Ever since the extraordinary week of events here in Western Australia last month, from a reception at Government House for former podcast guests and current West Australians of the Year, Di and Ian Haggerty, through to the 2-day Regenerating Food Systems conference at Perth Stadium, and on to the 2-day Grounded Festival down south near Bridgetown, and plenty more besides, I’ve been wondering what might hold up to share with you here on the podcast.

In short, I’ve got a few things you might enjoy hearing. Starting today, with the very first panel of the Regenerating Food Systems conference (with thanks to the team at RegenWA).

It features five special guests: prominent writer, broadcaster and chef turned farmer Matthew Evans, globally renowned plant and soil health educator and consultant Joel Williams, nationally recognised Indigenous leader and regenerative land manager Oral McGuire, award-winning farmer and RegenWA Chair Stuart McAlpine, and soil and gut microbiome researcher Dr Craig Liddicoat (yes, mighty men's business - mighty women's business closed the day).

I start by asking each of our guests for fire starters, and it takes off from there.

Chapter markers & transcript.

Recorded 17 September 2025.

Title image: AJ, Matthew, Joel, Oral, Stuart and Craig (pic: Paolo Sulit).

See more photos on the episode web page, and for more behind the scenes, become a supporting listener below.

Find more:

RegenWA’s written debrief on the conference.

The WA Governor's introduction of the conference.

Oral McGuire's appearance on SBS News.

Music:

Citadel by Ardie Son (sourced from Artlist).

Regeneration, by Amelia Barden.

The RegenNarration playlist, music chosen by guests.

Send us a text

Support the show

The RegenNarration podcast is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. We'd love you to join us.

Become a paid subscriber to connect with your host, other listeners and exclusive benefits, on Patreon or the new Substack.

Or donate directly via the website (avoiding fees) or PayPal.

While you can also visit The RegenNarration shop. Come to an event. And please do share, rate and review the podcast.

Thanks for your support!

Welcome to one final special offering for you to round out the series recorded at Amskapi Piikani Blackfeet Nation, in current day northern Montana. When the documentary film that culminated at Chief Mountain, Bring Them Home, was screened at the Regenerate Conference in Denver last year, while on its award-winning international film festival circuit, co-director Daniel Glick and producer Melissa Grumhaus from Thunderheart Films were there.

The film charts the decades-long story leading to the return of buffalo to the wild for the first time in over a century. And it’s narrated by Oscar-nominated Blackfeet woman, Lily Gladstone. So in the emotion of the moment, I recorded the 25 minute Q&A with Daniel and Melissa on my phone, just for myself, and asked them afterwards if they’d be up for doing a podcast on this. Thankfully they were.

But when I listened back to the Q&A, it was all there. Succinct, in the moment, and profound – talking about the film’s story, and their own. I was able to ask a couple of the questions too, that more or less bookend it. So I checked with Melissa if she’d be happy if we just ran this, and thankfully she was. I hope enjoy joining us in a downtown Denver theatre.

Chapter markers & transcript.

Recorded 6 November 2024.

See photos on the episode web page, and for more behind the scenes, become a supporting listener below.

Find more:

Film screenings and streaming opportunities (with an invitation to get in touch for more).

Film trailer.

The 18-minute short film directed by Daniel in 2016 that triggered the feature film (which was also co-directed by Blackfeet filmmakers Ivan and Ivy MacDonald).

For more of the story and the places, you can listen to the 2-part podcast series produced on Blackfeet Country, episodes 276, Culture as Medicine, and 277, Chief Mountain.

Music:

Bring Them Home, by Foreshadow feat. Ksk'staak'iinna (Official Music Video).

Home Journey, by Semo, Ian Post (sourced on Artlist).

Regeneration, by Amelia Barden.

Send us a text

Support the show

The RegenNarration podcast is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. We'd love you to join us.

Become a paid subscriber to connect with your host, other listeners and exclusive benefits, on Patreon or the new Substack.

Or donate directly via the website (avoiding fees) or PayPal.

While you can also visit The RegenNarration shop. Come to an event. And please do share, rate and review the podcast.

Thanks for your support!

Last week featured a very special on-location episode with Amskapi Piikani Blackfeet elder, and founder of the Piikani Lodge Health Institute, Long Time Charging Woman Kim Paul. That was our first day together, visiting some of the places Kim holds most dear on spectacular Blackfeet Country in current day northern Montana, all while sharing some breathtaking stories about her life and work.

We left off that episode hearing the story of how Piikani Lodge came to be, and the support that started to serendipitously kick in. Back at the house that night, Andrew Berger turned up. He’s the Director of Agriculture and Climate Adaptation Programs at Piikani Lodge.

Based in Baltimore, he’s a landscape architect who cut his teeth in New Mexico on water rights and planning, which fortuidously led him to Piikani Lodge in its relatively early days. And he’s found himself pivotal to the big vision Kim talked about last time, on their latest reacquired land, while he also works with that increasing number (almost half of them so far) of the landholders and farmers improving their land management and production.

So the next day, Kim and Andrew kindly offered to take us out to the sacred sentinel that is Chief Mountain. Which was also where the closing scenes to the new award-winning documentary I talked about last week, Bring Them Home, were filmed, as buffalo were returned to the wild for the first time in over a century.

So join me as I climb in with Andrew to hear how he’s seeing this country, the work of Piikani Lodge, and his role in it all. We’re to meet up with Kim at Chief Mountain. And the day goes on to culminate with an unforgettable wild encounter, while it starts with an heroic story, and more breaking news, straight out of the gate.

Chapter markers & transcript.

Recorded 11 July 2025.

Title image: Andrew, Kim & AJ by the Medicine Wheel (pic: Olivia Cheng).

See more photos on the episode web page, and for more behind the scenes become a supporting listener below.

Btw, at the last location in this ep, it was Pearl Jam’s bassist.

Music:

Flight of the Inner Bird, by Yehezkel Raz feat. Sivan Talmor (from Artlist).

Regeneration, by Amelia Barden.

The RegenNarration playlist, music chosen by guests.

Send us a text

Support the show

The RegenNarration podcast is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. We'd love you to join us.

Become a paid subscriber to connect with your host, other listeners and exclusive benefits, on Patreon or the new Substack.

Or donate directly via the website (avoiding fees) or PayPal.

While you can also visit The RegenNarration shop. Come to an event. And please do share, rate and review the podcast.

Thanks for your support!