Radio Ecozoic

About Radio Ecozoic

How can we transform global ecological crisis into a future where we humans thrive together with the community of life on our shared planet? What does it take to build a world rooted in justice and sustainability? From the Leadership for the Ecozoic initiative at the University of Vermont and McGill University, this is Radio Ecozoic. Join us as we seek to answer these questions with help from ecological economists, environmental anthropologists, legal scholars, and community stakeholders committed to restoring Earth's support systems through social justice principles.

Publisher

Radio Ecozoic

Category

science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

23 Oct 2024

Latest episode

6 Nov 2026

Latest episodes

9 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Nov 2026

   Episode 9 - The Wellbeing Economy with Amanda Janoo

   A few weeks back, Bobi, Juli, and Alana had the pleasure of sitting down with Amanda Janoo. She is a longtime friend of Leadership for the Ecozoic, as her work with the Wellbeing Economy Alliance has strong overlaps with our research in Ecological Economics. We asked Amanda to join us on the podcast because there is a growing interest among non-academic communities in alternative economic models, visions, and possibilities. Amanda was also running for Governor at the time of this interview, so you’ll hear some references to her campaign throughout our conversation. Although she didn’t win, she helped Vermonters imagine a different economic future for our state, one where we shape our economy in accordance with people’s needs and values. Amanda has a wealth of experience to share, a deep attachment to the place she calls home, and a knack for expressing complex concepts in ways that are easy to understand. We trust that the seeds she planted through this campaign will continue to grow, even if we don’t yet know what they’ll grow into. To learn more about the Wellbeing Economy Alliance, visit: https://weall.org/ (https://weall.org/) To learn more about the Wellbeing Economy Alliance of Vermont, visit: Wellbeing Economy Alliance of Vermont – A Network of Networks (https://weav.network/)

2. 

   23 Oct 2026

   Episode 8 - Representation & Agency in Participatory Filmmaking

   In this episode, we speak with Mariam Abazeri, an environmental and visual anthropologist at Arizona State University whose research explores the climate crisis and water governance in Iran. Mariam is also a co-producer of the participatory documentary Women of the Sun: A Chronology of Seeing, made with women in Shafiabad, a village on the edge of Iran’s Lut Desert. This film follows a group of Iranian women who take up cameras to document their lives as they organize for better incomes and greater independence through a handicraft cooperative that also helps restore their village’s water supply. In the process, their filmmaking becomes a subject of debate, raising questions about women’s visibility, authority, and power to represent their own lives. You’ll find links to Women of the Sun and selections of Mariam’s published work, in our show notes. We recorded this conversation before the most recent U.S. military attacks on Iran, so those events are not addressed in the interview. As we share it now, we want to acknowledge the lives lost and the suffering caused by this violence, and to express our solidarity with all those affected. Links: Women of the Sun: A Chronology of Seeing documentary: https://mubi.com/en/us/films/women-of-the-sun-a-chronology-of-seeing (https://mubi.com/en/us/films/women-of-the-sun-a-chronology-of-seeing) Society for Visual Anthropology Film and Media Conference https://svafilmandmediafestival.org/ (https://svafilmandmediafestival.org/) Co-directed by Mariam Abazeri and Anna Neumann, the next festival will take place March 19–21, 2027, in Baltimore, Maryland. Society for Visual Anthropology Visual Research Conference: https://www.societyforvisualanthropology.org/visual-research-conference (https://www.societyforvisualanthropology.org/visual-research-conference) The upcoming VRC takes place November 17–18, 2026, in St. Louis, Missouri, bringing together researchers and filmmakers to share and discuss visual and multimodal works-in-progress. Mariam Abazeri selected works: “Seeing with others: Participatory media, spectatorship, and the afterlife of representation” (2026) https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01634437261417434 (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01634437261417434) “A Chronology of Seeing: Subverting Gender Norms through a Long-Term Participatory Video Project with Rural Women in Iran” (2022) https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/var.12278 (https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/var.12278) “Decolonial feminisms and degrowth” (2022) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016328722000027?via%3Dihub (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0016328722000027?via%3Dihub) Radio Ecozoic is created and hosted by Bobi Steel, Juliana Neira, and Lindsay Ofrias. It is executive produced by Julian Flavin and Alana Redden. This episode was edited by Alana Redden. Music by Marxist Jargon. The show is a project of the Leadership for the Ecozoic initiative, which is based at McGill University and the University of Vermont, as well as the Critical Media Lab, which is housed in McGill’s University Department of Anthropology.

3. 

   20 Jul 2026

   Episode 7 - Ecozoic Conferencing with Dina Spigelski and Deissy Perilla

   Today we're exploring a question many of us have wondered after sitting through another exhausting conference or overly scheduled retreat: why do so many professional gatherings leave us feeling drained when they could leave us feeling inspired? In this episode, we're joined by two people who have spent years experimenting with ways to make that possible. Our guests, Dina Spigelski and Deissy Perilla, share practical, concrete advice for designing conferences, retreats, and team gatherings that people actually enjoy attending. We're talking about everything from choosing locations that foster connection, to building planning committees that share responsibility, to creating space for play alongside serious intellectual work. Between Dina's experience coordinating large collaborative research projects and Deissy's background in anthropology, popular education, and grassroots organizing, the two have spent years thinking about what helps groups of people meaningfully connect and learn together. Through their work with the Leadership for the Ecozoic initiative—Dina as Associate Director of Leadership and Deissy as Project Coordinator—they developed and refined an approach to designing professional gatherings that aim to leave participants feeling energized rather than depleted. In this conversation, they generously share the lessons they've learned along the way, including what has worked, what hasn't, and what has surprised them most. So if you're planning a work gathering of any kind, you'll come away with ideas you can put into practice right away to make it more engaging and memorable. -- Links: L4E:⁠ ⁠l4ecozoic.org⁠⁠ (https://www.l4ecozoic.org/) Critical Media Lab: ⁠⁠criticalmedialabmcgill.com⁠ (criticalmedialabmcgill.com)⁠ Radio Ecozoic is created and hosted by Bobi Steel, Juliana Neira and Lindsay Ofrias. It is executive produced by Julian Flavin and Alana Redden. Music by Marxist Jargon. The show is a project of the Leadership for the Ecozoic initiative, which is based at McGill University and the University of Vermont, as well as the Critical Media Lab, which is housed in McGill’s University Department of Anthropology.

4. 

   1 Jun 2026

   Episode 6 - Agroecology: Lived, Political, Historical

   In this episode, we are joined by Katie Horner and Anisah Madden — two badass agroecologists in the Leadership for the Ecozoic (L4E) community. Katie is a former PhD Fellow at L4E who later completed a postdoc at UVM's Institute for Agroecology (IfA). Anisah is a political geographer whose work focuses on the micro politics of building food sovereignty across scales. She is currently a Postdoctoral Associate at IfA and L4E. Our conversation explores how agroecology, as an academic discipline and social movement, is inherently political. You will hear about the historical roots of agroecology, as well as reflections on movement building locally in Vermont and internationally. Katie and Anisah dive into their personal experiences about how food, the land, and the struggle for justice all drive their work as agroecologists. We wish to express our gratitude and solidarity with all those struggling for food sovereignty and agroecology across the world. Juliana Neira, whose PhD research is on political agroecology, had the pleasure of hosting this conversation. --- Links: Institute for Agroecology: https://www.uvm.edu/instituteforagroecology (https://www.uvm.edu/instituteforagroecology) L4E: ⁠l4ecozoic.org⁠ (https://www.l4ecozoic.org/) Critical Media Lab: ⁠criticalmedialabmcgill.com (criticalmedialabmcgill.com)⁠ Radio Ecozoic is created and hosted by Bobi Steel, Juliana Neira, Lindsay Ofrias, and Shaun Sellers. It is executive produced by Julian Flavin and Alana Redden. Music by Marxist Jargon. The show is a project of the Leadership for the Ecozoic initiative, which is based at McGill University and the University of Vermont, as well as the Critical Media Lab, which is housed in McGill’s University Department of Anthropology.

5. 

   14 May 2026

   Episode 5 - The Rise of Political Violence in our Communities

   This episode was motivated by a shared desire to discuss the increased state violence in the United States that particularly targets immigrant communities. This past winter, the national spotlight was on Minneapolis, Minnesota, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained people without warrants, harassed community members in their streets and homes, and fatally shot people who were supporting their neighbors. Then, in March, ICE illegally targeted Ecuadorian and Hunduran community members in Burlington, VT – home to many in our community. After a day-long standoff between community protectors and ICE, Vermont State Police, and local police departments, ICE detained three of our immigrant community members. Not only were these collateral arrests, it also turned out that none of these people were named on the criminal warrant ICE used to arrest them. Our community rallied, and the combination of community organizing, fundraising, and collective pressure resulted in the release of all three people after they were held in jail for more than a week. Our shared experience of heartbreak and outrage following these episodes of state-inflicted cruelty is the focus of today’s episode. You will hear from Leadership for the Ecozoic (L4E) Fellows Juliana Neira, Liam Grima, Shashank Poudel, Matias Vaccarezza Sevilla, Francis Guarascio, and Bobi Steel, as well as L4E staff member Alana Redden. We share our reflections and analyses of today’s political climate, its impacts on ourselves and the people and places we love, and how we find meaningful forms of resistance. While we are all members of L4E, we showed up to this conversation as individuals, and we speak only on behalf of ourselves. Links: To read Matias’ related blogpost: https://www.l4ecozoic.org/reflections-detail/building-community-and-hope-to-resist-fascism-in-the-usa-feelings-from-an-international-student (https://www.l4ecozoic.org/reflections-detail/building-community-and-hope-to-resist-fascism-in-the-usa-feelings-from-an-international-student) To learn more about the ICE operation in South Burlington on March 11: https://www.rakevt.org/2026/03/18/local-and-state-police-were-essential-to-ices-raid-in-south-burlington/ (https://www.rakevt.org/2026/03/18/local-and-state-police-were-essential-to-ices-raid-in-south-burlington/) L4E: l4ecozoic.org (https://www.l4ecozoic.org/) Critical Media Lab: criticalmedialabmcgill.com (http://criticalmedialabmcgill.com/) Radio Ecozoic is created and hosted by Bobi Steel, Juliana Neira, Lindsay Ofrias, and Shaun Sellers. It is executive produced by Julian Flavin and Alana Redden. Music by Marxist Jargon. The show is a project of the Leadership for the Ecozoic initiative, which is based at McGill University and the University of Vermont, as well as the Critical Media Lab, which is housed in McGill’s University Department of Anthropology.

6. 

   12 Nov 2025

   Episode 4 - Research as Community Building with Josh Farley

   Professor Josh Farley discusses his ecological economics research, which spans food economics and monetary systems, and how he builds community through shared meals and outdoor activities in this interview.

7. 

   16 Apr 2025

   Episode 3 - "The Sustainability Class", a conversation with authors Vijay Kolinjivadi and Aaron Vansintjan

   A few weeks ago, we had the privilege of hosting Aaron Vansintjan and Vijay Kolinjivadi at McGill University to discuss their new book, The Sustainability Class: How to Take Back Our Future from Lifestyle Environmentalists. This episode is a recording of their campus talk, where they share the personal experiences that led them to co-author the book, revealing what goes on behind the scenes at international climate negotiations. From backroom deals to corporate greenwashing, they break down how these summits shape the mainstream environmental agenda—and why that can be a problem. More than a critique, they present a compelling vision for a more sustainable future–one that is grounded in collective action. Vijay is an assistant professor at the School for Community and Public Affairs at Concordia University in Montreal. He’s also a co-editor of the website Uneven Earth and has contributed to Al Jazeera, New Internationalist, Truthout, and The Conversation. Aaron is the founder and co-editor of Uneven Earth and co-author of The Future Is Degrowth. His work has been featured in The Guardian, Truthout, openDemocracy, and The Ecologist. Check out their book here: https://thenewpress.org/books/the-sustainability-class/ Follow The Sustainability Class on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sustainability_class/ ----- About Radio Ecozoic is created and hosted by Bobi Steel, Juliana Neira, Lindsay Ofrias, and Shaun Sellers. It is executive produced by Julian Flavin and Sean Cannon. Music is by Marxist Jargon. The show is a project of the Leadership for the Ecozoic Initiative, which is based at McGill University and the University of the Vermont, as well as the Critical Media Lab, which is housed in McGill University's anthropology Department. Leadership for the Ecozoic - https://www.l4ecozoic.org/ (https://www.l4ecozoic.org/) Critical Media Lab (CML) - https://criticalmedialabmcgill.com/ (https://criticalmedialabmcgill.com/)

8. 

   18 Dec 2024

   Episode 2 - Ubuntu and Parenting in Grad School with Lizah Makombore

   In the second episode of Radio Ecozoic we’re joined by Lizah Makombore, a PhD fellow with the Leadership for the Ecozoic Initiative. Her life and work embody the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu, a value system that emphasizes community-centered action through the teaching, 'I am because we are.' Lizah is from Zimbabwe and lived in South Africa for many years. She is the first in her family to pursue higher education, and as we will hear, Lizah honors the resilience of her ancestors by fostering community and shared purpose in everything she does. With over a decade of experience in the NGO sector, development organizations, and higher education, Lizah has contributed to climate change policy and efforts supporting water stewardship and small-scale farming across Sub-Saharan Africa. In this episode, Lizah shares how Ubuntu principles guide her research on sustainable agriculture at the University of Vermont, she also talks about her parenting style as a mother of twins, and shares her journey navigating the challenges of graduate school in a new country. Together we explore how honoring our roots and finding strength in community can help us thrive as scholars, caregivers, and global citizens. Let’s begin! Links: L4E - https://www.l4ecozoic.org/ (https://www.l4ecozoic.org/) Critical Media Lab (CML) - https://criticalmedialabmcgill.com/ (https://criticalmedialabmcgill.com/) Lizah's bio - https://www.l4ecozoic.org/lizah-makombore Radio Ecozoic is created and hosted by Bobi Steel, Juliana Neira, Lindsay Ofrias, and Shaun Sellers. It is executive produced by Julian Flavin and Sean Cannon. Music is by Marxist Jargon. The show is a project of the Leadership for the Ecozoic Initiative, which is based at McGill University and the University of the Vermont, as well as the Critical Media Lab, which is housed in McGill University's Department of Anthropology.

9. 

   23 Oct 2024

   Episode 1 - “Rewilding” Human Cultures with Josh Sterlin

   In the very first episode of Radio Ecozoic we’re thrilled to welcome Josh Sterlin, a friend and fellow researcher with the Leadership for the Ecozoic initiative. Josh’s PhD thesis, Cultural Rewilding: An Ethnographic Study of the Nature Connection Movement, explores wilderness awareness education and culture-building in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. After a technical glitch forced us to re-record the episode, we were grateful for the chance to sit down with Josh again in July 2023 and dive even deeper into his research. A lot had happened in the time between the two recordings, including a devastating wildfire season across North America that made the conversation about connecting to wilderness, especially through forests, all the more poignant during the second recording. In this episode, Josh takes us through his experience working with wilderness schools as part of his PhD fieldwork, how he has continued to practice their teachings in his own life, and introduces us to the concept of a “sit spot.” A sit spot is a simple yet powerful way to foster a deeper connection with the broader natural world, which involves regularly sitting quietly in the same outdoor location to observe your surroundings. Josh offers guidance on how to create your own sit spot, whether you're in a forest, a park, or even an urban area, and explains how this practice can help cultivate a sense of belonging and a greater capacity to care for both the beauty and destruction we face in today’s world. Links: L4E - https://www.l4ecozoic.org/ (https://www.l4ecozoic.org/) Critical Media Lab (CML) - https://criticalmedialabmcgill.com/ (https://criticalmedialabmcgill.com/) Josh’s website - https://jsterlin.org/about (https://jsterlin.org/about) Wilderness Awareness School - https://wildernessawareness.org/ (https://wildernessawareness.org/) How to create a sit spot - https://wildernessawareness.org/articles/sit-spot-faqs/#:~:text=The%20best%20Sit%20Spot%20is,safe%20while%20you%20are%20there (https://wildernessawareness.org/articles/sit-spot-faqs/#:~:text=The%20best%20Sit%20Spot%20is,safe%20while%20you%20are%20there). https://wildernessawareness.org/articles/core-routine-sit-spot/ (https://wildernessawareness.org/articles/core-routine-sit-spot/) Radio Ecozoic is created and hosted by Bobi Steel, Juliana Neira, Lindsay Ofrias, and Shaun Sellers. It is executive produced by Julian Flavin and Sean Cannon. Music is by Marxist Jargon. The show is a project of the Leadership for the Ecozoic Initiative, which is based at McGill University and the University of the Vermont, as well as the Critical Media Lab, which is housed in McGill University's anthropology Department.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 15 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

30

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

0

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