The Beauty Of Cooperation In Nature With Kristin Ohlson

The environment is one huge organism, and cooperation allows it to thrive and survive. Corinna Bellizzi sits down with Kristin Ohlson, who talks all about cooperation, resilience, and generosity in both human and ecological systems in her book, “Sweet in Tooth and Claw.” Kristin explores various examples of natural cooperation, from plants and microbes in the soil to aquatic animals and coral reefs. She also talks about the importance of human cooperation in rehabilitating soil health and elevating regenerative farming practices. This conversation is truly an eye-opener on how individualism is slowly killing nature and society – and why working together is the only way to unlock lasting growth.About Guest:Kristin Ohlson is a writer from Portland, Oregon. Her book Sweet in Tooth and Claw: Stories of Generosity and Cooperation in the Natural World – which the Wall Street Journal calls “excellent and illuminating” – probes the mutually beneficial relationships among living things that shape and sustain the natural world and explores ways humans can cooperate with the rest of nature. Her last book was The Soil Will Save Us: How Scientists, Farmers and Foodies are Healing the Soil to Save the Planet, which the Los Angeles Times calls “a hopeful book and a necessary one.” She appeared in the award-winning documentary film, Kiss the Ground, to speak about the connection between soil health and climate health.Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinohlson/Guest Website: https://www.kristinohlson.comGuest Social: https://www.instagram.com/kristin.ohlson/https://www.facebook.com/kristin.ohlson.7/Additional Resources Mentioned:Sweet in Tooth and Claw: Stories of Generosity and Cooperation in the Natural WorldShow Notes: Raw audio00:03:24 - Writing ‘Sweet In Tooth & Claw’00:08:06 - Flipping Metaphors About The Environment00:12:53 - Why Nature Is Innately Creative00:16:20 - Negative Impact Of Dams And Why They Must Be Removed00:18:14 - Examples Of Cooperation And Mutualism In Nature00:20:25 - Rebuilding Soil Health Through Regenerative Agriculture00:31:38 - How Farmers Changed Grazing Practices In Nevada00:38:47 - Exploring Indigenous Traditions On Reciprocity00:42:41 - Unlocking Culture Change Through Cooperation00:47:23 - Blending Nature With Awe And Wonder00:52:17 - How Storytelling Connects Science To The Heart00:57:16 - Get In Touch With Kristin And Join Corinna’s Reforestation Efforts00:59:33 - Seeing Life As One Huge Cooperative Act01:02:17 - Episode Wrap-Up And Closing WordsBUILD A GREENER FUTURE with CARE MORE BE BETTER🌴 Subscribe to our newsletter, and we’ll plant a tree in your honor!🌲 Subscribe and rate us wherever you listen, and we’ll plant another tree🌱 Together, we’ve planted 24,251 trees in 2025 through our partnership with ForestPlanet. Follow, subscribe, or join our newsletter to help us keep growing!Follow us on social media:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/caremorebebetter TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@caremorebebetterInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/caremorebebetter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CareMoreBeBetter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/care-more-be-better