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 beginning with stint as a geologist and serveying to later delving into depth and eco-psychology.

But it wasn’t until a return trip some decades later to that fateful place, Three Rivers Petroglyphs in New Mexico, that Matt truly heard the nature call him into something of a discipleship. Confronting deep-seated fears, that trtansform into significant personal growth and change, Matt’s journey intertwines personal reflection with the greater question of the human experience through messages from everything from the petraglyphs to the haunting significance of the White Sands Missile Range.

Listen in as Matt explores the the geologic impact of humanity, nature’s interconnected cycles of destruction and creation, and its crucial role in both personal and collective growth - and what it means to “heed the call” when nature comes calling.

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Music in this episode by:
Jesse Gallagher - The Anunnaki Return
Mini Vandals - Over the Mountain
Density & Time - GROWTH_DECAY

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_______________________________

FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE INSIDE BY GETTING OUTSIDE!


You can reach Shawn through these links:

Email: shawn@ourfirstnature.com
Website: ourfirstnature.com
IG: @ourfirstnature
FB: FirstNatureFN

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 strategy to maintain community cohesion, as the rise of the individuated self pulled at the communal seams.

Meanwhile, the backdrop of the mountains keeps Earth in the dialogue. Through expressions of admiration and blessing for the majestic peaks of the Sierras and Inyo Mountains, the importance of a reciprocated relationship with the planet is brought to the forefront as an offering to deal with our present human dilemma. How might each of us come into a more authentic, "right-relationship" with nature as our ancient ancestors had lived, treating all aspects of it with the same reverence we reserve for human life?

Music in this episode by:

Red Centre Blues, by Brendan Gallagher
Listen to Overtones, by ArtEffectAudio
Drums Battle, by Alban Gogh
Soft Coming Spring by Syouki Takahashi

First Nature theme song by Shawn Berry
Podcast Artwork by Shawn Berry

I'd love to hear from you!

Support the Show.

_______________________________

FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE INSIDE BY GETTING OUTSIDE!


You can reach Shawn through these links:

Email: shawn@ourfirstnature.com
Website: ourfirstnature.com
IG: @ourfirstnature
FB: FirstNatureFN

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 experiences necessary to foster societal cohesion.

The act of storytelling, particularly by elders who impart cultural narratives, can broaden viewpoints and offer us an authentic link to our historical roots. A good story will be told for thousands of years! These oldest stories speak of the wisdom nature eternally holds for us, even today. As we Homo sapiens continue to go through evolutionary growing pains to understand our role and place on Earth, the transformative power of storytelling and the importance of intentional story creation are ancient; and they continue to be invaluable creative tools for guiding humanity forward.

:::The story "Buffalo" recited by Noah Crowe. Listen to the story in its entirety in a soon to be posted bonus episode!

:::Music discovered on pixabay.com in listening order:

“Guitar Beat” by Shakib Hasan
“Morning Garden” by Olexy
“Old Tolchaco” by Nate Loper
“Into the Darkness” (Long Cello version) by Shakib Hasan

I'd love to hear from you!

Support the Show.

_______________________________

FIND OUT WHO YOU ARE INSIDE BY GETTING OUTSIDE!


You can reach Shawn through these links:

Email: shawn@ourfirstnature.com
Website: ourfirstnature.com
IG: @ourfirstnature
FB: FirstNatureFN