#103 The Last Dragon
Charles Massy on Regeneration, the ‘electronic curtain’ & his new book (for kids!)
Welcome to the final conversation for 2021, featuring globally renowned doyen of regenerative agriculture, Charles Massy. This best-selling author of Call of the Reed Warbler has recently written for Paul Hawken’s NYT best-seller Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation. And perhaps less predictably, he’s also been busy writing a new kids’ book. It’s called The Last Dragon. It’s a beautiful work of art, thanks to illustrator Mandy Foot, and the imagery Charlie conjures of an elusive fellow dweller in the land he calls home. And there’s an even bigger story behind how this came to be his next volume, and why we might see more like it.
The Last Dragon himself, illustrated by Mandy Foot (from the book).
“What was really alarming was that they found that only one in ten children played outside once a week or more. The clincher was that they discovered that for every one hour play outside, they’re spending seven on screens. And as one of the researchers said, we can’t see the forest for the screens.”
I also introduce this episode with some great news on two key stories we’ve been following on the podcast – the donkeys at Kachana Station, and efforts to protect Ningaloo Reef and Exmouth Gulf. And I close with some last words from me for 2021.
This episode marks what would have been the 78th birthday of the bloke who introduced me to systems thinking and living 21 years ago, the late Professor Frank Fisher. This Aussie legend became a treasured mentor of mine, and a great mate. Last year, we marked the occasion with Allan Savory on the podcast. The year before, another globally influential systems thinker in Hazel Henderson. Continuing the tradition, I’m very happy to be introducing Charlie this year.
This conversation was recorded across some very remote Country (mostly without a hitch!) on 19 November 2021 at 6DBY Derby Media Aboriginal Corporation in WA, with Charlie at home at Severn Park in NSW.
Get more:
Buy the book, The Last Dragon.
And you can hear my conversation with Charlie at Severn Park in late 2018 here.
You can also tune in to a live conversation event featuring Charlie, with David and Frances Pollock from Wooleen Station, that attracted around 300 people in Melbourne earlier in 2018.
Music:
The System, by The Public Opinion Afro Orchestra.
The tune accompanying the introduction is by Jeremiah Johnson.
Beethoven’s Piano Sonata no.15 in D major op.28 "Pastoral" - I. Allegro, by Karine Gilanyan (sourced from the Free Music Archive).