESERT person?
All of the above
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
When I was 14, we went on a survival camp. My best friend and I were only 2 of a handful of girls in a class of over 35. We proudly built and slept in one of the best lean-tos, and managed to keep a fire going all night. We also went caving on that same trip!
Greg Hill
Greg Hill is a pro skier, filmmaker, and ski guide with the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides. Hill has made hundreds of first descents and has set several world records. Some of his feats include:
- Climbed and skied 330 000 ft in march 2014, or 100 vertical km.
- Climbed and skied 2 million feet in 2010. Averaging 5500 ft a day upwards all year. During this year he climbed 71 mountains, skied 1039 runs, in 4 countries, his biggest day was 23000ft, he had 77 days over 10 grand. Recently beaten by Aaron Rice who toured 2,500,000ft in 2016.
- Set the Spearhead Traverse record of 4hr1min (no longer the record), and the complete Spearhead with 11 summits, 20 000ft in 13 hours.
- First North American to climb and ski 40 000 ft in 24 hrs and set a World Record of 50 100 ft in 24 hours.(no longer the record)
- First North American to climb and ski Mt-Blanc in a day, 11 hours, 12000 ft.
- Pioneered the Northern Monashee traverse, a 21-day ski traverse where he summited 21 peaks along the way.
- Pioneered many first descents throughout the Columbia Mountains, Canada.
- Has climbed and skied 9 of the 10 highest peaks in the Selkirk mountains.
- Climbed 80 ten thousand foot days in 2006-7 season, 990,000 ft total.
- Has summited and skied over 190 mountains.
- Has planted over a million trees.
His feats have earned him the titles “Top 25 Fittest Guys in the World” (2011) from Men’s Fitness Magazine for climbing and skiing 2 000 000 feet in a year and “Top Adventurers of the Year” (2005) from National Geographic Adventure Magazine for his first million feet climbed and skied. His most recent environmental adventures are profiled in his movie “Electric Greg” which has traveled the world inspiring people to change. Media impressions featuring Greg number in the tens of millions. He has been featured on National Geographic Television, Outside Television, and in the Banff International Mountain Film Festival World Tour. Greg has presented to audiences worldwide. He has been an ambassador for leading outdoor brands like Arc’teryx for over fifteen years and is widely recognized as one of North America’s leading adventurers. Greg’s biggest objectives lately are in his everyday quest to adventure in a more sustainable fashion. Fueled by fortitude, rather than recognition and fame, Greg, a father of two, challenges himself and us all to leave the planet in better shape.
3 words to describe Nature?
Resplendent. Calming. Endlessly challenging
3 things Nature taught you?
Patience
Confidence
Happiness
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Anywhere near water be it ocean, river, or lake, Mountain tops, and any sunset viewing spot.
When you look at the OCEAN, it makes you feel...?
Insignificant and at peace
When you see a FOREST, it makes you feel...?
Fresh and free
When you see a VOLCANO, it makes you feel...?
In awe
When you see a SUNRISE or SUNSET, it makes you feel...?
Like everything makes sense
When you hear THUNDER, it makes you feel...?
Raw and real
When you hear the WIND HOWLING, it makes you feel...?
Alive
Are you an OCEAN, MOUNTAIN, FOREST, or DESERT person?
Mountain
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Great memories of camping lakeside with the family, waking to water flooding the tent, and just loving the moments.
Taylor Keen
Taylor Keen is a full-time instructor in the Heider College of Business Administration in Strategy and Entrepreneurship. Keen is also the Founder of Sacred Seed, a not-for-profit entity whose mission is to propagate tribal seed sovereignty, battle for tribal sacred geography, and seek cultural revitalization among tribal peoples. Currently, Keen is embarking on a journey with indigenous seeds of the upper Missouri River tribes to grow, harvest, and celebrate the cosmology of the 4 Sisters (corn, bean, squash, and sunflower). Additionally, from his book-in-progress, he incorporates teachings of the sacred masculine/feminine of tribal peoples including the cosmology of Mother Corn and the Earth Mother goddess. Keen holds a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College as well as a Master's of Business Administration and Masters of Public Administration from Harvard University, where he served as a Fellow in the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. Taylor is the author of the book-in-progress entitled "Rediscovering America: Sacred Geography, the Ancient Earthen Works and an Indigenous History of Turtle Island”. Keen is Trustee Emeritus of the Nebraska State Historical Society, Board member Emeritus of the Humanities Nebraska, and Chairman Emeritus of the Blackbird Bend Corporation (The Omaha Nation of Nebraska and Iowa’s Economic Development Corporation). Listen to Taylor’s interview on the Meateater podcast with Steven Rinella below.
3 words to describe Nature?
Love. Mother. Earth
3 things Nature taught you?
Plant Nation comes first in priority.
Animal Nation comes second, for they depend on the Plant Nation.
Third in priority are the Human Beings, for if we put ourselves above the other two Nations, we will but destroy ourselves.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Flathead Lake
The foothills of the Ozark Mountains
Anywhere where granite meets the ocean
When you look at the OCEAN, it makes you feel...?
That our planet is a water planet. People forget that.
When you see a FOREST, it makes you feel...?
Loss, as there are not enough of them left.
When you see a VOLCANO, it makes you feel...?
That our planet is alive and that core is molten, and that there is an Underworld / Lowerworld.
When you see a SUNRISE or SUNSET, it makes you feel...?
Rebirth and Death.
When you hear THUNDER, it makes you feel...?
Those are the sounds of the Upper Realm Thunderers, and their messengers, the Thunderbirds.
When you hear the WIND HOWLING, it makes you feel...?
Spirits of those gone on are carried by the wind.
Are you an OCEAN, MOUNTAIN, FOREST, or DESERT person?
All of the above
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Realizing that all of nature is alive and knowing everything grows and dies, and feeds more life.
Aaron Olivera
Aaron Olivera is the Founder and CEO of Earth 300, a global environmental multidisciplinary initiative incorporating a 300 meter super science vessel for research, exploration, and innovation at sea. Equipped with 22 states of the art labs and frontier technologies such as AI, Robotics, and quantum capabilities, a team of 160 scientists from different fields, will work together on climate science, ecosystem restoration, and planetary stewardship. Marrying science, technology, adventure, exploration, and education, Earth 300’s mission is to ring the climate alarm on a global scale and inspire the greatest and largest climate action effort in history.
Aaron was instrumental in the launching of the world’s first Porsche Design megayacht Catamaran – the famed 41 meter RFF-135, helping secure the financing needed to develop it and launch it with a hospitality package that forms part of a timesharing program aimed at reducing the ecological footprint of the UHNW community.
Aaron lives in Singapore but spends half of his time traveling. He is a member of the invite-only Monaco Private Label presided by Prince Albert II of Monaco, and of The Explorers Club (NYC).
3 words to describe Nature?
Astonishing. Miraculous. Alien.
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility
Fragility
Abundance
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Beach
Ocean
Ancient Forest
When you look at the OCEAN, it makes you feel...?
Wondrous
When you see a FOREST, it makes you feel...?
Foolish
When you see a VOLCANO, it makes you feel...?
Ashamed
When you see a SUNRISE or SUNSET, it makes you feel...?
Loved
When you hear THUNDER, it makes you feel...?
Redeemed
When you hear the WIND HOWLING, it makes you feel...?
Scared
Are you an OCEAN, MOUNTAIN, FOREST, or DESERT person?
Depends on the season
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Going to the beach early with my father and diving into large waves. Feeling fragile and strong at the same time, that sense of lack of control and yet able to bounce back.
Nina Jensen
Nina Jensen is the CEO of REV Ocean and is a tireless champion for promoting environmentally responsible solutions for the world's ocean. She started this position in 2018 after 15 years of positive impact in WWF-Norway (as Secretary-General since 2012). Nina holds a Master’s degree in Marine Biology from the University of Fishery Science in Tromsø, and has a background in communications and marketing from Ogilvy & Mather. Nina is a board member of The Business for Peace Foundation, The Technology for Ocean (C4IR Ocean) Foundation, The Brain Tumour Association, Ocean Wise, Aker Offshore Wind, Aker CarbonCapture and Project Energy PER-A. She was named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2014. She is also on the Executive Board of Norway’s Polytechnic Society, and part of Friends of Ocean Action and an advisor to the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy.
3 words to describe Nature?
Life. Support. System
3 things Nature taught you?
What makes life worth living
Nature always finds a way
Human nature is the most destructive force of nature
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Lofoten islands
Sipadan Island
Madagascar
When you look at the OCEAN, it makes you feel...?
Happy
When you see a FOREST, it makes you feel...?
Relaxed
When you see a VOLCANO, it makes you feel...?
Excited
When you see a SUNRISE or SUNSET, it makes you feel...?
At peace
When you hear THUNDER, it makes you feel...?
Alive
When you hear the WIND HOWLING, it makes you feel...?
Small
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean😊
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
My favourite childhood activity was swimming and snorkelling in the kelp forest, exploring the amazing beauty and wonders of our ocean and always discovering something new. It was a very welcome escape from the hectic city life in Oslo, where I grew up.
GRAHAM HILL
20 years in the making, The Carbonauts is the culmination of Graham Hill’s environmental career. One of Fast Co.’s “100 Most Creative People in Business”, Hill is sought after to speak about how to create a wealthier, greener, and happier planet. He has presented at many prestigious conferences including 2 main stage TED talks that have reached over 10M. Hill founded one of the earliest Internet consultancies in ‘95, the groundbreaking website TreeHugger.com in ‘04, and LifeEdited, a small living consultancy in ‘10. TreeHugger was the most trafficked green site for years, sold to Discovery Channel, and has served billions of Page Views.
3 words to describe Nature?
Foreign. Yet. Intimate.
3 things Nature taught you?
We are both tiny and huge.
If we can just shut up and listen, the answers are all around us.
If you were to pick any tiny part of nature, it's infinitely more elegant, sophisticated, and intelligent than anything humans have ever created.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The wall of a wave that I'm riding.
The oranges, pinks, and blues of an incredible sunset that I'm experiencing.
The moment of inter-species communication when I stare into the eyes of an animal.
When you look at the OCEAN, it makes you feel...?
Excited
When you see a FOREST, it makes you feel...?
Held
When you see a VOLCANO, it makes you feel...?
Young
When you see a SUNRISE or SUNSET, it makes you feel...?
Awe
When you hear THUNDER, it makes you feel...?
Small
When you hear the WIND HOWLING, it makes you feel…?
Nervous
Are you an OCEAN, MOUNTAIN, FOREST, or DESERT person?
Ocean and Mountain
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
8
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
My parents built an outdoor paradise for the 6 of us. A pond, diving boards, raft, trapeze, sauna, trampoline, bikes, and much more. We spent an infinite number of hours outside. One fun memory is when we roped two huge tractor inner tubes together, got inside them, and were pushed down the hill into the pond.
Craig Bradbery
Craig Bradbery is the CEO of Baillie Lodges, Director of Luxury Lodges of Australia and Director of Tourism Tropical North Queensland. Baillie Lodges is an intimate portfolio of luxury lodges setting new benchmarks for premium experiential travel. Their property portfolio includes the Capella Lodge on the World Heritage-listed Lord Howe Island, Vancouver Island’s celebrated luxury outpost Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge, Huka Lodge on the banks of Waikato River on New Zealand’s North Island, Longitude 131° at Uluru-Kata Tjuta, and Tropical North Queensland’s luxury bolt-hole, Silky Oaks Lodge located next to the World Heritage-listed wilderness of the Daintree National Park.
3 words to describe Nature?
Peaceful. Powerful. Rejuvenating
3 things Nature taught you?
As much I wish I could, nature has taught me that I can’t control everything
Always try to make the most of every opportunity
Even when things seem somewhat bleak, there’s usually a silver lining
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Kangaroo Island: Our Southern Ocean Lodge property is located on this amazingly pristine island, just 20-minutes off the coast of Adelaide. The wildlife and landscapes showcase the best of Australia, whilst I can sit and look at the wildly intriguing Southern Ocean all day, it just never gets old.
Vancouver Island, Canada: Our newest lodge, Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge, is located here, in the remote coastal Canadian wilderness, surrounded by old-growth coniferous forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife in a UNESCO biosphere reserve. I fell in love with Clayoquot during my first visit in late 2019, so this is the number one destination on my list to get back to when borders re-open.
Anywhere by the ocean, whatever side of the world it’s on, whether it be Gordons Bay in Sydney – a beautiful, rocky cove nested between Coogee and Clovelly beaches, or Estero Beach in Baja California, which I visited many years ago when it was rustic surfers haven.
When you look at the OCEAN, it makes you feel…?
Relaxed (it grounds me to look at the ocean and hear its relentless sounds), inspired (it takes me away from the “noise” of daily life and helps me look ahead to bigger things), awe-struck (I’m very respectful of the great power that the ocean holds)
When you see a FOREST, it makes you feel…?
Seeing a forest makes me yearn to be within the forest because I’m intrigued as to what I might discover
When you see a VOLCANO, it makes you feel…?
Excited (and maybe a little scared)! The power and uncontrolled force is fascinating – I have very fond memories of the first volcano I got up close to, Mt Agung in Bali
When you see a SUNRISE or SUNSET, it makes you feel…?
Calm and very alive, the start and end of the days are when I’m at my best
When you hear THUNDER, it makes you feel…? *
Alert! It tells me there’s something interesting going on outside and I want to pay attention.
When you hear the WIND HOWLING, it makes you feel…?
Invigorated - there’s nothing like a windstorm to awaken the senses.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
As an Australian living in Sydney (and a Pisces!), I am all about the Ocean. Having said that the desert is also a real source of inspiration for me, so I relish my visits to our lodge, Longitude 131, at Uluru in Australia’s spiritual heart
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9… but add great food & wine to the mix and it becomes an 11!
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Growing up in Sydney, my first memories of nature were usually on family holidays, such as fishing at Long Jetty on the NSW Central Coast, or snorkeling on the Coral Coast of Fiji. These early experiences were definitely the catalyst for developing my passion for travel… and I consider myself very lucky to work in the industry I am so passionate about.
Christoper Mason
Dr. Christopher E. Mason the co-founder of Onegevity Health, co-founder of Biotia, and is a geneticist and computational biologist who has been a Principal Investigator and Co-investigator of many NASA missions and projects. He is a Professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, with affiliate appointments at the Meyer Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Information Society Project (ISP) at Yale Law School, and the Consortium for Space Genetics at Harvard Medical School. Mason is the author of The Next 500 Years: Engineering Life to Reach New Worlds.
3 words to describe Nature?
Beautiful. Responsive. Engineered
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility
Adaptation
Mutation
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Fernando de Noronha
Sanders Park
Lake Hillier
When you look at the OCEAN, it makes you feel...?
Open
When you see a FOREST, it makes you feel...?
Enraptured
When you see a VOLCANO, it makes you feel...?
Constructive
When you see a SUNRISE or SUNSET, it makes you feel...?
Ease
When you hear THUNDER, it makes you feel...?
Volition
When you hear the WIND HOWLING, it makes you feel...?
Excited
Are you an OCEAN, MOUNTAIN, FOREST, or DESERT person?
Forest
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Standing in a Panama rainforest away from all other people, and hearing the breath of the forest itself as I could feel and sense it moving and living.
Christine Duffy
Christine Duffy is president of Carnival Cruise Line, the flagship brand of Miami-based global cruise industry leader Carnival Corp., the world’s largest leisure travel company. As president, she captains a company that sails a fleet of 24 ships, annually hosts nearly six million guests, and employs more than 43,000 people who hail from 110 nations around the globe. Celebrating six years with Carnival Cruise Line, Christine joined the company in 2015 after a successful tenure as president and CEO of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), which represents the $120 billion global cruise industry.
While at CLIA, she elevated the industry’s profile before consumers, regulators, industry stakeholders, and the media; led the adoption of the Cruise Passenger Bill of Rights to enhance the industry’s commitment to passenger safety, comfort, and care; managed the industry response to several high-profile crises; and consolidated a network of 15 cruise industry organizations into one global association.
Prior to CLIA, Christine spent 10 years at Maritz Travel Company, the world’s largest corporate meeting, events, and incentive travel company where she served six years as president and CEO.
Christine is the chair of the U.S. Travel Association. She is a member of the board of directors of Aimbridge Hospitality, the global leader in hotel management services, and Herschend Family Entertainment, the nation’s largest family-owned operator of themed attractions, including Dollywood and Branson’s Silver Dollar City. She sits on the Professional Advisory Board of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital of which Carnival Cruise Line is the official celebration partner.
Christine has been a strong supporter of women’s leadership in the travel industry, leading initiatives that delivered research and programs to help women advance their careers. She was recently named by Women Leading Travel & Hospitality as one of its top women in travel and hospitality. Christine is also a member of The Committee of 200, an organization of the world’s most successful women business leaders that supports, celebrates, and advances women's leadership. She was recognized by Moves magazine as a 2016 Power Women recipient for her work in serving as a role model for future generations of young women. She has also been honored by the Convention Industry Council and the U.S. Coast Guard, among others. Christine was a member of the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference class of 2018, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious public liaison program for the Department of Defense.
3 words to describe Nature?
Beautiful. Inspiring. Powerful
3 things Nature taught you?
Circle of Life through birth
Growth
Renewal
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Ocean
Beach
My garden
When you look at the OCEAN, it makes you feel...?
At peace
When you see a FOREST, it makes you feel...?
Small and inclusive
When you see a VOLCANO, it makes you feel...?
Intimidated by its' power.
When you see a SUNRISE or SUNSET, it makes you feel...?
Inspired for a new day or at peace with the end of a day well-lived.
When you hear THUNDER, it makes you feel...?
Apprehensive for what follows...
When you hear the WIND HOWLING, it makes you feel...?
Apprehensive for the damage that can be done.
Are you an OCEAN, MOUNTAIN, FOREST, or DESERT person?
OCEAN
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
7
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Long days at the beach after the lifeguards and crowds have gone home.
Ellen Windemuth
Ellen Windemuth is the CEO of WaterBear, a free streaming platform dedicated to the future of our planet. Prior to WaterBear, Ellen was the owner and CEO of the production company Off the Fence, having founded the company in 1994. Ellen is a seasoned Executive Producer and Distributor and has produced over 500 hours to date herself. She executive produced My Octopus Teacher, which won this year’s BAFTA and Oscar for Best Feature Documentary. She is the Chair of the Jackson Hole Film Festival Board, Honorary President of the Sunnyside Doc 2019 festival in La Rochelle, France, and is active in conservation and land development. Ellen was presented with Wildscreen’s Christopher Parson’s Outstanding Achievement Awards 2018.
3 words to describe Nature?
Mother. Protector. Genius
3 things Nature taught you?
There is no waste.
The more carefully you look inside even the smallest habitat, the more fascinating it becomes.
Nature connects humans and animals with their common future.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
South African kelp forest
Okavango Delta
Norwegian fjord outside my house.
When you look at the OCEAN, it makes you feel...?
Vast and open
When you see a FOREST, it makes you feel...?
Protected and understood
When you see a VOLCANO, it makes you feel...?
Awed and excited
When you see a SUNRISE or SUNSET, it makes you feel...?
In harmony with life on earth
When you hear THUNDER, it makes you feel...?
Happy for the rain to fall
When you hear the WIND HOWLING, it makes you feel...?
Wanting a blanket to sit under and listen and tell stories
Are you an OCEAN, MOUNTAIN, FOREST, or DESERT person?
Ocean, Mountain, and Forest
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I used to roam outdoors in the fields and the forest nearby, looking for animals in preferably very muddy places. One day I found a pond and discovered how much fun it was to forget the consequences and just jump in in my clothes and immerse. It is my first memory of feeling truly exhilarated from being outdoors
Ivan Salas Jefferson
Iván Salas Jefferson is the founder of Iddes Yachts a Naval architecture, superyacht design & project management company based in Palma de Mallorca. Iddes was shortlisted for the Concept Yacht Over 40 Meters Award in The International Yacht & Aviation Awards with their superyacht HOP in 2019 and their Class 55 won a Red Dot Award and the German Design Award in 2020. Ivan and his team are behind the groundbreaking Earth300 design, a 300m Molten Salt Reactor-powered exploration & scientific vessel.
3 words to describe Nature?
Revitalizing. Self-Ruling. Vulnerable
3 things Nature taught you?
To stop
To let go
To trust the unknown
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The Andes
The Mediterranean Sea
Any spot with a good wave.
When you look at the OCEAN, it makes you feel...?
Nomadic
When you see a FOREST, it makes you feel...?
Oxygenated
When you see a VOLCANO, it makes you feel...?
Powerless
When you see a SUNRISE or SUNSET, it makes you feel...?
Untroubled
When you hear THUNDER, it makes you feel...?
Enchanted
When you hear the WIND HOWLING, it makes you feel…?
Restored
Are you an OCEAN, MOUNTAIN, FOREST, or DESERT person?
All of them
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Feeling the take-up and energy of a wave at my local beach in Palma de Mallorca
Dr. Sian Proctor
Dr. Sian Proctor is a geoscientist, explorer, space artist, and science communication specialist with a passion for space exploration. She was selected as the pilot on the SpaceX Crew Dragon mission Inspiration4, planned for late 2021.
She appeared on The Colony Season 2, which was aired on The Discovery Channel in 2010, in the 2016 PBS series Genius By Stephen Hawking on "Episode 2: Are We Alone?” and is currently featured on the science show Strange Evidence. On July 22, 2020, Dr Proctor was announced as one of the top-15 finalists of UAE Mars Shot contest. She was recently selected as one of The Explorer’s Club 50: Fifty People Changing the World.
She uses her AfronautSpace art to encourage conversations about women of color in the space industry. She’s an analog astronaut and has completed four analog missions including the all-female SENSORIA Mars 2020 mission at the Hawai’i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) Habitat, the NASA funded 4-months Mars mission at HI-SEAS, a 2-weeks Mars mission at the Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS), and a 2-weeks Moon mission in the LunAres Habitat.
Dr. Proctor was a finalist for the 2009 NASA Astronaut Program and got down to the Yes/No phone call which came from Astronaut Sunita Williams.
She has a TEDx talk called Eat Like a Martian and published the Meals for Mars Cookbook. Dr. Proctor is a continuing NASA Solar System Ambassador and serves on the Explore Mars Board of Directors, JustSpace Alliance Advisory Board, the Science in the Wild Advisory Board, the SEDS USA Advisory Board, and the National Science Teaching Association’s Aerospace Advisory Board.
In 2019, she was the science communication outreach officer on the JOIDES Resolution Expedition 383 and spent 2-months at sea with researchers investigating the Dynamics of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. She also participated in the 2-week faculty development seminar Exploring Urban Sustainability in India. She was a 2017 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Teacher at Sea, a 2016 Astronomy in Chile Educator Ambassador (ACEAP), and a 2014 PolarTREC Teacher investigating climate change in Barrow, Alaska. She is a Major in the Civil Air Patrol and serves as a member of the Arizona Wing Aerospace Education Officer.
3 words to describe Nature?
Transformative. Spiritual. Breathtaking
3 things Nature taught you?
Focus
Determination
Resiliency
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Standing by the ocean
Flying looking out the window
Standing on a mountain summit
When you look at the OCEAN, it makes you feel...?
Happy
When you see a FOREST, it makes you feel...?
Overwhelmed by life
When you see a VOLCANO, it makes you feel...?
In awe of the geologic time
When you see a SUNRISE or SUNSET, it makes you feel...?
Content
When you hear THUNDER, it makes you feel...?
Excited
When you hear the WIND HOWLING, it makes you feel...?
Lifted
Are you an OCEAN, MOUNTAIN, FOREST, or DESERT person?
All of them
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I loved fishing in a small pond in New Hampshire. I would fish for hours every day all summer long - catch and release.
Kelly Alvarez Doran
Kelly Alvarez Doran is an architect and climate activist. A native of Winnipeg - Kelly has learned and worked across the world over the past two decades and currently calls London, UK home. Professionally Kelly has worked with MASS Design Group (Kigali), SvN (Toronto), and WilliamsonWilliamson (Toronto), and Severson Monteyne (Winnipeg). His focus on climate-positive design architecture and the disproportionate impact the built environment has on climate change has shaped his design approach. He has led the design of award-winning projects - notably Munini District Hospital and Rwanda Ministry of Health’s Typical Hospital Plans; the headquarters for both One Acre Fund and Andela in Kenya; and the Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture. Kelly is a graduate of the University of Manitoba, the University of Toronto, a recipient of the Canada Council’s Prix de Rome for Emerging Practitioners. He is a Visiting Professor at the University of Toronto and has previously held teaching positions at The Bartlett, Harvard University, and the University of Waterloo.
3 words to describe Nature?
Replenishing. Complex. Intrinsic
3 things Nature taught you?
We are all intrinsically connected - socially, biologically, and ecologically.
Nature's nature is to constantly adapt - it will outlast humanity.
We are a part of nature and thrive when working within the natural systems we emerged within.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Manitoba's Prairie grassland
An Algonquin Park campsite
An Essex estuary
When you look at the OCEAN, it makes you feel...?
Connected to the power of nature.
When you see a FOREST, it makes you feel...?
Closer to the endless cycles of growth and decay.
When you see a VOLCANO, it makes you feel...?
Like an inconsequential collection of biological material.
When you see a SUNRISE or SUNSET, it makes you feel...?
Connected to the cosmos.
When you hear THUNDER, it makes you feel...?
Nostalgic for a prairie thunderstorm
When you hear the WIND HOWLING, it makes you feel...?
Nostalgic for a prairie winter's night
Are you an OCEAN, MOUNTAIN, FOREST, or DESERT person?
Prairie
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
8
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Endless hours spent traveling across the prairie to the small farming community where my grandparent's lived - looking out the car window at the long, flat, prairie horizon and the ocean of different colors across the fields, meadows, ditches, and forests along the way has created a deep appreciation for how much we've transformed the landscape to our own ends, and how we must now break out of the mindset of dominion and return to one deeply connected to the natural rhythms and cycles of the landscapes we inhabit.
Luca Parmitano
Luca Parmitano is an Italian astronaut in the European Astronaut Corps for the European Space Agency (ESA) with 366 days in space, more than any ESA astronaut in history. He is the youngest non-Russian astronaut to undertake a long-duration mission and first-ever Italian International Space Station commander. Luca was awarded a Silver Medal to the Aeronautical Valour by the President of the Italian Republic in 2007 and was recognized a ‘Commendatore al Merito della Repubblica’ by the President of the Italian Republic in 2013. On August 13, 2019, Parmitano became the first DJ in space when he played a set of electronic music from the ISS for a music festival audience in Ibiza.
3 words to describe Nature?
Life. Water. Energy
3 things Nature taught you?
Resilience
Humility
Compassion
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The rocky beaches in Sicily
The wooded area in my parent's land, up on mount Etna
The 'Stagno of San Teodoro'
When you look at the OCEAN, it makes you feel...?
Alive
When you see a FOREST, it makes you feel...?
Happy
When you see a VOLCANO, it makes you feel...?
Home
When you see a SUNRISE or SUNSET, it makes you feel...?
Pensive
When you hear THUNDER, it makes you feel...?
Energetic
When you hear the WIND HOWLING, it makes you feel...?
Like reading a book
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
When I was a child, my father would dive in apnea to collect sea urchins, because my mother loved the rich, orange meat inside. I never cared too much for their taste, but as soon as I learned to hold my breath long enough to dive with my father, I would go with him... not to hunt, but to share that silent time and space with him, underwater, where this infinitely strange world would be ours only.
Loretta Whitesides
Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides is a Founder Astronaut at Virgin Galactic, mother of two, wife to George T. Whitesides, and author of The New Right Stuff: Using Space to Bring out the Best in You. Loretta studied astrobiology at Stanford and Caltech, did research on plant life in the Canadian Arctic with NASA, dove to the bottom of the ocean with Titanic Director James Cameron, and has floated weightless hundreds of times as a Flight Director for Zero Gravity Corporation. She and her husband are the Co-Creators of Yuri's Night, the annual Worldwide Space Party celebrating the dual Russian and U.S. space anniversaries on April 12. She currently teaches leadership and personal development for the space community through her SpaceKind Training Program which evolved from the New Right Stuff training program she led at Virgin Galactic for five years.
3 words to describe Nature?
Elegant. Closed-loop. Soul-filling
3 things Nature taught you?
Trees are incredibly generous
You don't need to "waste" anything
We need natural systems to thrive
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Redwood forests
On a rock next to a mountain stream
On a mountain looking down on a fog bank
When you look at the OCEAN, it makes you feel...?
Fragile, insignificant, held (I believe the ocean holds are memories)
When you see a FOREST, it makes you feel...?
Calm, grounded, loved
When you see a VOLCANO, it makes you feel...?
Primal, powerful, grateful
When you see a SUNRISE or SUNSET, it makes you feel...?
Blessed, full-hearted, quiet
When you hear THUNDER, it makes you feel...? *
Excited, powerful, expansive
When you hear the WIND HOWLING, it makes you feel…?
Connected to my friend Andrew Hopping who loves the wind, hunkered down, humbled
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountains and forests
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
When I was about 14, our girl's group at my summer camp was challenged to do a 24 solo- as though we were lost during a hike- just shorts and a t-shirt in Northern California. It was pretty demanding, alone, cold, hungry, but I survived and was SO PROUD of myself! I always push others to let kids do things that are hard and scary so they can have that experience that they can do more than they think.
Veronica Speck
Veronica Speck began her career in New York City at publishing houses including Condé Nast and Hearst. In 2010, while in the Special Events Department of Vogue, she assisted in the planning of the “American Woman” Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Leveraging her experience in the art world, Veronica joined Bernardaud as the global Director of Public Relations, promoting artist collaborations and limited-edition objets d’art with Jeff Koons, Vik Muniz, JR, Marina Abramovic, Julian Schnabel, David Lynch, The Campana Brothers, Sarah Lavoine, and the Alexander Calder, Joan Miro, and Marc Chagall Foundations. She also formed strategic partnerships with MoMA, MoCA, Sotheby’s, and Gagosian, and hosted press events during Art Basel, Bocuse D’Or, Design Miami/, Frieze, Maison et Objet, and partnered with Architectural Digest to design the 2015 Academy Awards Greenroom with Commune Design.
In 2018, Veronica oversaw the opening of The Future Perfect’s galleries in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, and managed all exhibition openings, art fair participation, press, marketing, and events during Art Basel, Frieze, Salon Art + Design Fair, NYCxDesign, Design Miami/, and New York Fashion Week. She also hosted affinity partnership events with The New York Time’s T Magazine to celebrate their annual “Greats” Issue, Fendi’s ‘Made to Order’ program, as well as with Ruinart, Hermès Art de la Table, Puiforcat, Le Labo, Aesop, Vogue 100, and many more.
In 2019, She joined Michelin-starred Chef Daniel Boulud as the global Head of Brand Marketing and Public Relations and helped raise over 1 million dollars for City Meals on Wheels during the annual Sunday Supper Gala at Restaurant Daniel. Le Pavillon restaurant at One Vanderbilt in New York City, designed by Brazilian architect Isay Weinfield, is the latest venture set to open in 2021.
In 2020, VHS Ventures was established in New York and California with international operations in Asia, Europe, and South America. Current clients range from Ferrari and Fine Art to Fragrance and Fine Jewelry. VHS is a Founding Partner of luxury fragrance brand Maison d’ Etto.
3 words to describe Nature?
Calming. Intriguing. Vast.
3 things Nature taught you?
Appreciation
Gratitude
Hope
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The Torrey Pines State Reserve in La Jolla, CA, which is dedicated to preserving its namesake, the Torrey Pine (Pinus Torreyana) tree, and other indigenous wildlife in its native environment. The tree only grows there and on Santa Rosa Island off the coast of Santa Barbara. The hike to the top affords views of the Pacific Ocean and the cliffs of Blacks Beach, which are reminiscent of the Algarve in Portugal. It is also next to Torrey Pines Golf Course, one of the most beautiful golf courses (in my opinion). Big Sur, Muir Redwoods, Lake Tahoe, and Palm Springs desert in California are also special.
The Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. The last time I was there, it was turtle nesting season, and watching hundreds of baby turtles make their way to the sea from the sand was magical.
The Mighty 5 National Parks in Utah—Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion. Hiking amongst the red Hoodoo rocks is reminiscent of Mars (not that I have been…yet!) Afterward, rent a boat and explore Lake Powell and enjoy a restorative stat at Amangiri in the desert.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Peaceful and nostalgic. I grew in San Diego, California so the ocean will always hold a special place in my heart. Swimming, surfing, scuba diving, sailing, parasailing, kitesurfing, snorkeling or simply watching the sun rise or set.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Curious. I love to explore and look through the trees for wildlife or up towards the sky for birds. I spent hours in the cloud forests of Costa Rica.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Adventurous and energized. I hiked Volcanoes National Park in Hawai'i after it erupted a few years ago, and was truly in awe of the natural landscapes and black sand beaches made of basalt and formed from hot lava clashing with the ocean water.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Renewed, restored, romantic.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Excited. I love thunderstorms, especially tropical ones. I took it for granted growing up, but San Diego has nearly perfect weather year-round so I naturally crave the opposite and love the excitement of storms. I was in New York during Hurricane Irene and Sandy and still remember the sound of the thunder, rain, and wind.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Attentive, Perceptive, Thoughtful. Ideally, I am curled up inside next to a cozy fire, and listening to the sounds outside.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
All!
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
My father has dedicated the majority of his life to caring for animals and the environment. I grew up next to horse and polo ranches, orange and avocado groves, and vineyards, and with exotic pets my father rescued. Boa Constrictors, Tarantulas, Macaw Parrots, African Grey Parrots, African Spur Tortoise, Chinchillas, and even a saltwater aquarium with small sharks, an octopus, living coral, and exotic fish. I celebrated many birthdays as a child at Sleepovers at the San Diego Zoo where guests could spend the night at a campsite and view the nocturnal animals on a guided tour.
My grandparents are European and when they moved to Los Angeles, they became members of a historic health and wellness retreat from the 1800s called Warner Springs Ranch because the therapeutic natural hot springs and rural beauty reminded them of Bohemia and Moravia. My favorite childhood memories include weekends and holidays spent with family riding horses, golfing, playing tennis, swimming, and exploring the grounds.
Jean-Francois Lepine
Jean-François Lépine is an eminent journalist who is now Director of Québec Government offices in China. Before moving to Shanghai, he was an international analyst, speaker, and associate in communication and government affairs at Avistra International Inc.
Until November 2015, he was also chair of the Middle Eastern and North African Observatory (Observatoire sur le Moyen-Orient et l’Afrique du Nord/OMAN) at the Université du Québec à Montréal and a member of Montréal International’s Board of Directors. He was a foreign correspondent for CBC/Radio-Canada in Beijing, Paris, and Jerusalem from 1982 to 1990 and is recognized as an exceptional analyst and communicator.
From 1990 to 2013, he hosted several popular public affairs television programs on CBC/Radio-Canada, including Enjeux, Le Point, Zone libre, and the international magazine Une Heure Sur Terre, which also aired on TV5 Monde.
His work both as a reporter and TV show host has been recognized by numerous awards. In June 2012, he was appointed Officer of the Order of Canada. That same year, he also received the Raymond Charette Prize awarded by the Québec Superior Council of the French Language.
3 words to describe Nature?
Wealth. Fragile. Happiness
3 things Nature taught you?
Resilience
Fight to survive
Enjoy life
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Quebec's Laurentian forest
The Atlantic Ocean in Maine USA
The Amazon
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
The power of nature
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Protection, safety, life
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Life can be dangerous
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
The earth is so vulnerable and small
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Nature is not always peaceful
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Natural life is also sound
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
All!
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Fishing in a wild lake with my father, brothers, and sisters.
Scott Parazynski
Dr. Scott Parazynski is a highly decorated physician, astronaut, and tech CEO recently inducted into the US Astronaut Hall of Fame. He is a widely sought-after keynote speaker on innovation, risk management, mentorship, and leadership under extreme adversity.
In 1992 he was selected to join NASA’s Astronaut Corps and eventually flew 5 Space Shuttle Missions and conducted 7 spacewalks. Mission highlights include a global ozone mapping flight; leading the first joint US-Russian spacewalk while docked to the Russian space station Mir; serving as Senator John Glenn’s crewmate and “personal physician”; and assembly of the Canadian-built space station robotic arm.
In October 2007, Scott led the spacewalking team on STS-120, during which he performed 4 EVAs. The final EVA is regarded by many as one of the most challenging and dangerous ever performed. The tremendous coordinated effort in orbit and on the ground by Mission Control has been likened to the Space Shuttle and Space Station era’s “Apollo 13 moment.”
On May 20, 2009, he became the first astronaut to stand on top of the world, the summit of Mount Everest. As a life-long explorer, he and a colleague recently set the first bootprints adjacent to the world’s youngest lava lake, inside the crater of Massaya Volcano in Nicaragua.
He is the Founder and CEO of Fluidity Technologies, focused on the development of revolutionary input devices powered by machine learning to intuitively move through physical and virtual space, and the author of Memoir: The Sky Below.
3 words to describe Nature?
Wonder. Fragility. Enormity
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility - the forces of nature far exceed our control and scale, and warrants our fullest respect
Appreciation - life is an unexplained gift that shouldn't ever be taken for granted
Preparation - going into the true wilds requires forethought, rigorous training, and teamwork
3 most treasured Nature spots?
One atmosphere down with a scuba tank on, face to face with a coral reef and all its residents
Outside on a spacewalk, flying through the Aurora Australis, eyes wide open
On the summit of Mount Everest at sunrise, seeing the world drop off in all directions around me, with a sunrise to beat all sunrises...
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
At peace - the calming views of our oceans from space, often with beautiful cloud cover and sunglint, helped me prepare to go to bed when I was up in space.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Connected to our living, breathing planet...
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Awed and frightened - reminding me of our first descent adjacent to the lava lake of Masaya volcano in Nicaragua a few years ago.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Joyful, and reminiscent of my views of orbital sunrises and sunsets up in space...
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Sorrow - I'm reminded of our late, great dog Mare, who would always jump on the bed in the midst of thunderstorms. Weighing in at 100 pounds, his unexpected visits were more alarming than the lightning storms outside!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Small relative to the power of nature, like when I camped just below the jet stream, screaming across the summit of Everest
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
All of the above.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
The first time I dropped beneath the sea surface with tanks on my back - at age 11 - was an epiphany, being able to gracefully explore in three dimensions a world that I'd only seen in Jacques Cousteau's films. The overwhelming beauty of that dive and the unknown, possibly lurking danger still brings back wonderful memories to this day.
Ron Garan
Former NASA astronaut and highly decorated combat fighter Ron Garan racked up 178 days in space and more than 71 million miles in 2,842 orbits between between tours on the International Space Station, flying on both the US Space Shuttle and a Russian Soyuz spacecraft. During his time in space Ron conducted four spacewalks in support of ISS construction and maintenance. Prior to those space journeys, he lived and conducted research on the bottom of the ocean in the world’s only undersea research lab, Aquarius. Before reaching the summit of his career, Ron, a former test pilot and graduate of the US Naval Test Pilot School, taught hundreds of elite pilots how to fly at the prestigious USAF Fighter Weapons School, the Air Force version of Top Gun. He is the author of the critically acclaimed book, The Orbital Perspective and the upcoming books, Floating in Darkness – A Journey of Evolution and Railroad to the Moon. Today, Ron is celebrated for his research in space and for his humanitarian contribution to life on Earth.
3 words to describe Nature?
Implicit. Natural. Wholeness
3 things Nature taught you?
To be still
To be quiet
To be grateful
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Boulder Flatirons
Zion National Park
Rain forests of Costa Rica
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Interdependent
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
One with the biosphere
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
The certainty that I am part of a much bigger picture.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
As if I am watching life's expression that it's grateful to be alive
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Connected to the primordial
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Energized
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I am a person who strives to keep the focus on the continuum that links all those ecosystems and more
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10.5
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I have fond memories of trading a day-to-day life in the city to camping with the Boy Scouts in the NY Adirondacks.
Alexandra Horowitz
Alexandra Horowitz is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know; Being a Dog: Following the Dog into a World of Smell; and Our Dogs, Ourselves. She is a dog-cognition researcher and teaches at Barnard College, where she runs the Dog Cognition Lab. She has written about topics as varied as attention, imitation, fairness, guilt, captivity, patents, play, and footnotes; from animal representation in children’s books to things people say to their dogs; from anthropomorphisms of animals to dogs in movies. She has been described as “a New World reverse of the Oulipo eminence Georges Perec,” a “skilled investigative reporter,” and a “reasonably sane adult human.” She lives with her family and two large, highly sniffy dogs, one cat, and one puppy in New York City.
3 words to describe Nature?
Integral. Formidable. Omnipresent
3 things Nature taught you?
Respect the unknown
There is wisdom in tree growth and bird activity and mosses.
Nature is everywhere.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Among giant redwoods
On a walking path in the Japanese Alps
In our local forest surrounded by my family
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Awed. I'm humbled by the ocean, which does not care about me. I treat it carefully.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Delighted that there is such a community without people.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
I've never seen a volcano
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Pleased to have color vision.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Moved to go indoors.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like smelling into the breeze.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Remembering camping with my dog among quaking Aspen in the high country of Utah, my senses are all awakened: between the perfect clarity of the air, the smell of drying grasses and sage, and the sound of Aspen leaves gently tinkling against each other.
IN-Q
IN-Q is a National Poetry Slam champion, award-winning poet, and multi-platinum songwriter. His groundbreaking achievements include being named to Oprah’s SuperSoul 100 list of the world’s most influential thought leaders, being the first spoken word artist to perform with Cirque Du Soleil, and being featured on A&E, ESPN, and HBO’s Def Poetry Jam. He’s inspired audiences around the world through his live performances and storytelling workshops. Many of his recent poetry videos have gone viral with over 70 million views combined.
As a songwriter, IN-Q’s hit single “Love You Like a Love Song” by Selena Gomez went multi-platinum, winning him a BMI award. He has written with renowned artists including Aloe Blacc, Miley Cyrus, Mike Posner, and Foster the People. His songs have accumulated over one billion views on YouTube alone.
Leading organizations including Nike, Instagram, Spotify, Google, Lululemon, Live Nation, Shazam, The Grammy Foundation, and many more have brought IN-Q in to motivate their teams through his keynote speeches and acclaimed storytelling workshop, a transformational bonding experience for companies who want to share their story more authentically.
Ultimately IN-Q writes to entertain, inspire, and challenge his audiences to look deeper into the human experience and ask questions about themselves, their environment, and the world at large.
3 words to describe Nature?
Beautiful. Wild. Alive.
3 things Nature taught you?
Presence
Presence
Presence
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Eden in Utah. I have spent so much time over there. It is such an integral part of my life.
Road to Hana, Maui, Hawaii. That road for me is filled with life. It is so beautiful, vibrant and alive. It feels like a neon sign for nature.
Kenya. I was recently on a safari there and I have never experienced anything like this. It is a particular nature, that is raw and truly powerful. I really felt small but also part of it.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Relaxed
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Peaceful
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Awe
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Gratitude
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Power. Not that I feel powerful, but that I am amazed by it. The physical sensation of experiencing the hugeness of the sound all around you is breathtaking.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Brings me back to a childhood memory.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest the best, though honestly, it is the jungle that calls me.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
11
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Well, I don’t remember much for my childhood, unfortunately. But there is indeed one memory that comes to mind. My mom and I went camping. She is really not your outdoorsy type. Anyhow, we ended up in the forest of California, somewhere up north. I was 7 I think. We set up camp and during the night, there was this insane storm, pouring rain like crazy. There were lightings and thunder. Bang and Boum! We stayed up all night. My mom was so scared that she made me sleep with my sneakers on because she thought that the rubber would protect me, not conducting the electricity in case lightning would hit us. I felt so small and so vulnerable.
Joanne Liu
Dr. Joanne Liu has served as International President of Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) from 2013 to 2019. At the helm of MSF, she was a leading voice on medical humanitarian crises, namely in the Ebola outbreak of West Africa, attacks on hospitals, and forced displacement crisis, and has engaged with world leaders at the highest levels.
Dr. Liu’s role builds on a career of fieldwork with MSF, including over 20 medical-humanitarian field assignments. Dr. Liu trained at McGill University School of Medicine in Montreal. She holds a Fellowship in Pediatric Emergency Medicine from New York University School of Medicine and an International Masters in Health Leadership, also from McGill University.
Dr. Liu’s operational work has ranged from introducing comprehensive care for survivors of sexual violence to developing a telemedicine platform for connecting doctors in rural areas with specialists worldwide.
Dr. Liu remains a practicing doctor, both in the field with MSF and also through hospital shifts in her home town of Montreal. She believes strongly in bringing and delivering high-quality, patient-centered care in all medical work contexts.
3 words to describe Nature?
Wholeness. Strength. Wisdom
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility
Endurance
Reverence
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Desert of Yémen
Rice fields in Sri Lanka
Manado diving spots
When you look at the OCEAN, it makes you feel...?
Overwhelmed
When you see a FOREST, it makes you feel...?
Like whispering
When you see a VOLCANO, it makes you feel...?
Mesmerized
When you see a SUNRISE or SUNSET, it makes you feel...?
Calm and centered
When you hear THUNDER, it makes you feel...?
Awake
When you hear the WIND HOWLING, it makes you feel...?
Foreboding
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Sky
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
When I was a kid, I would go camping and I remember how much I liked to fall asleep while listening to the sound of the river.
Andrea Burgess
Andrea Akall'eq Burgess is Global Director of Conservation in Partnership with Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities at The Nature Conservancy. She is also the founder and owner of With Real People LLC, an Indigenous consulting firm dedicated to advancing truth and excellence through creative and strategic advocacy, policy guidance, and facilitation. In addition, Andrea serves as co-founder and president of Native Peoples Action and as a board of trustees for the Institute of American Indian Art (IAIA).
Prior to coming to TNC, Andrea was Director of the Alaska Native Policy Center within First Alaskans Institute, a role which allowed her to develop and cultivate relations and community connections all across the state of Alaska, and with Indigenous communities nationally and internationally. She also previously worked for US Senator Mark Begich, supporting him on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee and as the telecommunications lead for the Senate Commerce Committee.
Originally from Bethel Alaska, Andrea currently resides in Oahu Hawaii. Her cultural background is Yup’ik (Inuit) on her mother’s side and Belgian/Norwegian on her father’s side. Andrea is a Tribal Citizen of the Native Village of Kwinhagak.
3 words to describe Nature?
Pure
Rugged
Bliss
3 things Nature taught you?
You are never alone in Nature, our Ancestors are always with you there.
Nature has cycles, patterns, and rhythms that go beyond our human comprehension.
To come into balance, is to be on the land and water.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The traditional homelands of the Yupik people along the Kuskokwim River in Southwest Alaska.
Imuruk Basin
Mākaha Valley and Coast
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Timeless
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Spiritually connected
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Bloodline
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Gratitude always
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Curious
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like home
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
As a child, summertime in Alaska was filled with boat rides, camping trips, and fishing. I remember one summer my dad took me and two of my closest friends on a camping trip along the Kuskokwim River. We enjoyed our separate tents and resulting sleeping schedules, which for us girls meant midnight walks and adventures along the river sandbars as daylight never ceased. We saw porcupine, beavers and all kinds of birds. They were our company and entertainment and wonder.
Debbie Millman
Named “one of the most creative people in business” by Fast Company, and “one of the most influential designers working today” by Graphic Design USA, Debbie Millman is also an author, educator, curator, and host of the podcast Design Matters, one of the world’s first and longest-running podcasts and listed as one of the best podcasts in the world by Business Insider.
Debbie is the author of six books is currently working on an illustrated book for HarperCollins titled Why Design Matters, which will be published in 2020, along with and a documentary about the making of the book, produced by Adobe. She was a writer for the world’s first design blog, Speak Up, the Editorial and Creative Director of Print Magazine, and a columnist for N Magazine.
In 2009 Debbie co-founded the world’s first graduate program in branding at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Now in its ninth year, the program has achieved international acclaim.
Her illustrations have appeared in publications such as The New York Times, New York Magazine, Print Magazine, Design Observer, and Fast Company and her artwork is included in the Boston Biennale, Chicago Design Museum, Anderson University, School of Visual Arts, Long Island University, The Wolfsonion Museum and the Czong Institute for Contemporary Art.
For 20 years, Debbie was the President of Sterling Brands and was instrumental in the firm’s acquisition by Omnicom in 2008. While there she worked on the logo and brand identity for Burger King, Hershey’s, Haagen Dazs, Tropicana, Star Wars, Gillette, and the No More movement.
She is also President Emeritus of AIGA, one of five women to hold the position in the organization’s 100-year history. She is a frequent speaker on design and branding throughout the world and has been a juror for competitions including Cannes Lions, The Clio’s, the One Club, and many, many more. This year she will be the Jury President for the branding competition for the D&AD Awards in London.
Debbie is currently working with Law & Order SVU actor and activist Mariska Hargitay’s Joyful Heart Foundation to eradicate sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, and the rape-kit backlog.
3 words to describe Nature?
Cosmic. Magical. Breathtaking
3 things Nature taught you?
Patience
Scale
Humility
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Pacific Northwest, United States
Machu Pichu, Peru
Easter Island, Chile
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Powerful
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Peaceful
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Awe
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Curious
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Safe
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Dramatic
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
All!
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I was at a sleep-away summer camp; it was mid-late August, very early evening. I was in a meadow in upstate New York with my campmates. It had rained and the grass was wet. We all ran outside when we realized that a rainbow had suddenly appeared. We were in awe. I might have been wearing pajamas.
Peter Simons
Peter Simons is the President and Chief Executive Officer of La Maison Simons. Established in 1840, La Maison Simons, commonly known as Simons, is a family-owned fashion retailer in Canada and is known for its outstanding corporate citizenship. Simons, and his brother Richard, took over the business in 1996, becoming the fifth generation of the Simons family to run the company.
Upon a visit to Paris, he discovered one of the seven existing Fontaine de Tourny pieces in an antique shop. The fountain was once located in the Allées de Tourny in Bordeaux. Simons had the fountain restored on Île d’Orléans and donated it to Quebec City as a gift for its 400th anniversary. It was installed in front of the National Assembly of Quebec in July 2007.
Peter Simons was recognized as a Knight of the National Order of Quebec in 2008, was awarded the Order of Canada in 2018, and received an Honorary Doctorate from Concordia University in 2019.
3 words to describe Nature?
Powerful. Wondrous. Inspiring
3 things Nature taught you?
Gratefulness
Resilience
Mindfulness
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Lake Lacon
Rivière aux Feuilles, Ungava Bay
My little vegetable garden
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
The power of nature
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
The harmony of life
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
The mystery of existence
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Hopeful or melancholic
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Like a child again.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Adventurous
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Flyfishing with my grandfather in Northern Quebec
Frank White
Frank White’s best-known book, The Overview Effect: Space Exploration and Human Evolution, is considered by many to be a seminal work in the field of space exploration.
A film called “Overview,” based largely on his work has had more than 8 million plays on Vimeo. Ron Garan appears in the film and he also participated in a panel at its premiere at Harvard University in 2012.
Frank conducted a series of interviews with astronauts at Johnson Space Center in June of 2019, which have now become the basis for NASA’s series called “Down to Earth,” available on YouTube and other NASA social media platforms.
In his latest book, The Cosma Hypothesis: Implications of the Overview Effect, (Multiverse Publishing 2019) Frank asks the fundamental question, “What is the purpose of human space exploration? Why has the evolutionary process brought humanity to the brink of becoming a spacefaring species?”
In Cosma, he also shares the idea of “the Human Space Program” as a central project that will engage all of us in the process of becoming “Citizens of the Universe.” The Human Space Program, Inc. is incorporated as a nonprofit in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and work has begun on the project.
Frank teaches at Harvard Extension School, Harvard Summer School, Boston University’s Metropolitan College, and Kepler Space Institute.
Frank and his wife Donna have an extended, blended family of five children and 10 grandchildren.
3 words to describe Nature?
Nurturing. Beautiful. Awe-inspiring
3 things Nature taught you?
Be prepared
Enjoy, respect, and protect the environment
Explore and evolve
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Black Forest, Germany
Cape Cod
Sanibel Island
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm, yet happy to be onshore!
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Inspired by the majesty of the trees and the community they create.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Amazed
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Grateful to live on such a beautiful planet in such an amazing universe.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Strong
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Glad to be inside
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Space!
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Growing up in the South of the United States, nature was always close and available to me. I enjoyed exploring the fields and woods near my home with my dog, fishing in a nearby lake or river, or just enjoying being outdoors. At night, I could clearly see the stars and I was inspired by the immensity of the universe.
Herbert Nitsch
Herbert Nitsch, nicknamed “the Deepest Man on Earth”, is the current freediving world record holder with a No Limit dive to 253 m (830 ft). Nitsch can hold his breath for more than 9 minutes and has set a total of 33 world records, 32 of these are across all of the eight freediving disciplines – unrivaled achievements in freediving history. He has also set an additional world record in the traditional Greek freediving discipline of “Skandalopetra”. He is the first freediver ever to reach 100 m (328 ft) without fins or sled (in the free immersion discipline, in 2003).
On June 6th, 2012, Herbert during his 253 m (830 ft) No Limit sled-dive, well after having reached the planned depth, Herbert temporarily fell asleep due to nitrogen narcosis and consequently missed the planned one-minute underwater decompression stop on the same breath-hold. At the surface, he was alert and asked for a mask to return underwater to recompress on pure oxygen, which is a standard after-dive safety feature to further off-gas. While decompressing underwater, Herbert felt the onset of decompression sickness. He incurred severe DCS (type 2) which would eventually result in multiple brain-strokes. He arrived comatose at the hyperbaric chamber and his future did not look good. With a prognosis of remaining a wheelchair-bound care-dependent patient, he dismissed himself from long-term facilitated care and took his healing into his own hands. Two years later, against all odds, Herbert is fit, training, and deep-freediving again.
In December of 2013, Herbert proudly joined the Ocean Advocacy Advisory Board of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. He is also a well-sought after lecturer and key-note speaker worldwide for corporate events and for the general public.
His sponsors included Breitling, Hyundai, Landrover, Shell V-Power, Coors Miller Light, SeaBob, Canon, and many others.
3 words to describe Nature?
Life. Water. Power
3 things Nature taught you?
Stillness
Beauty
Happiness
3 most treasured Nature spots?
All of them are below the surface:
Fakarava’s South Pass, French Polynesia
Palau, Micronesia
And anywhere with shipwrecks, caves, and abundant marine life
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
Part of it
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Insignificant
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Humble
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
Like free-diving (since at these times there’s the most action underwater to observe).
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
Alive
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
Like sailing away
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I’m definitely an ocean person, although I enjoy living part of the year in the mountains, surrounded by forests.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10+
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
The first underwater memory I have is snorkeling as a kid in the Maldives. This was about four decades ago. At the time the waters were abundant with marine life. I treasure this moment since I am aware that I cannot relive this memory, as sadly, such richness underwater does not exist anymore.
Joel Primus
An entrepreneur among other things, Joel Primus is the founder and creative visionary behind Naked Underwear. He helped raise over $17 million, establishing retail distribution at Holt Renfrew, Nordstrom, Hudson’s Bay, and Bloomingdales. Naked completed a merger with Australian-based industry powerhouse, Bendon Lingerie, exiting in 2018. Recently, Joel co-founded Kosan, a travel clothing company that launched one of the most successful Kickstarter apparel products of all time—reaching nearly $1 million in sales in 30 days. He was one of the inaugural BC Business top 30 under 30 Entrepreneurs and is also an author and award-winning documentary filmmaker.
His new book Getting Naked: The Bare Necessities of Entrepreneurship & Start-ups is due out February 1st. Order here.
Once an elite long-distance runner, he now enjoys daily training, meditation, and time with his family on their farm outside Vancouver.
3 words to describe Nature?
Harsh. Gentle. Rhythmic
3 things Nature taught you?
Awareness
My place in the cosmos
To be still
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Omineca Mountain Range
The desert
Foothills of the Rockies
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Infinite
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Connected
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Fragile
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Alive in my human experience
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Energized
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Cozy
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
All
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Running through the forest trails in my own backyard. With my feet almost gliding over the earth I'd feel like a wild animal...in between worlds.
Eric Whitacre
Grammy Award-winning composer and conductor, Eric Whitacre, is among today’s most popular musicians. His works are programmed worldwide and his ground-breaking Virtual Choirs have united singers from more than 145 countries. Born in Nevada in 1970, Eric is a graduate of the prestigious Juilliard School of Music (New York). He completed his second and final term as Artist in Residence with the Los Angeles Master Chorale in 2020 following five years as Composer in Residence at the University of Cambridge (UK).
His compositions have been widely recorded and his debut album as a conductor on Universal, Light, and Gold, went straight to the top of the charts, earning him a Grammy. As a guest conductor, he has drawn capacity audiences to concerts with many of the world’s leading orchestras and choirs in venues such as Carnegie Hall (New York), Walt Disney Concert Hall (Los Angeles), the Royal Albert Hall, and Buckingham Palace (London). Insatiably curious and a lover of all types of music, Eric has worked with legendary Hollywood composers Hans Zimmer, John Powell, and Jeff Beal as well as British pop icons Laura Mvula, Imogen Heap, and Annie Lennox. Major classical commissions have been written for the BBC Proms, Minnesota Orchestra, Rundfunkchor Berlin, The Tallis Scholars, Chanticleer, Cincinnati Pops, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, National Children’s Chorus of America, and The King’s Singers.
In 2018 his composition for symphony orchestra and chorus, Deep Field, became the foundation for a collaboration with NASA, the Space Telescope Science Institute, Music Productions, and 59 Productions. The film was premiered at Kennedy Space Center (Cape Canaveral, Florida), has been seen at arts and science festivals across the world. Deep Field has been performed in concert on several continents, and with simultaneous film projection by the New World Symphony, New World Center (Miami), Brussels Philharmonic, Flagey (Brussels), Bergen Philharmonic, Grieghallen (Bergen) among other great orchestras. His long-form work for choir, cello, and piano, The Sacred Veil, is a profound meditation on love, life, and loss. It was premiered by the Los Angeles Master Chorale in Walt Disney Concert Hall in 2019, conducted by the composer, and will be released on Signum Records in 2020.
Widely considered to be the pioneer of Virtual Choirs, Eric created his first project as an experiment in social media and digital technology. Virtual Choir 1: Lux Aurumque was published in 2010 and featured 185 singers from 12 countries. Ten years-on in 2020, Virtual Choir 6: Sing Gently – written for the Virtual Choir during the global pandemic that shook the world, COVID-19 – featured 17,562 singers from 129 countries. Previous Virtual Choir projects include ‘Glow’ written for the Winter Dreams holiday show at Disneyland© Adventure Park, California, and the Virtual Youth Choir, a major fundraiser for UNICEF. To date, the Virtual Choirs have registered over 60 million views and have been seen on global TV.
A charismatic speaker, Eric Whitacre has given keynote addresses for many Fortune 500 companies, in education and global institutions from Apple and Google to the World Economic Forum in Davos and the United Nations Speaker’s Program. His mainstage talks at the influential TED conference in Long Beach CA received standing ovations. His collaboration with Spitfire Audio resulted in a trail-blazing vocal sample library, became an instant best-seller, and is used by composers the world over.
3 words to describe Nature?
Breathe. Connected. Right.
3 things Nature taught you?
Patience
Focus
Inevitability
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The high desert in Northern Nevada
Regent’s Park, London
Big Sur, California
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Open and alive
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Ancient, quiet
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Elemental
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
How small I truly am, and how vast is our universe
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Young
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Lonely
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Yes! I think I have all four of those places deep in my heart.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
When I was young I lived in the desert. Northern Nevada, high in the Sierras, my childhood filled with endless sky. I would spend my days outside, the natural world vibrating all around me, mystical, magical. I believed I could speak to falcons. I believed I could shape the wind. And I believed the veil between the real world and the dream world was just an illusion, that if I quieted myself enough I could slip freely between the two worlds. I think I still believe that.
Bruce Langereis
Bruce is the President of Delta Land Development, which seeks to redefine and transform the building and construction industry by putting wellness and environmental stewardship at the center of all its projects. Striving to find new ways of building net-positive developments, Bruce and his team move forward following a strict set of goals that include: promoting biodiversity, reducing the need for cars, reducing waste, storing carbon, capturing rain, producing energy, and contributing positively to the livability, health, and welfare of the inhabitants. Their recent project, SoLo, a zero-emissions, mass timber, net carbon negative, entirely off the grid and self-sustainable house in the Soo Valley near Whistler, designed by Perkins and Will, models the future of environmental building and sets the stage for Delta’s Bellevue and 22nd project in West Vancouver and Canada’s Earth Tower development in Vancouver. SoLo was recently featured in many architectural magazines, including Azure, Dwell, and many others.
Bruce grew up in East Vancouver. He started as a heavy-duty mechanic then shifted to being a commercial realtor. Almost 35 years ago he joined Macauley Nicolls Maitland (now Colliers International) which led him to successfully selling the historic Georgia Hotel in 1988 for a record 38M. Delta Land Development recently completed the 450M redevelopment of the Rosewood Georgia Hotel.
Bruce is a floatplane and commercial helicopter pilot, martial artist, avid rock climber, golfer, fisherman, and bow hunter. He once spent a full month in total wilderness isolation and heads out to nature every chance he can.
3 words to describe Nature?
Rhythmic. Engaging. Soulful
3 things Nature taught you?
Fear
Respect
Rhythm
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The next 3 places I visit!!!! I love it all
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Makes me feel Like exploring it
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Peaceful, tranquil, small
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Respectful of the power of Nature
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Reflective of life
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Glad I’m not flying my floatplane
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like Facing into it and feeling refreshed
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I love them all
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
To my well being and that of Humanity – Priceless and Essential
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Where do I begin - Exploring creeks and ditches catching frogs and other aquatic creatures.
Pauline Brown
Pauline Brown is a longtime leader in luxury goods and former Chairman of LVMH North America, renowned for acquiring, building, and leading some of the world’s most influential brands.
In her groundbreaking new book, Aesthetic Intelligence, she shows businesspeople how to harness the power of their own senses to create products and services that delight their customers and build businesses that last. Her book is based on a course that she designed and taught at Harvard Business School.
Pauline began her career as a Consultant at Bain and subsequently held senior executive roles at Estee Lauder, Avon and The Carlyle Group.
She currently is an Executive-in-Residence at Columbia Business School, a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute, and the host of two radio shows on SiriusXM, “Trendsetters” & Tastemakers”.
3 words to describe Nature?
Invincible. Boundless. Magnificent
3 things Nature taught you?
To trust my instincts (they're far more prescient than my thoughts)
To embrace the untamed aesthetic (it's far more vibrant than anything man-made
To accept mortality (it's not the end of a life cycle, but the beginning of a new one)
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Table Mountain, Cape Town
Maroon Lake, Aspen
The Geysers of Iceland
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Transported
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Enveloped
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Roused
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Wonderstruck
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Vivified
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Restive
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I grew up on the North Shore of Long Island. I still can smell the air, taste the fishy water, and feel the sand under my wet swimsuit.
Amy Chan
Amy Chan is the Founder of Renew Breakup Bootcamp, a retreat that takes a scientific and spiritual approach to heal the heart. She is also the Editor-in-Chief of Heart Hackers Club - an online magazine that focuses on the psychology behind love, lust, and desire. The Observer calls her "A relationship expert whose work is like that of a scientific Carrie Bradshaw" and her company has been featured across national media including Good Morning America, Vogue, Glamour, Nightline, and the front page of The New York Times. Her book, Breakup Bootcamp - The Science of Rewiring Your Heart, published by Harper Collins is available now.
3 words to describe Nature?
Peace. Love. Beauty
3 things Nature taught you?
Presence
Curiosity
Everything is connected
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Lynn Valley hiking trail
Clayoquot Sound
Dunton Hot Springs
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Small, yet expansive
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Grateful to be visiting
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Amazed
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Reborn. Hopeful.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Scared
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Cautious
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
7
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
The forest was my playground. I would make forts, play in the dirt, dig holes, collect branches, and didn't have a worry in the world. The forest was vast, so it scared me, yet excited me, and sometimes when I dared, I'd go deeper inside. But as I grew up, I started to worry about dirtying my clothes and focused on getting good grades and working. I started to lose touch with nature. I'm still on a journey of connecting back to that girl that once played in the forest, not afraid to get dirt on her hands, and adventure into the great unknown.
Erik Nissen Johansen
Erik Nissen Johansen is the founder and creative director of global award-winning hospitality design studio Stylt in Gothenburg, Sweden. For more than 25 years, Stylt has combined concept development, interior architecture, design, and branding to create unique hospitality experiences for clients all over the world, including more than 400 restaurants and 250 hotels: the Pater Noster Lighthouse and the Niehku Mountain Villa in Sweden, the ANDAZ by Hyatt in Dubai, the 25h hotels in Düsseldorf, Copenhagen and Melbourne, the Downtown Camper by Scandic in Stockholm, the Smoki Moto JW Marriott in Dubai, the LEGO House in Billund, the Huus hotel in Gstaad, the Lydmar in Stockholm, the Spedition hotel in Switzerland, the Klaus K hotel in Helsinki, the Well Spa in Oslo, Le Rouge in Stockholm, Le Pain Français in Gothenburg, Creekside Villa in Canmore Canada, and the Stenungsbaden Yacht Club in Gothenburg.
Under Erik’s leadership, Stylt has won several awards: Global UNESCO Prix Versailles for Best Hotel Interior (twice), National Geographic Traveller Big Sleep Awards (twice), several AHEAD awards, Best New Boutique Hotel in the World, IH&P Award for Worlds Best SPA design and many more.
3 words to describe Nature?
Calm. Enchanting. Enriching
3 things Nature taught you?
Be humble
Be respectful
Feel alive
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The Solomon Sea
West Sweden Archipelago
The Norwegian Fjords
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Creative
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Alive
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Rejuvenating
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Stunning
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Majestic
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Captivating
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
The first time I tried snorkel gear, I was 4, a new world opened up in the Oslo fjord.
Dana Cowin
Dana Cowin is an evangelist of good food and good people, coach for creatives, former longtime Editor in Chief of Food & Wine Magazine, host of podcast Speaking Broadly, and creator of Giving Broadly, a website to highlight products (aka good food) by women entrepreneurs (aka good people) that make our lives more delicious.
3 words to describe Nature?
Spirit. Respite. Beauty
3 things Nature taught you?
Nature's design is more creative than human design.
Nature teaches resilience. It just never gives up.
Nature teaches that death is a transformation.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The brambles in Central Park, NYC.
The ocean beside my childhood house in Florida
The sanctuary trails in upstate NY
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Awe. The relentless water breathing its way to the sand and receding is extraordinary.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Spritely. I love looking at the light, rocks, movement.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Never seen a volcano!
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
At peace with beginnings and endings that are grounded in time passing and color changing.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Like burrowing, getting cozy, being still, listening to the future or past that the sound represents
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Cold, even if I'm not experiencing the wind. I shudder at the thought.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Meadows and fields
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I was caught outside a riptide in the ocean in Florida and a bystander rescued me. I'm forever in awe of the power of the ocean to nurture and destroy...and the kindness of strangers to change lives with simple acts of generosity.
Theo Jansen
Theo Jansen is a Dutch artist known for his kinetic sculptures. In 1990, he began building large mechanisms out of PVC that are able to move on their own and, collectively, are entitled, Strandbeest. His animated works are intended to be a fusion of art and engineering. He has said that "The walls between art and engineering exist only in our minds." A 2016 episode of The Simpsons, "The Nightmare After Krustmas", featured the Strandbeest and Jansen. He provided the voice for his cartoon character. The Strandbeest have been shown all over the world including at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, the Science Museum Kaohsiung in Taiwan, at Art Basel in Miami, at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris, the Polytechnic Museum in Moscow, the Peabody Essex Museum in Massachusetts, the Espacio Fundación Telefónica in Peru, the Exploratorium in San Francisco, the Chicago Cultural Center, the Saporro Art Museum in Japan, the Frankfurter Kunstverein in Germany, the ArtScience Museum in Singapore, the Museo Nazionale della Scienza e della Tecnologia Leonardo da Vinci in Milan. You can watch his TED talk here.
3 words to describe Nature?
Sea. Sand. Dunes
3 things Nature taught you?
Modesty
Awareness
Beauty
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Sea
Beach
Dunes
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
Being born again. A deep contact with our existence. I am amazed that we exist. I am amazed that I myself exist. That I landed in the body of an ape. I am an ape. And I look through this ape's eyes to the world.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Like I can breath
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
I don’t feel anything
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
I always turn my head away from the sun. I want to look at the landscape which is lighted by the sun with that orange light. I never understand why people spoil their eyes looking at the sunset.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
Excited
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
Warm in my bed. Reading a book with the curtains closed. Lovely!
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Of course, I am an ocean person!
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
When I was a small boy I remember I was throwing a wooden shoe in the sea. And every time it was being brought back by the waves. At one moment it didn’t come back because it was behind the waves. Then I went into the sea with my clothes on. It was in the winter season. My body felt the cold water. And I felt very excited. This contact with the sea.
Nigel Bennett
Nigel Bennett is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, founder of Aqua-Guard Spill Response, and co-host of the podcast "Impact". His company, a global leader in oil spill control, protects water, the world’s most precious resource.
Both Nigel and Aqua-Guard have received multiple awards for their innovation, business excellence, and entrepreneurialism.
Nigel received the British Columbia Institute of Technology’s 2018 Distinguished Alumni of the year Award.
Nigel has devoted his life to environmental and social responsibility and boldly advocates for “risking it all for what really matters” among the entrepreneurial tribes to which he belongs. Nigel speaks and consults with entrepreneurs and young people worldwide about bringing their talents to solving some of our planet’s most pressing challenges.
In 2012, Nigel set up his business to run without him, See what he did with his newfound freedom and see how he (with the help of his coach) has been able to create a life that most people dream of.
An active philanthropist, Nigel donates all profit from his book sales (Take that Leap – Risking it all for what really matters) and speaking engagements to organizations that support poverty alleviation, human rights, social services, and the environment.
3 words to describe Nature?
Calm. Great reverence. Beauty
3 things Nature taught you?
To have great respect for all things.
Made me very humble
Taught me how to heal
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Solo in the wild, on top of mountains, so:
Whistler area,
North Vancouver Seymour River valley,
Mt. Magilvery area (Whitecap backcountry hut)
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm and inspired
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Calm and in awe
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
In awe
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Beauty and respect for silence
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
The power of nature
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Cleansing
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mostly Ocean, Mountain and Forest
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
When I was 16 I used to climb solo up to the top of Black Mountain in the snow up a gully to the summit and sit and meditate looking out at the Lion Mountains and then return.
Wang Fang
Wang Fang, nicknamed "Crazy Fang" for her adventurous and dauntless spirit in winemaking by British Wine critic Jancis Robinson, is the founder and owner of Kanaan Winery, a powerhouse in China’s wine scene. Born in China, Fang lived in Germany for 12 years where she was fortunate enough to be exposed to wines from all over the world. Following in the footsteps of her father Wang Fengyu, a revered viticulturist, Wang Fang returned to China in 2011 and founded Kanaan Winery, at the east foothill of Helan Mountain in Ningxia where she was born and raised. With her affinity for Germany and her love for Riesling, she was the first person in China to plant Riesling. However, she is best known for her Cabernet and Merlot-based blends. Kanaan’s wines have received recognition not only in the Chinese market but also in foreign countries such as the UK, Australia, Canada, UAE, Germany, Switzerland, etc. Her 2013 Pretty Pony, a Bordeaux blend, won a top international wine award.
王方，德籍华人，因其大胆独树一帜的酿酒精神，被英国著名酒评家葡萄酒大师Jancis robinson 称为“魔方女士”。她的酿酒生涯要从对国产精品酒的憧憬与热情说起。12年的德国生活经历让王方女士接触到来自全国各地葡萄酒。而她的父亲是一位令人尊敬的葡萄酒栽培家，从1982年开始研究葡萄酒栽培，成为开拓中国精品酒的第一批人。受到她父亲的影响，王方对国产酒的未来充满信心。2011年，她选择回到中国并在养育她一生的家乡——宁夏贺兰山东麓产区建立了自己的酒庄“迦南美地”。自建立至今，迦南美地的葡萄酒因其出色的品质受到许多国际奖项。其酒款在中国大陆及香港澳门，以及许多国际市场认可：例如英国、澳大利亚、加拿大、德国、瑞士、阿拉伯联合酋长国等……于是，贴有“骏马”酒标的迦南美地中国葡萄酒骄傲地奔向全世界各地。哦对了，为什么是“骏马"？因为这就是宁夏贺兰山的象征!
3 words to describe Nature?
Sun. Soil. Water
3 things Nature taught you?
Respect humanity
Respect the environment
Put heart in nature
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Sunlight
Soil
Waterflow
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Worry
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Complex
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Never seen it
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Beautiful
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Scared
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Lonely
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain & Forest
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10+
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I live in a small city near the desert in the northwest. Every time I go to school there will be a sandstorm, and the sky will darken in an instant, and then the sand was dancing in the sky, and nothing could be seen clearly from one meter away.
Azuma Makoto
Azuma Makoto has been in the flower business since 2002, and is an owner of the haute-couture floral shop, “JARDINS des FLEURS” in Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo. In addition to the flower shop business, Azuma began to explore the expressive potential of flowers and plants in 2005. He invented the genre of the ”Botanical sculpture,” which is one of his formative expressions. Following a solo exhibition in New York, his audacious works have been repeatedly shown in Europe and the U.S. While launching the experimental botanical lab AMKK in 2009, he went on to exhibit his works at art museums, galleries, and public spaces all over the world. In recent years, Azuma has been focusing on projects that explore the connections between human beings and flowers. He continues to pursue the beauty of plants from his distinctive point of view. Check his Instagram
3 words to describe Nature?
God. Origin of Life. Womb
3 things Nature taught you?
Awe*
Coexistence
Cycle (Cycle of life)
*Awe refers to a feeling a person has when he/she is in fear of something which is much bigger than himself/herself and he/she can’t compete with, such as God, nature and the universe.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Amazon (Belém in Amazon)
Yakushima Island
Xishuangbanna
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
A swell
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
A breath
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
A beat
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Hope and despair
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Fear and excitement
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Peace of mind and presence
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
When I was little, I used to play at the mountain called “Miyajidake Mountain” which was located behind my home until sunset. The lessons I learned from this experience have become such precious time for me. I am so happy that I could spend my childhood with this experience where I was able to perceive not only sensibility and instinct as a human being but also my view of life and death* and my view of life as something transient and empty** through nature.
There is no doubt that this childhood experience has a great influence on how I make my living now by interacting with flowers and plants.
*one’s view of life and death means a point of view which a person bases off of when he/she makes a decision and takes action about the acts of living and dying. It is a way of thinking regarding life and death.
**a view of life as something transient and empty means a mindset that everything is impermanence.
James R. Doty
James R. Doty, M.D. is a Professor in the Neurosurgery Department at Stanford University School of Medicine and the Founder and Director of the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research (CCARE) of which His Holiness the Dalai Lama is the founding benefactor. He is a Fellow of both the American College of Surgeons and the International College of Surgeons. He served 9 years on active duty service in the U.S. Army.
Dr. Doty is an inventor and an entrepreneur, holding a number of patents on devices that are used on patients around the world. He maintains a broad neurosurgical interest and is one of the pioneers in the use of stereotactic radiosurgery utilizing the CyberKnife. He is an expert in the surgical treatment of benign and malignant tumors of the brain and spinal cord and has published extensively in the areas of spine and stereotactic radiosurgery.
For the last several years, his interest has focused on understanding the neural basis of compassion and altruism. He collaborates with a number of scientists in a variety of disciplines including neuroscience and psychology at Stanford and multiple universities throughout the world. He is the Senior Editor of the Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science.
As a philanthropist. Dr. Doty has supported health clinics throughout the world and groundbreaking neuroscience research. He has endowed chairs at multiple universities including Stanford and the chair for the Dean of Tulane Medical School, his alma mater.
He is the New York Times bestselling author of “Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart” which has now been translated into 36 languages.
3 words to describe Nature?
Awe. Joy. Inspiration
3 things Nature taught you?
Love
Hope
The ability for renewal
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Redwood forests
San Juan Islands
Hawaii
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Small
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Infinite possibilities
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Weak
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Hopeful
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
How we must respect nature
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Scared
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10/10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I had just learned to swim and my parents took the family to a lake surrounded by redwoods. I remember my hesitancy stepping into the water, how cold it felt and then I started to swim and I swam across the lake. I never felt more powerful or alive then in that moment.
Kirstine Stewart
Kirstine Stewart is the Head of Shaping the Future of Media and a Member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum where she leads a team working with the CEOs, Chairs and other CSuite execs from more than 40 major global media companies including Google, Facebook, Tencent, NBCU, Bytedance and more. The team works with these media leaders to keep the industry on the leading edge in a disrupted marketplace.
Kirstine first worked at the intersection of tech and media when she led the Media and Content Teams as VP North America for Twitter, transitioning after she built the fastest-growing Twitter ad sales office in the world, located in Canada. As VP Media in New York, Kirstine led teams driving content creation and business partnerships in News and Government, Entertainment, Music, and Sports.
Before moving to Twitter, Kirstine was the Head of Canada’s national broadcaster the CBC. She is credited with reviving the public broadcaster by introducing such hit shows as Dragons’ Den, Murdoch Mysteries, Heartland, and more, expanding CBC’s reach across TV and Radio and taking the Corp through a major digital transformation marked by the 2014 Olympics.
Over her career, Kirstine held series of executive positions in Canada, and the US focused on the global expansion of US brands including leading Canada’s HGTV and Food network and management and programming 37 international channels for Hallmark with offices in Denver, Hong Kong, New York, and LA.
Prior to her work at the Forum, Kirstine held C-suite positions at two successful tech startups, the most recent being digital transformation company TribalScale working with John Hancock and Emirates among other international Fortune 1000 companies. She has served on a number of public, private, and nonprofit boards and advisories including TheScore, WOW (Creators of Castlevania) PSP Investments, and Ryerson University’s DMZ.
Kirstine is also the author of the bestselling leadership book published by Random House “Our Turn”.
3 words to describe Nature?
Overwhelming. Beautiful. Respect
3 things Nature taught you?
That there are literally things bigger than yourself.
That humans are not in control.
But that humans can do damage on a horrendous scale.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The pitons of St Lucia
The Niagara escarpment
The Colorado Rockies
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Inquisitive
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Trembling
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Alive
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Guttural
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Displaced
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Lake & river
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Falling in the 16mile creek catching crawfish at school
Ian Shive
Ian Shive is an Ansel award-winning American photographer and filmmaker whose work documents some of the world’s most pristine environments and brings to the public important conservation stories from around the globe. In 2020, Ian launched a new series on Discovery Channel titled Nature in Focus, where he explores our planet as host and executive producer. In 2019, Ian led several expeditions to some of the world’s most remote coral atolls for the giant-screen film, Hidden Pacific, which he directed and produced. Hidden Pacific brings to life in IMAX 3D the vibrant marine national monuments at the far reaches of the Pacific Ocean — thriving ecosystems filled with colorful coral reefs, large colonies of birds, and threatened species that depend on these habitats for survival. He is the author of several, best-selling books including the award-winning The National Parks: An American Legacy, and is proud to announce the release of his next, hardcover book Refuge: America’s Wildest Places, which celebrates the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Based in Los Angeles, Ian is also the founder and CEO of Tandem Stills + Motion, a leading outdoor media company. Check him on Instagram.
3 words to describe Nature?
Peace. Indiscriminate. Foundational
3 things Nature taught you?
That beauty exists all around us, even in the smallest details.
To be at peace with all around me, and treat others with the same peace.
That we are all connected, not just as people, but as a part of nature.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Channel Islands National Park, California
Shoshone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Assunpink Wildlife Management Area, New Jersey
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Small. Curious to explore. Sad that something so big could suffer so much by our hands
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Tranquility. A part of it, as though I could blend in and not be seen
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
That I am witness to something still in progress.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
I sense time most acutely. I feel joy at both.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Excitement!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Cozy. Time to light a fire.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain, Desert, Forest, Ocean - in that order.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Where I lived in New Jersey, we didn't have access to the big nature of national parks, but we had small parks. Ducks, fish in a pond, turtles in a creek. It was the small things, little trips daily to the water's edge that I think really impacted me the most, and where I began an appreciation of all of nature, large and small. I remember my parents always being patient, taking me to those places where my young imagination could be so lit up by the natural world.
Suzanne Gluck
Suzanne Gluck is a partner at WME in the book division. Over her thirty-year career in the industry, Suzanne has represented over 100 New York Times bestselling books across a wide variety of genres. Her books have changed the way we think about the world and have become a part of our popular culture, from groundbreaking literary fiction to works of nonfiction about history, science, and contemporary life.
She's married to author Tom Dyja. In this unusual year, she has been working from her garden on Long Island's North Fork, with a number of fearless bunnies, inquisitive squirrels and rather territorial birds as her new colleagues.
3 words to describe Nature?
Majestic. Infinite. Unfortunately, Besieged
3 things Nature taught you?
The possibilities of renewal
The power of resilience
The wide availability of extraordinary beauty
3 most treasured Nature spots?
My backyard garden
The rocky beach nearby
Riverside Park
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Connected
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Awe
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Terror
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Hypnotized
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Respect
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like curling up in a chair and reading
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
Well beyond 10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Learning how to duck ocean waves with my father and older sister.
James Wallman
James Wallman is an international bestselling author, entrepreneur, futurist, and experience strategist/designer. He runs the strategy, innovation, and futures consultancy The Future is Here. Clients include KPMG, HSBC, KFC, IDEO, and Facebook. He has written two best-selling books: Time And How To Spend It (Penguin, April 2019) and Stuffocation (self-published 2013; Penguin, 2015; now in 7 languages). Wallman has advised companies from Absolut to Zurich Financial and has given talks from Amsterdam to Las Vegas; at venues including the Googleplex and 10 Downing Street. He advises the British government and is a 'Sector Specialist, Experience Economy' for the Department for International Trade. His opinions have appeared in the New York Times, the Financial Times, the Economist, and Wired and has appeared on TV and radio from Australia to Brazil and the US. James lives in London with his wife and two children.
3 words to describe Nature?
Green. Furry. Nice
3 things Nature taught you?
Just the one: nature is us and everything in us and around us. It's what we call the crazy random experiment our planet is in the middle of. Everyone and everything here is reaching up for energy from the sun, rising from seed to flower, then falling back again. It's a funny, beautiful journey.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Only 3?? I can’t
First, anywhere with my kids.
Then the view from any mountain in the Alps; the Mediterranean sea; Big Sur; Rhossili Bay; the jungle around the Tambopata River and Platja Mitjorn.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Like I want to jump in and float on, surf on, sails on, get thrown about on the waves.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Like I want to walk through it, climb its trees, hear its silence, its sounds, and just listen.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Like I wish it would explode, but without killing me. Stromboli is good for this :-)
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Grateful that I had that day or that I'm about to have a day. Aware that time is passing.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Yay! The gods are laughing.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Alive
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean, Mountain & Forest. (But Deserts can be fun too)
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
Ha! Trick question. It's essential for all our wellbeing. So much science proves it. Hence 3rd rule of the STORIES checklist - the simple way to remember what you should do to be happy & successful - is Outside & Offline.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
In the late 70s, it used to snow, and way more than it does now. My brother and I got dragged around the garden by our dad on a sled. And then at some nearby hill. Sledding is way too much fun. I miss it.
Also, I remember swimming off Corfu with my mum and my brother in the early 80s. No one was around so we were all swam naked... we were all confident swimmers so we went for a long swim, way out of our depth... the water was so pure and clear, glistening in the sun on the surface but you could see 20-30 feet to the sandy bottom. I get to the Mediterranean most summers... and every time I swim I feel refreshed, young, silly, alive.
Jeff Cichocki
Jeff Cichocki is one of Bonterra’s founding winemaker. Introduced in 1993 as one of the first organically farmed wines in the US, Bonterra's acclaimed varietal wines are exclusively made from 100% certified organic California vineyards. In 2016, the vineyard was named American Winery of the Year by Wine Enthusiast, the first-ever awarded to a vintner dedicated to organic farming.
Jeff’s passion has always been toward small family wineries that craft fine wines with an eye towards being good stewards to the environment. He began his winemaking career in the cellar of Mill Creek Winery in Healdsburg, moving quickly to Cellar Master at Matanzas Creek Winery in Bennett Valley. He moved on to Cakebread Cellars in Napa and B.R. Cohn in Sonoma Valley before taking on winemaking duties at Mendocino’s Jeriko Estate Winery in Hopland, a winery, not far from Bonterra’s McNab Ranch, that produces a variety of certified organic wines.
3 words to describe Nature?
Balance. Timeless. Dynamic
3 things Nature taught you?
Patience
Humility
Beauty
3 most treasured Nature spots?
My “home” Zinfandel vineyard behind my house, next to the Russian River in Mendocino County.
The Northern California coast
The desert, including the incredible Joshua Tree National Park, where I headed on a recent trip.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Tiny – relative to the vastness of the ocean
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Peaceful
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
In awe. It’s so primordial – I was lucky enough to fly over Hawaii’s active volcano.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Opportunity, with sunrise. Sunset brings closure to the day. They’re bookends, offering us a sense of timeliness or organization somehow – our universal clock.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Excited, I love thunder. As a kid growing up in Ohio, we had lots of summertime thunderstorms - they make me feel nostalgic.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
It makes me wonder if my tree limbs are going to stay put! As a winemaker, I’m a natural weather follower. Wind means change is coming.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
An avid skier, I love the desert and grew up sailing in Southern California. I’m equally drawn to the desert, mountains, and ocean – all three.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10. It’s my livelihood, it’s my passion. Every day I’m reminded that the health of our planet and farming are key. Really, I think anyone involved in the wine industry has a tremendous connection to nature and farming. As a winemaker and viticulturist, one of the main attractions of this industry is its intrinsic connection to the natural world.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Growing up in Anaheim in Southern California, there was a lack of natural phenomena, apart from incredible family trips to remote mountain areas in the winter. I aspired to be a part of something natural, in a far greater capacity, later in life. This drive led me to Northern California, where I’m much closer to the natural environment. Living in wine country, we are inherently tied to nature and keenly aware of our interdependence day in and day out, and from season to season.
Chris Matheson
Chris Matheson is an American film director, screenwriter, and co-writer of the “Bill and Ted” movies. He is also the author of the religious satires “The Story of God “ and “The Buddha’s Story”
3 words to describe Nature?
BeautIful. Calming. Mysterious
3 things Nature taught you?
Get out of your own head
Appreciate the magnificence of this world
Move your ass
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Silver Falls, Oregon
Solstice Canyon, California
Svalbard, Norway
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Moved, fascinated
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Elated, fortunate, happy
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Surprised
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Delighted, grateful
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Slightly nervous
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Slightly uneasy
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
FOREST PERSON, very strongly
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
Definitely 10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Growing up in Southern California and taking trips up route 101 in August.. eureka.. redwoods.. Oregon coast. By 13 I knew I had to find a way to live near the woods.
Marc Seguin
Marc Séguin is a French Canadian painter and novelist whose work is held in several important collections. He splits his time between his home in Montréal, Québec, and his Brooklyn, New York studio. Touching on themes of the politically backward, the environmentally compromised and the socially divided, his work reveals deeper truths about the nature of humanity through images that are not only thought-provoking but beautifully elegiac.
Since 2000, the Musée d’Art Contemporain de Montréal, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec have all acquired major works by Marc Séguin. His prints and paintings can be found in numerous Canadian corporate collections and those of major private Canadian and American collectors. To date, Marc Séguin has held more than 20 solo shows and participated in many more group exhibitions and art fairs around the world, including Madrid, Barcelona, Venice, Berlin, Cologne, New York, Miami, Chicago, Brussels, and Namur.
Marc Séguin has also published 4 critically acclaimed fiction novels – La foi du braconnier, Hollywood, Nord Alice, and Jenny Sauro. He also directed and produced a feature film, Stealing Alice, and directed a documentary entitled The State of the Farm.
3 words to describe Nature?
A Resilient & Beautiful Thing
3 things Nature taught you?
Patience
Violence
Creativity
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The ocean
The island I live on
Anywhere in the wind
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Introspective
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Human, impaired and perfect
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Like being on a spaceship made of rock
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Like time has passed again
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Unfit to live in nature. It also means I gotta get out of the river and stop fishing for a while.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Powerful forces can be invisible. And it draws a smile. Every time.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Anywhere, as long as it remains wild and not impacted by us.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Playing and shaping my child’s world with mud.
Yazemeenah Rossi
Yazemeenah Rossi is a professional photographer, social entrepreneur, and pioneering age-defying international fashion model (one of the first ones to assume her white hair). She started her modeling career at age 30, normally the age of retirement for the industry, then became a model for The Ford Modeling Agency in New York City. She has appeared in hundreds of campaigns and magazines all over the world. She is also the founder of YAZEMEENAH, a social enterprise that produces her unique design of Yak or Cashmere shawls that are made by hand, from families in Kathmandu, Nepal. Part of the proceeds supports children at the Destitute and Orphans Children Safeguarding Foundation. At the age of 65 and with a combined 350,000 followers on social media (Instagram/Facebook), Rossi continues to promote her vision of health and natural beauty. Originally from Corsica, she now lives in Malibu, California.
3 words to describe Nature?
Primordial. Beauty. Powerful.
3 things Nature taught you?
Freedom
Wisdom
Inner Power
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Water
Deserts
Skies
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
Timeless, whole, Infinite
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Mesmerized, Green hypnotizes me
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Powerful, Ancient, connected to the Origins
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
Part of the Universe, dissolving
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
Alive, vibrant, warrior
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
Wild, Free… The wind speaks to me secrets
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Desert by the Ocean :)
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Corsica, no running water, no electricity until I was 10 on the beach where I lived raised by my grandparents totally immersed in Nature. Washing our bodies and laundry at the river, collecting drinking water coming from a rock under the giant wild fig tree…Vision of my grandmother carrying our precious water in a clay pot on her head … running with my little legs on the desert beach without tourists at that time, all for me ... playing with crabs in the rocs; turtles, lizards, and snakes were my pets … Fishing, gardening, hunting with my grandfather, cooking with my grandmother, knitting by the fireplace with story telling…Nature provided everything we needed, it has been my best teacher… Nature is raw, beauty, and wisdom. It fed me and imprinted my soul for a lifetime, molded me into who I am today.
Anne Kreamer
Anne Kreamer is the author of “It’s Always Personal: Navigating Emotion in the New Workplace” and “Going Gray: What I Learned About Beauty, Sex, Work, Motherhood, Authenticity, and Everything Else That Really Matters.” Hew latest book, “Risk/Reward: Why Intelligent Leaps and Daring Choices Are the Best Career Moves You Can Make,” decodes what it takes to get ahead and achieve satisfaction in today’s unpredictable new workscape.
Anne has also worked as a columnist for Fast Company and Martha Stewart Living, and has written frequently for Harvard Business Review. Her work has appeared in Time, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Real Simple, and Travel + Leisure. Previously, Anne was Executive Vice President and Worldwide Creative Director for the television channels Nickelodeon and Nick at Nite and part of the team that launched SPY magazine. As the Associate Director for the International Television Group for Sesame Workshop, she was integral to building Sesame Street into the pre-eminent global children’s brand.
In 2019, with her daughter, Lucy Andersen, Anne launched Wild & Rare (wildandrare.com) an accessories business showcasing endangered wildlife. By shining a light on individual plants and animals, they hope that Wild & Rare products will function as miniature billboards, focusing our attention on the smaller, more manageable parts of the environmental crisis. 100% of the profits go to organizations working toward the same goal.
Anne graduated from Harvard College and lives in Brooklyn with her husband, the writer, Kurt Andersen.
3 words to describe Nature?
Grounding. Transcendent. Powerful.
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility
Patience
Resilience
3 most treasured Nature spots?
My Brooklyn backyard, touching the Dawn Sequoia I planted 20 years ago, now 100 feet tall.
The Housatonic River, Connecticut
Lucy Vincent Beach, Martha’s Vineyard
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Clean and bright
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Euphoric
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Awe-struck
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Joyful
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Excited
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Anxious
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Sitting on a bluff in the Flint Hills of Kansas with my father watching enormous thunderstorms roll into the Plains from Colorado. It was primal.
Satyen Raja
Satyen is the founder and CEO of the transformational academy, WarriorSage. Satyen has impacted over 100,000 students from over 50 countries around the world. After 35 years of rigorous study & practice in both creating enlightened business growth and developing higher consciousness, Satyen works privately with CEOs, high impact individuals, executive teams who have mastered accomplishment in the financial and public world, but now want a deeper balance, illumination and self-realized equilibrium that he calls Peak Existence. Satyen synthesizes eastern wisdom and western practicality and combines the power of the warrior and wisdom of the sage to guide leaders worldwide into their highest self-knowledge, self-expression, and impact. Satyen’s elite clientele know they are ready for next-level integrated fullness, and a life vibrant with purpose, passionate intimacy, connection, significance, and transcendence.
3 words to describe Nature?
Mother. Wife. Home
3 things Nature taught you?
I am part of Her and not separate in any way
All returns to Equilibrium
Symbiosis is Life
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Kehena Beach, Big Island Hawaii
My backyard
Sunshine Coast BC
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
Expansive and I am nothing at the same time
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Huge Life force flooding me
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
The immense power of She
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
Gratitude for Life
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
Cosmic Power
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
Awe and Ripples of energy
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
All of Them!
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10 and Beyond of course!
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I had little as my parents were hard-working 7 days a week immigrants when I was young. It was in my 20`s visiting my Kung Fu teacher outside of Canmore and Kaslo that I really became enthralled. He took me back into the Forests and through Mountains where I came to understand that Nature Itself was God/Goddess.
Lera Boroditsky
Lera Boroditsky is a Professor of Cognitive Science at UCSD and Editor in Chief of Frontiers in Cultural Psychology. She previously served on the faculty at MIT and at Stanford. Her research is on the relationships between mind, world, and language (or how humans get so smart).
She has been named one of 25 Visionaries changing the world by the Utne Reader, and is also a Searle Scholar, a McDonnell scholar, recipient of an NSF Career award, and an APA Distinguished Scientist lecturer. She once used the Indonesian exclusive "we" correctly before breakfast, and was proud of herself about it all day.
Get a quick research overview (WSJ and Scientific American)
3 words to describe Nature?
3 things Nature taught you?
To embrace change
To welcome uncertainty
To relish complexity
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Floating down any empty river
Staring at the stars from a natural geothermal hot spring that magically stays at 105 degrees F
Hidden inside a mature fig tree canopy, especially when the figs are ripe
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
So glad to be so small, and to be surrounded by endless possibilities
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Hungry for mushrooms and that soft underfoot sous-bois
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Hopeful that there’s a volcano-warmed river nearby I can jump into
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
How earth-centric of us to keep calling it a sunrise or sunset, when we’ve known for centuries that we’re the ones rotating. Who’s going to come up with a good name to describe these earth-tilts that either reveal or obscure the sun from our view? I’m accepting suggestions.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
Like we need a little baseline to go with the drums
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
If I’m in a sailboat, excited. Otherwise, like I should find a nice cave to huddle up in.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I live in Southern California, so I can have all 4 in one day. Why choose? :)
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
I don’t think of myself as separate from nature, so 11?
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Mushroom hunting in Belarus with my dad. The birch forests in Belarus are these magical light-filled playgrounds, and looking for mushrooms is an incredible state of focus and flow, and if you’re lucky, with a delicious end.
Susan Rockefeller
Susan Rockefeller is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, artist, and conservationist. Her latest endeavor, Musings is a digital magazine that curates ideas and innovations that pave the way for a more sustainable future. As the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Musings, Susan offers a portal to vetted products and brands that are pioneers in health, environmental, and social consciousness.
Susan is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations and is additionally an advisor to Food Systems 6, MADE SAFE, Oceanic Global, and Ohana & Co. In her film work, Rockefeller is a Principal of Louverture films and a member of the Film Committee for the Museum of Modern Art. Her own original films include: Food For Thought, Food for Life, Striking a Chord, Making the Crooked Straight, and Mission of Mermaids, have aired on HBO, PBS, and the Discovery Channel.
A longstanding philanthropist, Susan sits on the boards of Oceana, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, We are Family Foundation, Southampton Arts Center, and Land and Garden Preserve.
3 words to describe Nature?
Powerful. Beautiful. Mysterious
3 things Nature taught you?
How to observe
How to listen
How to imagine my place in the cycle of living and dying
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Sagaponack Beach, Long Island, NY
Little Long Pond, Seal Harbor, MAINE
Kobuk River, Alaska
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Mesmerized, in rhythm with life’s current and my own.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Like I want to lie down, feel the warmth of the sun, look at the sky, and smell the forest scents around me.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Like I want to climb to the top of Stromboli again and glissade down the ash!
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
A sunrise gives rise to the promise of a new day and I yearn to feel that promise - a sunset is a reminder of the passing of another precious day and I feel reflective of whether I made the day count before retreating into a night slumber.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Alert with anticipation of oncoming rain and the possibility of lighting.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like God’s voice is present
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Love them all. But more an Ocean person for the mermaid in me, a forest person for plants as medicine and the healer in me, a mountain person for vistas and wildflowers, and a desert person for the dry heat of the day in which to hike, and the deep dark blackness of a desert night sky.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
Scales don’t measure it - it is not linear and way beyond a scale; more like a kaleidoscope of delight, color, mystery, and vital to my well being and to all life.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Being on a sandy beach with my brother and sister, digging into the warm sand and mesmerized by the variety of colors in the sand itself, diving into the ocean waves and belonging and feeling at one with the waves, salt water, sun, and sand - delighting in the joy of it all. Pure imaginative, physical joy, and happy memories of being a child at play and in wonder with my family.
Jim McNeill
Jim McNeill is a British polar explorer with over 35 years of expeditions in the polar regions. His extensive safety skills and experience in extreme environments have made him a sought after consultant. His clients include BBC (Frozen Planet, Human Planet, Last Explorers, Natural World Series), Paramount Pictures (Captain America), mining companies, and companies building helicopters and airliners. He founded the Ice Warrior project in 2001 and has since trained over 380 people and conducted 7 major expeditions. His expeditions across the Arctic have given him the opportunity to monitor polar bear populations for the Norwegian Polar Institute, as well as putting together a yearly scientific program for scientists to monitor the effects of climate change. He is an ambassador for Hauser Bears, a charitable organization committed to the conservation of bears worldwide and is the Vice president for the Arctic Expeditions for Sea Research Society.
3 words to describe Nature?
Humbling. Universal. Indomitable
3 things Nature taught you?
About myself
About my frailties and how insignificant we really are individually and collectively
About my capabilities
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Ellesmere Island, Canada
Dartmoor, Devon, England
Outer Hebrides, Scotland
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
Vulnerable yet fascinated
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Fresh, inquisitive
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Amazed and reminded that life is fragile
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
Energised and pensive - in that order
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
Euphoric
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
Thrilled, alive
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain person in a polar or desert environment
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I was brought up in a humble house on a council estate in North London at the back of which there were wildflower meadows surrounding a babbling brook. I spent hours, days, nights exploring the area in huge detail. From tadpoles to field mice, from groundsel to Timothy grass and beetles to butterflies, I had my own sanctuary. Nature is all around us.
Jeff Corwin
For over two decades, Jeff Corwin has been telling stories of wildlife and nature to global audiences through his many celebrated television series on ABC, NBC, Travel Channel, Food Network, Disney Channel, and Animal Planet. Currently, Jeff is an Executive Producer and host of ABC's Ocean Treks. In April 2020, Jeff created and executively produced the critically acclaimed TV series Alaska Animal Rescue for Nat Geo Wild, which has just been green-lit for a second season! His critically acclaimed NBC documentary and book, 100 Heartbeats, engaged both the readers and broadcast audience on the 21st Century plight of endangered species. Jeff is a leader in conservation, recognized through his work as an Emmy winning television host, producer, journalist, author, explorer and wildlife biologist. His lifelong experience, academic training, and partnerships with top conservationists allow Jeff exclusive access to the compelling stories from the battle to save our natural world. Jeff's quest for adventure has brought him to the frontlines of conservation in over 130 countries. Armed with a spirited wit, Jeff is tenacious, raw, and real, risking it all to share his passion with the world. The fuel that drives Jeff’s life-long career is a love for adventure and discovery, as he is working to change the world one species at a time and leave a vital legacy for future generations. Jeff is also passionate about local sustainability when not in the field, he is likely harvesting honey, eggs, and veggies from his island farm in New England with his wife and two daughters.
3 words to describe Nature?
Dynamic. Diverse. Interconnection
3 things Nature taught you?
Resiliency
Discipline
Humility
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Sitka Alaska
Tasmania Australia
Masai Mara Kenya
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Small but peaceful
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Excited to explore
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Insignificant
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Hopeful
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Trepidation
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Somnolent
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I am an ocean person; I live on a small island off of New England. When I am home, I fish and dive just about every day.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10 being most important
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Finding my first serpent, a garter snake in my grandparents' backyard at age 6, my heart nearly exploded with excitement. I knew then that I would spend the rest of my life working with wildlife and nature.
Quinn Christopherson
Quinn is an Athabaskan and Inupiaq songwriter who was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. Quinn addresses his childhood and navigating Alaska’s social landscape through his music. In 2019, he won the NPR Tiny Desk Contest with his entry "Erase Me," a song exploring his experience coming out as a transgender man and was recognized by NPR for his submission in the 2018 contest with his song "Mary Alee".
3 words to describe Nature?
Safe. Humble. True
3 things Nature taught you?
To listen
Not to sweat the small things
Patience
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Anywhere near a lake, mountains, or hot springs
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Free
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Curious
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Hot
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Gratitude
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Quiet
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Heard
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10!
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Going camping every summer weekend with my dad
Jay Faires
Jay Faires is an entrepreneur and founder of The Wellness Agency, the first agency dedicated to companies and founders in the $4.2 trillion wellness industry. TWA combines his personal passion for wellness with a proven ability to spot talent, both in entrepreneurs and creatives, at early stages in their career. Jay is recognized as a leading force in the burgeoning wellness industry and advises, drives growth, and connects the dots for the world's leading talent, founders and CEOs, and wellness brands as they together change the future of wellbeing.
Prior to his focus on health and wellness, Jay had a successful career in music as the founder of Mammoth Records, Head of A&R at Atlantic Records, and President of Music at Lionsgate. Jay grew up in Tennessee, holds an MBA from Duke's Fuqua School of Business, and currently spends most of his time between Los Angeles and Asia.
3 words to describe Nature?
Awe inspiring. Powerful. Beautiful. Oh and I must add, unforgiving when she needs to be.
3 things Nature taught you?
The impermanence of things
We are a piece of a much larger whole
The deep interwoven nature of humanity to Mother Earth and subsequent consequences when we ignore this
Can I add one more? That we are here only briefly
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Topanga Canyon, Los Angeles
Powder Mountain, Utah
North Shore of Maui
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
I breathe deeper. It calms me to look at the broad horizon. And that I want to get back on the waves.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
How can I go deeper into it.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Have only been in the crater on top of Maui, looks like the moon. Love the silver plants that only exist up there.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
Like I want to see a lot more of them. LOL
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
I rarely get to hear thunder anymore like I did growing up in the Midwest and south.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
Try and sort what she is trying to tell me.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I want to say each. But ocean the most.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Camping with my dad in Brown County Indiana at probably around age 7. Pouring rain. We set up our tent and the floor got soaked, an inch of water. It didn’t matter. Earlier that evening before it was raining turning over a rock 10 feet away and seeing a rattle snake, didn’t matter we set up camp there. A lifetime later on my fathers death bed we shared that story naturally finishing each others sentences. We had each remembered it.
Justin Willman
Justin Willman is a magician/Comedian, recent Critics’ Choice nominee and one of today’s most prolific entertainers.
In 2018, Willman premiered his six-episode magic series on Netflix entitled “Magic For Humans” where the show instantly became one of the most streamed shows on Netflix with clips from the show garnering over 150 million views to date across social media, even sparking a viral meme. Indiewire called Willman the “perfect magician/hybrid prototype with incredible comedic timing,” and Rotten Tomatoes currently has the show listed at an 88% audience approval. Soon after the premiere, Magic for Humans was picked up for a second season which premiered December 4, 2019. Season 3 is streaming now.
In 2018, Willman had a residency aptly called “The Magic Show” at the historic and swanky Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles where all shows sold out almost immediately and attracted many of Hollywood’s most well-known names.
The L.A. Times said of Willman to be a "A new breed of magician who's making magic cool again for grown-ups." Playboy Magazine dubbed him "The freshest and funniest magician working today," and Time Out hailed that his show "Has to be seen to be disbelieved.”
Justin has appeared on The Tonight Show, Ellen, Conan, Kelly Clarkson, The Today show, The Late Late Show and has performed live at the White House for the Obama Family.
Willman is also a consultant & writer for film/television productions like America's Got Talent, The Goldbergs and Disney's feature film Magic Camp.
He was born in St. Louis, lives in Los Angeles, and does not own a rabbit.
3 words to describe Nature?
Meditative. Humbling. Itchy.
3 things Nature taught you?
Be humble. We’re small and insignificant in the big picture. Take that as a relief.
Be prepared. Nature is no joke. Don’t underestimate her.
Leave things better than you found them. This applies to everything.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The Mississippi River banks near Grafton, Illinois. As a kid I spent my summers fishing in the muddy waters. It’s still my happy place.
The Path of the Gods hike in Italy. I proposed to my wife mid-hike on the roof of an abandon hut overlooking Positano. I’ll never top that one.
Napali Coast in Kauai. No reason needed, just go.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Home
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Adventurous
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Vulnerable
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Present
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Quieted
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Grounded
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean, 100%. If there’s sand in my car’s floor mats I know I did something right that day.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10. I need more nature in my life though. The mere act of answering these questions is making me want to get the hell out of dodge.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
When I was 10 I camped out in the woods behind my house for the first time. I made a campfire all by myself and everything. The next morning I remember the smell of the fire still lingering on my clothes and fingertips. To this day, every time I smell a campfire it takes me back to that moment and makes me feel like a kid again.
Seamus Blackley
Seamus Blackley is an American video game designer, a theoretical physicist and entrepreneur who has collaborated technically with Bill Gates and creatively with Steven Spielberg. He is currently the CEO of Pacific Light & Hologram. In 2003, Seamus founded the Interactive Entertainment department at the Creative Artists Agency, where he was the Head of Interactive for 9 years. Fun Fact #1: If you have a Xbox in your leaving room, its because of him! Fun Fact #2 Blackley is a GastroEgyptologist (hardcore amateur baker and Egyptologist). He once made bread using 4,500-year-old Egyptian yeast. Listen to his interview on Ologies here.
3 words to describe Nature?
Beauty. Power. Symmetry
3 things Nature taught you?
Respect
The biggest change often comes from the smallest place.
There is beauty everywhere, if you simply look.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
El bosque del apache
The gardens at Belsay Hall, Northumberland
The spot just under a big cloud in high summer
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
Powerless, but connected to all life everywhere.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Serene, relaxed, worried
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Lucky that our planet can sustain life despite the enormous power of the mantle and core.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
Connected with everyone, as we all share it; but it’s also a reminder that we live in a thin shell around a planet, and it’s all very tenuous.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
It reminds me of my childhood, the big storms in New Mexico in the summer, and the smell of rain in the high desert
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
Lonely, and a bit sad
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I am a desert person
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10 +, as it is for all of is, whether we admit it or not.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Its very simple, actually. We lived in the foothills of a big, rocky mountain range. My childhood was very difficult and abusive, and I survived by climbing (rather disturbingly far I must say now that I am a parent) into the hills, sitting on the tops of the enormous boulders, and letting the light and the smells and the sounds sooth and recharge me; to wipe away the human ugliness. One day I noticed a big rattlesnake sunning not far from me on the rock I had chosen. I thought about it, and then I closed my eyes and we sunned together. After half an hour or so, he left, but I was sure we had shared something important.
Cory Trepanier
Cory Trépanier is a Canadian landscape painter and filmmaker best known for his detailed oil paintings of the Canadian wilderness. He is also the creator of five films documenting his extensive painting journeys: "A Painter’s Odyssey", "Into the Arctic", "Into the Arctic II”, "TrueWild: Kluane” and "Into the Arctic: Awakening"
Canadian Geographic named Trépanier one of Canada’s Top 100 Living Explorers. He is a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, a National Champion of the Great Trail, and a member of The Explorers Club, where he received the Canadian Chapters highest award, the Stefansson Medal.
In 2019, Cory partnered with the Canadian Geographic Education to create the INTO THE ARCTIC Film Trilogy K-12 teachers guide where his films are being made available to educators and students nationwide and beyond for free. Seven modules educate and engage about geography, environmental and social sciences, humanities, Indigenous culture, history, survival, and the arts.
In the Fall of 2020, Trépanier is set to launch a coffee table book entitled "INTO THE ARCTIC: Paintings of Canada’s Changing North" with Rocky Mountain Books. The coffee table book will feature his Arctic paintings, sketches and stories and feature a foreward by HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco.
Trépanier has been featured in media around the globe, and his documentaries broadcast internationally, sharing his passion for the wild places that he explores and paints.
3 words to describe Nature?
Beautiful. Irreplaceable. Freedom
3 things Nature taught you?
Patience
Wonder
Humility
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The forest behind my home and studio in Caledon, Ontario
Lake Superior’s Canadian coastline
The Canadian Arctic. Can that 1.5 million square kilometres of archipelago be consider a “spot”?
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
Very small, but free, and curious about what lies beyond
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Alive, surrounded by an endless living biodiversity, a nursery to so many forms of life
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
In awe at the power of nature, and wanting to reach of for my easel some day to try and paint this stunning display from life “en plein air”
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
At peace, and grateful for a new to come, another day lived, and a new world about to unfold in the night sky
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
Excited for the show that is about to begin. And like a kid, reaching for a bar of soap and running outside into a rain storm for a quick shower, feeling the rain drops pelting down and stinging my skin as it washes me clean
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
Awakened, as fresh air rushes into my lungs with each breath I get a sense of adventure tingling inside. I want to face into it with my eyes closed and feel it rush by.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Being an Ontario native, I grew up more of a Forest person. My painting expeditions however — to the Arctic and other places — have deepened my appreciation for Mountains and Oceans in the last couple of decades. And even the Desert, as in the Polar Desert. I long to bring my easel to a hot desert some day, to try and capture the stunning beauty of its sandy curves and desert sun. Maybe then I will become more of a desert person too :)
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
Ten. With so much negativity and challenges in the world — especially now in these unprecedented times of a pandemic and environmental degradation — time in nature, or even just contemplating nature, reminds me that there is so much to celebrate in this world. It feeds my sense of wonder and appreciation for each breath I take, and inspires me to share this experience with others, in hopes that they too may have their lives enriched by this gift that is available for free to all.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I was maybe 10 or 11, and my family had moved to a farm near North Bay, Ontario: 200 hundred acres that backed onto 2,000 acres of Crown land. There was a creek behind our place, and my older brother Carl I had a small leaky dingy that we barely fit in. We got up early, dragged it through the field, and began meandering down the creek into the unexplored frontiers of our “backyard”. Chasing frogs, seeing waterfowl of all kinds, we were drawn onward by the lure of the unknown that lay beyond each bend. We carried on our quest until the sun lowered in the sky, eventually making our way back home. It was 30 years later, when my brother joined me in the Arctic for a month-long expedition to Ellesmere Island, that I realized how deeply that day from our youth, and many others like, embedded a desire for me to be in nature. A desire that would grow into a life long pursuit.
Courtney Boyd Myers
Courtney Boyd Myers is a community builder, writer, and entrepreneur. She is the cofounder of AKUA, a sustainable food company that created the world’s first Kelp Jerky, a vegan snack made from regeneratively ocean-farmed kelp that was recognized by Fast Company as a World Changing Idea and by Time Magazine as an Invention of the Year.
For six years, Courtney known as “CBM” has helped build the Summit Community, a global network of founders, creatives, and innovators. And most recently, she has helped start a private home-sharing network called MyPlace. Previously, she helped market companies such as Four Sigmatic, Raya, General Assembly, SecondHome, and Transferwise. She began her career as a journalist at Forbes Magazine, The Next Web, and The Huffington Post. Courtney has also been recognized as one of Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business, and one of Business Insider’s 30 Most Important Women Under 30 in Technology.
3 words to describe Nature?
Heavenly. Powerful. Vulnerable.
3 things Nature taught you?
Everything we need is all around us.
Stay present and have faith that it's all going to be okay.
We need to be kind to our fellow Earthlings.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Big Bay, a kite spot just outside of Cape Town, South Africa
San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, where you can spend your days warm water surfing and your nights sleeping in the jungle.
Lake George, NY where I am currently quarantined!
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
At home
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Child-like
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Strong
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Grateful
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Romantic
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Excited
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
The Little Mermaid came out when I was 5 years old and my life forever changed. I remember the feeling of being 5, 6, 7, 8 years old and every summer just staring at my legs in the swimming pool, and wishing I could grow fins. All these years later, and I am still trying to figure out how to be a mermaid.
Nancy Hala
Nancy Hala is a brand builder, author and plant-powered cook. She’s the co-creator of The Pillar Life, a life-guidance system designed to ignite the eight pillars of a happy life, and co-host of The Sheri + Nancy Show podcast, where she and her lifelong friend, Sheri Salata, have conversations with experts, teachers and uplifters about making all the rest of their dreams come true.
Nancy is also the creator of BrandStory, her signature approach to brand strategy, storytelling and audience building that helps small business owners and entrepreneurs articulate who they are, what they do, and why it matters.
3 words to describe Nature?
Centering. Lush. Romantic.
3 things Nature taught you?
It is so joyful to be part of something bigger and grander and more permanent than myself.
We are meant to be restored and replenished by the natural world, and it is available to us for that purpose, at all times.
True beauty is often jagged (like a mountain range seen from a distance) or falling down (like a forest crisscrossed with old trees on their journey back to the earth), or full of blank spaces (like the sky on a particularly clear day).
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The forest behind my house, which is full of tall pines and moss-covered branches and (in my imagination) goes on for miles and miles.
The wide, sparkly lake at the center of the town where I live, which makes me feel Queenly whenever I drive around it…the majesty rubs off on me.
The ocean shore at Manzanita beach, especially when the fog rolls in and the dogs are chasing tennis balls into the foamy surf.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Completely awakened, and the Chi of it runs through me like a current of energy.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Like I wish I could fly, so that I could land on each of the branches of the tallest trees.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Brave, to be standing in front of a volcano.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Like every single moment in life – every blink, every breath, every quiet space – is more precious than we can ever comprehend.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Like laughing
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like burrowing into blankets, or better yet UNDER blankets, with a flashlight and a book.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I am each one. If I think of my body: The Ocean is my head, because it makes me dream wider and further than anything else. The mountain is my limbs, because I feel rooted and carried by the very fact that a mountain exists. The desert is my belly, because every time I see a desert I think it looks like the center of the world. And the forest is my lungs, because it’s my favorite thing to breathe in.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
Well beyond 10. Ten times 10.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I climbed trees as a child, almost every day. I named all the trees in my backyard and I loved them, very much. There was an oak tree named Charlie and I often took a book, a pillow, and apples or peaches or plums to the sturdiest branch I could reach, and read all afternoon. One day I climbed a soaringly tall pine tree (named Bruce) on the side of my house. I ended up at the absolute top of it, so high I could see all the streets and houses of my neighborhood. I was scared for a few minutes, because it was too high and precarious for me at that age (even I knew that) and for years later I marveled that I was able to scale so high and get down safely. And no one ever knew I climbed that tree, not my mother or father or any adult in charge, and the secrecy of my daring act still feels delicious, all these years later.
Merlin Sheldrake
Merlin Sheldrake is a biologist and a writer with a background in plant sciences, microbiology, ecology, and the history and philosophy of science. He received a Ph.D. in tropical ecology from Cambridge University for his work on underground fungal networks in tropical forests in Panama, where he was a predoctoral research fellow of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Merlin’s research ranges from fungal biology, to the history of Amazonian ethnobotany, to the relationship between sound and form in resonant systems. A keen brewer and fermenter, he is fascinated by the relationships that arise between humans and more-than-human organisms. His book, Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds, and Shape Our Futures is available in North America starting May 12.
3 words to describe Nature?
All. Inseparable. Entangled.
3 things Nature taught you?
Wonder
That there's no such thing as things, only processes
To forget where I start and stop
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Hampstead Heath, in London
The arbutus-covered coastal bluffs in British Columbia, Canada
The ancient oak woodlands in Devon, UK
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Small
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Relieved
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Curious
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Open
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Excited
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Exhilarated
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest and ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
In the autumn I used to make piles of fallen leaves and lie inside them, absorbed in the smells and the damp. These experiences ignited my interest in the astonishing organisms that oversee decomposition - and which too easily escape our notice.
Vanessa von Bismarck
Vanessa von Bismarck is a co-founding partner of BPCM, a strategic consulting and communications agency, and one of the most established and respected voices in public relations. In the two decades since founding BPCM, Vanessa has been instrumental in building legacy brands and launching brands that today are household names. With a keen understanding and vision for each individual client Vanessa has become known as one of the most strategic thinkers in the industry.
3 words to describe Nature?
Powerful. Awe-inspiring. Nurturing
3 things Nature taught you?
Respect
Connection
Humbleness
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Costa Rica (santa Teresa)
Sachsenwald (forest in Germany)
Hiking in Jomsom ( Nepal)
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm and small, yet worried about the human hand in its destruction
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Oxygenated and Curious. I love the smells of the forest, the pure air and the feeling of life.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Anticipation and trepidation.The feeling reminds me of when I wake up in the middle of the night sure I forgot to do something.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Warm and hopeful for new beginnings. Love.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
In awe for the power of nature.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Excited but also a little scared
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Riding through the forest in the summer and going swimming with my horses
Melinda Moore
Melinda Moore is the founder of the impact fund, Moore Ventures and is the co-founder of TuesdayNights, a female networking organization. She is an entrepreneur, investor, advisor and global speaker with over 20 years of experience, and two exits (STV Communications and LovingEco). Melinda is the author of How to Raise Money: The Ultimate Guide to Crowdfunding and has raised over 100 million via equity crowdfunding. She served as the Senior Vice President for Entertainment Media Ventures. Her work has been widely recognized by Digital LA (Top 50 Digital Women in 2015), the Green Business Bureau and the National Association of Women Business Owners’ Hall of Fame. Melinda serves on the Board of A Sense of Home and has a B.A. from UCLA.
3 words to describe Nature?
Alive. Grounding. Calming
3 things Nature taught you?
To be more present in this fast paced world
To see creativity and inspiration in all the shades of green in nature
To find strength and beauty being immersed and isolated in nature.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The coast of Big Sur
The jungles of Tikal, Guatemala
Floating along the rivers in Indonesia
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
Expansive
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Small
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Alive
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
Connected
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
Alert
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
A little anxious
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I feel deeply connected to all but if I have to select one, the Ocean.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
When I was a little girl, I loved riding my bike to an open field in my neighborhood and I would just sit and listen for hours to all the sounds of nature...the birds, the wind, the butterflies, the sound of the trees, and the bees.
Amy Webb
Amy Webb is a quantitative futurist and a bestselling, award-winning author. She is a professor of strategic foresight at the NYU Stern School of Business and the Founder of the Future Today Institute, a leading foresight and strategy firm that helps leaders and their organizations prepare for complex futures. Webb is a Visiting Fellow at Oxford University’s Säid School of Business, a Nonresident Senior Fellow in the Atlantic Council’s GeoTech Center, a Fellow in the United States-Japan Leadership Program and a Foresight Fellow in the U.S. Government Accountability Office Center for Strategic Foresight. She was a Visiting Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, where her research received a national Sigma Delta Chi award. She was also a Delegate on the former U.S.-Russia Bilateral Presidential Commission, where she worked on the future of technology, media and international diplomacy. Webb has advised CEOs of some of the world’s largest companies, three-star generals and admirals and executive government leadership on strategy and technology. She is the author of several popular books, including The Big Nine: How the Tech Titans and Their Thinking Machines Could Warp Humanity, which was longlisted for the Financial Times & McKinsey Business Book of the Year award, shortlisted for the Thinkers50 Digital Thinking Award, and won the 2020 Gold Axiom Medal for the best book about business and technology, and The Signals Are Talking: Why Today’s Fringe Is Tomorrow’s Mainstream, which won the Thinkers50 Radar Award, was selected as one of Fast Company’s Best Books of 2016, Amazon’s best books 2016, and was the recipient of the 2017 Gold Axiom Medal for the best book about business and technology. Her bestselling memoir Data, A Love Story is about finding love via algorithms. Her TED talk about Data has been viewed more than 8 million times and is being adapted as a feature film, which is currently in production. Webb was named by Forbes as one of the five women changing the world, listed as the BBC’s 100 Women of 2020, and the Thinkers50 Radar list of the 30 management thinkers most likely to shape the future of how organizations are managed and led.
Amy serves on a script consultant for films and shows about artificial intelligence, technology and the future. Most recently, she worked on The First, a sci-fi drama about the first humans to travel to Mars. She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences and has served as a Blue Ribbon Emmy award judge.
3 words to describe Nature?
Essential. Quantifiable. Mysterious.
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility. Humility. Humility. (Seriously!)
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The hiking paths of Mt. Hayachine, which is part of the Kitakami range in northern Japan.
Walking among the giant redwoods of Sequoia National Park.
Hiking the foothills of Stowe, Vermont, especially in fall.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Concerned. The oceans are a vast ecosystem that we've ignored and polluted.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
At home. There is a concept in Japan known as "shinrin-yoku," which is loosely defined as taking a forest bath. Connecting with trees and the sounds of a forest, breathing in the air, and taking time for contemplation and reflection are ways to improve mental clarity, emotional health and physical stamina.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Curious.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Spirited. Some of my fondest memories are of canoeing and camping in Big Bend National Park in Texas and waking up with the sunrise. Even in the summer, the air is fresh and cool, and there's both a calmness and a sense of anticipation for a new day.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Like I'm at work. When I'm researching, reading and writing, I listen to brown noise, which has lower, thicker tones than white noise. Some of the brown noise tracks I listen to include a continuous stream of rumbling thunder.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Cold. Even if it's not actually cold.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
There was a small lake near our house, and it was fully alive: snakes, butterflies, fish, frogs, weeds, flowers, trees, and all sorts of bugs. My dad used to take me there just to walk around, look at tadpoles, and observe nature. One afternoon we found a beehive beneath a pile of boulders. We climbed on top and spent hours watching the bees do their work.
Kat Edmonson
Kat Edmonson is an American singer and songwriter who calls her music vintage pop. The Texas native began crafting her signature sound while performing in Austin’s local club circuit for years before releasing her debut Take To The Sky in 2009. She went on to tour worldwide with high profile acts including Lyle Lovett, Chris Isaak, Gary Clark Jr., Shawn Colvin, Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, Nick Lowe and more.
In 2014 Edmonson released The Big Picture, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers, #1 on Contemporary Jazz Chart, and #2 on Total Jazz Chart. Her 2015 performance on “CBS This Morning: Saturday” garnered the program’s highest rated viewership since 2006. Her 2012 Way Down Low was described by The New York Times as “fresh as a spring bouquet,” and her performances at WNYC’s Soundcheck and Daytrotter were included in “Best Live Performances” and “Best Sessions of 2012,” respectively.
In 2018 she released Old Fashioned Gal, which Billboard calls “an intimate journey from doubt to resolve and implied triumph.” NPR Music raves the album is “a handsome showcase for her songwriting, which has grown ever more confident over the last decade,” while the Associated Press says the record “sounds like an alternate soundtrack to an Audrey Hepburn film.”
Edmonson’s new album Dreamers Do reached the #1 spot on Billboard’s Traditional Jazz chart, and the album debuted #1 at iTunes Jazz, #2 Most Added at Jazzweek and was named Deezer’s Album of the Week upon release.
3 words to describe Nature?
Inherent. Steadfast. Adaptable
3 things Nature taught you?
There is always a place to grow from.
As long as I am living, I can adapt to anything.
The most important thing, at any point, is to be present.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
I live near Prospect Park in Brooklyn and I go there frequently each week. It is a grounding place for me.
I annually visit the mountains in the Northeast in the summertime and hike around the Taconics, the Catskliils, the Berkshires, the Adirondacks and more. It’s my favorite time of the year.
Also, I just visited the Redwoods when my band and I were on tour this month and they were incredible! I was stunned by how quiet it is in the forest. The stillness there is incredibly powerful.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Scaled-to-size. It’s a funny thing to articulate but walking around in the city, I feel very big and important- quite full of myself- and standing in front of an ocean, I am immediately reminded how small my conceptual self is in proportion to nature and I am humbled- gratefully, so.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Safe
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Powerful
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Inspired
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Both excited and scared at the same time! Thrilled!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Uncertain
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Can I pick two? How about a forest on a mountain? ☺
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I didn’t have great opportunities to be in nature as I grew up in a metropolitan area and we really didn’t travel but I went to camp every summer in Central Texas. I slept in a cabin with no air conditioning for a month and was subject to plans being cancelled when a big thunderstorm blew through and I loved it. I cherished the giant Cypress trees that live by the Guadalupe river. I fancied them wise elders that protected the river and us as we played around it. I loved how low and vast the land lay there around the water beneath the towering guardians that sheltered everything. The grass was cool no matter how brutal the sun beat down on any given day.
Tracy Edwards
Tracy Edwards gained international fame in 1990 as the skipper of the first all-female crew to sail around the world when they raced in the 1989/90 Whitbread Round the World Race. After years of struggle, Maiden was only made possible by the support of her friend HM King Hussein I of Jordan. Maiden won two legs and came second overall in her class, the best result for a British boat since 1977 and unbeaten to this day. Tracy was awarded an MBE and became the first woman in its 34 year history to be awarded the Yachtsman of the Year Trophy. She paved the way for other women to follow. Maiden was published in 1990 and was No.1 on the Times bestseller list for 19 weeks. Following her success with Maiden, Tracy set to consolidate her position as one of the world's top sailors by entering Trophy Jules Verne in 1998 again with an all-female crew. This yachting trophy is for the fastest circumnavigation around the world with no stopping and no outside assistance. She was comfortably on course to smash the record for more than half of their route, but was thwarted when her mast snapped in two in treacherous seas off coast of Chile. During their attempt Tracy and her team broke 7 world records.
In 2014 Maiden was found rotting in the Seychelles and Tracy began raising funds in order to rescue Maiden and bring her home to the UK. The Maiden Factor was consequently set up to promote and fundraise for the education of 130 million girls worldwide who are currently denied this basic right. Thanks to the generous support of HRH Princess Haya bint Al Hussein, Maiden has been restored to her former glory. Now this iconic piece of British maritime history has embarked on a three-year world tour to raise funds for her charity, The Maiden Factor Foundation. The Maiden Factor funds projects that empower girls through education.
3 words to describe Nature?
Everything. Us. Oceans
3 things Nature taught you?
Human beings are so arrogant to think we can control Nature
Nature holds the secrets that we refuse to see
Our souls and mental wellbeing are dependant upon the health of nature
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Rhossili Bay on the Gower Peninsula
The Darwen Channel in Chile
Cape Horn
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Freedom and love
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Joy and peace
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Overawed and small
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Safety
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Wild and exhilarated
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Happy and excited
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
The Ocean and the Desert make me feel the same. They are endless and wild. People cannot leave footprints and we cannot control them.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10 – nature is everything
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Moving from Reading in the centre of the UK to Llangennith on the Gower Peninsula. The first time I stood on the sand dunes during a storm and understood for the first time how powerful nature is and how tiny I am and yet how fully connected I felt to everything around me. It was the first time I ever tasted salt water blown on my face little knowing that it would not be the last. It literally took my breath away. I fell in love.
Sheri Salata
Sheri Salata is the author of The Beautiful No: And Other Tales of Trial, Transcendence and Transformation. Named an Amazon best-selling new release and an Apple Must Listen audio book, the memoir has touched thousands of readers and inspired them to reimagine their lives.
Sheri is the cohost of The Sheri + Nancy Show, a popular podcast about living the life of your dreams, and the cofounder of the aspirational lifestyle brand, The Pillar Life, a guidance system focused on 8 foundational areas of living. Health + Wellness. Spirituality + Happiness. Romance + Sex. Family + Friends. Creativity + Innovation. Adventure + Discovery. Sanctuary + Beauty. Money + Abundance.
Sheri has been featured on The Dr. Oz Show, Today, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Huffington Post, Thrive Global, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, Happier in Hollywood, The Good Life Project, Marie Forleo, and Almost 30.
Sheri’s new venture in media is the evolution from her life-altering 20-year career with Oprah Winfrey. Sheri’s day-to-day hits and misses as the final Executive Producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show were featured in the docu-series Season 25: Oprah Behind the Scenes. Sheri served as President of Harpo Studios and OWN.
Sheri has been named one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business and The Hollywood Reporter’s Women in Entertainment Power 100.
3 words to describe Nature?
Awe-full. Humbling. Holy.
3 things Nature taught you?
Beauty is in everything.
Everything is alive.
There are a gazillion shades of green.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Hawai'ian Islands
Lake of the Woods, Canada
Napa Valley
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
The ocean makes me feel on the edge of a great big mystery. How gigantic creatures can live submerged but still sing their songs for me. How the waves come in and out in rhythmic perfection without missing a beat. I feel wild and messy and sacred and beautiful as I take it all in.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
When I see a forest, it makes me feel like I am in the cathedral of all cathedrals.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Like Mama Earth is sending a message.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Like the Universe is blessing me.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Safe and secure in my humanness
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like crying
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I am an ocean mountain forest person with a little desert on the side.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I am a tiny thing dipping my toes in the pacific ocean for the first time and it feels like my home.
Swan Sit
Swan Sit is an independent consultant specializing in digital, marketing and strategy. Having spent the past decade of her career accelerating digital into legacy companies, she held 2 key roles as a Vice President at Nike — overseeing Global Digital Marketing during the Emmy-winning “Dream Crazy” campaign featuring Colin Kaepernick, and running Digital Operations, Product, Supply Chain and Service for a $3B e-commerce business during the Air Jordan 11 Concord launch, the largest in online history. She led digital at Revlon and Elizabeth Arden, using it to pull them out of a turnaround, and ran online strategy for Esteé Lauder, increasing their global footprint from 165 to 435 websites in 5 years. From modernizing 100-year-old brands and partnering with unexpected influencers like Chelsea Handler, Iris Apfel and Gigi Gorgeous, to launching augmented reality makeovers and driving double-digit growth, Swan has demonstrated both the left- and right-brain skills required for a marketer that drives revenue. She was selected as a Brand Innovators 40 under 40 and Marketing Woman to Watch, and took home both Best Social Campaign and Best in Show at the Glossy Awards. You might recognize her as one of the faces in Twitter’s national “She Inspires Me” campaign during the Oscars.
Prior to beauty, Swan was a management consultant at Bain, owned an ad agency focused on emotional branding, was a product manager at Newell (she launched a factory in China during SARS) and created infamous marketing campaigns at Trilogy Software during the dotcom boom. Swan graduated with a BA in Economics from Harvard and an MBA from Columbia.
Swan does speaking engagements around the world on Marketing, Digital Transformation and Leadership in the Digital Age. She is a Board Director of a publicly-traded pharmaceuticals company, advises a variety of businesses and sits on the boards of industry and philanthropic organizations including AdWeek's Diversity and Inclusion Council, L2 Digital Think Tank, Women in Retail, Consumer Goods Technology Council, Impact Network, Foundation Rwanda and Worldview’s space think tank. Having traveled to 85+ countries, her favorites include Antarctica, North Korea, Mongolia, Rwanda, Bhutan, Myanmar and Tanzania for Kilimanjaro. She can often be found smashing a volleyball and chasing restaurant openings, or flying around on skis and horses - her two newest hobbies.
3 words to describe Nature?
Stilling. Wondrous. Challenging
3 things Nature taught you?
Self-reliance
Humility
Interconnectivity
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Any ocean or summit
Antarctica
Palawan
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Alive, calm, emotional
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Fresh, awake, adventurous
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Excited, nervous and... hot? :) I've ventured inside a (mostly) dormant one before
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Grateful, enchanted, like I should be grabbing my camera phone (though the pics never do it justice so we should just enjoy the show)
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Excited, full of anticipation, ready to dance
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Cozy, cuddly and craving a fireplace
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean, which is odd because I can't even swim! But it hasn't stopped me from scuba diving, snorkeling, wake boarding... basically I'm willing to do anything that has air or floatation, but surfing still evades me. The ocean makes me feel alive and whole; living by it is a life-long dream for me
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
8... not necessary in a constant daily state, but periodic ventures to a coast or the top of a mountain, or even the smell of nature or the ocean resets my soul
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
When I was 4 years old, my father took me outside during a typhoon in Hong Kong. We didn't venture far - just out the front door - but I remember the howling wind and warm but slicing rain. And the indescribable smell of the storm I remember to this day. It was electric. I remember hanging onto my father's neck with both arms, my little body flapping in the raging wind. I was scared but also couldn't stop giggling. That's how I still feel going into all my adventures today.
Pravin Pillay
Prav Pillay is the co-founder of Humanitas Smart Planet Fund, founder of Emergent Performance Consulting, and an artist, researcher, and educator whose creative practice explores how we locate ourselves through the politics of place, culture, and ecology. He has more than 35 years of experience as a social entrepreneur leading, developing and coaching high-performance teams and organizations working on progressive and challenging projects across private, public and not-for-profit sectors. He specializes in Progressive Tech orientation developed over almost 4 decades of involvement in mainframe operations, national data network management, new media and video streaming tech, robotics, AI, SAAS, military-grade surveillance and security, and social tech initiatives.
For several years, Prav was a co-facilitator of Media That Matters - a gathering of media change makers at Hollyhock a leading educational facility on west coast of Canada and more recently served as the Artist and Community Strategist in Residence with R.A.V.E.N. (Respecting Aboriginal Values and Environmental Needs), sessional instructor at Emily Carr University of Art and Design and also an Executive in Residence with VIATEC - a technology incubator in Victoria, BC.
Prav holds a B. Arts and Science from McMaster University, a BFA from Emily Carr University of Art and Design, an MBA from McGill University and an MFA from the University of Saskatchewan. During his MFA, Prav sought to understand the nature of systems based artworks and collaborated with engineers in Human-Computer interaction to conduct art-science experiments that played in the intersection of art, artificial intelligence, and robotics.
3 words to describe Nature?
Truth. Beauty. Goodness
3 things Nature taught you?
The meaning of Truth
Beauty
Goodness
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The seasonal waterfall in the temperate rainforest near my island home in the Pacific North West
A particular island in a glacier-fed lake in the Xeni Gwet'in territory of British Columbia, Canada
A particular mountain top in the Sinai Desert
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
At home
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
At home
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
If active - I am in awe. If dormant - pensive.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
The beingness of the temporal moment in the vastness of time
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Alive and awake
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Clean inside
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Each biome is equally compelling. The call is towards deep wild places.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Raising monarch butterfly caterpillars. First collecting the caterpillars and milkweed from under the bleachers of the suburban high school near my home. Then caring for the caterpillars and observing them undergo metamorphosis to chrysalid form and then to butterfly. Finally releasing the butterflies to nature.
Carina Bauer
Carina Bauer is the CEO of the IMEX Group. Having graduated from Oxford University in Politics, Philosophy and Economics in 1998, Bauer began her career by setting up and running GoodBean Coffee, a family owned chain of coffee shops located throughout the South of England. As Managing Director, Carina was in charge of the running of the business which grew to 13 stores in three years and was sold to a publicly listed company in December 2001. She joined IMEX in 2002 as Marketing and Operations Director and became its CEO in 2009.
Carina won the Smart Women in Meetings Award in 2018 & 2019, the ICCA Inspirational Women Awards and the Timothy S.Y. Lam Foundation Spirit of Collaboration Award in 2018, was recognised as ‘One of the 25 Most Influential People in the Incentive Industry’ by the Northstar Meetings Group, ‘One of the 25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry’ by Successful Meetings Magazine and ‘One of the Top 25 Women in the Meetings Industry’ by M&C Magazine. Carina is currently President Elect for the SITE International Foundation.
3 words to describe Nature?
Calming. Powerful. Life
3 things Nature taught you?
That everything has a purpose
That, despite our high opinion of ourselves, really we are very small cogs in a very big wheel.
That it is the boss!
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The Alps
Sion National Park, Utah
Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Small
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Excited
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Happy
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Fearful
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Soothed
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I used to go and visit my grandparents in Switzerland most summer and winter holidays. One of my favourite memories was when they took us to the country-side around Geneva and we used to go for walks in wheat fields, where the what was taller than me – I just loved walking through those fields!
Snorre Stinessen
Snorre Stinessen is one of Norway’s leading architects. His company has become the go-to firm for contemporary cabins in the Arctic. His recent project, the Efjord Cabin was featured in DWELL magazine and became an Instagram sensation. Over the years, Snore has received multiple awards including the Wallpaper Design Award, the A+ Award, the Opplyst Award, the Iconic Award, the German Design Award, the American Architecture Prize, the American Architecture Prize, the International Design Award, the WAN Award and many more. His work has been featured on CNN, the Wallpaper magazine, Dezeen, D2, Financial Times, The Guardian, Architectural Digest, IW magazine, Interior Design magazines and many more.
3 words to describe Nature?
Calm. Quiet. Presence.
3 things Nature taught you?
That we are just a small part of this world.
To appreciate the difference in the different seasons.
Where to find myself.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Difficult to choose 3, perhaps the following:
Cross country skiing in the sun across an empty snow-covered landscape,
Running along a grassy hill,
Laying on a smooth rock by the sea.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Depends on the state of the sea..
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Small
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Happy
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Worried
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Alive
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Not sure, perhaps mountain, but I am not interested in the highest peaks.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
A summer trek to a snowy ice-capped mountain top where we started out in the sun and walked into the fog around the top – for the decent we decided to slate on each our plastic bag. I picked up speed fast and got quite a bit ahead, but suddenly decided to stop because of the low visibility and the others stopped just behind me, seconds later the fog opened up and I found myself standing on the very edge of a deep, deep massive pothole in the icecap – we were lucky that day, or perhaps destiny was on our side...
Learn more about the Efjord cabin here, in DWELL magazine.
Joel Sercel
Dr. Joel Sercel is the CTO and CEO of Trans Astronautica Corporation. TransAstra is a NewSpace company dedicated to accelerating the process of human exploration and industrialization of cislunar space and near Earth asteroids. Funded by a combination of private sector investment plus NASA grants and contracts, TransAstra is building the technology to provide in-space transportation and related services with a fleet of reusable space tugs supplied by propellant derived from asteroid and lunar resources.
Dr. Sercel has over 30 years of NASA, industrial, other government agency, and academic experience and education all of which is directly related to space technology development and innovation. Sercel’s professional experience includes a 14 year career at JPL; 12 years teaching, researching, and advising graduate students at Caltech in the area of space systems engineering; two years as a senior government official serving as the Chief Systems engineer of a $22B Air Force communications satellite network (TSAT) leading a team of 122 systems engineers and several years as a private technology and management consultant
Joel conceived and initiated the NSTAR project (the first deep space solar electric propulsion system) and served as the first Principal Technologist of the NSTAR project. He presently has patents pending in the area of space resources technology and is known as the inventor of Optical Mining™, a practical method for extracting the ingredients in rocket propellant from asteroids.
Dr. Sercel is a five time NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) Fellowship awardee.
3 words to describe Nature?
Nature. Includes. Everything
3 things Nature taught you?
While we will never understand everything about nature, we have learned enough to know that nature follows laws that are understandable to the mind of Man.
When you discover a truth about the universe, it unlocks other truths and they all fit together.
When scientists think they have a mature theory that they understand, they are in for a big surprise.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
A kelp forest in the Channel islands
Looking across the Sierras at night at a thunderstorm on the next mountain
The night sky in the Arizona desert on a clear day
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
Peace
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Connected
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Wonder
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
The flow of time
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
Lucky
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
Small
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
One part each, no preference. Love them all
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
As I am part of nature, that would be a 10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
The Milky Way galaxy spread across the night sky and the realization of the immensity of it all and the potential for an infinite future for humanity and our progeny coupled with a sense of awe that we exist.
http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLijoedlE2A
Cecilia Vanman
Cecilia Vanman worked as a footwear designer in the fashion business, when she took up scuba diving and freediving as hobbies. These interests and her love for the sea grew into such major fascination, that she decided to study marine biology, eventually graduating with a MSc Distinction in Marine Mammal Science in 2005.
Today as an Expedition Leader and Marine Mammal Biologist, Cecilia Vanman has planned, led and participated in expeditions and scientific projects in the Arctic and Antarctic, the Indian Ocean, the Black Sea, Scandinavian waters, the Mediterranean and the Caribbean. She has circumnavigated the British Isles, Spitzbergen and Iceland and has led three expeditions through the Northwest Passage.
Cecilia has also created the logistical frame work for film productions as an expedition leader for the likes of Disney Nature, Leonardo di Caprio and National Geographic Society. One of her greatest passions is science communication and bringing stories home from her expeditions in remote places to wider audiences through public talks. Cecilia is also a freelance photojournalist and her coverage includes reportage work with the Danish Navy Seals, the Danish Helicopter Rescue Service, the Danish elite unit Sirius Sledge Patrol in NE Greenland as well as articles on sustainable living, freediving, scuba-diving and natural history filmmaking.
Cecilia was invited to join Women Adventurers Club, Denmark in 2011 and 2015, she became the first Danish woman to be appointed Fellow of The Explorers Club
3 words to describe Nature?
Powerful. Healing. In trouble
3 things Nature taught you?
Curiousness
Patience
Interconnection
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Island of Langeland in Denmark
Disko Island in Greenland
South Georgia in the Southern Ocean
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Free and humble
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
If a busy volcano: like I should enjoy its’ beauty, but have a plan for a quick exit
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Grateful
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Electrified and alive. But depending on the situation in the field, perhaps quite vulnerable.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Thrilled in the beginning and I love the power of it all. After days of howling winds during field work, however, I can become almost overcome with a sense of restlessness. It can also add to cabin fever, which is good for no one in a remote camp. At sea, howling winds mean stormy conditions, which are never desirable.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I am an ‘Ocean-person’ through and through and while I enjoy being there and traveling through them, I could never live in a landlocked country. The Ocean represents freedom and independence to me. More than any nature scape it puts me in my place as a human.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10 and beyond.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Taking the family rowing boat, piling it high with cushions, blankets, my favorite book at the time and an anchor to go to a spot to read; there to be gently rocked by the sea and watching the soaring birds above in between. This escape to nature meant the world to me at a time when things could be difficult at school. Looking back it also set me on a path…
Aki Soudunsaari
Aki Soudunsaari is the co-founder & strategy director of Naava, a company based in Finland that creates air filtering indoor green walls. The company won the the Contract Best of NeoCon Silver Award in 2019, the Fennia Prize in 2017, and was an Honoree for the Interior Design Best of the Year in 2017.
After working as a teacher of physical education and health sciences, Aki worked on his PhD in the Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics and was a visiting scholar in Silicon Valley Center for Entrepreneurship at San Jose State University. He ran Global Venture Labs' growth venturing programs for a few years, where multidisciplinary students solved companies problems and learned entrepreneurial thinking and processes.
Aki was nominated for EY's Entrepreneur of the Year in 2017, PWC’s Most Valuable Entrepreneur in 2015, Young Academic Entrepreneur in 2014 and was invited by the President of Finland to join the Finland's 100-year ceremonies in 2017.
3 words to describe Nature?
Life. Flow. Responsibility
3 things Nature taught you?
Respect for others and the environment
Healthy humility
The impact our surroundings have on us, biological creatures
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Korouoma. 30 minutes away from my childhood home in Posio, Lapland, Finland, is a natural-born canyon which in the winter times, ices into one of the biggest iced waterfalls, perfect for ice-climbing and enjoying the fresh spring ray of lights. (NOTE: eg https://beyondarctic.com/adventure-collection/korouoma-ice-climbing-adventure)
Hietaranta beach in Helsinki. This beautiful small beach at the seashore is where I beach volleyball multiple times per week in the short Finnish summer - sports, friends, fresh air, nature, sea, and sand.
Lauttasaari. We live in a beautiful small island right outside the Helsinki city center in the archipelago. Surrounded by the Baltic Sea, beautiful parks and forests, this kind of a small village is a perfect place to combine the city living with the calm of nature.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm like a rock that the ocean caresses with every wave.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Mindful - it makes my senses sharpen up. I’m safe and where I belong.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Small. Imaging the force of time that has shaped the Earth brings my own life to a perspective, making my troubles seem less significant.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Aware of that particular moment and my breathing.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Powerful, one with the thunder.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
It gives air presence, which is normally a bit difficult. Air is always invisible.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest for sure, so human-friendly and species-specific environment. By the way, have you ever thought that while nature surrounds us, we lock it out? We lock it out with us spending 22-23 hours indoors in the built environment. We are the indoor generation, and I know our biology and bodies have not yet evolved enough for us to be healthy and happy constantly being alienated from nature.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10. Nature is powerful, it surrounds us, astounds us, cleanses us, makes me who I am - the reason why we exist. We are not separate from nature, we are a part of it. Nature is everything.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I grew up in the Arctic Circle, Lapland, Finland, just next to where Santa Claus lives. It is a very rural area, the density is about one person per square kilometer. I spent all my childhood outdoors, in the middle of untouched forests and crystal clear lakes, under the Northern Lights, breathing the cleanest air in the world. I had a privilege that I didn’t appreciate it at the time. It was a luxury I didn’t understand before traveling all around the globe in megacities, not being able to choose the air I breathe or jump out to nature whenever I felt like it. I appreciate and cherish the human-friendly childhood environment more and more every day.
Mary Poffenroth
Whether through making original content for TEDed and Wiley & Sons, writing for Science & Forbes, or speaking to live audiences at TEDx & SXSW, Mary Poffenroth’s goals are the same: Make Science Accessible for All. A Salzburg Global Fellow and first generation college student, she holds two masters degrees, one in biology and the other in science communication from Imperial College London. She is the author of Write Present Create: Science Communication for Undergraduates and has taught nearly 20,000 students both in person and online since 2007. Her work has been featured in legacy media outlets such as Time magazine and National Geographic as well as garnering views in the millions with YouTube’s Mahalo. Mary began her research career in astrophysiology at NASA Ames Research Center Moffet Field in 1999 and now focuses her research on the intersection of fear science, communication, and personal/social change as STEM faculty for San Jose State University. Listen to a recent interview with Allie Ward about Fear here Part 1 & Part 2
3 words to describe Nature?
Cleansing. Terrifying. Balancing
3 things Nature taught you?
To be self reliant
To duck under a bush when being shot at
To not pee on your pants while being a lady peeing in the woods
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Muir woods
Big Sur
Any beach on the planet
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Like I’m Home
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Like adventure is afoot
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Exhilarated
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Sunrise = refreshed
Sunset = most likely a bit tipsy if I have taken the time to watch, I am most likely with friends drinking wine on a beach
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Ooohh when is the lightning gonna come
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Ready to jump into (faux) furry blankets with my puppy and a good audio book
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean first, Mountain and forest are the same for me as an equal second, desert is a stark last place
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10… obvi
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I was the outcast for loving nature in my family. My mother abhorred it unless it was tamed by a planter box. But i would find ways, big and small, to sneak into and onto the wild in an attempt to connect to something I did not have words for at the time.
James Zhang
James Zhang has been on the cutting edge of digital entertainment for nearly two decades. Since its founding in 2007, James has built Concept Art House into one of the video game industry’s most celebrated art services companies, and continues to establish lasting partnerships with industry powerhouses such as 2K, Activision/Blizzard, Epic games, Kabam, and Tencent.
James is also a partner at Fifth Era which manages Blockchain Coinvestors - the World’s leading blockchain venture fund of funds. He additionally serves on several Advisory Boards including: 1World Online, a crowdsource service that combines social polling with analytics, DreamView studios, a CGI-product company for eCommerce, Playfull, a gaming rewards platform, Readyup, an Esports events platform and Redemption Games, a leading casual game developer.
3 words to describe Nature?
Cyclical . Balanced. Unpredictable
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility – I’m just one of 6+ billion people living in nature.
Symmetry (Perfect design) – As a concept artist who’s designed my share of creatures and fantasy worlds…nothing I’ve designed is as perfect as what already exists in nature. My dragons may be cool on screen or paper, but they aren’t real and not in harmony with the earth.
Serenity – I’ve found solace is more easily attained on a nice hike or laying by the beach.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Oakland hills – Just the proximity make is special for me. My weekly nature fix. I hike it almost every weekend if I can.
Sierra Nevada – Far enough to ‘get away from it all’, but close enough to get to on a weekend. From Lake Tahoe to Yosemite, from Immigrant Wilderness to Mount Whitney…Sierra Nevada mountain range is where I learned to fall in love with Nature.
Mount Haleakala – Amazing terrain. Parts of it feels like another planet – Mars? Other parts are jungles teaming with life. During sunset, the fog sometimes rolls in under the summit. It’s an incredible view.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Depends on the time and waves, from shore or in the middle of the Ocean… Generally, I feel free and alive. At night, in the middle of the Ocean feels…I would feel insignificant.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Depends on the season. Spring/Summer: I feel replenished and refreshed. Autumn/Winter: I generally feel nostalgia. I feel private.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Excitement, energetic, especially an active volcano
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Reflective, emotional, humble, grateful
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Vigilant, Alert, sometimes frightened if loud/close
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Cold, lonely, melancholy
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean or mountain. Probably ocean – I love fish/fishing.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9.2
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Cat fishing in Alabama creeks. I grew up in Northern Alabama during the late 80s and early 90s. The city I grew up in, Huntsville was population 100,000 and basically nestled in between rural woods and farms. Some of my favorite memories in high school was going into the backwoods and remote farms with my buddies. For most of 1994, my 3 besties and I would go fishing just about every weekend.
The best time to go for catfish was at night. We would eat dinner, then meet up for fishing. Sometimes, we wouldn’t get back until after midnight…even on school nights.
We had the best time exploring creeks and ponds. We’d find something different on every trip. We’d catch everything from boots to rocks, logs, turtles…sometimes even fish! On one trip we almost stepped on a cottonmouth (Copper head) sunbathing in the path. On another trip the mosquitos were so bad, we ended up making a fire to use as a repellent. It didn’t work. I came home that night with 20+ bites on my back. They got me right through my t-shirt. My back looked like a pepperoni pizza.
Our favorite place to fish was a place we called “The Double S P”. Or “The Secret Sacred Place”. This was a place where we had a 100% batting average. Getting there was hard…we had to trek across soggy mud, a foot deep in some areas. Once you get there, it was a narrow creek only 15 feet across in certain areas. Sometimes, the fish jumping made a splash so loud, we described it as someone throwing a recliner in the water. Sometimes, the splash could get you wat while sitting on the shore. The biggest fish I caught there was a 30 inch, 5.5 pound catfish. I’m sure there were bigger fish. The S.S.P. never disappointed. We always had a good story and no one ever went home without catching a fish there.
Those fishing trips in ‘94 turned me into a lifelong hobby angler. Sometimes, I wonder if that creek is still there. Without us to control the catfish population, there may be some real river monsters there now…
Chunlei Guo
Chunlei Guo is a professor in Optics and Physics at University of Rochester. He is a Fellow of American Physical Society and Optical Society of America. He also serves as the Editor-in-Chief for one of the most widely recognized handbooks in lasers and optics, CRC Handbook of Laser Technology and Applications (2nd Edition).
Often inspired by species in nature, from lotus to butterflies to spiders, his research at Rochester led to the discoveries of a range of highly functionalized materials through laser processing, including the black and colored metals, and superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic surfaces. These technologies have a broad range of applications and have been covered extensively by the media, including the New York Times, CNN, MSNBC, BBC, Discovery, The Economist, Popular Science, Time, ABC, and many more (read here). Over the past few years, he has been working closely with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in developing technologies for global sanitation, water conservation, renewable energy, and sustainability. He discussed his work in the TEDx below.
3 words to describe Nature?
Peaceful. Inspiring. Eternal.
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility
Kindness
Knowledge
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Okavango delta (Botswana)
Himalaya mountain range (Tibet)
Cappadocia (Turkey).
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Curious
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Energized
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Passionate
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Awakening
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Reflective
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I like them all.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
A hiking trip with a few childhood friends. We were going further and further along a woody road with no end in sight. We were nervous but all wanted to keep going...
Yancey Strickler
Yancey Strickler is a writer and entrepreneur. He is the cofounder and former CEO of Kickstarter, author of This Could Be Our Future: A Manifesto for a More Generous World, and the creator of Bentoism. Yancey has been recognized as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People. He cofounded the artist resource The Creative Independent and the record label eMusic Selects. Yancey grew up in Clover Hollow, Virginia, and began his career as a music critic in New York City. The London Spectator called him "one of the least obnoxious tech evangelists ever."
3 words to describe Nature?
Shhhwwwwwwww (wind through the trees)
tckltckltckltckltckl (leaves on the ground)
grglgrglgrglgrgl (water falling from a rocky cave)
3 things Nature taught you?
How to hide
What it means to be healthy
The upside of death
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Canopied forests with pine needles on the ground
Any beach
The farm where I grew up
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Infinite
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Taller
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Side-eyed
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Like a George Harrison song
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Five years old
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Small
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
E) All of the above
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Age twelve waiting for the bus when a deer, wounded by a hunter's bullet, came staggering out of the woods and collapsed across the street from me. I stayed with it and spoke with it until its eyes went blank.
Martha Weidmann
Martha Weidmann is the CEO and Co-Founder of NINE dot ARTS. She started her career with Walker Fine Art gallery in Denver, then moved on to the most prestigious art consulting firm (at the time) in the region, McGrath and Braun. She is the Executive Director of Union Hall, an emerging and established artist platform giving Denver’s vibrant arts community a dedicated position in the Union Station neighborhood, and co-founder of dotfolio, an online art selling platform. She is currently serving on the Board of the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts.
3 words to describe Nature?
Omniscient. Life-giving. Generative
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility
Beautiful decay
Connectedness
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Dauphin Island, AL, USA
Blue Lagoon, Capri, IT
Pawnee Buttes, CO, USA
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Small (in a good way)
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Alive
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Like I should look for water
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Humble
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Like I should look for shelter
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like it's time to batten down the hatches
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
As a girl growing up in Georgia, I used to hide in the azalea bushes catching and releasing color-changing green anoles. Sometimes I'd collect them in my lavender purse, but they'd always find their way out and escape. I always wanted to know if they'd eventually turn lavender being surrounded by all that purple.
A girl in my class used to catch the anoles, pinch their jaws slightly and release the grip near her earlobes so that their mouths would clamp down on gently on her earlobe flesh for a temporary display of "lizard earrings". It was quite a sight, but I thought the lizards didn't like it at all.
Greg Thomsen
Greg Thomsen is one of the most successful and well-respected leaders in the outdoor industry. A close friend to legendary climber and writer John Long, Greg has had almost every job imaginable in the outdoor industry. In 1972, he co-founded Wilderness Experience, the first outdoor company to go public and be traded not he NASDAQ stock exchange. In 1987, Nike hired him as Global Director of Marketing for Apparel, where he created the ACG (All Conditions Gear). In 1990, Greg co-founded the American Sports Group (ASG), where for almost 20 years his company created thousands of products for hundreds of companies. In 2007, after owning several outdoor brands such as Mountainsmith, Youngstown, and Detours, he sold everything and lived a nomadic life, traveling around the world for one year with his family - "It was the best year of my life" he says. For the last decade, Thomsen has served as the Chief Outdoor Officer of adidas Outdoor, growing the brand exponentially in the U.S. In 2019, Greg received the Inspiration Awards Lifetime Achievement.
3 words to describe Nature?
Life. Love. Breathtaking.
3 things Nature taught you?
Overall nature has taught me to be mindful and to live in the moment.
Living in natural environments has taught me both the fragility and the strength of life and to not to take either for granted.
Nature has shown me that “everything” is connected.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The Sierra
Bhutan
Hawaii
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Small and insignificant but free and limitless.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
At home and at peace. Comfortable and calm.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Amazed at the power of nature. Flying over a volcano they appear to be alive and on a mission of creation.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
I love both sunrise and sunsets, they make me feel there is magic in the universe. The ultimate cycle of life.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
I’m am ...thrilled by the natural power I feel when I hear thunder and see lightning. Thunder comforts me and reminds me that the real world is alive.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
A bit disoriented. I am not in love with howling wind as it makes me anxious of what is coming.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I am absolutely a Mountain person! I feel most comfortable and alive in big mountain environments. Forest and Deserts calm me and Oceans generally frighten me to my inner core with their enormous power and unpredictability.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
Nature is absolutely a 10 for my well-being. Without Nature what else is there?
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
My father loved the outdoors, hiking, fishing and camping. Our family spent every summer camping in the Mammoth Lakes area in the Sierra. It was what we did as a family since I was 2 years old, so it holds a very special place in my childhood memories. When I was 12 and my brother was 16 we decided we would try to climb to the top of Crystal Crag, a prominent granite spire overlooking the Mammoth Lakes area. We summited after some difficult steep and exposed 5th class solo climbing and descended the face as our parents were having lunch below the crag at a dock side restaurant on lake Mary. At a table next to my parents a man and his wife, watched our precarious descent, and leaned over to asked my father “what kind of parents would let their children do such a dangerous climb”
It was at that moment my parents realized it was my brother and me descending the face. Of course they didn’t tell the outraged couple.
When we arrived back at our family tent we were first scolded for taking such a risk but it then turned to laughter as they told us the story about the horrified onlookers from the next table and not telling them that those unsupervised risk takers were their children! It became a family story that was retold for years to come, over much laughter and love. Both my brother and I went on to more and more serious climbing adventures and exploration experiences around the World that has both defined and enriched our life’s path.
Stefan Simcowitz
Stefan Simchowitz is a controversial Los Angeles based art collector, art curator, art advisor and founder of Simco's Club, an art-collecting, selling, and promoting website dedicated to successful, young, and emerging artists around the world. In November 2015, he was ranked #95 in Art Review Magazine's POWER 100, a list of the "most influential people in the contemporary artworld." He was famously dubbed “The Art World’s Patron Satan” by the New York Times back in 2014. Journalist Andrew Goldstein of New York Magazine, Artnet, and Artspace, argues that Simcho is destabilizing outdated art-world archetypes that perpetuate dangerous myths about how art is distributed, displayed, and discussed.
After college, Stefan started a film production company responsible for a number of feature films and shorts, such as Darren Aronofsky's critically acclaimed drama, Requiem for a Dream. He co-founded the celebrity photo and video service, WireImage, which eventually sold to Getty Images in 2007 for $200 million.
Stefan is a vocal proponent of social media as a legitimate way of discovering, distributing, and popularizing the fine arts, primarily using Facebook and Instagram as platforms for self-promotion, discovering new artists, and endorsing those he already manages.
3 words to describe Nature?
Electron. Neutron. Proton
3 things Nature taught you?
We are all one and the same
Nature defines the rules of the game
Understand the end is not different to the beginning and you will be fine
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The hills of Tuscany
The sea of Liguria
The Blue Mountains
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Like going for a swim
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Going for a walk
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Like wishing I was getting a cold brew coffee and pastry
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Like an ancient human
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Getting inside
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Getting under the duvet
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Somewhere between the forest and the mountain
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
The game reserve, safari.
Liza Gershman
Best-Selling Author and Winner of the Gourmand Cookbook Award (2018), Liza Gershman has nearly two decades of industry experience working in all facets of Commercial and Editorial photography and writing, including 12 published books and hundreds of newspaper and magazine stories. She specializes in Lifestyle, Food, and Travel. Her passion for people, culture and cuisine, has taken her to more than 51 countries and 47 U.S. States during her career.
Her 12th book, Cuban Flavor, has garnered many accolades, and has been featured on CBS, in National Geographic, Travel & Leisure, Budget Travel, NPR and many additional local and national publications and radio shows. Liza was honored to speak for Talks At Google, and on the prestigious campuses of Twitter, Oracle, and Disney to name a few.
As a photographer and Art Director, she regularly teaches, writes and presents for celebrated companies: Creative Live and Canon USA. She was honored to nationally launch the 6D for Canon, and the T6. Prior to that she worked as the in-house Senior Digital Photographer for Williams-Sonoma and continues to freelance for clients such as Goldman Sachs, Hyatt Hotels, Restoration Hardware, Safeway, Party City, Getty Images, AirBnB, Visa. In 2010, Liza was Governor Jerry Brown's campaign photographer, and in 2014 was a photographer for the RedBull Youth America's Cup.
She has been a regular contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle Travel Section, writing tips on top destinations for a monthly column called “5 Places”, and continues to write about travel, food and culture in articles and book form.
Many of Liza’s notable clients include celebrity chefs, restaurants, wineries, beverage brands, fashion brands, spas and hotels.
3 words to describe Nature?
Beauty. Peace. Serenity
3 things Nature taught you?
How to go into my inner self
How to be still
How to observe
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The Russian River in Sonoma County
The beaches of Nantucket
The open skies of Wyoming
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Introspective
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Grounded and most like myself
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
In awe
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Lucky to be part of the world, inside of a painting
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Excited! I love a great storm as long as everyone is safe
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like getting under covers
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest and lakes first, then ocean, then desert, but I love all of it!!!
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
11
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Canoeing down the river. That's my happiest activity. Smelling the ferns and mint and redwood trees all around.
Richard Bangs
Richard Bangs is the co-founder / Chief Adventure Officer of Steller, a pioneer in travel, digital media, e-commerce and has been called the father of modern adventure travel. In the early 90s Richard produced the first internet travel site - MTSobek,, the first travel CD ROM - The Adventure Disc, and the first virtual expeditions - Terra Quest.
He was the founder and editor-in-chief of Mungo Park, a pioneering Microsoft travel publishing effort, and was part of the founding executive team of Expedia.com. He was the publisher of Expedia Travels Magazine, executive producer of Expedia Radio, and founder of Expedia Cafes. He served as president of Outward Bound, founded Well-Traveled.com for Slate, and was founding editor and executive producer of Great Escapes, another Microsoft Travel initiative. He ran and founded First and Best for MSN, and founded Sobek Expeditions, which in the early 1990s merged with Mountain Travel to become Mountain Travel Sobek.
He recently co-directed the IMAX Film, Mystery of the Nile, and co-authored the Putnam book of the same name. His recent book, The Lost River: A Memoir of Life, Death and the Transformation of Wild Water, won the National Outdoor Book Award in the literature category, and the Lowell Thomas Award for best book.
Richard executive produced and hosted the Emmy-winning PBS series, Richard Bangs’ Adventures with Purpose, and his companion book, Adventures with Purpose, won the 2007 best book award from NATJA. His latest books are Quest for the Sublime (2008), and Quest for the Kashah (2009).
In 2007, he won the Mark Dubois lifetime achievement conservation award and in 2008 the CINE Golden Eagle Award for the special, Quest for Kaitiakitanga, and six Tele Awards for Quest for the Nile, Quest for the Sublime, and Quest for the Kasbah. Quest for Kaitiakitanga was nominated for an Environmental Media Award (“The Green Oscars”) for best documentary, and won the annual Platinum Award from HSMAI (Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International). His film Quest for the Viking Spirit won the 2009 Gold Lowell Thomas award for best documentary; and the same award for 2010 for the India show. Also, the series won two Emmys in 2010 in the History/Culture categories.
In 2011 Richard won the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Gold Award for Hong Kong: Quest for the Dragon—2011; the 2011 CINE Golden Eagle Award for Greece: Quest for the Gods; and two Telly Awards for Hong Kong: Quest for the Dragon.
Richard’s show Quest for Harmony won the Gold in the Destination Marketing Category of the 2012 Travel Weekly Magellan Awards, as well as two Bronze Telly Awards, and the 2012 Lowell Thomas Award. His special, Richard Bangs’s South America: Quest for Wonder, won two Telly Awards for 2013; and the Cine Golden Eagle for 2013.
3 words to describe Nature?
Essentiality. Sublime. Divine.
I would add diversity, variety, irregularity, indefiniteness, and vastness, and the feelings they provoke.
3 things Nature taught you?
To be mindful of all living things.
To travel softly and responsibly.
That water always beats stone
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The curled lip of a rapid on a wild river
A steep and distant canyon
The full-moon rainbow above Victoria Falls
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Something on the other side of thought and language.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
A pleasing kind of stupor and imagination.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
A fizzy, faintly erotic feeling of terror. It is violence and terror mingled with exultation.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
A kind of supernatural calm that charms the senses and the mind into a forgetfulness of oneself and of everything else in the world.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
An alternation of hope and fear, an agitation in the heart, a reminder that life is more intensely lived the closer one gets to its extinction. I never feel so alive as when I sense the possibility of death.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
A tingling with a pulse, an unaccustomed tune that adds a new excitement to life. Elements of disturbance, awe, horror, risk, danger, and pleasure.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
A river person
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
12
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
My father never really cared much for the outdoors. He preferred a cozy chair and a fat book, a night at the movies, maybe a ball game on TV, certainly restaurant food. But one weekend when I was a small boy he took me camping. I don’t remember where he took me, but it was by a river, a swift-flowing stream, clear and crisp. I have a faint memory now that my dad had a difficult time setting up the tent, but somehow worked it out and he was proud of the task. With some soda pop and our fishing poles, we went down to the river to have one of those seminal father-son bonding experiences.
The air told me first that we were someplace special. It whooshed, delivering the cool message of a fast river on a hot summer day. Then a muffled sound came from behind, back at camp, and we turned around and could see through the trees that the tent had collapsed. My dad said something under his breath and started up the hill, then turned back to me and said, “Don’t go in the river!”
They were the wrong words.
At first I put my hand in the water to swish it around and was fascinated by the vitality, the power that coursed through my arm, into my chest, and up into my brain. I looked in the middle of the stream, where tiny waves burst into a million gems and then disappeared. It was magic, pure magic. I stepped into the river to my waist and felt the water wrap around and hug me and then tug at me like a dog pulling a blanket. Another step and the water reached my chest and pulled me down wholly into its vigorous embrace. I was being washed downstream.
Effortlessly, the current was carrying me away from confinement, toward new and unknown adventures. I looked down and watched as a color wheel of pebbles passed beneath me like a cascade of hard candy. After a few seconds I kicked my way to shore perhaps a hundred yards downstream. When I crawled back to land I had changed. My little trip down the river had been the most exhilarating experience of my life. I felt charged with energy, giddy, cleansed, and fresh, more alive than I could remember. I practically skipped back to the fishing poles and sat down with a whole new attitude, and secret.
When my father came back, he never noticed anything different. And I didn’t volunteer anything. The August sun had dried my shorts and hair, and I was holding my pole as though it had grown as an extension of my arm since he left. Only my smile was different—larger, knowing. I grew in that little trip, like corn in the night.
We didn’t catch any fish that day, but I caught something that would stay with me for years: a knowledge that the clearest way into the universe is off-the-path, upside-down, and downstream…
Alisa Miller
Alisa Miller seeks to transform and invent media and technology that positively impacts people’s lives. Recently, she was the executive chairman of PRI-PRX, the broadcast network formed when Public Radio International (PRI) merged with Public Radio Exchange (PRX). She led this first-ever public media network merger and created an organization that reaches more than 28.5 million users each month and has more than 58 million monthly podcast downloads - within the top three podcast sources in the US.
She was named CEO of PRI in 2006, the first woman and youngest CEO to head a major public radio network. Before her time with PRI, Alisa headed new digital business development for Sesame Street.
Alisa speaks on how media and technology shapes our lives and on building purpose-driven companies and careers. Her TED Talk on media's power to shape knowledge and action has been viewed 2 million times and been translated into 48 languages. She was named by Fast Company as a Most Influential Woman in Technology, is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and in 2015 won the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
She’s a proud Cornhusker and holds a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Nebraska and a master’s degrees in business administration and public policy, both from the University of Chicago.
When Alisa isn't working or with her kids, she can be found singing or hiking on a mountain trail somewhere.
3 words to describe Nature?
Space. Time. Standstill (I find that the power of nature connects and touches me in these powerful moments — time literally standstill. Its about being awestruck by the scale, beauty and rawness of it.)
3 things Nature taught you?
We are temporary
We are small
Make it matter
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Bridal Veil Falls, Rocky Mountain National Park. My family has had a 3, now 4 generation affair with the Estes Park, Rocky Mountain National Park. Bridal Veil Falls is a hike I first walked as a child and each time I go back, it is not only beautiful but reminds me of family roots and connectedness.
Crescent Meadow, Sequoia National Park. This place literally shimmers and those trees, those ancient trees, are magical.
Sneffles Range, Colorado. The air, the sun, the exertion to get there and to the top. Worth it.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm, humble
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Life, hushed
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Awestruck and a touch of fear
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Reflective, grateful to breathe
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Like a little kid
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Alone
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10+
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Floating.
Summer rays.
In a prairie freshwater lake.
Watching the bubbles come out of my nose. Diving and feeling the water cool ....
as it becomes darker and deeper.
Down further.
Holding my breath.
Watching fish watch me.
Currents pulsing through my fingers. Freedom
Michael Murphy
Michael Murphy is an American artist, sculptor and pioneer of the Perceptual Art movement. Murphy became widely known during the 2008 U.S. presidential election, after creating the first portrait of candidate Barack Obama in 2007 that influenced thousands of artists to contribute to the “Art for Obama” movement, documented in Shepard Fairey's book Art for Obama: Designing Manifest Hope and the Campaign for Change.
His approach is to challenge the viewer’s boundaries using multidimensional techniques in order to create three-dimensional renderings of flat images. His inventions of "Expanded Graphics", the "3D Halftone" and "Suspended Narrative Mobiles" have established an entirely new formula for rendering images.
His work has been featured in numerous publications including TIME Magazine and New York Magazine and can be seen in numerous permanent installations around the world. His client list includes some of the largest brands in the world including Google, Nike, The Jordan Brand, LG, Lexus, Subaru, The Big Ten Network, ESPN, Disney, and the Atlanta Hawks to name a few. One of his pieces, COME TOGETHER, is currently touring with an art instalation show known as "Point of View" hosted by Wonderspaces.
3 words to describe Nature?
Inspiring. Rejuvenating. Essential.
3 things Nature taught you?
The beauty of light.
The rewards associated with being present and observant.
How important it is to be a good steward of the earth.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The woods in the backyard where I grew up in Ohio. I built this great treehouse and spent countless hours up in the tree looking over the trees. It was especially magnificent in the fall.
Mill Creek Park in Ohio where I spent much of my childhood hiking and exploring.
Central Park.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Invigorated
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Fragile
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Like I’ve been up too late. No really it makes me appreciate the beauty of the earth and its relationship to the sun
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Excited. I love thunder and lightning. As a child my family and I would always gather on our porch to watch thunder storms. It’s one of my most fond childhood memories.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
I get a rush of excited from strong winds.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Oceans, mountains, and forest.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
When I was a child I used to lie on my back in the grass and watch the clouds roll by searching for naturally occurring images. This is the inspiration for much of my work. To date I’ve spent hundreds of hours filming and photographing clouds.
Ari Weinzweig
Ari Weinzweig is CEO and co-founding partner of Zingerman's Community of Businesses, which includes Zingerman's Delicatessen, Bakehouse, Creamery, Catering, Mail Order, ZingTrain, Coffee Company, Roadhouse, Candy Manufactory, Events at Cornman Farms, Miss Kim and Zingerman’s Food Tours. Zingerman’s produces, sells and serves all sorts of full flavored, traditional foods in its home of Ann Arbor, Michigan to the tune of $65,000,000 a year in annual sales.
Ari was recognized as one of the “Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America” by the 2006 James Beard Foundation and has awarded a Bon Appetit Lifetime Achievement Award among many recognitions. In 2017 Ari was named one of “The World's 10 Top CEOs (They Lead in a Totally Unique Way)” by Inc. Magazine. In 2018 he released the pamphlet, “The Art of Business; Why I Want to be an Artist.” Another pamphlet, “Going into Business with Emma Goldman” came out in June, 2019.
Ari is the author of a number of articles and books, including Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon (Zingerman’s Press), Zingerman’s Guide to Giving Great Service, Zingerman’s Guide to Good Eating (Houghton Mifflin), Zingerman’s Guide to Good Leading, Part 1: A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Building a Great Business, and Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 2: A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Being a Better Leader. Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 3; A Lapsed Anarchist's Approach to Managing Ourselves. Zingerman's Guide to Good Leading, Part 4; A Lapsed Anarchist's Approach to the Power of Beliefs in Business was released in summer of 2016.
3 words to describe Nature?
Lovely. Loving. Amazing
3 things Nature taught you?
To understand that imperfection is normal
To understand that good things usually take a long time to happen
That success and failure are pretty much always happening simultaneously.
3 most treasured Nature spots? -
Beaches in Ireland (there are some beautiful ones!)
The North Coast of California
The desert in new Mexico
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Full
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Don't know -it's been a while.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Amazed!
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Scared!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Alone
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Desert! but i live in michigan :)
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Going to the beach on the Southside of Chicago with my mother. We used to go all the time. I still love sitting in the sand in the sun!
Clyde Butcher
Clyde Butcher is an American large format camera photographer known for wilderness photography of the Florida landscape. He began his career doing color photography before switching to large scale black-and-white landscape photography after the death of his son. Butcher is a strong advocate of conservation efforts and uses his work to promote awareness of the beauty of natural places.
In 1992, PBS aired a documentary about him, Visions of Florida, which won a Wolfson Award.
Butcher and his work has also inspired other artist-conservationists, such as film producer Elam Stoltzfus, who was struck by Clyde's art. The pair have formed a friendship over the years and have collaborated on several multimedia projects together as a result. Butcher hosted the documentaries "Big Cypress Swamp: The Western Everglades" and "Kissimmee Basin: The Northern Everglades," sister films that highlighted the importance of conservation and art in the state of Florida.
His photographs have been exhibited in many museums across the world. He received in 1998 the Florida Artist Hall of Fame Award, the Ansel Adams Award from the Sierra Club in 2000, the Wolfson Telly Award in 2004, the North American Nature Photography Association Lifetime Achievement Award in Nature Photography and the Florida International University Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2005, the Distinguished Artist Award from Florida House Embassy Washington, DC in 2012, the Biff Lampton Conservation Communicator of the Year Award - Florida Wildlife Federation in 2013, and the Voice of the Arts Award - Naples International Film Festival in 2016. In 2004, Clyde was named Top 100 Most Influential People in Florida.
3 words to describe Nature?
Primeval. Beautiful. Healthy
3 things Nature taught you?
Peace
Beauty
Connectiveness
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Big Cypress National Preserve
Redwood
Yosemite
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
As Capt’n Jack says, “Give me the horizon.” I get a sense of the possibilities of adventures that lay beyond, and the need to sail away fills my soul. (We raised our kids on a sail boat, so I did sail away for a while, but still the freedom of it lingers in my heart)
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
An ancient forest humbles me and makes me feel one with the world.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
The only live volcano I’ve seen is Mt. Reiner. I was not ready for the power and energy vibrating off that mountain. It was both humbling and amazing.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
When they are the pastel sunsets of a tropical summer, I feel at peace…rested and satisfied. When they are the bright red sunsets of winter there is a feeling of expectation in the air.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
I feel the power of nature and wonder at the hubris of humans to think they can control anything.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Mostly, I want it to stop so I can take a photograph. But when you ask about HOWLING wind, I immediately think hurricane, and then, of course, I just want it to be over.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I love both the ocean and the forests. If I could think of a perfect place to live it would be on a beach with the ocean in front of me, and a forest of palms and tropical trees behind me.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
TEN
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
The first time I saw a redwood tree and came to realize it was alive before Christ was born, I was humbled. There really weren’t words to describe how I felt. All I could think was, “How much did this tree see? What all has it gone through?”
John Hendicott
John Hendicott is a sound designer and platinum selling music producer who has a passion for working with artists to realise their musical vision. John has spent 10 years at the top of his craft, winning national and international awards in a range of disciplines including music production, film, installations and most recently, immersive 360° media.
In 2015, John Co-Founded Aurelia Soundworks, an audio post-production and creative content studio providing world class 3D sound mixing services, consultation and original content to the Virtual and Mixed Reality industries.
John’s latest VR Experience ‘Reeps One: Does Not Exist’, was launched with YouTube at Cannes Lions and has since won ‘Best Sound Design Experience’ at Raindance Film Festival, as well as nominations at the UKMVA’s and The Proto Awards.
currently lives in Los Angeles where he enjoys fostering pit bulls and cooking Sunday roast dinners.
3 words to describe Nature?
Embracing. Nourishing. Inventive
3 things Nature taught you?
That we have all we need
How to get lost
Rhythm
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The Malvern Hills
Regents Park
Canyonlands
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Reassured. Part of something bigger
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Like taking a deep breath and going to explore
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
That change is the only constant. It also makes me feel small
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Limitless, transported
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Awe, excited, charged
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Change is coming
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I was lucky to grow up in the countryside, next to a sheep farm in South Wales, UK. My happiest memories were of adventuring in the surrounding fields, getting lost for the day making bows and arrows or hides. To this day, the smell of sheep dung is the most relaxing scent for me!
Emily Haines
Emily Haines is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She is the lead singer, keyboardist and songwriter of the rock band Metric and a member of Broken Social Scene. As a solo artist, she has performed under her own name and under the moniker Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton.
3 words to describe Nature?
Strong. Wise. Astonishing
3 things Nature taught you?
Shut up and listen
Apparent wildness is in fact orderly
Humans are often not all that impressive
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Redwoods of California
Jungles of Belize,
My own 15 acres of Canadian land
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Small and vulnerable
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Like the trees are talking to each other
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Like drinking a glass of wine from Mount Etna
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
My time on earth is fleeting
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Like getting cozy with my dog
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Grateful for shelter
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
11
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
The first song I ever wrote was about a tree.
Elliot Connor
Elliot Connor is the founder of Human Nature Projects, a charity aiming to reconnect people to the planet, creating a conservation community which is both accessible and empowering to those involved. He is one of the 2019 Youth Ambassadors to CoalitionWILD, Regional Ambassador for Tunza Eco-Generation, the GARN Youth Circle and HundrED, Assistant Country Director for Global Peace Chain, Australian Country Mobiliser for the Youth for Our Planet movement, Ambassador to the Laurence Anthony Earth Organization and a recent addition to the Jane Goodall Institute Australia’s National Youth Leadership Council.
Following a philosophy of taking every opportunity available, Elliot has spent countless hours volunteering on conservation initiatives in his local community and worldwide. Those organizations he has assisted include WWF, The Nature Conservation Council, The Wilderness Society, Birdlife International, Taronga Conservation Society, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Greater Sydney Landcare, Zoological Lighting Institute, In Focus Conservation, Project Drawdown and Save the Frogs amongst others. He also established and continues to run the only field naturalists group in the Sydney area.
Throughout all of his work, Elliot seeks to act as a voice for biodiversity, for the environment- all of those downtrodden, unrepresented lifeforms which suffer at the hands of mankind’s advancement. He believes passionately that society as a whole must soon recognize its ties with the natural world and act on these if we are ever to achieve the prosperous future we all aspire towards.
3 words to describe Nature?
Vital. Dynamic. Ubiquitous
3 things Nature taught you?
There’s no such thing as a free lunch
Everything is connected
Big things come in small packages
3 most treasured Nature spots?
My own back garden (practically a jungle)
Kruger NP, South Africa (a classic)
The infernal Aussie bush (it’s a love-hate relationship)
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?,
A chill of mixed fear and anticipation. I’m mostly a land-lubber myself.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Alive, awake, alert to the many small pleasures of life
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Angry. They really are very misunderstood.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Restless. Like I should be out there at these times when nature is most active.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
Small. A few people could do with that more often!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Sprightly. There’s little enough in terms of real weather Down Under that anything new is welcome.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Definitely a forest person. Believe it or not, Australia is not all desert!
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
11. Perhaps it sounds slightly clichéd, but nature’s never followed any rules.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Well, I’m still a child in many ways, but I do have a good story or two. 5 or 6 years ago, my family was camped in a remote national park in the North of Botswana. I was making the long trek back from the toilet block when for whatever reason I turned around. There, bare metres behind me, was a leopard crouched low to the ground. Spooked by the torch beam, it moved off, but kept on circling our little clearing for hours afterwards. Parents weren’t too keen on these creatures after that, I’m still a leopard fan.
Marc Keane
Marc Peter Keane is a landscape architect, artist and writer based in Kyoto, Japan. His work is deeply informed by Japanese aesthetics and design sense: simplicity, serendipity, off-balance balance, and naturally weathered patinas. Working in situations as divers as a 350-year-old house in Japan and a contemporary museum in the United States, he designs singular gardens that are both beautiful and contemplative. Keane is also known for his ceramic artwork and his many books on Japanese gardens and nature. (instagram)
3 words to describe Nature
Nature. Is. Everything.
3 things Nature taught you
Nothing. Is. Un-natural.
3 most treasured Nature spots
Weeds bursting through city sidewalks
Birds flying and nesting inside of Home Depot
Moss growing on shaded walls
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...
Connected to any and all things at once
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...
As if I’ve just come home
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...
Like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...
Momentarily much much bigger than I really am
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...
Depends on how many seconds after the lighting strike it comes (yes I count)
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...
Depends on where I am —
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person
I, like everyone else, am all of those
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being
The better question for our time is, on a scale of 1 to 10, how important are you to Nature’s well-being
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Camping in the Canadian forests, a violent night storm, ending abruptly, the clouds sliding off into the distance to reveal an ink-black sky pocked by an infinity of stars. And in the darkness between those stars… wonder.
Bonnie Hillman
Originally from NY, Bonnie moved to Toronto, Canada in 1989 because she met and fell in love with a Canadian, and was ready to leave NYC. Having worked in communications and sponsorship, both in the for-profit and non-profit sectors, Bonnie bought A&C from its founder in 2004. A pioneering cultural sponsorship agency at the time, Bonnie bet that its results-driven ethos could translate to the entire communications offering. (She won that bet and then some.) Bonnie is sought out by clients for counsel both professional and personal, and speaks at sponsorship and communications conferences in North America. She's a leading authority on sponsorship strategy and negotiation, with three decades in communications, strategic planning and corporate partnerships in New York and Toronto. Her current focus is city-building, and finding ways unprecedented public-private partnerships can work to help fund innovative spaces in cities.
Having offices in Toronto and Seattle, and a small but mighty team who punches well above their weight, A&C is Bonnie’s full time job, vocation and passion. Bonnie’s volunteer life has included stints on the Board of Directors of the Sponsorship Marketing Council Canada, the Stratford Chefs School, Evergreen Foundation, and the Loran Scholars Foundation. Bonnie has a great family – two exceptional adult sons, a wonderful husband, and an extremely cute French Bulldog. She is lucky enough to have the best of both the city and nature, so when she’s not walking to work in downtown Toronto, she’s on the dock at Lake of Bays in Muskoka, Ontario. Or traveling. Or doing yoga. Or traveling to a yoga retreat. Or any number of other things that make her happy, usually involving beautiful places and interesting people. And great food and wine.
3 words to describe Nature?
Real. Gorgeous. Dramatic
3 things Nature taught you?
How to be resourceful
How insignificant I and my worries are
How to listen
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The lake my house is on
A specific campsite in Algonquin Park, Canada
A small cove in Greece
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Invigorated and young
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Curious
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
I’ve only ever seen on in the distance, so it hasn’t felt real
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Lucky
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Happy
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Safe
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean and Mountain
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
15
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
A very early memory is being on a beach with my family, hearing the ocean and feeling the sticky, hot feeling of the sand, cooling off in the ocean, jumping the waves, and getting sticky and sandy again. And how when I closed my eyes at night, I’d only see waves.
Michelle Welsch
Michelle Welsch has advised Fortune 500 brands, produced large-scale events, and has raised over $700,000USD for various social causes. Her experiences in government, private, academic, and public sectors have provided her unique insight to help businesses and entrepreneurs refine communications and strategy.
After founding Project Exponential, an invite-only dinner series, she helped bring solar to a monastery in Nepal. Her experiences teaching English to Buddhist monks led to the establishment of Khata: Life, a nonprofit encouraging education and leadership. Her attention is now focused on the Learning House, a community center she built from the ground up to foster creativity and learning.
Michelle earned her masters from Columbia University in New York City and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado. She considers Seth Godin one of her greatest teachers.
3 words to describe Nature?
Wild. Inspiring. Free
3 things Nature taught you?
To pause
To be grateful
To listen
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Wonderland Lake in Boulder, Colorado -- so many memories here.
Phewa Tal (Fewa Lake) in Pokhara, Nepal -- a place I visit to ground myself and find perspective.
Central Park in New York City -- the perfect spot to unwind and remember what is important in life.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Insignificant, in awe, and thoughtful
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Curious and filled with wonder
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Energized yet apprehensive
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Thankful and at peace
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
A bit of grumbling can be relaxing; louder booms unsettling!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Depends where I am, but howling wind tends to make me anxious.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain-Forest combo
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Growing up in Colorado, nature was always important to me. We didn't have a lot of money, but my mom made sure we took advantage of our "backyard playground." From fishing to hiking, picnics in fields, or drives up into Estes Park, I was fortunate to learn early on that nature isn't something to fear but something to respect and embrace. I could spend hours in the grass watching clouds pass. No matter where I have lived --- New York City, Nepal --- nature has been my grounding point, the place I return when I need clarity or inspiration.
Sonia Beeksma
Sonia Beeksma is a traffic anchor and segment reporter for CTV Morning Live in Vancouver.
The award-winning broadcaster joined CTV Vancouver in 2016, but her career started in 2009 after completing the Broadcasting and Performing Arts program at Columbia Academy and the journalism program at BCIT.
It was her internship at eTalk Toronto that not only fuelled her interest in the entertainment world but introduced her to the hard work it takes to be in media.
She soon returned to Vancouver and worked as a news reporter and anchor for both TALK-1200 (RJ AM) and news station CKNW 980.
Her radio days were numbered as she was snatched by Global Television to become the weekend weather specialist and feature story reporter. Her performance was not only noticed by her colleagues and competitors but also by the BC Association of Broadcasters whom would soon award Sonia with Broadcaster of Tomorrow award.
She then joined CTV Morning Live as a traffic specialist and entertainment/fashion reporter. Sonia is described as an incredibly versatile broadcaster having hosted entertainment stories, fashion, community and feature stories.
She is very active in the community and emcees a variety of charitable events.
When she’s not in front of the green screen, Sonia’s world is her 8-year-old daughter. And when she does have some spare time, she likes to weight train and get outside for fresh air.
3 words to describe Nature?
Liberating. Calming. Intriguing
3 things Nature taught you?
Constant confirmation that there is a God (Creator)
Us humans are such a small part of the equation on this earth
To slow down and be present
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Crescent beach (local)
Sunshine Coast hikes (around BC)
Road to Hana in Maui
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Overwhelmed with peace
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Comforted and a little indecisive if I want to dive in and see what wildlife awaits.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Powerless
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Invigorated, sunset means I get a good night’s sleep, sunrise means I have the entire day ahead of me to accomplish so much!
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Utter fear, that is some force that would make the hair on my back (if I had any) stand up.. lol
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Very refreshed, makes me feel like the air is cleaning itself out. In my field when there’s an air quality advisory in effect, you need that wind to come and blow out the bad air. So when that happens, we all take a deep breath in and say, fresh air!
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Definitely an Ocean and Mountain person. By the ocean in the summer and on the mountain in winter.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10. Nature teaches us so much, it helps us slow down, it not only cleans our lungs but I think it’s healing to our soul and spirit.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I grew up in New Delhi where it rarely rained, so when it did 3 or 4 times a year, all the kids would come out and play cricket in the rain. Memories I will cherish forever.
Shari Sant Plummer
Environmental philanthropist and ocean activist Shari Sant Plummer is President and co-founder of Code Blue Charitable Foundation, Secretary/Trustee of the Summit Charitable Foundation, founding board member of the Sylvia Earle Alliance, board member of the National Aquarium in Baltimore, and former Vice President of Seacology. Shari is also a member of the Ocean Unite Advisory Board, WWF National Council, and Nature’s Best Photography Advisory Council. A proponent of impact photography and filmmaking, she served as board chair of the International League of Conservation Photographers for five years and is currently an affiliate.
In addition to her philanthropic work, Shari also produces documentary films including the Emmy award-winning Netflix documentaries “Mission Blue” (Executive Producer), and “Chasing Coral” (Associate Producer). She is also Executive Producer on the award-winning films “Anote’s Ark,” “Sharkwater Extinction,” and “Ghost Fleet.”
A graduate of NYU, Shari worked as Senior Stylist and Design Director for Ralph Lauren in New York for nine years, then as Visual Director at Esprit. She later founded the environmental lifestyle store, Worldware, in San Francisco in 1994. She sold the business in 2001 and now devotes herself full-time to conservation work, with a focus on producing impact media to inspire change.
An avid diver, photographer and ocean activist, Shari travels extensively throughout the world promoting ocean conservation and environmental awareness and lives in New York and California with her husband Dan and their dog Brody.
3 words to describe Nature?
Miraculous. Humbling. Fragile
3 things Nature taught you?
Respect
Love
Resilience
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Cocos Island, Costa Rica
Millennium Atoll, Kiribati
Our farm in the Catskill Mountains, New York
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Curious, energized, alive!
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Comforted it’s still there!
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Afraid and exhilarated
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Reverent awe
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Apprehensive.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
..like diving under the covers!
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Definitely ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
Is this a trick question? More than 10!
Share with us a childhood nature memory.
Body surfing is a tradition in my family, so at an early age, I regularly braved the icy waves in Santa Cruz, where we had a beach house.
I would run intrepidly into the frigid sea, dodging the crushing turbulence of the waves by diving deep beneath them. I loved the feeling of the oceans power passing over me, almost as much as the thrill of catching a ride!
One day after diving through several waves, I surfaced to realize there were no more waves coming. I had inadvertently moved into deep ocean and was now caught in a riptide which was rapidly pulling me out to sea! I was alternating treading water and trying to swim back to shore when a vigilant stranger noticed and swam out to rescue me.
Though It was a frightening experience, it didn’t deter me from continuing to spend long summer days salty and sunburned in the waves, nor did it diminish my love for all thing’s ocean. But, it was a valuable lesson in humility, and in respect for the ultimate power of nature.
Gianna Marino
Gianna Marino is the New York Times bestselling illustrator of Don't Let Them Disappear, written by Chelsea Clinton and author/illustrator of over a dozen children books, including: Zoopa: An Animal Alphabet, One Too Many, Meet Me at the Moon, Too Tall Houses, Following Papa's Song and Night Animals.
She was born in San Francisco and spent her early years galloping horses through Golden Gate Park. Her explorations expanded after graduating from high school and in order to afford her many journeys, Gianna had several jobs at once: apprenticing a muralist, a jewelry designer, a product designer and driving horse carriages through the park. Gianna explored many corners of the world, from Africa and Asia, to the South Pacific and Europe, to crewing on sailboats in the high seas.
Gianna finally landed a full-time freelance gig designing toys for children, but after several years in a corporate box with no windows, she left for good and began painting, illustrating and writing books for children. She works on her books in Northern California, but still finds time to step into nature.
3 words to describe Nature?
Powerful. Nurturing. Endless
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility
Peace
How to be still and silent
3 most treasured Nature spots?
I won't list specifics, because I don't want to expose a quiet place.... But my treasured spots are forest, desert, water
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Like I just took a deep breath
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Like walking forever
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Like I should run if it is erupting!
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Peaceful and present
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
In awe
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like nature is speaking
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
100
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
When I was 10 years old, I was riding my bike through Golden Gate Park. A man and his daughter came up to me, saying they had just found a little duckling and didn't know what to do with it. I put the little bird in my pocket and took him home. In that moment, my life changed and so began the caring of lost little birds.
Johanna Basford
Johanna Basford is an illustrator and ink evangelist who prefers pens and pencils to pixels. She grew up on a fish farm in rural Aberdeenshire, Scotland where with her little sister, she had a very ‘free range’ childhood. In 2005, after graduating from Textile Design at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee, she interned for a while before making the move to set-up her own studio. Initially she made hand printed wallpaper and small collections of home accessories, but the recession hit. Business was tricky and it forced her to realise her heart wasn’t in manufacturing and selling, it was in drawing. She shut the studio, sold all her equipment and set-up as a freelance Illustrator from a little desk in the corner of a 1 bedroom flat. She worked 2 part time jobs to pay the bills and drew the rest of the time. She took the overnight bus to London on her days off to trawl round the offices of Art Directors and Commissioning Editors with her portfolio. She called these her ‘Commission Missions’. She ignored advice to ‘diversify’ her portfolio. Her signature style of hand drawn, black and white artwork paid off and earned her a list of freelance clients ranging from Nike to Absolut Vodka and Smart Car to Chipotle. In late 2011 she was approached by a publisher to make a colouring book for children. She loved the colouring book idea, but wanted to do something a bit different. Her pitch for a sophisticated, grown up colouring book seemed a little odd at that time, but she drew up the first 5 pages, sent them over and got the thumbs up. In spring 2013 Secret Garden was launched. 4 years later, she has sold over 21 million books worldwide in over 40 countries. These days she spends her time in the studio flitting between creating artwork for her books, dreaming up ideas for new products to be emblazoned with her black and white artwork and of course, organising all those pens and pencils!
3 words to describe Nature?
Beautiful. Inspiring. Soothing
3 things Nature taught you?
Weeds are just wildflowers in unexpected places.
Seasons and weather come and go, you just have to dress appropriately!
Delight in imperfections!
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The Forest at the foot of Goatfell on Isle of Arran
Bennachie – our highest peak in Aberdeenshire, surrounded by beautiful woodlands
The Bluebell Woods near my childhood home – their exact location is secret (!) but in the spring time the carpet of blue blooms and the heavenly scent they create is a treasure!
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Overwhelmed. It’s so vast! My husband was a North Atlantic Fisherman when we met 13 years ago and would spend weeks out at sea. When I saw big waves, I knew to be anxious!
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Curious! I grew up puddling about in the woods near our home and found them to be fertile ground for a child with a wild imagination! As a mother, I now take my own kids to the woods to play – we search for treasures, make dens, look out for fairies and build dams in the small burns that run through the trees. A forest is a glorious playground for the imagination!
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Scared! I’m a bit of a wimp and massively risk adverse. I wouldn’t be able to see a volcano without having flashbacks to school lessons about Pompeii! I can’t imagine ever being inclined to see an active one in person…!
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
So, so calm. I love that hour at the start and end of the day when the air is still and quiet. It feels so magical. We live in the countryside and at certain times of the year we get huge groups of starlings swarming over the fields around our house at dusk. It’s truly spectacular.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Excited! I’ve always loved thunder and lightning, even as a child! I lie in bed counting the seconds between the rumbles and flashes. My Gran told me this tells you how far away the storm is… I’m not sure it’s entirely accurate, but I still do it!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Fresh! I’m a big fan of the ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing’ line of thought. If I’m outside in a howling gale you can bet I’m well wrapped up, cosy and waterproof! But I love the feeling of being buffeted along by the wind and having it blasting in your face - it makes me feel alive in the very best kind of way.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest. Without a doubt.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
11. It’s my reset button. When life is chaotic, pausing to be in the garden, walk in the woods, stare up at the moon – these are the ways I recalibrate and recharge. Living in cities has never appealed to me. A country girl through and through, I find my wellbeing and mental health suffers when I spend long periods of time away from green, wild places with natural beautiful and fresh air.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I grew up on a fish farm in rural Aberdeenshire and had a very ‘free range’ childhood. My sister and I would spend long summer evenings playing in the woods that surrounded our home whilst our parents worked on the farm.
Those hazy nights, when the air was thick with the coconut scent of gorse flowers were magical. We’d ride our bikes through the trails, then spend hours building imaginary farms, houses and gardens amongst the broom. We didn’t need toys, we built props from the things we found – stones, leaves, twigs, pinecones. I distinctly remember building a chicken shed for my imaginary flock of hens.
That kind of untethered, imaginative play is something I dearly hope my own children are lucky enough to experience as I know it’s the place where so much joy and curiosity in my own life is rooted.