WorldWild Podcast
Episode 34 21st February 2020
Reimagining Ourselves with Bruce Parry and Nicola Burgess
We are joined by two guests this week; Bruce Parry, the Tribe and Amazon presenter, and Nicola Burgess, who works perennially in the outdoors, up mountains, in the woods and occasionally in the jungle. Amongst other things, she teaches foraging and traditional crafts focused on the sustainable use of natural materials, in the hope of facilitating a meaningful and respectful relationship with ecology and environment.
It was Bruce's last film Tawai: A Voice from the Forest that made him take a step back and reconsider what he had learned from his many travels. In this chat, we discuss what he saw differently after the making of the film in the forests of Borneo, our cultural myths, the sexual politics within hunter-gatherer societies, meditation and spiritual work, and the notion of a truly egalitarian community...
'The biggest thing we’re missing, we lost a long time ago'
- Bruce Parry / ep.34
About Bruce Parry
Bruce Parry is primarily known for his work at the BBC with the documentary series’ Tribe and Amazon. His latest film, which he co-directed, is Tawai: A Voice from the Forest, which featured the Penan, a nomadic indigenous people living in the rainforests of Borneo. Upon returning to the UK, Bruce vowed to put the lessons he has learnt from numerous tribes around the world into practical action through the building of an egalitarian community in the Welsh countryside.
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About Nicola Burgess
Nicola Burgess is a forager, bushcraft and outdoor skills teacher, qualified mountain leader, basket weaver, and lover of nature. She runs Calluna Wildcraft; Calluna being the Latin name for Heather which has a long history of human use.
Further reading
> See more from Bruce Parry here.
> See more from Nicola Burgess here.
> Watch Bruce's talk 'Power and Revolution'
> Watch a video about the Polyvagal Theory
> Watch a video about the divided brain by Dr Iain McGilchrist.
> Look up the Radical Anthropology Group
> Find Nicola Burgess on Instagram here
About the show
We offer a series of conversations to tap into the wildness within ourselves and to uncover what is possible when we do. It is our hope that through the WorldWild Podcast we can contribute to the revitalisation of wild food culture and conversation around the world.
Through people who know their landscapes intimately, we gather the threads to weave a rich tapestry. Piece by piece the vision of a wilder world comes into view. The wild embrace of nature welcomes us back and offers us a seat at the table. A feast, no less!