First Nature

Join host Shawn Berry on a walk through the wilds of Utah as he explores the relationship between the agricultural revolution and humanity’s connection to time, sustenance, and the rhythms of nature. The shift from hunter-gathering to farming brought abundance and stability but also introduced hierarchies, inequalities, and a new way of measuring life itself. How has this transformation shaped not only our survival but also our sense of fulfillment? Reflecting on these ancient rhythms offers ...

At age 18 on a cross-country ramble Matt Cochran pulled over for an evening stroll in the middle of the New Mexico desert after a long days drive. It nearly scared the ghost out of him. Thus begins an odyssey of a wayward youth on the journey to a version manhood mentored by the force of nature itself. From childhood memories of finding solace in nature during family gatherings to thrilling cliff diving adventures. Matt’s story takes us on wander down a path of self-exploration and healing be...

On a winter morning’s walk at the foot of the snowcapped Sierra Nevadas in California’s Owen’s Valley, host Shawn Berry ponders how we may have experienced our consciousness as it began to come into being. This episode of First Nature considers the human development of self-awareness and how our ancestors might have experimented with the use of sound and rhythm to communicate this burgeoning inner, solo adventure while also developing the fundamental elements of ritual and ceremony as a strat...

When was the first story told? What were the sounds were made that were understood as words? What was the storyteller hoping to convey in the telling? And how long was that story told and retold? Listen in as storyteller Noah Crowe shares about the power of actively selecting our stories and the role they play in shaping our understanding and unity as a community. Good storytelling underscores the potential negative effects of cultural fragmentation, which can lead to a lack of common experie...

The First Nature podcast was hosted for two years as a segment on the Rising Man podcast. This year it fledges the nest to bring quality nature connection content to the world at large. In this first episode, host Shawn Berry speaks to the vision and mission of the podcast and lays a foundation for what listeners can anticipate from future episodes; intriguing interviews, on location narratives, and inspiring ideas and encouragement for listeners to deepen their own relationship with nature, ...