Dear For The Wild community,

One of the enduring gifts of this work is that every series reminds me how collaborative storytelling really is. While listeners often experience a conversation as something intimate between two people, every episode is held by so many hands. It exists because someone believes enough in these stories to help bring them into the world and because people choose to care for it together.

As we move into the second half of 2026, I wanted to pause and simply say thank you for coming along with us.

A special thank you to Ritū, whose generous support has made so much of this year's work possible. Their commitment to independent ecological storytelling has given us the freedom to continue making conversations that honor place, ask difficult questions, and deepen our relationship with the living world. We are deeply grateful for their partnership.

This year began with In the Company of Humpbacks, created alongside our partners at Five Fingers Lighthouse and the American Cetacean Society (Puget Sound Chapter) with additional support from Barnacle Foods and the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation. It remains one of my favorite explorations of what whales can teach us about kinship, attention, and the living ocean.

From there, we traveled to Italy for Fat of The Land, a series exploring slow food, culture, hunger, and belonging. I'm especially grateful to Carlo and Jessie at Slow Life Family Farm, along with the many people who welcomed us into their homes and shared stories that continue to stay with me. Thank you as well to Terra Elaÿa and Heyday Books for helping bring this series to life.

We're only halfway through the year, and there is still so much to share.

Coming This Fall

In the months ahead, we'll release a new series recorded in Aotearoa with Erin Matariki Carr, RIVER Collective, and Ma Earth, exploring Indigenous knowledge, ecological restoration, and what becomes possible when communities remember their responsibilities to place.

We'll also share a series created with the Mother Kuskokwim Tribal Coalition, Native Movement, and SalmonState, documenting the movement to protect the Kuskokwim River and the communities whose futures remain intertwined with its health. Our thanks to the Western Mining Action Network for their early support of this project.

This fall, we'll partner with Heyday Books on a new series with author Laura Cunningham celebrating the re-release of California: A State of Change, a book that profoundly shaped how I understand ecology, history, and the landscapes we inhabit.

Slow Earth Companion Audio Series

Alongside the fall release of our debut anthology, Slow Earth Companion, we'll begin a new series of conversations with writers and thinkers who have deeply influenced my own work, including brontë velez, Bayo Akomolafe, Michael Meade, and others. Together we'll move through the themes of the book, chapter by chapter, as an ongoing conversation.

Help bring these stories to life

To help make these projects possible, we're currently seeking sponsors for our upcoming series and hosts for the Slow Earth Companion book tour this fall. If your project, brand, or organization believes in thoughtful ecological storytelling, we'd love to begin a conversation.

We're also beginning conversations with organizations interested in collaborating on audio storytelling series for 2027. We intentionally take on only a handful of projects each year so every partnership receives the care and editorial attention it deserves. If you've been considering working with For The Wild to tell the story of your work, research, campaign, or community, we'd love to hear from you. Share about your project idea here.

To everyone who has listened, shared an episode, partnered with us, sponsored a series, pre-ordered the book, or simply continued believing these conversations matter, thank you.

I'm grateful to be in this work with you.

Love,
Ayana

Ways to Support