As we cross the threshold of the winter solstice, Alena is joined by Satish Kumar - former Jain monk, peace pilgrim, and one of the UK’s most influential ecological thinkers - for a deeply grounding conversation about how we live, what we value and how we care for the world around us.

From walking 8,000 miles for peace without money, to his guiding philosophy of soil, soul and society, Satish reflects on non-violence, reverence for life and the quiet power of grassroots action. In a time of environmental grief and political inertia, this episode invites us to reconnect with trust and courage, and to remember that meaningful change begins exactly where we are.

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Politics of the Pavement (Part 1) with Jack Wallington

In this first half of our Politics of the Pavement two-parter, we prise up the paving slabs and look at how our streets and gardens became so obsessively neat and what we’ve lost along the way. From Victorian ideals of respectability to the post-war pesticide boom, this episode traces how control and order were built into our landscapes. We explore why weeds are still seen as shameful, the lasting cultural power of “tidy,” and how chemical dependency became normalised in public and private spaces.

Later in the episode, we’re joined by writer, organic grower, and garden designer Jack Wallington, who reflects on his journey from Chelsea Flower Show gardens to wilder, chemical-free growing. Together, we explore what it means to rewrite the story of gardens.

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In this episode, we’re joined by the brilliant Mary Reynolds - former Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winner turned rewilding activist and founder of the We Are The ARK movement. Mary shares her powerful journey from designing pristine gardens to championing wild, messy, life-filled outdoor spaces and challenges us to stop seeing ourselves as gardeners and start seeing ourselves as guardians.

Before diving in, we kick off with a quick news round-up: the latest on the voting age change in England, PAN UK’s new pesticide report, plus updates from our campaigns in Wales and our upcoming Urban Nature Day in Newcastle upon Tyne this September.

In our chat with Mary, we explore:

• How she went from garden designer to full-time rewilding activist
• The story behind We Are The ARK and its nine practical steps for restoring life
• Why tidy gardens are bad news for biodiversity
• Ireland’s nature crisis and what it tells us about land use everywhere
• Myths we need to let go of about ownership, control and connecting with nature
• The crucial role of native plants in keeping ecosystems alive
• How building an ARK can turn everyday people into activists
• Mary’s own six-acre ARK in Ireland and the love she’s built with her land
• Why humans must act as guardians if we’re to prevent further ecological collapse
• Her advice for young activists on staying resilient and leading with love

Links:

• PAN UK's new report on council pesticide use: https://www.pan-uk.org/pesticide-free/
• Our latest petition for residents (whether you study, live or work) in Newcastle upon Tyne, calling on the council to ditch pesticides: https://win.newmode.net/ukyouthfornature/stopsprayingnewcastlemakeourstreetspesticidefree
• Our campaign pack for lobbying local councils on pesticide use: https://www.ukyouthfornature.org/your-wild-streets-campaign
• The ARK: https://wearetheark.org/

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