- Tara Brach

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open share - life update​
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Greetings from Oaxaca City, Mexico!

Much time since the previous newsletter, my friends.

Life has been full in some of the most beautiful ways possible. I've missed you all in July for last month's newsletter, but here I am, with a double issue especially in the bonus album for patrons and global good news!

Looking ahead - the September newsletter shall pick up where I'm leaving off here - from Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, back to Chiapas, Mexico, through Oaxaca where I type this now, through our last days in Mexico, back to the west coast of the US, and to... Burning Man(!!) and another wedding with Conscious Impact friends on the east coast. This summer has shaped up to be quite an extrodinary one. Catch up with you all when I do. In the meantime, if you happen to be going to be on the playa too this year, please hit me up!

Ok, without further delay... a brief written + visual summary of June 14 - July 22:

My last 3 weeks in Ecuador were filled with dirt in my fingernails, hard work and sweaty backs, laughter and good fun, awe, patience and learning.

Since the last newsletter-patreon post, our team at RFI successfully received one last group of volunteers-students from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to run the last group of land regeneration/reforestation/bamboo construction. Afterwards, Camila and I were eager to travel to the Ecuadorian Andes once more, but countrywide protests by indigenous and environmental groups had shut down most of the major roads and highways connecting the coastal lowlands to the highlands and to the Amazon, so we had to adapt to the circumstances and stayed tuned in day by day to what's happening.

Very thankfully, we had a beautiful, peaceful place to stay throughout that time on the southern coast of Ecuador - shoutout to the team at Villas Los Olivos! As the blockades and protests subsided, we got squeeze in a short and memorable visit to the Andes, and parted ways temporarily in the beginning of July for my Conscious Impact friends' wedding in Ohio (as well as my very first visit to Chicago!). Meanwhile, Camila got to immense herself with more time around the Andes mountains with several new friends, and I landed in Guatemala first to have some solo time to get my bearings on a new country, cultures, places of interest, as well as get some editing done from the wedding and the beginning prep for this double-sized newsletter.

Patrons, if you wish to skip the low-resolution previews below, please indulge in the 450+ image + video album exclusive to you and other supporters right here.

Ecuador

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Some gorgeous street art from the coastal town of Olon:

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Some art pieces around Cuenca...

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Guatemala

My time in Guatemala was short (~16 days total), but quite colorful and memorable. Nearly all of my time was spent in and around Antigua and Lake Atitlan. Here are some highlights:

Then, re-joined by Camila 6 days after I had landed! 🙃

More to come from Atitlan and beyond on the September newsletter!

Here are snippets of garbage picked up in the past month - not at all inclusive! From beaches to rivers, city parks, to wilderness areas in the mountains and forest... we (Camila and I both) did what we could to clean up the beautiful places we have gotten to visit. Thanks patrons at the higher levels for indirectly aiding me (us) in cleaning up our precious planet bit by bit:

Supporting patrons, as always, get access to an expanded, bonus album filled with many more images and videos since the previous newsletter drop. This double issue is packed with 450+ from coastal Ecuador, the Andes mountains, as well as snippets from my week in Ohio + Chicago, and finally, of my first 10 days in Guatemala. 🇪🇨 🇬🇹

​Consider supporting me to receive full access to this and ALL previous posts + bonus content from the past 4 years with as little as $2 USD/month. This also allows me to continue doing my craft, sharing beauty and stories from the road, publish my monthly newsletters and edit + launch my upcoming Wilderness Within podcast. Thanks so much for considering! 🙏

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global good news (you probably didn't hear about)

This double issue features... you guessed it! Nearly double the amount of good news as usual. This is, as I often emphasize, many peoples' favorite section of the newsletter for GOOD reasons. For those of you new to this - you're in for a treat - our world isn't all bad news and terrible happenings. So many people on our planet are banding together to do epic and positive things for each other and the planet. Here we go! 🌍

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The Philippines is on track to build the world’s largest solar farm, expected to be producing energy beginning in 2025.

New aquatic drones are collecting tonnes of plastic waste from rivers and waterways before it can reach the ocean.

​Three oil companies have canceled their drilling leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Environmentalists are celebrating the crucial move in protecting both wildlife and ecosystems, and combating climate change.

​With its unique “Housing First” campaign, Finland is the only country in Europe to see its homelessness rate steadily declining.​Public transit in a Virginia city went completely fare-free and has seen ridership back to near pre-pandemic levels. The success of the program also has to do with increasing the frequency of service and plenty of funding.

U.S. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson made history as the first-ever Black woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Notably, Justice Jackson is also now the only and first Justice with the experience of being a public defender on the court.

​Mexico City extended its ban on bullfighting indefinitely. The ruling is based on complaints that bullfights violated residents’ rights to a healthy environment free from violence, and could signal an end to almost 500 years of bullfighting in the country.

​Finland just became the first country to pass a legally binding carbon negativity act. While most countries have made pledges to be carbon-negative — capturing more carbon than they produce — this is the first time one will be held legally accountable for those pledges.

​Thanks to Indigenous knowledge and science, caribou herds have tripled in Canada. An Indigenous-led conservation program in British Columbia has successfully increased one from 38 individuals to 113 in less than a decade.

​To reduce electronic waste, the European Union just approved a first-of-its-kind measure requiring all new electronic devices to use the same type of charger. The measure will also require companies not to include a cord with every new device purchased.

After it was wrongfully stolen from them, Los Angeles County just officially returned Bruce’s Beach to descendants of its original Black owners.

40 years after being declared locally extinct, rhinos are once again roaming the bush in Mozambique thanks to a translocation effort from South Africa. The black and white rhinos are being transported over 1,610 km to Zinave National Park, already home to more than 2,300 other reintroduced animals. Reuters​

Thailand has become the first Asian country to legalise medicinal marijuana and allow people to grow the plant at home. While recreational use of the drug remains illegal, the government hopes the new law will boost the wellness and tourism industries. ABC​

Vietnam, a country of almost 100 million people, is undergoing one of the biggest and fastest energy transitions in the world. In the four years to 2021, the share of solar increased from zero to nearly 11%, making it the world's 10th largest solar power producer. Petrotimes​

The global war on waste is ramping up. India is about to kick off the largest plastic ban in the world, America just announced it will phase out single-use plastic in national parks by 2032, saving 14 million tonnes of plastic from ending up in the ocean, and in Australia, efforts to minimise plastic over the past six years have reduced coastal litter by 29%.

The ocean off Gaza is ‘crystal blue’ for the first time in years, after sewage treating facilities stepped up operations to stop untreated sewage flowing directly into the water. It’s good news for the 2.3 million Palestinians who can finally enjoy a swim this summer. Euro News​

Lawmakers in the European Parliament have voted to ban internal combustion engines in all new cars and vans by 2035. The legislation requires carmakers to reduce their fleetwide emission averages by 100% from 2035, with interim steps in 2025 and 2030. Politico​

In the past three years communities on Bangladesh’s southwestern coast have planted around half a million trees, creating nearly 200 hectares of mangroves to act as a natural shield against tidal surges during cyclones. Mongabay​

A step in the right direction for LGBTQI+ rights in Tokyo with local authorities recognising same-sex partnerships, making it easier for couples to access local services. While 100 municipalities in Japan now recognise same-sex partnerships, it's still the only G-7 nation yet to legalise same-sex marriage or civil unions. Bloomberg​

Non-profit organisation The Ocean Cleanup has officially removed more than 100,000 kg of plastic from the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The milestone is thanks to Jenny, a device that has swept over 3000 km2 of ocean, capturing plastic and funneling it into a net. A 1,000 Jennys, and the Garbage Patch is gone.

The Cofán community in the Ecuadorian Amazon have successfully saved 32,000 hectares of their ancestral land from 52 mining projects after winning a series of landmark cases. The community established Ecuador's first indigenous guard to defend their land in 2017 and the government must now consult them before greenlighting any proposals that threaten their way of life. Long Reads​

Since its establishment in 2001, the International Dark Sky Association has recognized more than 190 sites, protecting over 110,000 km² of dark places around the globe, including dark sky reserves, communities, islands and sanctuaries. As the benefits of dark skies become better known, many more rural areas are now seeking recognition. BBC​

The global pipeline of offshore wind has almost doubled in the past 12 months from 429 GW a year ago to 846 GW today. Absolutely staggering growth. China has the biggest pipeline at 98 GW, the UK is in second place at 91 GW (up from 55 GW a year ago) the US is third with 80GW, and Germany is fourth at 57 GW. Renewable UK​

Disruptions to food supply chains in Mexico City during the pandemic resulted in a revival of Aztec-era island farms known as 'chinampas.' The shallow lake farms produce beans, corn, squashes, and greens, and when lockdowns stopped produce flows to the city, customers reconnected with local chinamperos, rebooting a 1,300 year-old agricultural legacy. Nat Geo​

Surgical abortions are no longer the norm in the United States. The majority (54%) are now done via medication - approved for up to ten weeks by the FDA, and often mailed to patients after an online or telehealth consultation. Politicians might want to police control over women’s bodies, but science and medicine have other ideas. Guttmacher Institute​

Argentina has pioneered a private to public rewilding model that has successfully restored over 800,000 hectares of damaged land and reintroduced multiple species. Since the 1990s the Tompkins Conservation foundation has been buying private land to restore ecosystems and then donating the protected areas back to federal and local governments. Guardian​

A landmark ruling in Kenya will see the Indigenous Ogiek people paid reparations for decades of illegal evictions from their ancestral land in the Mau Forest. It’s the first time a court has ruled in favour of both material and moral damages and the decision could set a precedent for other Indigenous peoples in East Africa. Grist​

Indigenous tribes across America have brought bison populations back from the brink of extinction over the last decade. Today 76 tribes across 20 states manage more than 20,000 bison - an incredible achievement considering the population sat below 1,000 in the early 1900s. It's also a victory for local ecosystems, with a flourishing of native grasses, animals, and insects wherever they roam. WaPo​

An ecological revolution in Wellington, New Zealand is underway, as the return of native bird species, and close encounters with orca and whales fuel a volunteer conservation movement. The city is seeing an explosion in wildlife thanks to the presence of Zealandia, the world’s first fully fenced urban ecosanctuary located 10 minutes from downtown. Bloomberg​

The Catholic Theological Society of America, the world's largest organization of theologians, just announced it's divesting its financial funds from fossil fuels, a move great in moral weight and one backers hope is rich with potential to inspire similar actions at its members' institutions. NCR​

All is not lost for grassroots organising however! Especially when it comes to divestment. The AFT is the second largest teacher's union in the US, with 1.7 million members, whose combined pensions are worth $5.8 trillion, as large as the federal budget. $255 billion used to be invested in fossil fuel corporations, until this week.​

A reforestation program in Burundi is restoring communities as well as nature with formerly warring factions working together to help boost the country’s forests. The initiative launched in 2018 after a brutal civil war, and in just four years has planted 150 million trees across 50,000 hectares. Mongabay​

In the United States, heavy duty transportation, one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize, suddenly looks like it's going to makes the transition towards zero emission vehicles in years, not decades. In the next few months, the country's fleet of HD ZEVs will increase 45 fold.
And finally...

Who said it? You guessed it, renowned environmentalist, Darren Woods, CEO of Exxon Mobil. CNBC​

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original work

This video is quite special to my heart. The team at Conscious Impact Nepal and I discussed the idea of this video back in 2018, and determined then that a "story of" video would be prioritized, followed by a "what it's like to volunteer" video, which is what this is. During the first lockdown months of 2020, while sheltering in place at our camp between March and July, we scripted, planned, and filmed the shots that make up the majority of this video of labor & love. This really is made possible thanks to our team's relentless spirit and the financial support of my patrons throughout 2020. I finished the video later in 2020, and the team decided we would hold off until "it's time" to release it. As Nepal and much of the world reopens from covid and international travel once more, the Conscious Impact (CI) team is ready to continue receiving volunteers & do-gooders for 10 day to multi-month stays at our beautiful, unique little camp in the Himalayas of Nepal. Please watch-enjoy with good sound and a big screen if possible:

Visit and learn more about CI via their site, instagram, facebook.

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curated work

Every month, along with life updates, good news, and an original piece of work, I also recommend curated gems from around the internet that are awe-inspiring, beautiful, motivational, enlightening, mind and perspective-expanding:

About the new, ultra-high resolution deep space images released by NASA from their James Webb Space Telescope:

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Beautiful/magical music video by Janax Pacha:

Favorite podcast: Hidden Brain - "Reframing Your Reality"

Mindset is everything. This was a thoroughly enjoyable, enlightening, and immensely useful listen to further adapt into my own life.

• Listen irectly on site: Part 1 + Part 2​
• Google Podcast Part 1 + Part 2​
• Apple Podcast Part 1 + Part 2​

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Book of the moment: Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach​

As always, I enjoy hearing from you of how you enjoy my recommendations of these internet gems!

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gratitude + shoutout

For those of you who are new to this newsletter (quite a few of you as I've noticed!), welcome and thank you! Your time and attention are invaluable, and I sincerely hope you find value here.

This publication is a labor of love & devotion. Each month, I spend 10+ hrs culling and editing captured media, compiling good news and content, then weave them altogether. It is made possible in huge part due to patrons who pitch in regularly on patreon. This income, as minuscule as it might be relative to salaries of those jobs in economically "developed" countries, is an enormous pillar of additional support for my frugal lifestyle in regions of the world where services and goods cost relatively less. I also must thank my dear friends around the world who hire me for their family portraits, engagements, weddings, business photo and videoshoots, etc. that also contribute to the financial pie which allow my life(style) to be possible.

Without these supporters, there would likely be no newsletter, and it'd be a bigger challenge for me to commit the additional time and resources to kickoff The Wilderness Within amidst commitments and life itself. So for that, I am ever thankful for their financial support month after month so that I can produce content like this, "re-tip" other creators and entities (on Patreon) that I think make our world a better place, and offer pro-bono or discounted documentary work to those with(out even) a small a budget.

If you're able to or keen to learn more, head over to my patreon page, or if regular contributions aren't your thing, I also have a tip jar - think of me as a "street busker" with cameras, curation, and musings.​

These are the humans that make this publication, the podcast, and so many other aspects of my life possible:

Grateful for you Reader,

Jonathan