Regenerative Agriculture, Business,
& Communities in Costa Rica

In this episode, we speak with Ian-Michael Hebert, one of the founders of Holos, a private retreat center and community specializing in holistic living and transformational experiences.  In our conversation, he discusses the genesis of Holos, their vision for a sustainable and resilient community, and the importance of focusing on reciprocity and honoring the indigenous people of the land. Ian-Michael also emphasizes the importance of preserving the natural beauty of the Diamante Valley and their commitment to stewardship.   Conservation & Cultural Bridge Building are Key   Among other details of the community’s infrastructure, he describes their design for conserving a quarter of the property in addition to reforesting most of the already denatured zones. They also have...

In today’s episode, we hear from Sarah Wu, a highly respected permaculturist & herbalist living and teaching in Costa Rica. I sat down with Sarah at the Envision Festival earlier this year to learn about some of the regenerative initiatives the festival has implemented as part of its mission. Envision is a multi-day music festival with several stages and thousands of participants. By day, the focus is characterized by consciousness-raising workshops and presentations on permaculture, community-building, yoga, wellness, the embodiment of the divine masculine and feminine, and honor of indigenous ways. All this is presented with an overall theme of mindfulness and play. By night, the arena becomes flooded by a secondary population of party-goers enjoying the many talented DJs and...

In this episode, we meet with Scott Gallant, a permaculture consultant at Porvenir Design. I took advantage of the pragmatism he’s developed through his many years here to explore some of the pitfalls he’s seen with foreigners building large-scale developments. We also explore ways he guides his clients toward transmuting those potential problems into solutions. Through his design and consultation work, Scott often finds himself inviting his clients to slow down and simplify their visions. Scott practices what he preaches, and we get into some of the ways he applies the Holistic Context approach to his own business. He also describes his experiences starting and operating a business in Costa Rica, along with the advantages and disadvantages of doing things by the books. The second half...

This episode is with a dedicated community organizer living in the Osa Peninsula, Tricia Stapleton. Tricia shares her embodied wisdom with each question she answers. Relistening to this episode to prepare it for publication was a treat! I had difficulty selecting which portions of this interview to use for the 3-4 highlight reels I produce with every episode because there was SO MUCH amazing content.  You’re lucky to be listening to this episode right now.   One of the many things that Tricia and I have in common is the responsibility we share as regenerative projects of not ignoring the socio-economic context we find ourselves in. Socio-cultural diversity as a vehicle for mutual aid and the bridging of analog and digital solutions to community building are other topics that I enjoyed...

Rodo is a master natural building teacher from Costa Rica who’s been studying & teaching bamboo construction around the world for over 40 years.   I’ve released Rodo’s full-length interview on YouTube, complete with a visual tour of his handmade tools and a demonstration of a few bamboo building techniques he shows us. Still, I decided to release this shortened version of it for my podcast listeners, cutting out the parts that were primarily visual.    Firstly we start this interview in front of one of his most recent compost toilet & shower installments he’d made. We talk a bit about the bamboo and cob techniques that he used, as well as the series of week-long workshops that he taught, using these structures as the workstation.   From there, we move into his bamboo...

Would you like to see their bio-diverse syntropic food forests? Click here to watch the farm tour video we recorded!In today’s episode, we get the privilege of visiting with not one but two leaders in the regenerative space, Jean Pullen & Alan Cacao. Through their project Regenerate Your Reality, Jean & Alan have been tirelessly promoting permaculture education, seed propagation, food sovereignty, & community-building projects throughout the country.      Regenerate Your Reality is a permaculture, agroforestry, and education project working to bring sovereignty and happiness to our communities. ⁣It’s their mission to restore the relationship between humans and the earth to build a regenerative present.   They start the conversation by describing their work educating people at...

Would you like to see their bio-diverse syntropic food forests? Click here to watch the farm tour video we recorded!In today’s episode, I meet with Jonathon Conant. (Airborne Arts Teacher) Jonathon is a seasoned performer, and coach of the airborne arts. He teaches trapeze and aerial silk skills in one of the most enriching environments a student could hope to learn them in. We talk at length about Jonathan's practice of guiding students to explore flow state as a tool for unlocking unrealized potentials and enriched self-awareness. We also talk about a number of the small touches that Jonathon places along his guests’ experience, from his first contacts with them by email down to getting them involved in cleaning up each other’s dishes after sharing a meal. Jonathan uses the word Milieu...

The episode you’re about to hear is with Norman Brooks, Norman is a veteran pioneer in community development here in Costa Rica. Norman found his way to the jungle in a different manner than most of our guests. He followed and supported his children's passions. He’s commonly known by many around these parts as the father of Stephen Brooks, a well-known permaculturist and community leader in the country.    While his backstory gives an impression that Norman has been following in the footsteps of his son’s relentless passion and inspiration, the rest of the interview, as well as most of the other conversations I’ve had with Norman before setting a date to record, reveal him to actually be one of the pillars of practicality and fountains of wisdom that have been instrumental in his...

The episode you’re about to hear is with Edward Zaydelman, founder of Live the Possibility, providing guidance for those looking to take the leap into regenerative communities, sustainable neighborhoods, and revolutionary towns that are shaping the way we now live in the world.   While Edward’s story of developing his first land project, Vida, is one that was riddled with challenges and an ending that was very different than what was hoped for, upon inception, the interview is speckled with silver linings and an evolution of approaches that’s brought Edward to be the respected consultant that he is today.   Edward shares how he's taken what he learned from his years creating space at Burning Man and how he's applied that to his retreats in the tropics.    Edward advises...

Hello, and welcome to the first official episode of Regeneration Nation Costa Rica: A Podcast for Change. We’re exploring the A, B, and C’s of co-creating a regenerative culture.  The A's, B's, & C’s of Agriculture, Business, and Community are three of the pillars that we build our societies around. In these fields, some of the most potent innovators are working to create new living paradigms - in harmony with the planet, its inhabitants, and the well-being of future generations.  Costa Rica is recognized as a hot spot for regenerative innovations and attracts millions of visitors each year. While many are simply traveling to soak up a season of pura vida living, a growing number are looking to contribute to and be part of an idealized movement for change.   Who Am I? My name is...