Biophilic Leadership Summit with Katrina Erni

Katrina Erni not only lives at Serenbe but runs marketing for the Biophilic Institute, headquartered at Serenbe, and she's in charge of putting on the annual Biophilic Leadership Summit - happening next week, October 11 & 12. We are going to hear her Serenbe Story plus get a taste of what to expect at the Summit, that is going virtual this year.

Serenbe Stories is a podcast about making an impact, building a better life, and the extraordinary power of nature and community. Follow Serenbe on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Transcript

0 (1s):
Hey guys, it's Monica here. I wanted to tell you about a new podcast that I've started with my very good friend, Jennifer Walsh called biophilic solutions. Our last season of ceremony stories, building a biophilic movement was so popular that we decided to dedicate an entire podcast to it every other week. Jennifer and I will sit down with leaders in the growing field of biophilia. We'll talk about local and global solutions to help nurture the living social and economic systems that we all need to sustain future generations more often than not. Nature has the answers. You can find biophilic solutions on apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts, subscribe and follow us today. So you don't miss an episode.

0 (41s):
All right, now let's get back to ceremony stories Today. We're sharing a resonant interview with Katrina, Ernie. That is a special episode in partnership with our podcast by Phillips solutions. Katrina not only lives at ceremony, but runs marketing for the biophilic Institute that is headquartered at Sarah and beam. And she's also in charge of putting on the annual biophilic leadership summit. That's happening next week, October 11th and 12th, we're going to hear her ceremony story. Plus get a taste what to expect at the summit that is going virtual this year. And we have a discount code just for our podcast listeners. So stick around and let's get to our interview with Katrina.

2 (1m 24s):
I had a lot of friends being like, oh my God, you'll love it. The restaurants are great. You have to go. And I got here and since this place is amazing.

0 (1m 39s):
Hey Jennifer, Hey Monica, how are you today?

4 (1m 43s):
Great. That's a beautiful fall day in New York city. How are you?

0 (1m 47s):
Good. It's cooling off here too. We have a special guest today. I

4 (1m 51s):
Cannot wait to talk to our very special guests. It's kind of a little behind the scenes for us. Isn't it?

0 (1m 57s):
It is a little behind the scenes. You're going to get behind the scenes on the biophilic Institute and the leadership summit, which is a week from today. When this is dropping, it's going to be October 11th and 12th, and we have Katrina, Ernie and Katrina just got married.

4 (2m 12s):
Congratulations,

0 (2m 14s):
Congratulations and welcome to the podcast. Katrina's usually behind the scenes. She is our producer and she runs the biophilic leadership summit. So we're bringing her in to get a little behind the scenes of like what is going to happen next week. And why should we be showing up to that virtual summit?

2 (2m 33s):
Let me tell you, so the biophilic leadership summit is this really cool event historically, where people have come to Sarah MB all these leaders in the biophilic movement and given presentations and had breakout discussions and networking opportunities all around this growing field. And it's been this opportunity for them to really connect with each other, to meet new people, for, to meet with them. And so my background with the biophilic leadership summit is I came on in literally March of 2020. Perfect, perfect timing, perfect timing to put, to basically lead the summit, which was supposed to happen in April of 2020.

2 (3m 22s):
And of course we ended up having to cancel and we pushed to this year. I'm hoping that we would be able to have the summit in person. And of course the Delta variant had other plans. So we, we quickly pivoted to virtual, which I think will end up being great because we've gotten a lot of people from all over the country that probably wouldn't have other wise has been able to come. So really what happens with, or what will happen at the virtual summit is we'll have a series of speakers who are going to be discussing land use and infrastructure.

2 (4m 2s):
Our theme is land and water. And basically they're just going to talk about all of these applications of biophilia, how we can really scale biophilia from something that's sort of small and to something that we use every day in urban spaces throughout the country and throughout the world.

4 (4m 23s):
I love it. Yeah, me too. I just get excited. Cause Katrina, you've been such a driving force for us behind the scenes to get such great guests on our podcast. And some of these guests are going to be at the summit as well. Correct? Like virtually and in person, correct?

2 (4m 39s):
Yes. So, well, it's all virtual, but we've got some really exciting people who people who have been listening to the podcast will definitely recognize. So we have bill Browning, he was our guests on episode number two. He is the co-founder of Terrapin bright green, which is a green building consultancy. And he's like, he's like the expert on biophilic design, biophilic design principles. Why we feel so good when we're in spaces that have been designed with these principles in mind, when you,

4 (5m 16s):
The word biophilic design you'd like

2 (5m 20s):
Articles about bill Browning. I mean, truly like she is the expert. So he is someone who I'm really excited to hear speak. And he's going to be talking about basically how you, how you scale biophilia from, you know, a room in your house all the way to, you know, urban planning and major city. So he will be really exciting. Another, another person who will be speaking as drew Lanham, who so excited about laundry. Yeah. He was incredible. He is a professor ecology at Clemson and has written extensively all about the intersection of race and nature and how ethnicity sort of informs how we view nature.

2 (6m 10s):
He wrote that incredible article nine rules for the black bird watcher and his book, the homeplace, which is, you know yeah.

0 (6m 21s):
Which I play on that Tim beastly recommended to us. Right. Who's the director of five public cities project who's on our board and drew was incredible. Yeah.

2 (6m 32s):
Yeah. He wasn't Tim recommendation. So thank you, Tim.

4 (6m 36s):
Stop talking to him. I remember were like, okay, we have to stop the podcast. It's going over, but I could talk to him all day. So I'm excited that he's going to be a

2 (6m 44s):
Speaker this year. Yes, it's definitely.

0 (6m 46s):
Well in Katrina, all of the speakers, we're going to be able to have sort of a Q and a, and have some engagement with the audience after each of their talks. So it's not just, you know, watching them or listening to them, but we really get to sort of dig in to their topics and ask questions and really learn from them. Because I think of this summit as a very educational, you know, not only for, you know, the sort of policymaker or city planners or students, but for the general public, you know, even though these topics may sound a little wonky, I think they're super important because as you know, all of us always talk like we need by a phelia to sort of really be embraced by the general public to think about how we're going to move forward, to get to a net zero future.

0 (7m 34s):
We have to honor and like, love and understand how nature is integrated in our lives. So I'm super excited that you're everybody that you've curated for this summit.

2 (7m 45s):
Yeah. Okay. Well, so next up, and I actually think that this sort of goes to what you were just talking about, but we have Jacqueline Patterson from the NAACP, she's their senior director of climate and environmental justice. We had an incredible episode with her just talking about the intersections of all these different social issues and how climate is essentially a threat multiplier for all of these different issues. So kind of to your point, Monica, like the, the theme is really land use and infrastructure and scaling these principles. But I think when you have people like Jackie and drew, who are sort of part of the conversation, you can just see how all of these social systems sort of work together and, and how every, it all impacts each other.

2 (8m 37s):
And it is so intersectional that when, you know, when you're talking about green building, that's great, but like what are the social implications of them? You know? And so I think, I think it is cool to have all of these people in conversation with one another on these various topics. So the person, oh, sorry, go ahead. The other person who our listeners might recognize is Jeff Katch from Rodale. So he'll be speaking about regenerative agriculture and how we can scale for gender ag, regenerative, agriculture, nationwide, which I think is something that people are typically very skeptical about.

2 (9m 23s):
And his point is sort of that we shouldn't be that this is the future and this is the way it's going. And it really has the ability to heal. Some of the worst problems in our society is just making the shift to a regenerative model. So he'll be, he'll be great.

0 (9m 43s):
Jeff is amazing. And he has a really incredible story, his own personal story, how he got here. I don't know if he'll share that, but I feel like he may have shared a little bit of that on our podcast, but you know, John <inaudible> is also going to be here. I saw on the list, who's the president of American farmland trust. So it's such a phenomenal bookend with Jeff because we have to save the land. Right. We have to protect it in order to get regenerative farming on top of it. And one of the things that I've been, you know, right. Like, like reading about so much is sort of land, land sinks, like how we, how land can be a carbon, you know, sink. And we all know how important it is to sort of not only, you know, stop releasing carbon, but also how do we like sequester it?

0 (10m 27s):
And both of those things, American farmland trust and Rodale are both, you know, at the forefront of making those. I don't know if that's like the term they would use, but like the IPC, like land sinks are super, super important of like, how do we have healthy soil? And it starts with conserving the land, right? Protecting Atlanta.

2 (10m 47s):
Well, I'm protecting farmers. I mean, they're really like kind of the same or two sides of the same coin in a way. So I think it'll be you're right. It will be really interesting to hear them sort of in conversation with each other.

0 (10m 60s):
And we had John's, you know, American farmland trust Beth was on the VP of programs and talks about the programs and female farmers and sort of the work that she's doing. But it'll be really interesting to, to hear from John, like what their big goals are, because you know, the statistics of how much farm land we lose every day is like, kind of like,

4 (11m 21s):
Yeah, really that when we were talking, it really shocked me because I didn't realize the real massiveness of like, oh, I had no idea. We were losing so much farm land every day. So like, but her like brought it back to like, how can we then protect a farmer, which I love. So these conversations are so very moving and helps us, I think, move the needle to this biophilic movement that we're always talking

2 (11m 44s):
About. Absolutely.

4 (11m 47s):
Yup. Monica, what are you going to say? Sorry, I interrupted you.

0 (11m 50s):
No, I'm, I'm loved to hear, keep going Katrina. All right.

2 (11m 55s):
Well, so those are the, those are the guests that I think our listeners, by being more familiar with, we also have Alfred Vick Alfie, who is a professor of environmental ethics at the university of Georgia. He is really interesting. He's a lead certified architect who also works pretty extensively on native American studies. So his research really focuses on green infrastructure and sustainable design, but he also integrates like native plant communities and native American ethnobotany into his work. And I think that's really going to be the focus of what he talks about in his presentation on Monday the 11th, which is actually indigenous peoples day.

2 (12m 45s):
So that it's very exciting, but we have him on our schedule that day.

0 (12m 50s):
Yeah, no, I think that's great. And, you know, immediately when we realized that it was going to be on the 11th and 12th, and that was the indigenous persons day, we, you know, we were like, oh my God, we have to have Alfie talk and talk about the importance and really bringing that back up to the forefront because we can learn so much from the native Americans on how they honored the land and

2 (13m 13s):
That's traditional knowledge. I think it's so important. And to have, I think someone who can really speak to the architecture and the infrastructure side of things, but with this lens of traditional ecological knowledge, I mean, that's sort of incredible. I'm super excited about that. Yeah. So we also have a Nina Marie Lister. She is a professor and the graduate graduate director of the school of urban and regional planning at Ryerson university, which is in Toronto Canada. And she's also the director of their ecological design lab. And that's basically, I mean, I think of it, you know, and she can, she can correct me if I'm wrong.

2 (13m 55s):
I think of it a little bit like a think tank where they are really like looking at strategies and practices that will solve sort of sustainability issues within cities and then sort of how we can rethink and implement these strategies in order to have sort of a improved relationship with nature in cities. How, how do we think about nature within these dense urban spaces? That's sort of what she is focusing on. So she's going to be great, really interesting Robin Grassinger. He is a senior scientist at the San Francisco estuary Institute, which again, I think of as another sort of, one of these think tanks, it's like, it's comprised of like all these scientists who really are working in their own way to define problems and then advance public debate through science and supporting solutions that support the environment, support sustainable, urban planning.

2 (15m 3s):
His focus is really on how do we reintegrate natural processes within city landscapes? So these landscapes that have been heavily modified by people like how do we it's already happened? Right. So how do we sort of re integrate nature into those cities? It's not about, oh, I'm going to take this undeveloped plot of land and I'm going to map a perfectly sustainable city. It's like, well, we already have these cities. So how do we make them right.

4 (15m 34s):
It's great for that. Because as I'm looking out my window in New York city, how do we then implement those programs to make us more, not just green, but more understanding of the natural landscape that is here or wherever, and how does that impact each and every one of us and how do we then grow awareness around that? And Monica was going to, I interrupted you once again. Yeah,

0 (15m 56s):
No, that's okay. This is a conversation between all of us, but I think I recall that Robin had really worked on an advise on the restoration strategies, I think for the San Francisco bay, the Sacramento and San Juan queen Delta, and then the urban landscapes of Google's campuses. And then also a bunch of rivers throughout California, which obviously is really interesting to me cause that's where I grew up. And so that whole area I'm sort of fascinated to sort of hear what's going on out in San Francisco as a former

2 (16m 28s):
Yeah. San Francisco would be a great case study because I feel like they it's really a city that's putting some of these, some of these things into practice. I mean, I, I'm just thinking about Tim's episode where he said San Francisco was the first city to like mandate glass that's safe for birds or that they're really like thinking about these things and integrating them. So yeah. I'm excited to hear more about San Francisco.

0 (16m 57s):
Yeah. I feel like these big cities, I'm at one of the leadership summits that we had in person a few years back we had, and I'm not sure what her title was, but I think she was running like city planning for Washington DC. And I learned from her, and again, some of this may, our audience may know already, but you know, it had the most green roofs of any city, I think it's like required. And so, you know, when cities set policy, you know, it can not only educate everybody that it's possible. It can also bring the price down by, you know, expanding the solutions and then, you know, obviously demonstration. And so I'm super excited to hear from Robin about, you know, the work that he's done and, and probably ask some questions of how it can scale to other cities.

0 (17m 47s):
Cause that really is the big theme, right? How do we right by a Felix solutions? And that's something that we try and get to the heart of, you know, with the podcast, but the summit, the annual summit is so exciting because like the people who were really out there doing it, we can dig in and everybody can learn from them. And, and speaking of, I feel like you also have a really great guy out of the UK who works on nature capital, which I'd love you to explain for him.

2 (18m 14s):
Yeah. So Nick Grayson, he is the climate change and sustainability manager for the Birmingham city council. It's Birmingham, UK, not Birmingham, Alabama. And he, he, yeah, I think he is really sort of an expert on this concept of nature capital, which is really quantifying how implementing more nature, more resiliency, reintegrating nature into the city, the way that it can really bring down costs for a city government. So I think, you know, I don't, I don't think this was him, but I read an article about London and London, I think has a really good tree cover.

2 (19m 3s):
And again, I mean, London's a wealthy city, so we can look at like the cities versus cities with fewer resources, but they have really good tree cover. And there was a study that was like, their tree cover saved them like a billion pounds on energy costs. Wow. Like these, like these things, aren't just sort of valuable for their own sake. I mean, they are like nature. They're not nice to have, it's not an amenity. Like it has a real, tangible benefits.

0 (19m 39s):
Well, well, and Jennifer, you were just listening to somebody yesterday. Was it talking about DNA and epigenetics? Thank you. Tell us a little bit about that

4 (19m 52s):
Spaces and places Dr. Carmona was speaking about this and he was a former cert general surgeons, surgeon general, sorry. My words are backwards today. So he was talking about how, you know, places are beautiful. Like you just say Katrina like, oh wow, this is really pretty. But when we are in a place like a home or an office, or when we're in a space that structure, the things around us actually affect our, our genes. So we're all living organisms when we are in touch with nature. So it all has an impact on our genes. So, yes. Okay. Well it's pretty, but oh my gosh, I feel good.

4 (20m 32s):
So when you feel good in a space, it changes our immune system. It balances our sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. And we are in a different place in our bodies and our genes, our receptors to all that around us. And it makes us well or unwell. And it's just like, oh my God. You're of course. So again puts you, like you were saying, like, this can be great for those with means and money. So how do we then bring that to places that need that and how do we peach that into low-income places and how do we then get society into a place where we are more ethical in how we build structures and knowing that we are completely surrounded by places that can make us well or unwell.

4 (21m 16s):
And it's, it's really it's and it's all about nature. It's kind of mind blowing when you think about it. Yeah.

0 (21m 21s):
And everybody should be able to have access to it. So that's part of it. Right. I think, you know, cities are really the number one place right now to think about it because so many people live in cities and there are people more and more people are flocking to cities. And even though, you know, there's been this sort of like exit from cities or at least the media is covering it that way. And we're seeing that, you know, people are coming to, you know, suburbs or excerpts and rural, which I think is huge, but the majority of people are still living in cities. So how do we make cities more livable? And I think it's going to be really interesting to hear from Nick about that. Yeah.

4 (22m 0s):
Well, and I can kind of put something in there too. Like I said, by 2050, 70% of the population living in large-scale cities, 20, 50, 70% of people will be living in cities and we've got to do something about that. We have to,

2 (22m 16s):
We have to fix, and it can't just be, you know, these wealthy pockets with beautiful tree-lined streets, you know, it has to be, I mean, it has to be something we integrate throughout the landscape. And I think, you know, I think we, we all want to say, well, like nature, how do you put a dollar value on it? Like, it's just so intrinsically good. But I think if it's something where I think if you can prove that, that these strategies are saving you a lot of money in the term. I mean, I think that that really gets people to pay attention

4 (22m 52s):
Our mental health. Yeah.

0 (22m 54s):
And I don't know if I've mentioned it before, maybe off, off the podcast, but I read a really great book. I'm in a climate book club, I'm on clubhouse on Saturdays and Mark Carney wrote an amazing book called value and it's sort of a play on value, meaning like our values, like what do we value? And then putting a dollar amount on those things. And one of the great examples that he gave in the book was he's like, you know, why do we value Amazon the company, not to pick on them, but I will, you know, more than we value the Amazon rainforest. Like we don't value the rainforest until we tear all the trees down and now we're using it to, you know, grow crops or graze cattle, and we've actually denuded it and we've taken the value away, but only then do we place a value on it after we've kind of like destroyed.

0 (23m 48s):
It was a really, for me at least like really like flipped a switch in my head of yikes. So how do we, so, so that that's just a book recommendation.

2 (24m 2s):
No, and I mean, like speaking of Amazon and again, like not to pick on them too much, but I think so many of our issues have to do with short-term thinking value Amazon, because like I can order something on Amazon and I can get it tomorrow, you know, but I think if we would think about these things in longer terms and sort of in generational terms, I think Tim Bailey, again, as someone who really talked to us about this and his episode, we'd be so much better off. And I think so many of our speakers at the summit are really thinking about the long-term the long term.

0 (24m 42s):
So, so Katrina, the other thing is there's going to be some breakout sessions, right? And I don't know, some of those are being finalized, you know, some might be sort of crowdsourced from the attendees. So, you know, we really encourage sign up for the virtual it's. We tried to make it really affordable. What did the prices Katrina?

2 (25m 5s):
So the regular rate is $120. If you are affiliated with a nonprofit organization, that rate goes down to $95. And then for students, the rate is $50,

0 (25m 20s):
Right. And we're going to do a podcast code too, right. We're going to do biophilic solutions and you can get it for, I think almost 40% off at $75. Anybody who listens gets a special opportunity and, and do it because, you know, we'll probably be asking you questions before and during the summit to see what kind of deeper conversations do you want to have. And there will be an opportunity each day to do that. Anything else you want to share?

2 (25m 51s):
Yeah. I mean, I think just the breakout sessions, like we are really trying to retain that networking piece of the in-person summit. I mean, we are really keeping our fingers crossed for in-person next year, but I think the breakouts are a great way to really engage one-on-one with some of these top, top thinkers in the field of biophilia

0 (26m 17s):
And the system we're using is going to have chats and a way to engage. And there's going to be like, what, what is the virtual like, room that they've created? And I don't know. So it'll be all a lot of fun. And I just think it's an amazing opportunity where we were a little worried, cause we love the in-person it's so intimate and we get to take walks and be outdoors and, you know, be in nature at Sarah and be, but I think that this is actually going to be an opportunity to reach more people. And as you made a point, like, you know, maybe, you know, Nick wouldn't have been able to come over from the UK, you know, due to everything that's going on, but now, or, and, or individuals.

0 (26m 58s):
So we're super excited. Tell your friends, join us. It's going to be a lot of fun, October 11th and 12th, and use the code biophilic solutions. And you can go to both of our websites, the podcast and my biophilic Institute and the biophilic leadership website, I'm going in the show notes. So I don't know, come join us. Right? Yeah. So Katrina, I wanted to ask you, because we're going to play this on Sandy stories as well, that podcast and that podcast, we typically do a deep dive with residents to find out how they got to Sarah and B what they're doing now.

0 (27m 39s):
You know, what their favorite things are. So I'm going to ask you a quick little question because not only do you run the summit and our produce our podcast and do all the social for it, but you're a resident of Theron based to tell us just like real quick, how you got to Sarah and B and what's your ceremony story.

2 (27m 58s):
Okay. So I started coming to Sarah and be like four years ago because my now husband, as of less than a week ago, was living here when we met. And I, I had been here one time when Sarah and B was brand new and I just, you know, I did not have division. I thought I was like, what is this place? So he told me he lived there and I was like, okay, that's interesting. You know, I'll come. I had a lot of friends being like, oh my God, you'll love it. The restaurants are great. You have to go. And I got here and I was like, this place is amazing. So then, you know, we like, we got more serious and we were kind of back and forth for a while.

2 (28m 39s):
And then in early 2020, I started working for Sarah and B marketing and just doing all kinds of things, managing different social accounts, really just trying to help out where I can. But one of the things that I started doing was working on the biophilic institutes and managing the social, running the summit, producing the podcast, which has been so much fun. It's one of my favorite parts of my job. And I love it. I mean, I love working on biophilia and just becoming more familiar with

0 (29m 19s):
Ophelia and you guys live in the modern neighborhood and you guys had what, what we call these like amazing little homes called the shotguns. Then you guys built a cottage. So was that like kind of a fun process or,

2 (29m 35s):
Oh good. So we actually went under contract on the house that we live in now on day, we were supposed to get married in 2020. So we kind of felt like it was meant to be, and the shotgun, the shotgun was great. We loved our shotgun, but we just have a little bit more space here in our new house. And we're both working from home now. So it's kinda nice to be able to go into another room, get some work done. You've probably, I was actually came into the, into our bedroom today to record this because George is a very loud phone talker.

2 (30m 20s):
That's nervous. You'd be able to hear him in the background the whole time.

0 (30m 25s):
I love it. Well, the other question I, I always ask our, Steve and I ask at the end of our interviews with residents is what is one like sort of tip or that you would tell somebody who's never been to ceremony who's coming down. What would you sort of say, oh, you've got to do this or don't, don't miss this thing.

2 (30m 48s):
Oh, wow. That's a great question. I don't know if I could narrow it down to one thing. I mean, I think I would put together an itinerary almost never know. I'm like I've had those days where I'm like, this is the perfect day. We're all go to the farmer's market on a Saturday and then kind of wonder Daisy and grab a coffee and then one to the shops and then like walk on the trails to go home. And it's just sort of like the perfect morning in a lot of ways. And yeah, I mean, I guess just sort of bringing it back to biophilia in a way.

2 (31m 28s):
I never, I, I didn't ever had a concept of that until I moved here. And it's something that I felt really instinctively even before I was really familiar with the concept itself and sort of the science behind it. Like I just started spending more time here and walking on the trails and spending more time outside and I notice how much better I felt when I was here. And then I would be sad when I had to be back in Atlanta. And then, and then I started working here and started doing some work with the biophilic Institute and I was like, there you go. Yeah. It all makes sense. Yeah. I would say, come on a Saturday morning, farmer's market coffee, brunch shopping that sort of a perfect morning.

0 (32m 14s):
All right. Well thanks. Thanks so much Katrina for joining us. This

2 (32m 17s):
Has been a great,

4 (32m 20s):
You know, I'm so excited to just have you talk to us about like, why we should go, what we should look forward to. And I love your enthusiasm because you're part of Sarah and B, you live there and I just, you know, getting to know you in the past year, plus I'm excited to see your excitement for why we need more biophilic solution. Thanks

0 (32m 40s):
For being a part of the team. Thank you, Jennifer. All right, bye guys. See at the summit. Bye. Thank you for listening to ceremony stories, new episodes are available on Mondays. Please follow us and leave us a five star review and visit our website to learn more about guests episodes and everything ceremony@serenbstories.com. This episode is supported by the, in its Seremban nestled in the rolling countryside of the bucolic community of ceremony where guests can walk on the 15 miles of private trails through preserved forest land, the wildflower meadow and the animal village, relax at the pool hot tub or in rocking chairs on wraparound porch, lay on the croquet lawn, grab a canoe and jump on the in-ground trampoline connects with nature and each other all while staying in a luxurious space at the end at Seren.

0 (33m 31s):
Be book your stay today at <inaudible> dot com, S E R E N B E I N n.com.