Judith Schwartz is a Vermont-based writer and speaker who explores our environmental challenges through the lens of nature, as in how natural systems “work”, creating the conditions for life to thrive. A graduate of Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, her books include The Reindeer Chronicles, Water In Plain Sight, and Cows Save the Planet.

Dr. Lyla June Johnston (aka Lyla June) is an Indigenous musician, scholar, and community organizer of Diné (Navajo), Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne) and European lineages. Her multi-genre presentation style has engaged audiences across the globe towards personal, collective, and ecological healing. She blends her study of Human Ecology at Stanford, graduate work in Indigenous Pedagogy, and the traditional worldview she grew up with to inform her music, perspectives and solutions. She recently finished her PhD on the ways in which pre-colonial Indigenous Nations shaped large regions of Turtle Island (aka the Americas) to produce abundant food systems for humans and non-humans.

Anastassia Makarieva graduated from the Faculty of Physics and Mechanics at Leningrad Polytechnic Institute in 1996 and received her PhD in atmospheric physics from St. Petersburg State University in 2000. Since 1996, she has worked in the Theoretical Physics Division of the Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute, investigating interactions between life and the environment within the framework of the biotic regulation concept founded by Prof. Victor Gorshkov. More recently, she has also been a fellow at the TUM Institute for Advanced Study.
Together with V. G. Gorshkov, Anastassia formulated the concept of the biotic pump of atmospheric moisture, highlighting key ecological feedbacks that sustain moisture transport from ocean to land. In collaboration with an international team, she also demonstrated the existence of life’s metabolic optimum—a broadly universal rate of energy use across the kingdoms of life.
Her theoretical research is grounded in prolonged observation of the natural world: Anastassia has spent more than sixty months conducting forest research in the Russian wilderness. Her current work focuses on deepening the physical understanding of how natural ecosystems regulate the water cycle, atmospheric moisture transport, and the habitability of the land.
She also writes the Biotic Regulation and Biotic Pump blog on substack, where she crosses disciplinary boundaries to explore how natural ecosystems keep the Earth habitable—and what this understanding may teach us about humanity’s relationship with the living world.

Scott Richardson-Read is a queer working-class writer, folklorist, and alternative cultural historian with a deep connection to Scotland’s folk heritage. As the creator of Cailleach’s Herbarium, a platform dedicated to reviving and preserving Scottish folk traditions, Scott has spent years researching and sharing the stories, practices, and beliefs that define the working-class and animistic roots of Scottish culture. His work reflects a blend of deep archival exploration, oral history, and personal experience in the landscapes of Scotland.
With a background steeped in human rights, ecology, activism, and traditions, Scott’s writing bridges the past and present, offering fresh insights into the enduring significance of folk belief. Throughout his decades-long journey, he has continued to advocate for the preservation of Scotland’s sacred sites and cultural heritage.
When not writing, Scott is often found exploring Scotland’s wild spaces, old libraries, and archives, drinking tea with his cats, or engaging with the vibrant communities keeping traditions alive.
Scott is the author of two books: The Tales of the Taibhsear (2018) (and associated album) and, released last year, Mill Dust and Dreaming Bread – Exploring Scottish Folk Belief and Folk Magic (2025), in paperback in 2026.

Paulinho Muzaliwa is a Resilience Designer and social entrepreneur dedicated to transforming refugee settlements into thriving regenerative communities. He is the founder of the Unidos Social Innovation Center, advancing community-led solutions for food security, environmental restoration, and economic empowerment. A certified permaculture teacher and accredited Warm Data Host, he combines systems thinking, leadership, and innovation to create sustainable livelihoods. His work has earned international recognition, including the Gene Dewey Refugee Award, the Social Impact Award, and the Permaculture Magazine Award. Paulinho envisions refugee settlements becoming resilient ecosystems with access to clean water, nutritious food, quality education, and meaningful opportunities.

Nadia Lawton was born in the Dead Sea Valley in Jordan where she learned traditional ways of land use from her father, an expert farmer and herbal healer. After completing her PDC in the Dead Sea Valley in 1999 she proceeded to work on the “Greening the Desert” project, established permaculture women’s groups and school projects. Nadia has a Permaculture Diploma in design, education and site development and is a registered permaculture teacher in the English and Arabic languages. Nadia dedicates much of her time to the permaculture movement as an international permaculture teacher, consultant and aid worker.

Bonita Eloise Ford MA, BSc, is an author, educator, and group facilitator who helps people respond to eco/climate breakdown. Her book “Embers of Hope: Embracing Life in an Age of Ecological Destruction and Climate Chaos” was listed in the “Top 20+ best all-time permaculture books by women,” and her new book, “Climate Care: 7 Ways to Honor Eco Emotions,” is available for pre-order now. Her rich experience—teaching permaculture, practicing Nonviolent Communication, and volunteering at a community hospice—brings ecological awareness and personal sensitivity to readers. With an MA in holistic health education and a BSc in biochemistry, Bonita has facilitated groups around the world for over 23 years and recently launched Climate Mental Health Network’s program for youth climate leaders. Based in Perth, Canada, which is traditional unceded Omàmiwinini (Algonquin) territory, Bonita loves swimming in the river, eating wild foods, and talking to the plants.