"We can't live longer and better without the planet being healthy."

The longevity industry has spent a decade and a fortune chasing biohacks, diagnostics and supplements. Amy McDonald has watched all of it from inside the wellness world — and her argument is not that longevity is wrong, but that it has been looking in the wrong direction. The real answer, she suggests, was always in the soil.

McDonald is the founder of Under a Tree, a regenerative wellness consultancy now in its twenty-first year, and her story is the throughline. A permaculture garden on the Baja coast in the early 1990s that moved guests to tears. A formative stretch at Miraval, where mindfulness — not architecture — built the brand. And a cautionary chapter at El Monte Sagrado in Taos: one of the most visionary sustainable properties ever built, lost not for lack of money or vision but for lack of market research and a working airport. From that heartbreak came the principle she now lives by — build the business model before you build the building.

It's a conversation about doing good and doing well at the same time. McDonald is refreshingly clear that regenerative places have to be profitable, that sustainability alone is no longer enough, and that the market is finally arcing back toward land connection and agritourism. She and Matthieu also find the place where their work overlaps: both begin not with a drawing but by observing the land itself and asking what it most wants to become.

Learn more & connect:
Amy McDonald — Under a Tree (regenerative wellness consulting): https://www.underatree.com
Email: amy@underatree.com

Resources mentioned:
Under a Tree — Amy McDonald's regenerative wellness consultancy — https://www.underatree.com
Miraval (Life in Balance) — the mindfulness-led wellness resort that shaped her methodology
El Monte Sagrado, Taos — the visionary sustainable property whose collapse taught the business-model-first lesson
Regenesis — the regenerative development group (Pamela and Robert Mang) behind El Monte Sagrado
Rancho La Puerta, Tecate — the long-running wellness ranch she came to see as a kindred model

Discover more about regenerative design at Paulownia Landscape Architects: https://www.paulownia-la.com
Dive into the 12 Universal Laws of Nature: https://www.12lawsofnature.com
Build the garden of your dreams: https://www.gardenofyourdreams.com
Book a free 30-minute session with Matthieu: https://calendly.com/garden-of-your-dreams

EP45: Longevity Won't Save You. The Soil Might | Amy McDonald

“Most people are good. I really believe that. Most people are doing their best. Then you have to ask yourself, not just in agriculture, but in every field, well, if so many people mean well, why is so much going wrong?”

Many of the world’s biggest environmental, social, and economic problems may not be caused by bad people or a lack of scientific knowledge. They may stem from the way large institutions make decisions. This episode explores the difference between treating symptoms and addressing root causes, challenging conventional thinking around science, governance, biodiversity loss, agriculture, and civilization itself. Rather than focusing on isolated solutions, the discussion centers on understanding the systems that shape human behavior and ecological outcomes.

Allan Savory argues that many environmental and social crises stem from the way institutions develop policy rather than from a lack of knowledge or good intentions. Drawing on experiences as an ecologist, farmer, parliamentarian, and founder of holistic management, he discusses scientific dogma, biodiversity loss, the limitations of modern political systems, and the ideas behind his new memoir, UnSavory. Allan challenges listeners to think beyond regenerative agriculture alone and consider how decision-making structures influence the future of civilization itself.

Allan is a Zimbabwean ecologist, farmer, former parliamentarian, and founder of holistic management. Trained in zoology and botany, he spent decades studying wildlife, grassland ecosystems, and desertification, leading to groundbreaking work in regenerative land management. After serving as a Member of Parliament and opposition leader during Zimbabwe’s civil war, he was exiled in 1979 and continued developing his ideas internationally. Allan later co-founded both the Africa Centre for Holistic Management and the Savory Institute. His TED Talk on holistic grazing has been viewed more than 9 million times, and his 2026 memoir, UnSavory: African Stories of Wildlife, War, and the Birth of Holistic Management, explores the experiences that shaped his life’s work.

Learn more & connect:

Allan Savory TED Talk: How to Fight Desertification and Reverse Climate Change [https://www.ted.com/talks/allan_savory_how_to_fight_desertification_and_reverse_climate_change]

Savory Institute [https://savory.global/]

UnSavory: African Stories of Wildlife, War, and the Birth of Holistic Management [https://savory.shop/en-gb/products/unsavory-memoir]

Africa Centre for Holistic Management [https://www.achmonline.org/]

Allan Savory Uncensored Blog [https://savory.global/welcome-to-my-new-blog/]

Discover more about Regenerative design at Paulownia Landscape Architects. [https://www.paulownia-la.com/]

Dive into the Twelve Laws of Nature and unlock the secrets of harmonizing with our planet [https://www.12lawsofnature.com/].

Fulfill your garden aspirations with expert guidance from the Garden of Your Dreams masterclass [https://www.gardenofyourdreams.com/].

Ready to take actionable steps towards your dream garden? Book a complimentary 30-minute training session with Matthieu for immediate results [https://calendly.com/garden-of-your-dreams].

EP44: Allan Savory – Why We’re Solving The Wrong Problems

“Let’s stop doing the research and let’s actually execute on it and build something.”

Food systems fail when they deliver calories without dignity, convenience, or nutrition. Real access means healthy food that fits people’s daily lives, budgets, culture, and time constraints. When communities lack nearby fresh options, preventable disease rises while local farmers struggle. Regenerative solutions work best when health care, agriculture, retail, and community trust are designed to support one another instead of operating in silos.

Eli Moraru explains how those failures became the foundation for a new model in Philadelphia. After seeing families offered raw food boxes that were hard to use, he began building a neighborhood grocer where SNAP users can access healthy ingredients and legally exchange them for hot ready meals. Eli shares how financing barriers, policy gaps, and outdated assumptions were overcome by combining workforce training, health partnerships, and direct purchasing from regenerative farms.

Eli is the Co-Founder and President of The Community Grocer, a nonprofit building neighborhood-based food systems that connect regenerative farmers, healthcare, and local access. An award-winning social entrepreneur focused on food justice and community-led change, Eli was named a Forbes 30 Under 30 Honoree and received the Penn President’s Sustainability Prize for his work redesigning how healthy food reaches underserved communities.

https://www.thecommunitygrocer.org/

Explore these valuable resources to further your journey in regenerative design:

Discover more about Regenerative design at Paulownia Landscape Architects. [https://www.paulownia-la.com/] https://www.paulownia-la.com/. [https://www.paulownia-la.com/]

Dive into the Twelve Laws of Nature and unlock the secrets of harmonizing with our planet at https://www.12lawsofnature.com/.

Fulfill your garden aspirations with expert guidance from the Garden of Your Dreams masterclass at https://www.gardenofyourdreams.com/.

Ready to take actionable steps towards your dream garden? Book a complimentary 30-minute training session with Matthieu for immediate results: https://calendly.com/garden-of-your-dreams.

EP43: Eli Moraru - Rebuilding Food Access From The Ground Up

“The industrial food system is really good at producing calories… it’s not great at producing nutritious food”

Regenerative agriculture challenges the dominant narrative around food, climate, and land use by reframing farming as an ecological system rather than an industrial process. Instead of removing animals, this approach integrates them intentionally to rebuild soil, enhance biodiversity, and restore degraded landscapes. The conversation emphasizes that many environmental problems attributed to livestock are actually the result of poor management practices. Real solutions are context-specific, requiring local adaptation, ecological literacy, and a systems-thinking mindset that prioritizes long-term resilience over short-term efficiency.

Robb Wolf shares how his journey from biochemistry into health and nutrition led him to question mainstream dietary and environmental assumptions. He explains that well-managed grazing systems can rehabilitate land and produce nutrient-dense food while highlighting the industrial food system’s strength in calories—but weakness in nutrition and ecological health. He also underscores the importance of adaptability in both individuals and systems.

Robb is a former research biochemist, two-time New York Times bestselling author, and co-author of Sacred Cow. He is widely known for his work in evolutionary nutrition and for advocating regenerative agriculture as a solution to both human and planetary health challenges.

Learn more & connect:

Sacred Cow by Robb Wolf & Diana Rodgers [https://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Cow-Better-Well-Raised-Planet/dp/1953295797]

Revolutionary solutions to modern life: https://robbwolf.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/robb-wolf-008b996a/

Also in this episode:

Alan Savory TED Talk [https://youtu.be/vpTHi7O66pI?si=Efy046kLjnk206Fc]

Explore these valuable resources to further your journey in regenerative design:

Discover more about Regenerative design at Paulownia Landscape Architects. [https://www.paulownia-la.com/] https://www.paulownia-la.com/. [https://www.paulownia-la.com/]

Dive into the Twelve Laws of Nature and unlock the secrets of harmonizing with our planet at https://www.12lawsofnature.com/.

Fulfill your garden aspirations with expert guidance from the Garden of Your Dreams masterclass at https://www.gardenofyourdreams.com/.

Ready to take actionable steps towards your dream garden? Book a complimentary 30-minute training session with Matthieu for immediate results: https://calendly.com/garden-of-your-dreams.

EP42: Robb Wolf – Cows Can Heal The Planet

“And so the whole global food system is just set up to not see the good guys and not allow consumers to see the good guys.”

Regenerative design thrives at the intersection of ecology and economics. It’s not just about restoring soil or ecosystems—it’s about creating systems that are financially viable, scalable, and rooted in long-term thinking. True regeneration requires aligning values with business models, ensuring that environmental restoration is supported by strong branding, communication, and market positioning.

Melissa Baer shares how her journey from farming to entrepreneurship led her to focus on closing the gap between regenerative projects and the modern tools needed to grow them. She highlights the importance of storytelling, marketing, and technology in helping regenerative initiatives reach wider audiences and secure sustainable funding, emphasizing that many projects struggle not from lack of vision, but from lack of infrastructure.

Melissa is the CEO of Backstory with 20 years of experience across food and tech. She was one of the first to sell organic meat online in Canada and now provides software development services to leading agriculture brands in New Zealand, advising top food and fiber companies on growth and innovation.

https://www.backstorytech.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissabaer

Explore these valuable resources to further your journey in regenerative design:

Discover more about Regenerative design at Paulownia Landscape Architects. [https://www.paulownia-la.com/] https://www.paulownia-la.com/. [https://www.paulownia-la.com/]

Dive into the Twelve Laws of Nature and unlock the secrets of harmonizing with our planet at https://www.12lawsofnature.com/.

Fulfill your garden aspirations with expert guidance from the Garden of Your Dreams masterclass at https://www.gardenofyourdreams.com/.

Ready to take actionable steps towards your dream garden? Book a complimentary 30-minute training session with Matthieu for immediate results: https://calendly.com/garden-of-your-dreams.

EP41: Melissa Baer - ⁠The Future of Regenerative Food Brands

“We do not try to solve problems. Nature always works with potential.”

Regeneration begins when we stop trying to fix isolated problems and instead learn to work with whole systems. Rather than focusing on outputs, metrics, or checklists, this approach asks a deeper question: what is the role of this project within the larger system of life? True regenerative work moves beyond sustainability by shifting attention from reducing harm to activating potential—aligning human activity with the inherent intelligence of nature. It requires embracing complexity, working with paradox, and recognizing that transformation happens through relationships, not control.

Bill Reed explains how regenerative design integrates ecological, social, and economic systems into a unified whole. He shares how frameworks like the “law of three” help resolve conflict by moving beyond compromise into harmonization. Reed emphasizes that meaningful change comes not from convincing others, but from cultivating curiosity, aligning purpose, and building a shared field of care.

Bill is a regenerative practitioner, architect, and systems thinker who helps define how modern design engages with living systems. As a principal at Regenesis, he's spent decades advancing Regenerative Development, an approach that integrates ecological, social, and human systems into a unified, living process. His work focuses on elevating the role of design beyond efficiency and sustainability, toward creating conditions that enhance the vitality and potential of entire communities and ecosystems.

A co-founder of the LEED Green Building Rating System and founding board member of the U.S. Green Building Council, Bill has been at the forefront of the green building movement since its inception. He is also co-author of The Integrative Design Guide to Green Building, a foundational text that reshaped how practitioners approach sustainability through whole-systems thinking.

Bill has consulted on hundreds of projects worldwide, from individual buildings to large-scale urban master plans, and is a sought-after keynote speaker and lecturer, with engagements at institutions including Harvard, MIT, Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania.

Learn more & connect:

Regenesis Institute: https://www.regenerat.es/ [https://www.regenerat.es/https://www.regenerat.es/]

https://regenesisgroup.com/ [https://regenesisgroup.com/https://regenesisgroup.com/]

Explore these valuable resources to further your journey in regenerative design:

Discover more about Regenerative design at Paulownia Landscape Architects. [https://www.paulownia-la.com/] https://www.paulownia-la.com/. [https://www.paulownia-la.com/]

Dive into the Twelve Laws of Nature and unlock the secrets of harmonizing with our planet at https://www.12lawsofnature.com/.

Fulfill your garden aspirations with expert guidance from the Garden of Your Dreams masterclass at https://www.gardenofyourdreams.com/.

Ready to take actionable steps towards your dream garden? Book a complimentary 30-minute training session with Matthieu for immediate results: https://calendly.com/garden-of-your-dreams.

EP40: Bill Reed - Beyond Sustainability: The Regenerative Shift

“Changes can’t happen standalone by one company, it will require participation from peers, from supply chain partners, from government policy.”

The world is beginning the conversation of moving towards a greener future. What part do major businesses play in these next steps? A renewable future cannot be created by one person; change takes place with the participation of many, whether that be lawyers and finance companies funding future projects, or the electrification of transportation vehicles becoming more widespread, it takes major conversations over the course of months or years to see these plans come into action.

Ankit Todi of the Mahindra Group, shares his passions and exciting plans; this conversation walks through the major strides toward the future of green and renewable energy. Where action has already been taken and change already made, and what eliminating existing and future major emissions could mean not only for the Mahindra Group and other large scale businesses, but for the environment and our planet.

Born in Dibrugarh, India- a city known for its tea gardens and rich green space, Ankit grew to love the nature surrounding him. With his background in engineering, leading him into management consulting, Ankit eventually ended up with the opportunity to implement his passion with professionalism, carrying through into his position as Chief Sustainability Officer, offering him the opportunity to create a major impact in the sustainability movement within the Mahindra Group and eventually implementing the Planet Positive strategy.

https://www.mahindra.com/

LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ankit-todi-bb891a25/]

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ankit-todi-bb891a25/

Explore these valuable resources to further your journey in regenerative design:

Discover more about Regenerative design at Paulownia Landscape Architects. [https://www.paulownia-la.com/] https://www.paulownia-la.com/. [https://www.paulownia-la.com/]

Dive into the Twelve Laws of Nature and unlock the secrets of harmonizing with our planet at https://www.12lawsofnature.com/.

Fulfill your garden aspirations with expert guidance from the Garden of Your Dreams masterclass at https://www.gardenofyourdreams.com/.

Ready to take actionable steps towards your dream garden? Book a complimentary 30-minute training session with Matthieu for immediate results: https://calendly.com/garden-of-your-dreams.

EP39: Ankit Todi - The Business Case for Climate Action in Manufacturing, Energy, and Agriculture

“We won actually the first lawsuit, successful lawsuit in Ecuador and in the world defending the rights of nature.”

Regeneration begins when humanity stops positioning itself above nature and instead recognizes itself as part of a living system. True regenerative design restores balance by aligning law, economics, and human values with the intelligence of the natural world. When nature is granted agency, ecosystems are no longer resources to be managed, but partners to be respected.

Norie Huddle, author, lifelong activist, and pioneer of the global Rights of Nature movement, shares how rivers, forests, and land can hold legal standing—and how indigenous wisdom informed one of the world’s first successful court cases defending the rights of nature. The conversation weaves together regeneration, law, and activism, framing humanity’s current moment as a necessary transformation rather than collapse. The butterfly metaphor becomes a lens for understanding how small, aligned groups can catalyze systemic change.

Norie has worked in environmental and peace movements since the 1960s and played a central role in the landmark Ecuadorian court case that legally recognized a river as a rights-bearing entity. Her work bridges spirituality, legal innovation, and regenerative systems thinking, offering a long-view perspective on how humanity can realign with the living world.

Learn more & connect:

Website: https://noriehuddle.earth/

Book: Butterfly [https://a.co/d/evvmCId]

https://a.co/d/evvmCId

Book: How to Live a Life You Love

Organization: Pachamama Alliance [https://pachamama.org/]

TEDx Talk: Search Nori Huddle TEDx – The Best Game on Earth

Explore these valuable resources to further your journey in regenerative design:

Discover more about Regenerative design at Paulownia Landscape Architects. [https://www.paulownia-la.com/] https://www.paulownia-la.com/. [https://www.paulownia-la.com/]

Dive into the Twelve Laws of Nature and unlock the secrets of harmonizing with our planet at https://www.12lawsofnature.com/.

Fulfill your garden aspirations with expert guidance from the Garden of Your Dreams masterclass at https://www.gardenofyourdreams.com/.

Ready to take actionable steps towards your dream garden? Book a complimentary 30-minute training session with Matthieu for immediate results: https://calendly.com/garden-of-your-dreams.

EP38: Norie Huddle - The Butterfly Effect 

“Today people are driven away from farming, gardening, and moving towards technology side, which is pretty much decreasing our earth.”

A healthier future starts with choosing better inputs—better soil, better materials, and better habits. The episode explores how real regeneration comes from everyday decisions: rejecting cheap chemicals, composting what we consume, understanding where pollutants travel, and recognizing that the Earth is something we borrow, not something we own. It highlights the idea that restoring land begins with restoring our relationship to it, and practical steps like composting, planting, and avoiding glyphosates can dramatically improve soil, water, and long-term health.

Leo Rivera shares how his generation views the planet and why the smallest actions matter most. Leo explains how harmful chemicals move through soil into waterways, why composting is one of the simplest regenerative tools we have, and how grounding, gardening, and time in nature help counter a world increasingly dominated by screens. He brings clarity to how better choices ripple outward into healthier ecosystems.

Leo is a 10-year-old creator with a passion for gardening, soil health, regenerative thinking, and digital awareness. His curiosity, early environmental understanding, and desire to help others learn make him a powerful representative of the generation inheriting the planet.

Learn more & connect:

You can reach Leo at georgerivera@georgerivera.com

https://buybacktimeformula.com/ [https://buybacktimeformula.com/transformation]

Explore these valuable resources to further your journey in regenerative design:

Discover more about Regenerative design at Paulownia Landscape Architects. [https://www.paulownia-la.com/] https://www.paulownia-la.com/. [https://www.paulownia-la.com/]

Dive into the Twelve Laws of Nature and unlock the secrets of harmonizing with our planet at https://www.12lawsofnature.com/.

Fulfill your garden aspirations with expert guidance from the Garden of Your Dreams masterclass at https://www.gardenofyourdreams.com/.

Ready to take actionable steps towards your dream garden? Book a complimentary 30-minute training session with Matthieu for immediate results: https://calendly.com/garden-of-your-dreams.

EP37: Leo Rivera - The Next Generation Perspective On Regenerative Design & The Future Of The Planet 

“Phones are designed like slot machines… It’s called variable rewards… and that’s the same exact way the scroll works on our phone… our brains become obsessed with the next dopamine hit.”

Modern life trains the brain for instant rewards and endless scroll, eroding patience, attention, and real-world engagement. Replacing frictionless feeds with natural stopping cues—journaling on waking, moving the phone out of sight, stepping outside—rewires neural pathways toward delayed gratification, focus, and grounded wellbeing. Nature isn’t a luxury; it’s the antidote to stimulus overload and a gateway to more resilient habits.

Shannon Coulter explains how our devices hijack dopamine through variable rewards and infinite scroll, keeping us chasing the next hit. Her antidote is simple and practical: small daily rituals that re-anchor attention in the real world. She calls it the “Swiss Army phone” approach—use one tool, close it, and move on. Shannon’s ideas invite parents to create a culture of curiosity and play, teaching kids that joy doesn’t come from pixels but from dirt, laughter, and connection.

Shannon is a published author and creator of Planet FASSA—an ecosystem of stories, points-based offline activities, and parent tools that gamify real-world play. Her classes unpack dopamine science and practical steps families can use today.

Learn more & connect:

Find the following plus many more resources at Shannon’s website, https://sscoulter.com/.

 * The Fassa Tails Children Book series by Author S.S. Coulter
 * God's Dad Jokes: Hilarious Dad Jokes and Family-Friendly Bible Puns – Perfect Gift for Dads, Friends, and Church Family https://a.co/d/dCoqxc5

Also in this episode:

 * Baby Einstein
 * Nailed It!

Explore these valuable resources to further your journey in regenerative design:

Discover more about Regenerative design at Paulownia Landscape Architects. [https://www.paulownia-la.com/] https://www.paulownia-la.com/. [https://www.paulownia-la.com/]

Dive into the Twelve Laws of Nature and unlock the secrets of harmonizing with our planet at https://www.12lawsofnature.com/.

Fulfill your garden aspirations with expert guidance from the Garden of Your Dreams masterclass at https://www.gardenofyourdreams.com/.

Ready to take actionable steps towards your dream garden? Book a complimentary 30-minute training session with Matthieu for immediate results: https://calendly.com/garden-of-your-dreams.

EP36: Shannon Coulter - Conscious Technology: Tools for a Regenerative Future 

This is the Regenerative Design Podcast with your host Matthieu Mehuys. 

In this show we interview the leading authorities in the world of regenerative practices, people who do well and do good. 



Matthieu Mehuys

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