Harmonious Living

with Dr. Geraldine McGuire

Sadly, modern living is often grossly out of balance with nature, resulting in poor health, poor soil health, biodiversity loss, and trauma to indigenous communities.We are decidedly not living harmoniously with the world. We’ve cleared 2/3 of the earth’s surface and killed one billion species. How can we restore nature’s balance? And what can we learn from Aboriginal Australians’ way of life? Dr. Geraldine McGuire has spent the better part of her life restoring a rainforest in in North Queensland, Australia. She is an environmental and agricultural scientist, and the founder and director of Rainforest Bounty. As a scientist, and as a human being, she has grown in her understanding of what it means to live harmoniously with the planet and with people. In today’s conversation she reflects on the urgency to live differently. She talks about what she’s learned from life in the rainforest and from the original inhabitants of the area. She describes plants and fruits native to the region, and mixed-species farming, an indigenous practice that has often been overlooked.

Restoring humanity through restoring the earth is a concept from the Aboriginal community that she has embraced. And she guides us all on how to incorporate this approach into our day-to-day lives.

Notes:

Highlights from the conversation include:

how Geraldine starts her days in the rainforest
how Rainforest Bounty got its start
the variety of native Australian fruits found there, like the antioxidant-rich Ooray plum and Lemon Aspen (an ancient citrus fruit high in vitamin C and zinc)
how the intense flavors of fruits reflect the intensity of the environment in Australia
insights into the Aboriginal diet which included not only fruits, but also starchy black and yellow walnuts and meats from native animals
why sustainable meat is an important part of our diet
why Geraldine is convinced it is not necessary to only eat locally grown foods
mixed-species farming, based on indigenous practices
how we are ravaging the planet: we’ve cleared 2/3 of the earth’s surface and killed one billion species
how Aboriginal practices like fire burning helped Australia’s indigenous population live harmoniously with nature for 60,000+ years prior to colonization
why it was once widely thought that Aboriginal people were hunters and gatherers who did not farm the land
the negative impacts of racism against Aboriginal people and how indigenous communities are taking steps to heal
how rainforest restoration methods vary
tips on how to live more harmoniously with nature & why cooking plays a part