Springhouse Community School has been called ‘the most dynamic and promising experiment in education and community building’. It’s a K12 bilingual school, with adult programs, community networks, and even a print shop (that’s a glorious story in itself). It also works with a participatory budgeting and pricing model, and incorporates things like restorative justice and land regeneration practices.

The school describes itself as an ‘intergenerational, vitality-centred learning community in Southwest Virginia where we are fundamentally transforming the purpose and practice of education.’ Its vision? A world where all life thrives. Sounds obvious when you say it. What else would education be for? It all stems from Meg Wheatley’s premise that ‘Life pushes back against a story that excludes it’.

Jenny Finn is the school’s somewhat unwitting founder and Executive Director, having never imagined she’d be living here or doing this. And it’s a wonder she’s even with us at all. But her death-defying tale has ultimately shaped her journey. And as we talk about it, some uncanny parallels in our lives feed a consistently amazing and often hilarious chat – in her car! Yep, we tried in her office, as it was too windy outside, but school life was in full volume as an evening event commenced. Which by the way, featured student and other presentations on Economics and the Cosmos. Now that sounds like an education.

Chapter markers & transcript.

Recorded 27 February 2025.

See photos on the episode website, and for more behind the scenes, become a supporting listener - all via the links below.

Music:

Circle of Life, by Letra (sourced on Artlist).

Stones & Bones, by Owls of the Swamp.

Jenny singing an Irish tune.

Regeneration, by Amelia Barden.

The RegenNarration playlist, music chosen by guests.

Send us a text

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The RegenNarration podcast is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them.

BECOME A PAID SUBSCRIBER to connect with your host, other listeners and exclusive benefits, on:

• Patreon (NB: if you're using an iPhone, you can avoid Apple's new 30% app store charge for new subscribers by subscribing on your laptop or PC).
• The new Substack (for the same benefits as Patreon)
• Or Buzzsprout (without additional benefits).

Or DONATE:

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Last week’s episode on-location with a ‘community juggernaut’ restoration project in South Carolina drew some wonderful responses – like ‘I felt like I was right there’, ‘Giving me goose bumps’, ‘The future retrospective documentary idea is brilliant’, and ‘This kicks ass’! So here’s a 5 minute bonus to lift your spirits a little more.

It starts as we were winding up, but with mic’s left running, capturing a stunning moment by an old oak tree standing on the original plantation house grounds. (And the Angel Oak Joel mentions, is an even older oak he just filmed a story for, to assist in its preservation and celebration.)

Then another stunning moment, when Schuyler Clogston drifted by, and the tale emerged of her serendipitous encounter with the Project. And finally, some more context to the amazing regeneration at play, and the out-take at the end of the main episode.

If you’ve come here first, you can tune into that main episode 256 with Joel Caldwell and Dr Blake Scott, ‘The Marsh Appreciation & Restoration Society for Happiness’. You’ll find a few links in the show notes as usual, along with transcript, and a bunch of photos on that episode website, with more for paid subscribers on Patreon and Substack.

Chapter markers & transcript.

Recorded September 2024.

Title image: the oak tree we pass (pic: Anthony James).

Music:

By Jeremiah Johnson.

Send us a text

Support the show

The RegenNarration podcast is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them.

BECOME A PAID SUBSCRIBER to connect with your host, other listeners and exclusive benefits, on:

• Patreon (NB: if you're using an iPhone, you can avoid Apple's new 30% app store charge for new subscribers by subscribing on your laptop or PC).
• The new Substack (for the same benefits as Patreon)
• Or Buzzsprout (without additional benefits).

Or DONATE:

• Directly via the website (avoiding fees).
• Via PayPal.

You can also:

• Visit The RegenNarration shop.
• Share, rate and review the podcast.

Thanks for your support!

What to do when your prominent low-lying coastal city starts to go underwater, nigh on weekly on average, already? Charleston, South Carolina, is served by The Post and Courier. It runs a series called the Rising Waters Lab. And a couple of months ago, it featured a story titled, ‘The Southeast’s first urban eco-corridor aims to connect fragmented habitats in Charleston’. Welcome to The MARSH Project.

What started as a personal effort among three friends to revitalise and steward an acre of marsh on the peninsula, has grown into a community-powered juggernaut. And not just to save a city from flooding, or even just to restore its incredible lands and waters. But the complex history of this place means the healing runs deep.

One of the founders of the project is Joel Caldwell (also in episode 227 talking about his new film for Patagonia, for which he went on to win the Short Film Award at the prestigious Santa Barbara International Film Festival). It was Judith Schwartz who said we might enjoy meeting Joel - and the two Blakes, Dr Blake Scott and Blake Suárez. When I looked them up online and saw the project they’d instigated was called the Marsh Appreciation and Restoration Society for Happiness, I knew these were guys I did want to meet.

We arrived in Charleston on a day when the community was to gather at the marsh for a clean-up event. We hear from them too, as I wander alongside Joel and Dr Blake to learn about how this juggernaut is happening.

Chapters & transcript.

Recorded Sept. 2024.

Title slide: Joel & Dr Blake (pic: AJ). See more photos on the website, and for more behind the scenes, become a supporting listener below.

Music:

Galaxy Groove, by Yarin Primak.

Stones & Bones, by Owls of the Swamp.

The RegenNarration playlist, music chosen by guests.

Send us a text

Support the show

The RegenNarration podcast is independent, ad-free and freely available, thanks to the generous support of listeners like you. If you too value what you hear, please consider joining them.

BECOME A PAID SUBSCRIBER to connect with your host, other listeners and exclusive benefits, on:

• Patreon (NB: if you're using an iPhone, you can avoid Apple's new 30% app store charge for new subscribers by subscribing on your laptop or PC).
• The new Substack (for the same benefits as Patreon)
• Or Buzzsprout (without additional benefits).

Or DONATE:

• Directly via the website (avoiding fees).
• Via PayPal.

You can also:

• Visit The RegenNarration shop.
• Share, rate and review the podcast.

Thanks for your support!