Working with nature to heal the earth

Derek Gow is a UK-based reintroduction expert, farmer and author known for his work with watervoles, beavers, white storks and wildcats. He also imported the first Heck cattle to the UK. However, after aggressive behaviour could harm or even kill handlers, a significant proportion of the herd was culled. Gow owns a farm in Lifton, Devon, which is home to captive breeding facilities, accommodation and a working farm. Much of the land is under the process of rewilding, alike to the Knepp Estate. The farm is home to many species, including Eurasian lynx, wild boar, beavers, white storks and harvest mice. Gow has helped to setup Celtic Reptile and Amphibian.

Judith D. Schwartz is an author who tells stories to explore and illuminate scientific concepts and cultural nuance. She takes a clear-eyed look at global environmental, economic, and social challenges, and finds insights and solutions in natural systems. Author of ‘The Reindeer Chronicles: And Other Inspiring Stories of Working with Nature to Heal the Earth’ ; ‘Cows Save the Planet: And Other Improbable Ways of Restoring Soil to Heal the Earth’; and ‘Water in Plain Sight: Hope for a Thirsty World’.

Ben Goldfarb is a journalist, editor, and Beaver Believer. He is the author of Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter, winner of the 2019 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award and named one of the best books of 2018 by the Washington Post. He is also the recipient of a 2019 Alicia Patterson Fellowship, through which he will be covering the global ecological impacts of roads.

Martin Lee Mueller is an ecophilosopher, writer and storyteller who lives in Oslo.