Shows
Place and PurposeYear Two: Episode Twelve - Armando Quintero, Director of California State Parks & RecreationGreg and Obi invite Director of California Department of Parks and Recreation, Armando Quintero, onto the program. An experienced parks professional with expertise in park operations, outdoor education, equity and access, and diversity and inclusion in hiring and retention, Armando Quintero has a degree in environmental science and biology. He was executive director of the Sierra Nevada Research Institute at the University of California (UC), Merced, from 2014 to 2020, and served as director of development at UC Merced from 2008 to 2014. He was an elected member of the Marin Municipal Water District from 2008 to 2020. In 2014 he was appointed by Governor Jerry...2024-07-111h 45
Place and PurposeYear Two: Episode Eleven - Greg Sarris and Obi KaufmannWhen we embarked on the journey to create PLACE AND PURPOSE, our goal was simple yet profound: to immerse ourselves in the essence of a single location and use it as a lens through which to explore the complexities of our world. Now, as we approach our 23rd episode, we find ourselves reflecting on the incredible journey we've undertaken. We've asked countless questions, delved into a myriad of topics, and unearthed layers of understanding. In this episode, Greg and Obi not only reflect on what they've learned and gained but also look ahead to the uncharted territories of the...2024-06-201h 15
Place and PurposeYear Two: Episode Ten - Manjula Martin, Author & EditorGreg and Obi invite author Manjula Martin onto the show. Manjula is author of the national bestseller The Last Fire Season: A Personal and Pyronatural History. She is coauthor of Fruit Trees for Every Garden, which won the 2020 American Horticultural Society Book Award. Martin edited the anthology Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living, and she was formerly managing editor of the National Magazine Award–winning literary journal Zoetrope: All-Story. She was born in the Santa Cruz Mountains and currently lives beneath the redwoods in Sonoma County, California. This episode originally streamed live on YouTube May 2 at...2024-05-061h 08
Place and PurposeYear Two: Episode Nine - Greg Sarris and Obi KaufmannJoin us for an inspiring episode as our two esteemed hosts, Greg Sarris and Obi Kaufmann, dive into and explore Greg's newest book: THE FORGETTERS (Heyday 2024). 2024-04-191h 20
Place and PurposeYear Two: Episode Eight - Layel Camargo and Niko Alexandre from The Shelterwood CollectiveGreg and Obi invite special guests Layel Camargo and Niko Alexandre from the Shelterwood Collective onto the show. ABOUT LAYELLayel is Yaqui and Mayo of the Sonoran Desert. As a transgender and gender non-conforming person, they’ve dedicated the last decade advancing climate justice through storytelling by creating campaigns like ‘Climate Woke’ with The Center For Cultural Power and supporting media projects like ‘The North Pole Show’ with Executive Producers Rosario Dawson and Movement Generation, Justice and Ecology Project. They are the producer and host of ‘Did We Go Too Far’, a climate justice podcast. Most recently...2024-03-111h 31
Place and PurposeYear Two: Episode Seven - Eric Wilder, Artist and IllustratorGreg and Obi invite artist and illustrator Eric Wilder onto the show. Eric was trained early in his life as a traditional singer and storyteller by grandparents, Sidney and Essie Parrish of the Kashia Pomo people. Eric has dedicated his life to sharing his knowledge through his art, stories, and practice of both traditional and contemporary native culture. He has served as a consultant on historical texts and as Tribal Secretary and Tribal Chairman on the Kashia Band of Pomo Indians Tribal Council and currently works professionally doing graphic design. This episode originally aired live on YouTube February 8, 2024 at 9...2024-02-131h 48
Place and PurposeYear Two: Episode Six - Greg & Obi Kick off a New YearJoin us for an insightful and inspiring episode as our two esteemed hosts, Greg Sarris and Obi Kaufmann, come together to reflect on the events of the past year and kick off the new year. Together, Greg and Obi will engage in a thoughtful discussion that delves into the highs and lows of the past year, sharing personal anecdotes and lessons learned, reflecting on the future, their aspirations, and resolutions. This episode will air live on YouTube January 11, 2024 at 10am PT.2024-01-1453 min
Place and PurposeYear Two: Episode Five - Adina Merenlender, Professor of Conservation ScienceGreg and Obi are joined by professor Adina Merenlender. Adina is a Professor of Cooperative Extension in Conservation Science at University of California, Berkeley in the Environmental Science, Policy, and Management Department, and is an internationally recognized conservation biologist known for land-use planning, watershed science, landscape connectivity, and naturalist and stewardship training. She is the founding director of California Naturalist, which to date has graduated over 4,000 certified California Naturalists. 2023-12-111h 28
90 Miles from Needles: the Desert Protection PodcastS2E14: Obi Kaufmann and The Deserts of CaliforniaAbout The Guest(s): Obi Kaufmann is an artist, author, and naturalist known for his California Field Atlas series. His latest book, "The Deserts of California," explores the biodiversity and ecological systems of California's deserts. Summary: Obi Kaufmann joins hosts Chris Clarke and Alicia Pike on the "90 Miles from Needles" podcast to discuss his latest book, "The Deserts of California." The book is part of his California Field Atlas series, which aims to explore the how of ecological systems rather than the what or where. Kaufmann shares his fascination with the complexity and diversity of California's deserts...2023-11-0851 min
Place and PurposeYear Two: Episode Four - Caryl Hart, Public Lands Policy ExpertGreg and Obi invite public lands policy expert Caryl Hart onto the show. Caryl Hart, PhD is an attorney and expert in public lands and park policy, with over 25 years of advocacy, scholarship and administrative experience. She is currently Vice Chair of the California Coastal Commission where she has served since 2019. Also, she serves as Chair of the Great Redwood Trail Agency. Dr. Hart served for 13 years as a member of the California State Parks Commission, including seven years as Chair. In 2014, Dr. Hart was appointed by Governor Brown to serve on the Parks Forward Commission to assist in...2023-11-011h 17
Place and PurposeYear Two: Episode Three - Rebecca Solnit, Author & ActivistGreg and Obi sit down to talk with Rebecca Solnit, a writer, historian, and activist. She is the author of more than twenty books on feminism, western and urban history, popular power, social change and insurrection, wandering and walking, hope and catastrophe. Her books include Orwell’s Roses; Recollections of My Nonexistence; Hope in the Dark; Men Explain Things to Me; A Paradise Built in Hell: The Extraordinary Communities that Arise in Disaster; and A Field Guide to Getting Lost. 2023-10-141h 29
For The WildOBI KAUFMANN on the Ecotone of Art and Science /351What is life at the edges of ecosystems, at the moments of convergence? In this week’s episode, guest Obi Kaufmann introduces listeners to his understanding of consilience – emphasizing the importance of art and science in sacred relationship. Obi shares in a reverie about what California has been and could be, and in doing so, he invites guests to imagine a world where we recognize nature as the undeniable truth of who we are. Obi brings rooted knowledge and esoteric inquiry to this conversation. His nuanced understandings of conservation, rewilding, and relating to the natur...2023-10-111h 12
Place and PurposeYear Two: Episode Two - Wade Crowfoot, CA Secretary of Natural ResourcesGreg and Obi invite California's Secretary of Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot onto the show. Secretary Crowfoot oversees an agency of over 25,000 employees spread across 26 departments, commissions, and conservancies. His agency is charged with stewarding California’s forests and natural lands, rivers and water supplies, and coast and ocean. It also protects natural places, wildlife and biodiversity, and helps oversee the state’s world-leading clean energy transition. He has served as Secretary since 2019 and advises Governor Newsom as a member of his cabinet. 2023-09-111h 18
Place and PurposeYear Two: Episode One - Steve Wasserman, publisher of HeydayGreg and Obi invite publisher Steve Wasserman onto Place and Purpose. Wasserman is former editorial director of Times Books/Random House, publisher of Hill & Wang and The Noonday Press at Farrar, Straus & Giroux, and served as editor of the Los Angeles Times Book Review. He is currently the publisher for Heyday, based in Berkeley, CA. This episode originally streamed live on YouTube on August 3 at 10am PT.2023-08-071h 28
Place and PurposeJulyGreg Sarris and Obi Kaufmann continue their live, video-podcast from Sonoma Mountain. This episode streamed live on YouTube Live. The video replay is available on YouTube after the live broadcast, and audio-only versions are available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and others.2023-07-1057 minPlace and PurposeJuneGreg Sarris and Obi Kaufmann continue their live, video-podcast from Sonoma Mountain. This episode streamed live on YouTube Live. The video replay is available on YouTube after the live broadcast, and audio-only versions are available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and others.2023-06-031h 06Place and PurposeMayGreg Sarris and Obi Kaufmann continue their live, video-podcast from Sonoma Mountain. This episode streamed live on YouTube Live. The video replay is available on YouTube after the live broadcast, and audio-only versions are available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, and others.2023-05-0558 minPlace and PurposeAprilGreg Sarris and Obi Kaufmann continue their live, video-podcast from Sonoma Mountain. They will explore their role as caretakers of California's old stories and what these narratives might have to say to and about the people of twenty-first century California. More than allegory, the agents of these stories offer applicability in regard to being of and from this place and how to experience it wholly, with an integrally human purpose and a particularly focused vision.Register for our mailing list to qualify to win a free book from Greg and Obi. Winner is chosen live during each...2023-04-071h 04Place and PurposeMarchGreg Sarris and Obi Kaufmann continue their live, video-podcast from Sonoma Mountain. They analyze some traditional stories of seasonality, share observations of what is going on in the more-than-human world, and discuss some policy points and cultural trends that are shaping 2023.Register for our mailing list to qualify to win a free book from Greg and Obi. Winner is chosen live during each episode: http://www.placeandpurpose.live2023-03-1257 minPlace and PurposeFebruaryGreg Sarris and Obi Kaufmann continue their live, video-podcast from Sonoma Mountain. In addition to talking about all things seasonal, Greg and Obi will also be discussing the story "Coyote Creates People" from How a Mountain was Made by Greg (Heyday). They will dive into how this story illuminates the wisdom to be found in a dynamically changing world and how that wisdom can aid us in making sense of what is going on today. Register for our mailing list to qualify to win a free book from Greg and Obi. Winner is chosen live during each...2023-02-031h 00Place and PurposeJanuaryGreg Sarris and Obi Kaufmann continue their live, video-podcast from Sonoma Mountain.2023-01-0554 minPlace and PurposeDecemberGreg Sarris and Obi Kaufmann continue their live, video-podcast from Sonoma Mountain.2022-12-0258 minPlace and PurposeNovemberRecorded live on Thursday, November 3, 2022, at 10am PST, Greg Sarris and Obi Kaufmann continue their live, video-podcast from Sonoma Mountain.2022-11-071h 05Place and PurposeOctoberGreg Sarris and Obi Kaufmann continue their live, video-podcast. This time broadcasting from Greg’s farm in Northern California.Learn more at: placeandpurpose.live2022-10-091h 09Place and PurposeSeptemberGreg Sarris and Obi Kaufmann continue their live-podcast from the backcountry of Sonoma Mountain. This time, the two discuss the coming of fall, harvest, and other topics related to California's seasonal history, ecology, and indigenous wisdom. 2022-09-031h 03
EcoNews ReportExploring California’s Coasts with Obi KaufmannObi Kaufmann, naturalist and best-selling author, joins Gang Green to talk about his new book, The Coasts of California: A California Field Atlas. Like his previous best sellers, The Coasts of California explores the Golden State’s wild places in a way only Obi can, through hundreds of watercolor paintings and maps, woven together with philosophy and lyrical naturalism.Obi also has a new podcast — shameless cross-promotion here — called Place & Purpose, where he and co-host Greg Sarris, Chairman of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria, explore deep questions of purpose and belonging.Grab a cup of tea...2022-08-1428 minPlace and PurposeAugustGreg Sarris and Obi Kaufmann launch their live, video-podcast from the backcountry of Sonoma Mountain. Called “Place & Purpose”, this 12-part series will cover a vast range of topics exploring what it is to be from California. Ranging from historic policy to traditional ecological knowledge, from scientific innovation to indigenous criticism, join Greg and Obi for this first discussion and then again every month as they watch the seasons change and wrestle with themes of hope, time, and justice. 2022-08-052h 02